“Favor is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30
As a young church girl, I thought this scripture meant that it was wrong to be beautiful, that I shouldn’t want the favor of anyone, and that I should be afraid of God.
Wow was I off!
Many other times in Proverbs it is said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. The understanding of fear that I had as a child is not the kind of fear God desires of us. We should fear Him like we fear fire; a better word may be RESPECT. When we don’t understand God’s heart–or fire–we will run away from it instead of enjoying it.
When we are afraid of God we may work with all our might for His approval–that was me, I really had to wrestle with the meaning of this verse because I wanted to please God, but beauty was my passion. Continue reading Favor is Deceitful and Beauty is Vain→
A little girl had dream to become a gardener. She loved the many shapes, sizes and textures of flowers and wanted to grow them herself. It can’t be that difficult, she thought. “I will keep them in rich soil, make sure they get lots of sun and water them every day.”
It didn’t take long before she realized she couldn’t treat all flowers the same, so she began to educate herself on the many types of flowers and their various needs. Quickly she became overwhelmed, “There are too much to learn, this is complicated. I can’t remember all their names and what to do. I will just pick my favorites and focus on them.”
Are you overwhelmed?
Feel awkward in clothes you chose?
This blog is dedicated to all the girls and women who want to learn about clothing personalities, but just can’t get their mind around it.
“Forget it! Who cares which style I am? I will dress however I want to dress!”
If you have said this, but were then unsure how you want to dress because when you put on clothes you chose, you feel uncomfortable, awkward and phony. My advice:
Figure out your style, make that your favorite and focus on that.
“Picking a favorite” is really not hard for most women, because most women are only one clothing personality, but for those of us who have a combination Img.ID, discovering which style you really like can be complicated. My advice to you?
First figure out if you are one style or two.
You know you are a combination Img.ID if:
1.You have the physical attributes of two clothing personalities. Do you have the facial features of a Natural, but are not tall? Or are you very tall, but have a turned up nose like a Gamine? You are more than likely a combination Img.ID
2.Your natural coloring competes with your primary style. Are you one of the sensitive clothing personalities (Dramatic, Ingénue, Romantic) with strong coloring (Winter, Autumn)? Or one of the strong personalities (Classic, Natural, Gamine) with soft coloring (Summer, Spring)? You are more than likely a combination Img.ID.
3.You have the physical appearance of one style and a strong agreement with the preferences of different style. Do you have the physical attributes of one clothing personality, but your only desire is to look or act like another style? You may very well have been raised by a strong woman who you feel you must emulate. You have two options: be set free from your oppression and BE who you were designed to be, or find a way to blend the two styles so that your appearance reflects your authentic heart.
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As an author and speaker, my passion is in helping women and girls overcome confidence conflicts, especially those involving rejection, betrayal and loss. After 30 years in the beauty industry as both a cosmetologist and an image consultant, I love to use my profession, along with my experiences and training as a Biblical life-coach to help others who are struggling. I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, Goodreads Click the butterfly image or visit https://catrinawelch.com to learn more about my Supreme MakeOver Image Assessment events.
Stylish, by definition, is trendy, modern, fashionable, sophisticated, elegant, glamorous.
When someone or something is “stylish” it captivates our hearts and attracts our attention. A woman is considered stylish if she follows fashion and gives attention to the details of her makeup, hair and nails. A home is considered stylish if the details and finish are exquisite and up to date.
I recently heard a recovering addict refer to herself as a dandelion: ugly and annoying to most but beautiful and useful to those who know her.
Her analogy has me thinking.
As the mother of an addict, I’m often baffled by the way my son returns to his drug of choice even though it makes his life so much more difficult in so many terrifying ways. I do not see him as ugly and annoying, but his behavior indicates that this is how he believes most see him. My new friend, however, recognizes that some people see her worth. She recognizes the stigma her past has put on her, but is beginning to shift her focus away from her shame and toward her worth.
