I am not as confident a woman as I’d like to be. I’m still trying to figure a lot of stuff out; like how to be the woman God designed me to be; how to pursue excellence in the way I live my life, the way I raise my children, as a wife, a writer, a woman in ministry and whatever else I set out to do with my life.

I thought this book might offer some inspiration and help me in my quest to be a confident woman, mother, wife and leader. So far I have read the first four chapters. So here are some excerpts here and there, that I have absorb from what I read so far.

Excerpts from Chapter One- Confidence

“A person without confidence is like an airplane sitting on a runway with empty fuel tanks. The plane has the ability to fly, but without some fuel, it’s not getting off the ground.”

“People with low confidence, on the other hand, are not sure about anything. They are double-minded, indecisive people who constantly get frustrated with life. If they do make a decision, they are tormented by self-doubt. They second-guess (and third- and fourth-guess) themselves. As a result, they don’t live boldly. They live little, narrow lives, and they miss out on the big, rewarding life God wants them to enjoy.”

Sounds like who I would completely become, if not for the encouragement of my husband to step out into very uncomfortable situations (outside my comfort-zone).

Another excerpt from this chapter:

“Fear is a dangerous virus, because a fearful person has no confidence and can never reach her potential in life. She won’t step out of her comfort zone to do anything-especially something new or different. Fear is a cruel ruler, and its subjects live in constant torment.”

I know these words well. I live these words, but I don’t want to anymore. For the sake of my kids I have to break free, break this cycle before my little all-stars never get to shine or live the way God intended.

In Chapter Two and Three; Joyce Meyer discusses women in ministry, discrimination against women, the Women’s Right Movement, the bible verse in which Paul says something to the affect of woman being silent in church and more. Not from a feminist stand-point but from a biblical perspective (her interpretation of God’s word).

In Chapter four; she list and expand on seven secrets of a confident woman.  Secret # 2 stuck out to me most because that is the stronghold I struggle with most.

Excerpts from Chapter Four- Seven Secrets of a Confident Woman

Secret # 2 – A confident woman refuses to live in fear.

“The Bible says that God has not given us the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is not from the God; it is the devil’s tool to keep people from enjoying their lives and making progress. Fear causes a person to run, retreat, or shrink back.”

“Satan is a liar. He lies to people and places images on the picture screen of their minds that show defeat and embarrassment. For this reason, we need to know God’s promises (His word) so we can cast down the lies of the enemy and refuse to listen to him.”

Joyce Meyer had her fair share of emotional turmoil and bad experiences, and she pulled through to become a renowned bible teacher and author. If she can overcome who she use to be, with all she experienced, and live out God’s plan for her life; so could we.

Next Chapter: “The Woman I Did Not Like”…………