Hello, fellow Psalms women! My name is Janis Jelke. After leaving my 15-year career as a schoolteacher, I decided to pursue a life of ministry to women. I have a Master of Theological Studies through Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, my two spoiled cats and I live in North Carolina, where I enjoy traveling, reading, camping, gardening, nature, and teaching others about the deep connections in the Bible. I enjoy leading women’s Bible studies, speaking at churches and conventions, and playing the banjo. As a recovering perfectionist and fear-feeler, I love to share how God is leading me on a journey to discover who He intended me to be.
The name Psalms Woman came from how much I identify with David. While we women aspire to be like the woman in Proverbs 31, most days I alternate between despairing at my perceived failures and dancing around praising God. I see the same type of existence in the Psalms. The Psalms cover the whole range of human emotion. David rejoices, hopes, fears, doubts, despair, and praises – usually all in the same Psalm! Yet through all of his struggles, God still says David is a man after God’s own heart. I can’t think of any higher goal than to have a heart like God!
One thing I know about David is that he was real. It didn’t matter if he was swimming in the guilt of sin or revelling in the victory of battle, he told us exactly what was going on inside. God loves that! And it isn’t like God doesn’t already know what we are like, through and through.
So let’s get real. Only by getting real can we have a closer relationship with God, with others, and even with ourselves. I am excited to share my journey with you and encourage you to leave comments, contact me, and subscribe. Praying the peace and contentment of Christ Jesus on your lives.