Part of “recovering” from any ugly past is overcoming the stigma
As moms, we see our children as beautiful and useful–even when they mess up or become rebellious–because our hopes and dreams for them are strong. We believe in their potential. Unfortunately, it is hard to recognize your own beautiful potential when you are trapped in a lifestyle of ugly mistakes. The ramifications of bad choices make it hard to see what could be.
It’s hard to imagine a field full of beautiful flowers when at the time all it boasts is ugly and annoying weeds.
People are compelled by convictions.
When we mess up, we often allow our experience to form our opinion of ourselves. We experience a divorce and take the identity of a” divorcee” and a struggle with addiction names you an “addict.” I have a hard time with that, but really, when we get married we become a “wife”; when we restrict our diet we become a “vegetarian” (or such). I just hate this epidemic of people restricted by the stigmatism that their ugly mistakes have made.
What we experience does form our identity, and therefore we act according to who we are–in most cases it would be wrong not to. If you don’t act according to your marital status, its a moral issue. Your choice of diet, on the other hand, may or may not be a strong conviction, but each of us should BE true to who we believe we are.
Unless, of course, we are believing a lie.
A vegetarian who eats meat totally contradicts who she says she is. If she had no conviction about the matter, then her change in diet is not much of a concern. We might ask her what changed her mind, but it’s really not any of our business how someone else eats, right? If, however, she had strong beliefs on the matter and suddenly she was straying, I would try to encourage her to “remain true to herself,” wouldn’t you?
The only thing truly ugly and annoying about someones identity is hypocrisy.
It is upsetting to witness someone take on an identity that contradicts who they really are. I may never really understand why does my son keeps going back to drugs, but this one thing I am sure of: I still believe in him, but my convictions will never change his identity, only his will.
Dandelions have the potential to be beautiful or destructive.
As a little girl, my daughter loved to pick the bright yellow dandelions in our back yard. When their season of bright beauty past, and they turned to seed, she loved to blow the beautiful puff off into the wind. They started multiplying like crazy! When we told her that the flowers were actually weeds, I think we broke her heart, but once she understood the truth, she stopped the behavior that was causing an epidemic in our lawn.
Are you a dandelion?
Yes, the beautiful flowers are weeds, but they have worth. I hear you can even eat them! They are adaptable and able to grow even in cracks of pavement where their is very little soul. Try to pull them up and you will learn that they are extremely strong. Unless you succeed at pulling out the whole root, they will likely grow back. Most of all, dandelions are highly influential. They may go through an ugly season, but their beauty only multiplies as they fully recover and start all over. Why? Because they were designed with the potential to experience a Supreme MakeOver.
So were you.
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. -Romans 6: 16 NLT
Do you see yourself as ugly and annoying or beautiful and useful? Recovering from an ugly past is a process, but it is a possibility. There is a Supreme Stylist–God, your Creator, who can make you completely new again if you simply ask. It is what He does. It’s what He loves to do.
Don’t let your mistakes–or the stigma they have caused–define you. BE who you were designed to be: Strong, adaptable, highly influential, beautiful and useful. After all, weeds may go through an ugly season, but they multiply a lot faster than other flowers do!
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get Catrina’s books on amazon
As an author and speaker, my passion is in helping women and girls overcome confidence conflicts, especially those involving rejection, betrayal and loss. After 30 years in the beauty industry as both a cosmetologist and an image consultant, I love to use my profession, along with my experiences and training as a Biblical life-coach to help others struggling. If you want to make difference, too, would you become part of this movement and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, Goodreads or consider having me speak at your next event. Visit https://catrinawelch.com for more information.
When you walk into a room which shows up first, you or your clothing?
One way to find out is to listen to the compliments you get. Are about you or your outfit?There’s a big difference between, “You look beautiful!” and “What a beautiful dress!” As women, we enjoy a compliment, and we should. It’s like a hug that simply affirms us and encourages our spirit.
The bearhug of all compliments–the I want for every one of my clients–is: “Oh, wow, that is so YOU!” The wow factor is by far the biggest confidence booster, don’t you think? How often do you get a “wow”?
