Woohoo! Women are awesome, they are incredible, they are resilient and they are worthy of being celebrated.

A day that I didn’t even know existed until last year, is celebrated so heavily here in Asia. From advertisements everywhere, to stores having special sales, to the flower carts on the side of the highway being packed with people trying to buy flowers to celebrate the women in their life, Asia celebrates women well.

I used to feel uncomfortable with the idea of being proud of being a woman. I would shy away from taking pride in who God created me to be, and instead, passively hide in my insecurities. What a mistake. I wasted too many years trying to be someone I am not, trying to be who the world said I needed to be. Feeling both too much and not enough. God did not create me to be passive, but he created me to be passionate. He did not create me to be insecure in myself, but He created me to be confident in Him. I can celebrate being a woman knowing that He knit me together in my mother’s womb, and He calls me worthy. He calls me fearfully and wonderfully made, and He calls me His daughter. He has given me purpose, He has given me joy and I refuse to stand by and let women feel as though they are anything else than what He calls them.

In order to understand our purpose, we must know our identity and in order to understand our identity we must know our Creator. You were created with purpose, you were created to have a voice, you were created with a unique role to play in this world. You are worthy, you are strong and you have purpose. You are not an accident, you are not who the world tells you you need to be, and you are not who you tell yourself you need to be. We don’t get to choose that, we have been made for a purpose.

There are so many amazing women in my life and I am so thankful for every single one. I am thankful for the ones who have spoken truth when I needed to hear it, I am thankful for the ones who have spoken kindness when I was broken, and I am thankful for the ones who have stood by my side and walked through this life with me.

So here’s to you! Here’s to every single woman because you are wonderful, you are capable and there is so much beauty inside of you! I wish the world celebrated you like you deserve to be celebrated.