In her timely and vastly important book, Jen Oshman walks us through five specific ideals which our culture in particular shoves at women. She peels back the layers of lies, desires, and promises with a biblical lens. Cultural Counterfeits: 5 Empty Promises Of Our Age and How We Were Made for So Much More begins with the premise of the prodigal son parable and how we are prone to follow the call of sin and the world.
Read MoreYou may be hearing a lot more about banned books, particularly last month during Banned Book Week. Bookstores and libraries featured displays of books that have been banned throughout the years, and publishing companies, authors, and social media book influencers spread anti-censorship messages on their feeds.
Read MoreI’ve been thinking about prayer lately, how God has always been faithful with every yes and no. But the way He answers prayer always seems to be so different from the way I imagined He would. Lately, I have been reminded of God’s goodness in that.
Read MoreThough many Christian women would rightly push away feminism, Courtney Reissig believes that despite this, many women have embraced aspects of feminism unknowingly as our culture subtly influences us. The book’s introduction presents this, revealing ways Christian women may have become accidental feminists and giving a brief but important history of the feminist movements. The following chapters are packed with theology and practical advice for living out our roles as women. While rich in depth, readers will still find the book approachable.
Read MoreI remember the special words my sister said to me before walking outside for the ceremony. I remember crying with joy as my new husband and I came walking down the aisle. I will forever remember the sweet few moments my husband shared right after the ceremony alone just having been proclaimed husband and wife. Mostly I think of God’s faithfulness to me my entire life, including that glorious day when I got to marry the best man in the world.
Read MoreThough intimidated, I admired her spirit and generosity. So we left our door open. As girls walked by to go to dinner, they would invite us to come, too. When they came back from their evening classes they would come into our room to talk. I remember one night perched on my bed, stunned by the number of girls that could fit into our tiny room. They sat on our desk chairs, and our beds, and spilled onto the floor. All because of an open door and my roommate’s welcoming smile.
Read MoreMost Christians have heard of the famous Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, a missionary couple called to reach a hostile group of native Ecuadorians who had yet to hear the good news of Jesus. While trying to establish friendship, Jim, along with four other men, was murdered by the tribe. Miraculously, Elisabeth Elliot not only stayed in Ecuador with their young daughter, but would later live among and witness to this same tribe that killed her husband, resulting in many of them coming to know Jesus.
Read MoreAs a child I read vigorously and hopefully. The library was my second home, and I looked forward to reading the endless shelves of books beyond the children’s section. But when I moved into the Young Adult area, many of the first few pages of each book were filled with silliness or extreme violence or raunchy content. I was horrified and my innocent dreams of reading every book in the library were crushed.
Read MoreSometimes people say stupid things when we are hurting. Not because they want to hurt us, but because they are uncomfortable with our pain and don’t know what to say— especially when they have never been in our situation. This is often true of singleness.
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