I’m sorry. I know, that was a painful question.
I don’t get them very often either, and, hey, I know how to dress true to myself.
Most women make shopping an experience. We enjoy going with our girlfriends and try on lots of potential pieces for our wardrobe. Even if we have no need for clothes. The dressing room halls become our runway as we model for each other’s opinions before we make our decision: to spend or not to spend–this is the question. Whether we walk away with the accomplishment of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman or we leave the store empty handed, every true “shopping experience” includes a Starbucks, Red Robbin or something of the like to celebrate the victories or console the defeats.
Men shop like they hunt.
Men, on the other hand, go shopping with one mission on their mind: bag it and drag it home. No party, no opinions, no turmoil over the price tag.
Today’s blog is an excerpt from Chapter Seventeen of Confident Beauty in honor of Labor Day Weekend.
Most women hate, hide or get hung-up on how they look. C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T BEAUTY is a balance of both fashion and faith and doesn’t wear off like makeup does!
While most women want to understand their image and enjoy analyzing their body frame and facial features, I find that many of us put up a guard when it comes to assessing our personality. No one wants to be critiqued, and limiting our individuality to one (or two) of six options can feel a bit like criticism, I know, but hear me out on this.
Let’s liken our assessment to what a florist needs to do when she is caring for her various plants. With a quick glance she summarizes which type of flower she has and immediately she knows whether to water it daily, weekly or monthly. Some flowers she may give an ice cube to now and then because they need to receive water very slowly as the ice melts. There are some, like the Calla lily, that prefer shade, so she may put that flower in an area where she can protect it from the sun, while there are others she may put in full light to keep warm so that they may reach their full beauty.
Women are like that. Some of us need, or just want, extra care. Some prefer less fuss. Many are not sure what they want or need. What is right for one woman may be wrong for another, and too often we are confused as to which is which. Understanding our needs and our differences is what brings us Confident Beauty.
Some image consultants like Stacy London and Clinton Kelly from What Not To Wear may tell you what is right or wrong based on what’s in vogue or according to your height or lifestyle, but I like to make it more personal in order to identify the true you. I often introduce myself as “an image consultant without the shopping obsession; my message is not so much ‘what not to wear’ as it is ‘Know Who You Are’ which is the title of my book of guidelines for your Personal Image Identity.”
As much as I believe that God does not want us to judge each other by our outward appearance, I also believe that the outward character often indicates what is on the inside, and that is what really matters.
The challenge I run into when assessing women is when their preferences do not line up with their physical stature. This is very common for girls who were raised by a woman with a different Img.ID. We naturally form our opinions on what feminine beauty should be through personal experience. Influential women in our lives either help us decide if we want to be like them, or not. Perhaps your mom was a Classic who taught you to keep a proper and professional wardrobe but you just wanted to be carefree and casual with your look. Your choice is to comply with her style and feel confined and constricted, or to choose your own manner of expressing your individuality. A lot of times your unique style (your Img.ID) includes many aspects of the feminine influences in your life mixed in with what you like. Other times you may need to decide to change things that worked for her, but do not work well for you.
Typically, each clothing personality has a particular type of fashion that is most important to them and something that they need to be careful not to get out of balance in order to achieve their personal “look.”
If you would like to learn more about the six various styles of beauty of discover your personal Image Identity (Img.ID), be sure to take advantage of my Labor Day Weekend Exclusive Offer: The ebook edition of Confident Beauty will be available this Friday through Monday to download on your favorite e-reader device for only $1.99. Consider it my back to school gift to you.
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Catrina Welch is an inspirational author and speaker whose personal experience with overcoming rejection, betrayal and loss–as well as her expertise as a cosmetologist, image consultant and Biblical life-coach–is empowering women to BE and LET BE.
Her latest book, CONFIDENT BEAUTY: Reflecting the One Who Made You, with the Images in your Mirror and in your Soul, is now available in your favorite bookstores. Autographed copies of all her books are available on her website at www.CatrinaWelch.com
This exclusive ebook offer is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, iBooks, or your favorite e-reader store.
