Good Morning Girls!  This is it.  The final verse of Proverbs 31.  I must admit I am actually bummed that it is over.  I had a great time of revelation over the last few weeks.  What made it the most fun was having you all to share it with!  I want you all to know that when I started, if you were to ask me about Proverbs 31, I would have rolled my eyes and said "do we really have to talk about Her?"  I saw her as most women do.....an unattainable example of the kind of woman God wants us to be.  Surely that image of woman fell under the law, she is part of the curse!  She is in the Old Testament you know!  But each day, when I would meditate and pray about the next day's verse, the Lord would show me the things I shared with you.  He would give me examples of things we are doing, and show us that these are in fact the qualities He desires in us.  Sure, maybe you've never "made belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants", but I know many of you have sewn hundreds of little sequence on to your daughters dance costumes!  Or how about the boy scouts badges you have sewn over the years?  Even if we don't get it right all the time.  Even when we mess up big time, we are still Proverbs 31 women.  We are still Real Women!  On the days when you cannot do a single thing right, there is one thing you can do to remain a Proverbs 31 gal.....you can Praise the Lord!  The very act of seeking the Lord, asking Him for help, and giving Him the Praise for all that is good in your life, is the bottom line character trait that makes you a Real Woman! 
Chances are, no one else will ever know everything you do in a day.  The work you do.  The errands you run. The sacrifices you make. No one will ever know all of the things you are going through.  The battles you have fought.  The tears you have shed.  No one knows....except the Lord.  He knows every drop of sweat and tears you will ever exert in your time on earth.  He knows every task, and to do list you will ever have.  He knows all of the hurts, pains, and fears you have.  He knows all of these things, and He will reward you for it all!  He has a reward for all of us who love HIm and have declared Jesus as our Lord!  This reward is so awesome that I cannot even put it into words. 
As awesome as this reward is, sometimes it seems too far off.  We need a little recognition, a little praise, a little reward to keep us going.  We need to know that our efforts are recognized, and admired.  God loves to shower us with love and blessings to keep us going.  Make sure you take the time to recognize these "atta girl, I love you, keep on keepin' on" moments.  Get into the Word and read about His love for you.  It is a reward and a blessing to be a child of the Most High God!  but still, we are human.  We are flesh. We like to be recognized for our efforts.  And that, dear girls, is where we can show the final characteristic of a Real Woman: we can praise and acknowledge each other!  It's ok to let a girl know you admire her!  We can tell someone we noticed this, or really liked that.  We can let a girl know we know she is hurting, and we love her and will pray for her.  We can recognize the outstanding qualities of another without losing confidence about our own God given talents.  We can lift a Sister up and let her know WE think she is a Proverbs 31 Woman.....after all, that is what Real Women Do!

Proverbs 31:31 Reward her for all she has done.  Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Love, admire, and cherish you all-
Jen

criminy.....I'm actually crying....who would've thought?