The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and attractive woman.
1 Samuel 25:3
CEB

In 1986, I still wandered, especially in my faith. I'd strayed from the church, and while I still believed in God, I wasn't really sure about anything else.

At the time, I had been working as the editor of Ideals magazine for almost a year, and I received an invitation to a writers conference in Seattle. I went to teach about poetry and periodicals and to learn as much as I could. And it was thus that God set a scene that resonated for years to come.

I attended a class taught by author and scholar John R. Kohlenberger, III. Animated and knowledgable, Dr. Kohlenberger made a statement that hit me between the eyes: "Abigail was the first woman in the Bible whose brains are mentioned before her beauty."

Yow. For a girl who grew up knowing with an absolute certainty that she was unattractive, this had an unforeseen impact.

(Aside: Before anyone argues or suspects I'm pandering for compliments, please know we're talking about my internal beliefs here. I have known since the age of 6 that I was the "fat, ugly girl." Accepted fact, although no one teased me too much about it: children are less prone to tease a classmate who returns the insult in words that are a cross between Shakespeare and a truck driver...my brother eventually told me my trouble with men had less to do with my looks than my mouth....)

Although Abigail is still praised for her comeliness, the fact that her wisdom was valued above all by a king caused me pause. It made me take a look at women in the Bible beyond Proverbs 31, leading me to discover a wealth of wise, ground-breaking, women who were valued in their time by not only other women but by the men as well.

And God.

Especially God.

This set the stage for self-study that built on the master's degree I'd just earned. It prepared me to answer questions for a job I didn't even know existed: Bible Editor.

It led me to teach a 6-week class on Paul and women that one 70 year old lady told me made her understand Paul for the first time. (That made me cry.)

It led me back to my faith.

It's also the impetous behind this blog. We can do a lot of study, and the scriptures can be the bulwark of our faith. But sometimes it's a single verse that becomes a lighthouse, guiding you home safely through the rocks.