femaleInside

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Womens Bible Cafe™

Posted: 23 May 2015 07:22 PM PDT

When I started reading The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in God’s Design by Courtney Reissig I found the book captivating. It’s not easy to write about feminism from a Christian perspective as the topic often clashes in understanding and table talk discussions. For this reason, it’s a book worth reading! The author recounts her journey out of "accidental feminism," offering wise counsel for Christian women related to relationships, body image, and more—drawing from the Bible rather than culture. Like many women she was under the influence of a culture pressuring her to conform to the world view rather than the Biblical view of womanhood. How does a recovering feminist fit into the pages of Scripture?

Courtney studies the development of the feminist movement and its historical impact on women and society. She explains, “As the culture has evolved, so has the concept of feminism.” This alone makes the book worth reading, as she defines feminism as “equality equals sameness.” Is this Biblical and how do we apply feminism to our Christian identities? You’ll learn the benefits of the first feminist movement in the 1950’s and how this changed through the generations to a label challenging modern girls today. “Feminism began as an ideology that promised equality and freedom from the control of men. It has become an ideology that tells women they can use their power, sexuality, and freedom to influence men,” writes Courtney.

There are some interesting themes in the book and worthy of a small group or book club discussion. Topics include what it means to be a God-designed (and not a man), a talk on submission (makes most women uncomfortable), body image, church and home. You’ll see these topics from a feminist view and a Biblical view, and that’s worth exploring. What you learn can be shared with the younger generation and remembered by the older women who lived through the first generation of the feminist movement.

Educate yourself with these book concepts and then form your own opinion. Get the conversation going in church and at home…this is a topic often ignored in modern Christian culture. Worth reading….more than once!

My Amazon Rating 5/5

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I received an advanced copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

What Keeps You Up At Night | Book Review

Posted: 23 May 2015 06:35 PM PDT

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, get a copy of the book What Keeps You Up At Night by Pete Wilson. The book begins with a lesson on fear and then an examination of the effects of fear. As Wilson explains, “Fear is disorienting. It can cause us to fight nonexistent enemies; it can cause us to focus on the wrong things. It creates problems with our vision.” His book is a field guide to identifying the fears that keep you up at night and applying God’s plan in the face of difficulty and uncertainty. Each book chapter contains guideposts with key ideas, followed by reflection questions for personal or group study. Suggested steps follow to apply the lesson you just learned.

Finding peace is the key theme of this book. Skip the New-Age ideologies and turn to Biblical truths. “Most of the time we don’t really have a fear problem; we have a trust problem,” writes Wilson. “The object is not learning to fear less; it’s learning to trust God more.” Readers are directed to search Bible verses and discover solutions from the Old Testament and New Testament.

When reading the book, you’ll discover those things that keep many people up at night or cause an insatiable anxiety. Then you’ll learn how Biblical characters encountered these same anxieties and how they conquered them with the help of the Lord.

I enjoyed reading the book, especially in the evening just before bed. I found myself examining my own heart and mind to make sure that trusting God is central to my thought process. I enjoyed when Wilson wrote,” What if we were to think of depending on God not as the absence of strength but, rather, as the presence of courage?” Imagine how that would change how you view your situation as you filter it through the lens of Christ!

My Amazon Rating 4/5

Order Kindle version here: What Keeps You Up At Night

Order printed version here: What Keeps You Up At Night