Today we have the pleasure of introducing you to our dear friend Val Woerner. Val is the creator of Val Marie Paper and she offers amazing journals and resources to help you grow in your prayer life and love for Jesus. She is a wife and mother, a creator and writer, and a beautiful woman of God. Read on to hear from Val about living life as a well-watered woman.

Introduce yourself as if we were on a coffee date! Tell us about yourself. Would you be drinking coffee or tea?

I’m Valerie Woerner (you can call me Val). I own Val Marie Paper and author of The Finishing School and talk prayer journals, margin and motherhood most days! I am married to my best friend turned boyfriend (that was strangely seamless transition!) and we have two girls, Vivi and Vana. I am a tea drinker! I loved an iced passion tea or green tea which is necessary here in South Louisiana.

When did you start following Jesus?

I became a Christian at a music day camp at the age of 6. The pastor of the church brought out a chalkboard and did the analogy of the two cliffs and how the cross connects us. I remember the image vividly. I spent my early years being a good girl and in high school understood more of what a real relationship looks like beyond my nightly prayers that no burglars would come get! (I was a scared kid!

What is your definition of a Well-Watered Woman?

To me, she breathes Scripture. It flows naturally because she’s saturated her mind in the truth. She can let her mind wander as she sees shiny objects everywhere in the world but is quick to come back to the truth of God. Her face radiates from all the time she spends in the presence of God and she lives secure in the grace she continually finds there.

How do you give Jesus the first moments of your day?

Before I open my eyes, I stretch out my arms and say to myself “thank you Jesus!” I love when God is my literal first thought when I wake up. This isn’t every day but I love how it sets my heart up with gratitude and knowing who deserves all the praise for a new breath and a new day.

What sort of spiritual season do you find yourself in now? What verses are you clinging to in this season?

Great question! I find myself rediscovering my devotion to the Lord. This past week we had a big launch and I sacrificed my own time with the Lord for the work of the Lord. I felt totally convicted as I read Revelations 2:3-5 (ESV) “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” The commentary talked about how the phrase abandoned is used not lost because they deliberately walked away from God. That sounds so heavy but I felt like I was doing all what but walked away from my first love. When I see it like a young and passionate love, I’m reminded how much I don’t want to be satisfied with a relationship of duty alone. And I think one of the biggest ways that passion is developed is learning the character of God and praying to Him. This verse was a recent one but the verse that has been in my head all year is actually The Message paraphrase of Romans 8:15. This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” I am not an adventurous person by nature but this passage excites me so much about living with hope at what God can do when my hands are open! 

What intentional daily habits help you remain rooted deeply in the Word of God?

If I’m short on time in the morning, I love writing out a verse (usually one I find in a book I’m reading or somewhere else that I want to dig more into) and I’ll read several translations and look at the original language meaning. I’ll make some notes on a notecard and include a question that I can pray and read throughout the day. It connects me to God as I pray, not just requests and helps me open the door to what He wants to share with me.

What is the vision behind your yearly prayer journal that you just released?

Like all my products I feel like, it’s starts completely selfish! 😉 It’s something I feel like I need in my own life and quickly discover other women do it. Consistent prayer is such a real struggle in our noisy world and I wanted a place for my wandering mind to land that would point me back to Jesus. When I have quality prayer time with the Lord and not just say I’m praying and get distracted by a to-do list, I want to keep praying and praying. So creating a product that would help me have quality prayer time that inspires a deeper relationship and passion for it was really important to me.

Who is a “well-watered mentor” or example in your life, and how has she helped you become a well-watered women?

My sister, Natalie. She pursues truth in the Word so purely. She doesn’t read it for how it can fit into her plan but is willing to look at hard truths and dig deep.

And seriously, Gretchen! 🙂 Her excitement for the Word is so inspiring to me! She makes me want to dig into passages I’ve read tons of times and be refreshed by them!

If you could tell every woman on this blog one piece of wisdom what would it be?

I get nervous talking about obedience because I feel like our generation (or at least what I’ve seen as I grew in faith in my college years) was this message of grace. And of course there is grace but God also calls us to obedience. And really, obedience should be a natural response if we truly understand God’s grace for us. The life we live on this earth will depend on God’s plan for us AND our choices. Although God can use any negative situation in our life for good, we may still miss out on His best depending on if we walk in obedience. I think we have to know that grace and obedience are not two different ways to live the Christian life but that obedience should be an outflow of grace.

You can follow along with Val through Instagram, her blog and her website. We love seeing women of God create tools to help other women grow in their love for Jesus – and Val is a beautiful example of living life as a well-watered woman!

Pre-order Val’s 2018 prayer journal here!