You and I face Confidence Conflicts every day. Some of them are self-inflicted because we allow our minds to dwell on our own imperfections, inadequacies and mistakes. Others are inflicted on us by the human (and sometimes evil) nature of others. But when these conflicts arise we need to decide: Will we let the insults and inflictions crush us or not?
There are times when Confidence Conflicts are based on reality and times when they are simply opinions and emotions, but even when the insults are accurate, we can choose to keep our chin up and remain strong. Granted we should be careful not to ignore or stuff the situation, we also need to allow room for grace–even if it is undeserved. If we are women with Confident Beauty, then we should not hang our heads or harm ourselves just because someone sees something about us that they do not like–even if it is something terribly wrong.
Why not? Because Someone died to cover our shame.
If this Biblical concept is not real to you, then any Confidence Conflict could be a confidence crusher. Take for example the woman at the well. (Her story is found in John 4 and there’s a whole chapter on her in my book Confident Beauty and a Bible study on her in Supreme MakeOver.) We don’t know all the details of this woman’s shame, but we do know she had been through 5 divorces and was living with a man who was not her husband. I can only imagine the wounds her heart must have suffered to have so many love-or-death commitments broken. At the risk of sounding judgmental, I give my thoughts on the matter:
Once bitten, twice shy…
Third time’s a charm but FIVE times? Maybe she bore some of the fault? I bet she was arrogant or proud, after all, she was trying again…
A blame caster?
Or perhaps she was just hard-hearted. I wonder why? Had she suffered miscarriages or maybe abortions? Did she have an issue with drinking, drugging or some other form of denying herself reality?
Did you notice she was avoiding the other women in her life; do you think they were mean to her? Why? If she was innocent (and confident!) wouldn’t she go to the well when they did?
Or was she innocent but feeling totally defeated because of their mis-judgments of her?
I bet she was at the very least depressed. Was she suicidal? I wouldn’t be surprised; Jesus was very animate about going to see her even though it was very dangerous for Him.
Whatever Confidence Crusher the Samaritan woman faced, whatever she was feeling, it all changed when her Messiah showed her His love. Her spirit was no longer crushed, although the conflicts were still there. She may still have been labeled an outcast, but instead of hiding, she left her watering pot and went to the same people who hurt her and invited them to come and meet the One who set her free to BE and LET BE. Now that’s Confident Beauty, which doesn’t wear off like makeup does!
Are you feeling anxious about attending a formal affair this Christmas? You are not alone. I want to encourage you that you can feel more confident about yourself and choosing your attire for such an occasion could actually be a fun thing! When know how to achieve “your look” you can get ready for your party and then forget about yourself and focus on the people and the event.
A woman of Confident Beauty has more fun (blonde or not)!
I want to help you not only learn how to give yourself a beautiful makeover, but to help you experience a “Supreme MakeOver.”
What is the difference between a “makeover” and a “Supreme MakeOver”?
A makeover changes how we look.
A Supreme MakeOver changes who we are.
A makeover changes how we feel about ourselves for today.
A Supreme MakeOver changes what we believe about ourselves forever.
Before we can change what we believe about ourselves, we first have to take a good look at what we already believe. Take a moment to really search your soul. I want you to think about the things that have touched you emotionally regarding your image (Perhaps you don’t intend to you to that party because you don’t know what to wear?).
How do you feel when you have to stand before others?
How do you feel in a room full of beautiful people?
Have you ever surprised yourself with something you did or said that, after thinking about it, you now know was really all about how you felt about your image?
All you do and say, and even how you dress, comes down to what you believe. It is your Modus Operandi (MO), a Latin term for what really matters at the core of your soul, what drives you. There is a part, a signature aspect, of our MO that remains a constant and enduring part of each of us, (such as the desire to be lovely.) But our MO is a learned behavior that evolves over time as we gain experience in life. Each of us continually reshapes our MO to meet the demands of life and expectations (ours as well as others.)
