Showing results for "J" in Women's Christian Living

In a world tense with anger and division, how can we preserve our sense of well-being and inject a little more kindness into our daily interactions? Pastor Jill J. Duffield finds an answer in the apostle Paul's guidance in Philippians 4:8: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Is it okay to enjoy this life? Watching a gorgeous sunset. Sharing a laugh with a friend. Tasting a sun-ripened strawberry. Each day is full of opportunities for you to savor the countless gifts the creator has given. But do you feel free to delight in God's abundant gifts, or is your joy sometimes distorted by guilt, fear of idolatry, or simply an overwhelming awareness of sin's effects on this world?

You're not good enough. How many of us internalize this belief before we even reach adulthood? How many of us feel unworthy and unable to live up to what seem like impossible—yet-completely—arbitrary standards? Where do these toxic beliefs about ourselves come from? And who told us there is a way we are "supposed" to be anyway? With passion and compassion, Caroline J. Sumlin reveals the force that keeps all of us, whether we are part of a marginalized group or not, from freely expressing who we are as image bearers of God: white supremacy culture.

The satisfaction you seek dwells in the depths of God's word. Do you come to God's word with questions and doubts that arise from life's disappointments and hurts? Denise J. Hughes, author of the Word Writers Bible Study series, has been there, yet she's found a peace that runs deeper than her circumstances. You don't have to be a graduate student in seminary to be a serious student of the Bible. God's word is for everyone. Dive in and experience the joy that awaits in deeper waters.

As a preteen shattered by a sexually abusive father and an absent mother, B. J. Garrett is left unprotected, unloved, and unwanted by the people who should have loved her most. Instead, BJ finds herself wanted by the wrong people for the worst reasons. Her search for self-worth leads to sexual promiscuity and unplanned pregnancies, which only further warps her view of love, leaving a trail of broken relationships. It's not until losing everything to the blaze of a house fire that the course of BJ's life takes a turn toward a God whose love is pure.

Whether it’s the TV or radio continually playing in the background or the persistent pinging on our phones, the constant noise and frenetic pace of modern life can be overwhelming. The cacophony of cultural messages that permeate the air produces an inner restlessness that says, “You should be doing more, saying more, posting more, and sharing more.” More than ever, we need sanctuary, not only as a refuge from the noise around us but also as a place where God’s truth can be clearly heard.

We live in a cultural moment where the definition of “woman” eludes the keenest of thinkers and brightest of scientists, where one’s biological sex and one’s gender are divorced, where the meaning of gender itself is a constantly moving target, and where girls and women, especially, struggle to know who they are. Where societal confusion has naturally ensued from this state of affairs, and Christians especially wonder how to think and respond to it, Katie J. McCoy offers a clear and helpful guide in her debut book, To Be a Woman.

A husband always wants more sex than his wife, right? Many marriage resources make that assumption, but up to twenty-five percent of marriages have a higher desire wife! While these women are not alone, they may feel that way as standard sex advice doesn't address their needs. They may even feel like there is something wrong with them or they should be ashamed of their high sex drive.

Author and advocate Mary DeMuth urges the church she loves to rise up and face the evil of sexual abuse and harassment with candor and empathy. Based on research and survivors' stories, along with fierce fidelity to Scripture, DeMuth unpacks the church's response to sexual violence and provides a healthy framework for the church to become a haven of healing instead of an institution of judgment.

What must it have been like walking in the garden, talking with God? What would it be like to share our troubles and joys openly with him, to hear his voice responding to our questions? How might knowing God's view on our stories heal our wounds and renew our hope? No matter our circumstances, we need God's perspective on our lives. We need to know how he sees us. Come on, girl, he says. Let my light shine in.