By Brittney Minor

My husband and I got into an argument right before the dinner hour. While I was steaming upstairs, he was cooling downstairs. Eventually I got hungry, so I went down to the kitchen, got my food and went back upstairs, never intending to make dinner for him, specifically because I was mad. 

But while I was eating, God convicted my heart and made me think about why, deep down, I wasn't making dinner. It really had nothing to do with my husband. The truth was, I hadn't begun my marriage with God as my number One. I was living to please my husband instead of living to please God.

I made a decision then, based on

I realized that I need to go about my life in a way that pleases God, not my husband. The benefit for my husband lies in the fact that it doesn't matter what state my emotions are in, I will still serve my husband as God commanded because I want my life to be pleasing to God.

I'll be the first to admit that, unfortunately, while that was my resolve at the time, it's sometimes hard to remember it in the heat of the moment, but God is helping me and has given me a very patient husband!

As I continued to consider the idea of doing everything as unto the Lord, and how that factors out in a woman's day-to-day life, the idea of Catch 31 started to form: teaching practical life skills for a godly woman (Prov. 31).

But I was a new wife, barely an adult, and I felt I had so much to learn and couldn't possibly be teaching this stuff yet! That's when God gave me the idea of having other women who are experienced in certain subjects come in to teach each one.

The whole idea was originally intended for girls who are either already living on their own or will be soon – but we decided to open it up for the younger girls to attend, as well, because it's never too early to start learning the skills of a godly woman.

Neither is Catch 31 just for girls who don't have mothers who will teach them. My own mom could successfully and appropriately teach every single one of these workshops, and did teach me as I was growing up. But learning the life skills of a godly woman is an ongoing endeavor toward a goal that's never fully reached. There's always more that can be taught and learned. I've learned so many new skills and ideas from going to these sessions.

The Catch 31 workshops of 2015 were a huge success.

Sewing Workshop

Cheryon Unruh taught our first workshop: a sewing and mending class. It was absolutely phenomenal the way she connected taking care of our clothes and mending them instead of just simply throwing them away to how we treat our relationships. Too often, we toss aside a good friendship because of a bump in the road instead of mending the broken situation. Through the influence of this class, one girl gave her life to Jesus during the next service, and another was inspired to forgive and reach out to her father. 

The practical application of this class taught us how to sew on a button and mend simple holes and tears in our clothes. I came home inspired to get out my bag of mending that I'd been procrastinating on for months and get it done with my new found techniques!
 

Beauty Workshop

The second workshop was run by Rachel Armenta and focused on inner and outer beauty. She asked us a very convicting question about what our faces would look like if our hearts put on our makeup. Would we be covered in love and kindness, or in bitterness and attitudes and gossip? After that, she showed us how to make an avocado mask and sugar scrub for our hands and we had a great time playing with those. It was a fantastic and inspired workshop.

Character Workshop

Glenda Fussell did a workshop on the characteristics of a godly woman. She used two beautifully carved pillars as her object lesson and demonstrated how we start off as simply a block of cement, but that through all the things that we go through in life, God is shaping us into beautifully crafted pieces of art that are never quite done being made. It was a very heartfelt and inspiring time. After she spoke, we opened it up for a time of Q&A.
 

Cooking and Cleaning Workshop

Our last workshop of 2015 was a combination of cooking and cleaning by Dina Gastelum and Geri Priest. Dina taught us the basics of cooking, and we made Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo from scratch, accompanied by a garden salad and garlic bread. We had a lot of fun working together and learned lots of little techniques. While we were eating, Geri spoke on the importance of keeping a clean home, and shared ways to get that done effectively. I've never dusted and vacuumed my home so well as I have since learning about dust mites in that workshop!

Every single class was such a memorable time, and I really appreciate all the women who joined with me to make it happen. This year we will have a lot lighter of a schedule, focusing mainly on finances. Workshops will include how to budget your money and be a wise steward of what God has given you, and a clothing session which will teach how to be stylish and up-to-date without sacrificing modesty. 

I'm very excited about these upcoming workshops, as I am still learning just as much from them as any of the other girls that attend!

Catch 31 Workshops for 2016 will take place in July and October. Scheduled topics are Clothes and Finances

For more information call: 520-780-2431

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