Fear not!

Do manfully and be of good heart: fear not, nor be ye dismayed at their sight: for the Lord thy God, He Himself is thy leader, and will not leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy, 31:6

Cinderella: A Valiant Princess

Say what you will about Disney princesses and the message they are sending to young girls, and I will probably agree with you. However, Kenneth Branagh’s live-action Cinderella is in a class of its own. Cinderella was never my favorite princess, and I actually resisted seeing the movie as long as possible because I feared another terrible reimagining of the classic fairy tale on the order of Snow White and the Huntsman, Maleficent, etc. I am happy to report that I was completely wrong. Branagh’s Cinderella is the most feminine and virtuous character I have seen on screen in a very long time. Caution- here be spoilers for the film, but, it’s a classic fairy tale, so I’m probably not giving away too much.

The Importance of Fairy Tales

“Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.”

- G. K. Chesterton

I hope that you beat all of your dragons today, in whatever form they take!

The King and the Beggar-Maid

Another one from Edmund Blair Leighton.  Getting ready for this week's post on Cinderella! Stay tuned!

A Prayer of Bl. John Henry Newman

May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done.
Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging and a holy rest and peace at the last. Amen.

St. Hildegard's Music

Here's a link to one of St. Hildegard's pieces, to give you an idea of her distinctive style.  There's a lot of her stuff on Youtube, if you're interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbjqWqPSfiw

Have a wonderful weekend!

St. Hildegard von Bingen

In 1106, an eight year old German girl entered a cloistered convent.  She died to the world and devoted her life to the service of God.  This usually would have been the last that anyone outside of the monastery heard or saw of this young girl.  However, this was St. Hildegard von Bingen, and God had other plans for her.  During her life, she corresponded with some of the most influential secular and religious leaders of her time, wrote several books, composed what is considered to be the first opera, wrote the first morality play, founded two convents, and went on four preaching journeys, any one of which achievements would have been remarkable for a woman living at her time.  She did everything for the service of God, and she was much more alive to the world than dead to it.

Don't Stop Singing!

Don't let yourself forget that God's grace rewards not only those who never slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don't stop singing. - St. Hildegard von Bingen

Proverbs says that the Valiant Woman "shall laugh in the latter day" but I'm sure she sings, too. Check back tomorrow for more about St. Hildegard.  

My Fair Lady by Edmund Blair Leighton

I wonder what the story is here?  Any ideas?

Let's start this week with a prayer.

It's Friday! We can do this!

I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7

Valiant First Lady

Although she is frequently lauded as one of America’s early feminists (if not the first), Abigail Adams was nothing of the sort.  She was a valiant woman par excellence.  While an advocate for women’s education and inclusion in certain areas of the public sphere, she was first and foremost a wife and mother whose devotion to her family gave her strength to face her trials with bravery and resourcefulness.   They were always her first priority, but when it was necessary, she was willing and eager to enter the public sphere, but always for the sake of those she loved.

Abigail Adams on Learning

Gearing up for tomorrow's post about America's second First Lady- Abigail Adams.  Let's keep our thirst for knowledge alive and never stop learning!

Stitching the Standard by Edmund Blair Leighton

I have some mending to do this morning.  I wish I looked like this when I sewed.  Those sleeves!  So lovely.

Be a Teacher.

From A Man for All Seasons:

Sir Thomas More: Why not be a teacher? You'd be fine teacher; perhaps a great one.
Richard Rich: If I was, who would know it?
Sir Thomas More: You; your pupils; your friends; God. Not a bad public, that.

Happy Monday, especially to all of you teachers and homeschooling moms!

Here's the Plan

My hope for this blog is that in addition to publishing a longer post on Thursdays, I'll post something smaller on the other week days, such as an inspirational quote, picture, prayer, Bible verse, etc. to try to help you, (and me!) get through the day.

And if you have any quotations, verses, poems, song lyrics, movie quotes, anything that helps inspire you and get you through a tough spot, please suggest them!  Also, any suggestions of Valiant Women that you'd like to hear more about are very welcome.

So here's your Daily Dose of Valiant Woman oorah!  It's become cliche, but I think it sums up our job pretty well.  Of course, it's probably the first part that most of us struggle with more...

So, Where Do We Start?

This blog is the result of a number of conversations and musings with other valiant women in training over the past few years.  Our launching point was, of course, the passage of Proverbs which describes the valiant woman.  What are the traits that make a woman valiant?