Ten women from the Oxford, Lafayette County and University of Mississippi community were honored Wednesday by Girl Scouts Heart of the South.

The women are all leaders in the community in various efforts, whether it is teaching other women self-defense, leading a church or a Vacation Bible School or running a business and using proceeds to help children. Nearly all of the 10 women served on boards of directors for nonprofits or businesses and were heading up efforts in a business setting also.

Girl Scouts is a group that gets young women on the right track to service and building confidence that is needed throughout life. It builds a girl up to be a strong woman who will succeed.

The Women of Distinction award ceremony was filled with those being awarded, their friends and family, and plenty of folks from the community who wanted to come out and show support.

The speaker, Gail Pittman, is herself a woman of distinction. She is founder and president of a business that started out with her simply painting a bowl. She said she is a firm believer in God having a direction for every person, and we don’t know our path until we wind up on it and know it is where we were meant to be.

Her message stuck with those in the audience. One quote in particular stood out as food for thought for each and every one of us.

“I’m trying to tell you it just doesn’t matter — you’re going to be going where you’re supposed to go,” she said. “You’re going to touch the lives that you’re supposed to touch, regardless of what you think. I believe that God has a plan for everyone’s life and I guarantee you if you start thinking about yours you’re going to think about where you’ve been and how it has taken you to where you are at this very moment.”

Those words can be encouraging to anyone at any stage in his or her life going through struggles or who has finally arrived at a climax of his or her career.

The story about the women and what they are doing for the community is in today’s paper. See what they are doing and see what you can do to lend a hand and help out in the L-O-U also. Everyone can make a difference with the path God puts them on.