In other words, we all want to be lovely to someone. As we experience life we make decisions about how we will meet that desire, or allow others to meet it, or we guard ourselves against ever trusting someone to meet that need again. Can you think of any examples of how your MO has changed as you have experienced victories and defeats in your life?
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Catrina Welch is an image- and life-coach whose message is not as much “what not to wear” as it is, “Know Who You Are,” which is the title of her book of guidelines for your personal image identity. Catrina has also written a Bible study to help women overcome their confidence conflicts; it is titled Supreme MakeOver: a Rich and Refreshing Devotional Experience. Her other books include Footprints Through the Sand: a Consolidation of Life-altering stories about Loving and Losing a Trisomy-18 Baby and Confident Beauty: Reflecting the One Who Made You with the Images in Your Mirror and Your Soul, which will be available in book stores this spring. All of these books are available now at www.CatrinaWelch.com
If you are interested in having Catrina come speak to your friends, colleagues or ministry you can contact her on facebook or by email at catrina@catrinawelch.com.
The woman with a Dramatic Img.ID tends to have a majestic personality that attracts others, but it is hard for them to get to know her on an intimate level since she is so private. It takes a determined and confident person to pursue a healthy and lasting relationship with her unless she comes to understand that her independent nature makes others feel inadequate and she decides to consciously make herself available to them emotionally. Unfortunately, this girl is often the lonely one in a crowd. She has plenty of popularity, but few true friends. She longs to have intimate relationships to live her life with, but her impatience usually keeps her from taking the time to understand herself or others.
Dramatics love fashion and makeup and they tend to have a gift for doing creative things with excellence. Doing a makeover each morning is not a chore to these girls, it’s something they enjoy doing, and they like to look beautiful. They have an eye for detail, so they tend to do the extras like eye shadow and liner and all the accessories. They also like their house and children to look beautiful, which sometimes comes across to others as controlling or obsessively concerned with other people’s opinions, but that is not necessarily the case.
Dramatics don’t bare their soul very easily; perhaps that is why they can be so misunderstood. Sometimes they are assumed to have it all together or to be full of wisdom, simply because they are spare with words. Other times they are misunderstood to be disapproving or snobbish, because though they may not be using their voice, their body language is very strong.
When these women do speak up they do it with such passion and drama that others listen intently (unless, of course, they go on and on, which is a way they sometimes hide from intimacy), but again they may be misunderstood to be very upset or extremely excited when inside they are simply stating facts (with flare!)
Look at Hannah for example. You can find her story in 1 Samuel 1-2.
God had caused Hannah to be barren, which was a terrible stigmatism in her day. Most women can relate to the deep longing for a child, and many can relate to the consuming agony of waiting for conception. With each menstrual cycle the woman faces a very real grief. The longer infertility goes on the more life-consuming it is. Imagine adding to that personal struggle the brutal judgment of a society that believes you are cursed by God, and then add to that torment the worse kind of rival you could imagine: having your husband’s other wife, who has had many sons and daughters, severely provoking you just to make you miserable (1:6). This was Hannah’s life, and she couldn’t get away from her rival; they shared the same residence, they traveled the same roads, they ate the same meals.
At one point (1:7) Hannah’s heart was so sick she couldn’t eat. Did anyone comfort her? No. Even her husband made it worse. He made her feel like she was unreasonable and ungrateful. He laid his words of guilt (“aren’t I enough for you?”) onto her already anguished heart (1:8).
Elkanah should have known Hannah best; he loved her. Yet he seemed to see her as a whiner and complainer who was more concerned about other people’s opinion of her than of enjoying the life he was providing her.
What would a Dramatic do in that kind of a situation?
Cry.
Because she’s a control freak?
No, because she is sensitive and passionate. I’ll address that in my next blog.
