Women Unveiled, Vol. 2: Secrets of Strong Women

By Erika Etienne

Do you ever wonder what the secret is for women who face struggles but still seem to keep it all together? Are you complimented for your display of strength but wish others knew that your life is not perfectly molded and that you sometimes miss a beat?

In Women Unveiled, Vol. 2: Se

• Language: English
• Publisher: Purposely Created Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781644843444

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WOMEN UNVEILED, VOL. 2

Copyright © 2021 Erika Etienne

All rights reserved.

Published by Publish Your Gift®

An imprint of Purposely Created Publishing Group, LLC

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ISBN: 978-1-64484-343-7 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-64484-344-4 (ebook)

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2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says,

"But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy that follows us each and every day. It is because of your lovingkindness that we were able to overcome and share these stories to bless others.

Thank you for allowing me to be a vessel and a voice in your kingdom!

CONTENTS

Introduction

ON COURSE FOR A TRAIN WRECK

Lexi A. Johnson

FAITH IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS

LaKeitra Lee-Lord

GOD WOULDN’T LET ME DIE

Cynthia F. Morris

HIS DESTINY IS CONNECTED TO YOUR OBEDIENCE

Shameka Ruffin

I MADE IT

Tracey L. Ruffin

BEHIND MY SMILE

Yolanda Maisonet

GRACED

La’ Vesha Eady-Badger

SMILE

Shakira Rae

IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD

Michelle D. Bicey, EdD, MDiv

AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR ALONG THE ROAD TO RETIREMENT

Lynn Braxton

SILENT STRENGTH

Erika Etienne

Sources

About the Authors

INTRODUCTION

The truth about a woman’s strength is that it cannot be easily classified. Ask one person to define a woman’s strength and they might say, It is in her ability to carry the world on her shoulders without falling. Ask another and they may say, It is in her ability to show vulnerability and cry out for help when she is feeling weak. A woman’s strength is both of these in some cases and neither in others; it is truly dependent on the woman and her interpretation given her circumstances. It is not, however, best defined by an onlooker. One definition of strength is, the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure. Given that definition, images of women flash before me, strong in their own right. These are women who have endured great pressure, yet they remain standing. I do not mean physically standing as an erected pillar that cannot be moved, but their feet have moved steadily forward when their circumstances could have left them cemented in pain or death.

Strength may seem like an unattainable trait when one is trying desperately to persevere through life. A brief reflection of the journey, however, can reveal the magnitude of strength required to endure every hurdle designed to make one fall. This anthology is a collection of the secrets these women hold as the foundation of their strength. God has proven to be their source, but how He revealed Himself in their circumstances varied from person to person. Readers will find that strength wears many faces and emotions, and there is not a single image that overpowers another when we envision strength. To try to make it so would be a falsehood. If one is tired of the mischaracterizations of what strength is or what it looks like, then herein lies the truth behind the imprudent compliment, You’re so strong!

When people hear my story of becoming a young bride and mother before age twenty, marrying twice before twenty-five to abusive men, and then having a brush with death as a result of domestic violence, they quickly respond, You’re so strong! While some may see that as praiseworthy, I used to cringe. My strength was somehow celebrated, but for the longest, I could not see it. It was not until I reflected on those experiences years later that I was able to identify my strength. It was not in my ability to hide my truth from the world but in my will to live out God’s plans and to leverage my pain for the good of others. My misfortune would be the very thing that helped me develop a true relationship with Christ, and what the Lord would use as my platform to lead countless women back to Him.

I have been asked many times about my secret. How did I survive? How am I able to do what I do today? How do I maintain through adversity? I am a believer in the value of multiple perspectives, and that is what is embedded in these pages. You may feel weak or that strength only has one look, but we will demystify the reality of strength, so that you can live confidently in yours. No matter what you are facing: a significant loss, a career or life transition, overcoming domestic violence, depression, suicide, health diagnosis or complications, parental struggles, etc., a degree of strength was required for you to be here today, holding these pages in your hands. These ladies have proven results, and their strength will empower you to examine and redefine yours. By the end, with God as your foundation, you will surely recognize your strength and walk a little lighter, knowing that your ability to withstand the great pressures in this life were or can be overcome by leaning into the arms of the Father. Even if the lean is well put together on the outside and barely sustaining on the inside, you are, as you are, the epitome of strength.

ON COURSE FOR A TRAIN WRECK

Lexi A. Johnson

In 2008, I lost everything. My job, my house, my car, my marriage, my hope, and my self-confidence were all on course for a train wreck, largely due to financial ignorance. I could not believe the series of events that made up my life. The only question I kept asking myself was how did I get here? How did someone like me get here?

As the daughter of parents who immigrated to this country to live the American dream and achieve financial freedom, I was conditioned from an early age to do well in school, graduate, attend college, get my degree, and find a great paying job. I was taught that if I put my mind to it and did these things, I would have financial success. All my parents wanted for me and my siblings was for us to achieve the American dream. How to keep a checkbook ledger was my formal education about finances. Everything else was informal and unspoken. Let me explain.

My parents divorced when I was about nine years old. My mom did an amazing job holding things together financially. She did so well at it, I didn’t have any idea that we were struggling until I was much older. Looking back, I can see the instances that indicated struggle and set the foundation for my money mindset and attitudes. It is important to note that this is not an indictment of my parents or any other caring adult in my life because one cannot teach what they do not know.

One instance that shaped my money mindset was our bi-weekly trip to the grocery store. As my mother parked the car, she repeated something like, Don’t touch anything. Don’t ask for anything. I don’t have the money. Now, she simply could have meant just what she said, and it not necessarily be connected to money, but for me, it translated differently. It wasn’t until I had children of my own and faced financial devastation that I began to repeat this phrase. No mother wants to tell her children no when they ask for simple things like a snack or a toy. At least I didn’t. So, what did I do? I headed the situation off at the gate by sternly warning them not to ask for anything. The situation seems innocent enough, right? Yet it was one that shaped my money mindset. It taught me to close my mind to opportunities that appeared to have a price tag I could not afford. In college, I passed up opportunities to study abroad because I perceived the price tag was too high. I wouldn’t even go to the informational meetings because I was afraid to hear the cost. The recording playing in my mind was, Don’t touch it. Don’t ask for it. You don’t have it.

An example of something unspoken that influenced my