Lysa TerKeurst - A Womans Secret to a Balanced Life: Finding Gods Refreshing Priorities for You

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Verses marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Verses marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Verses marked T HE M ESSAGE are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

The poem by Shirley Pope Waite is used with permission.

Cover by Garborg Design Works, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A WOMENS SECRET TO A BALANCED LIFE

Copyright 2004 by Lysa TerKeurst and Sharon Jaynes

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jaynes, Sharon.

[Seven life principles for every woman]

A womans secret to a balanced life / Sharon Jaynes and Lysa TerKeurst.

p. cm.

Originally published: Chicago : Moody Press, 2001.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-7369-1402-4 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-3513-5 (eBook)

1. Christian womenReligious life. I. TerKeurst, Lysa. II. Title.

BV4527.J39 2004

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To our mothers with love: Louise Edwards and Linda Gardnerwe rise up and call you blessed.

Proverbs 31:28

Methods are many,

Principles are few.

Methods always change,

Principles never do.

Source Unknown

Contents

Lysa

Just as life is much more fun when shared with friends and family, so is the writing of a book. What a joy it has been writing this book with one of my best friends, Sharon. Thanks to Sharon for your never ending encouragement and love. A special thank you also needs to be given to the many others whove allowed me to share little pieces of their life storiesSheila Mangum, Becky Peed, Daniella Russo-Gellar, Dr. and Mrs. Smith, Mike Griffin, and Katherine Hahn. Also, an extra big thank you to my sweet family who share this great adventure of life most closely with me. The love of my life, Art TerKeurst, and the three little princesses who make our life full of fun, Hope, Ashley, and Brooke. Also to my three recently adopted sons: Jackson, Mark, and Adam. What an honor it is to be your mommy. Finally, thanks to all the women who gave their time and heart to serving God through Proverbs 31 Ministries. What fun it is to be making a difference for Jesus together!

Sharon

There are many friends and family members who have touched my life and allowed me to share their lives within the pages of this book. A special thanks goes to:

My partner in ministry Lysa TerKeurst. Many say that Lysa and I are joined at the hip but the reality is that we are joined at the heart. Her encouragement has helped me run the race with endurance. My mother, Louise Edwards, for allowing me to share our story of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. Jack and Doril Henderson and Wanda Johnson for their role in leading me to the Lord. Mary Johnson for her organization inspiration. Bill and Alice Brafford, Cissy Smith, Judy Turner, Mary Marshall Young, Grace and Cindy Ely, Elizabeth Dyar, Patti Beasley, and Ernestine Nevils for sharing their stories. Cheryl Gunderson for mentoring my girls. My husband, Steve, and my son, Steven, for their never ending love, support, and patience.

S HARON

T o celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary, my husband and I traveled to Maui, where we decided to explore the tropical beauty along a road called the Hana Highway. The brochures promised black sandy beaches, a view of Hawaiis largest volcano wreathed in clouds, African tulip trees with orange-red blossoms, exotic plants tucked among bamboo forests, and vistas of raucous waves crashing against rocky cliffs.

Instead of being carted up the mountain in a cushy, air-conditioned tour bus, we decided to rent a car and travel at our own pace. After all, the tour guide from the hotel lobby informed us that it would take three to four hours to travel fifty-two miles to the roads end. Being city dwellers who move at a fairly rapid pace, we surmised that the laid-back Hawaiian was simply planning to take his time puttering up the mountainside. We were sure we could make the trip in half the time.

Mr. Tour Guide warned us, The road is very winding and difficult to maneuver.

Its just a sales ploy, I whispered to Steve. We dont need a guide. Besides, if he can drive that big bus up the road, surely we can manage this little Buick.

Wiser words were never spoken! I should have had second thoughts as I passed by a T-shirt in the gift shop that read, I survived the road to Hana.

The fifty-two-mile stretch of highway was anything but a stretch. It was as if a two-year-old had held a fat crayon in his chubby hand and scribble-scrabbled circles on a piece of paper. Then a surveyor, mistaking the twists and turns for a map, designed the road accordingly. A writer noted that calling it a highway was like calling a Volkswagen a limousine. Yes, the road offered spectacular views, but I missed many of them because my eyes were closed due to motion sickness.

Well, three and one-half nerve-wracking hours, 54 bridges (many of which were one lane), and 617 hairpin turns later, we made it to the mountains crest and the end of the Hana Highway. Was it worth the twists and turns, cliff-hanging maneuvers, and near head-on collisions?

The sight I beheld when we reached the top will be etched forever in my mind. A series of seven interconnected pools spilled into one another down the mountain and formed the spectacular Wiamoku Falls. The rains from heaven pour into the first pool at the mountain peak. When its filled, it spills into a majestic waterfall that ends in the second pool several yards down the mountain. The second pool overflows to a third pool, then a fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh. Eventually, the seven waterfalls flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Those seven cascades are much like our relationship with God. When we come to Christ, God pours His blessings into us, filling us with His love, power, and grace. The more time we spend with Him, the more we become full of His love, which spills over to those around us.

As a matter of fact, Proverbs 31 provides us with seven waterfalls and pools. Lysa and I discovered that insight into Scripture as we began to work with an incredible organization called Proverbs 31 Ministries. Our desire is to help women build godly homes. We believe that the place to start is by touching a womans heart for Christ, which in turn touches the entire family. Weve identified seven qualities (or waterfalls, if you will) in the wife of noble character mentioned in Proverbs 31. With those qualities in mind, we established the Seven Principles of the Proverbs 31 Woman. The order of the principles has great significance, as we strive to keep our priorities in perspective. In our fast-paced, upside-down society, boundaries are blurred, roles are reversed, and priorities perplex us. These principles help to bring our lives into focus and to give us direction.