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Catrina Welch is an image- and life-coach whose message is not as much “what not to wear” as it is, “Know Who You Are,” which is the title of her book of guidelines for your personal image identity. Catrina has also written a Bible study to help women overcome their confidence conflicts; it is titled Supreme MakeOver: a Rich and Refreshing Devotional Experience. Her other books include Footprints Through the Sand: a Consolidation of Life-altering stories about Loving and Loosing a Trisomy-18 Baby and Confident Beauty: Reflecting the One Who Made You with the Images in Your Mirror and Your Soul, which will be available in book stores this spring. All of these books are available now at www.CatrinaWelch.com
If you are interested in having Catrina come speak to your friends, colleagues or ministry you can contact her on facebook or by email at catrina@catrinawelch.com.
The Dramatic is a fast-paced, hardworking woman who is not afraid to take risks. She has a daring nature that is seemingly uninhibited by the influences around her but the truth is she often has a very sensitive spirit.
She is like an exotic flower, of which, of course, there are many kinds. I use the Protea to represent the Artsy Dramatic and the Bird of Paradise for the Sophisticated Dramatic. The Dramatic with a flare for art can carry off a costume-like image and come across as fun- like a Protea with its very unusual kind of beauty. The Dramatic who is more sophisticated also stands out with her unique style, but she may be more often included in social circles. Add an exotic flower to any bouquet and it will make a statement at your party; add a lot of them and it may be too much, unless it is a formal event or held in an exquisite hotel. These women sometimes come across as “too much” when they are together. Their animated character to their unique beauty seems to draw the assumption that they want all the attention, but like the flowers they actually do better in indirect sunlight and away from where they can be touched. It may take time for this beauty, like the Ugly Duckling, to find her beauty and bloom, but when she does she has a powerful presence and can be very influential in her world.
Some assume she is high maintenance; they do that with exotic flowers, too. Even florists are sometimes uncomfortable raising the Bird of Paradise or the Protea, maybe because they take patience, but they do not need a lot of care. They do best left alone to flourish in warm, humid environments with fair soil. The Dramatic (of either kind) is like that, too. She has a drive for excellence that can be intimidating to more casual personalities. She also has a drive for popularity; but her independent nature is not patient with those who do not understand her, so she is often only close to a few friends that she really relates to. Her tight circle of friends is observed as a “click” because they are like an exotic hotel bouquet in a casual home. Unfortunately, they are often assumed to be a snob, yet they are the ones feeling snubbed for being “too much.”
I relate Hannah to this Img.ID. She was the beloved first wife of Elkanah, whose second wife (Peninnah) was her rival. Dramatics sometimes have a hard time with their peers, although they are often very respected in their community. Sometimes that respect brings a Dramatic woman fame, other times it brings her shame because she may make others feel intimidated around her. In either circumstance, she seldom realizes how influential she is. She is almost always a tall girl (unless this is her secondary clothing personality), and her height alone naturally exerts authority that she may very well be ignorant of because she can’t relate to looking up to someone much taller than her.
I want to share more with you on this beautiful woman tomorrow, but sure to check in again then.
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Catrina Welch is an image- and life-coach whose message is not as much “what not to wear” as it is, “Know Who You Are,” which is the title of her book of guidelines for your personal image identity. Catrina has also written a Bible study to help women overcome their confidence conflicts; it is titled Supreme MakeOver: a Rich and Refreshing Devotional Experience. Her other books include Footprints Through the Sand: a Consolidation of Life-altering stories about Loving and Loosing a Trisomy-18 Baby and Confident Beauty: Reflecting the One Who Made You with the Images in Your Mirror and Your Soul, which will be available in book stores this spring. All of these books are available now at www.CatrinaWelch.com
If you are interested in having Catrina come speak to your friends, colleagues or ministry you can contact her on facebook or by email at catrina@catrinawelch.com.
This Sunday let’s spend our time in the scriptures that tell the story of Abigail.
Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel… 1 Samuel 25:2-7
Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them.But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.”
Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.And she said to her servants, “Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them. Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”
Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground.So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.” 1 Samuel 25:14-31
