What if we told women that home, marriage, and children are not a barrier to meaningful fulfillment, but a gateway?

Mom of two and full-time policy analyst Emma Waters flips the script on what matters most to women in a compelling book, Lead Like Jael: 7 Timeless Principles for Today’s Women of Faith, that realistically addresses marriage, motherhood, work, and ambition without pushing one-size-fits-all “solutions.”  

Many women have a hard time relating to the narrow boxes of girl-boss feminism or the tradwife movement. They place themselves somewhere in between as strong, smart, dedicated women who want to prioritize their faith, family, and nation first. Lead Like Jael meets them where they are, delving into key questions about calling, femininity, marriage, and motherhood with biblical wisdom and a seasonal approach to life.  

Lead Like Jael is named after Jael, the unexpected wartime heroine in the Bible who defeated Israel’s enemy with a simple tent peg. The beauty of Jael’s story contradicts what women often hear, which is that to be strong, they must check their femininity at the door. Emma points to real examples of women who were equipped to fight for their nation, faith, and family because they were faithful to their daily callings.

When women honor the seasons, limits, and responsibilities entrusted to them, God equips them with the wisdom and courage needed for every trial, calling, and moment. Written for women at every stage of life, Lead Like Jael rejects simplistic cultural labels and invites readers into a dynamic exploration of what it means to put “first things first.” Her book offers seven principles for living wisely in a disordered age:

• Discernment shaped by God’s Word  
• Shrewdness guided by conviction and courage  
• Resourcefulness grounded in duty to one’s home  
• Hospitality as a life-giving and life-saving force  
• Marriage that embraces husbands as battle-mates, not rivals  
• Motherhood as warfare wielding self-sacrificial love  
• Wise counsel from older, faithful women