Real Men Drive Trucks: Misconceptions About Biblical Masculinity
Facebook comment streams are a dangerous place, but I find myself drawn into them, almost unable to resist. Perusing the argumentative stream on a blog post recently, I saw a theme emerge. The post was discussing modern Christian men. The comment thread was peppered with descriptions of masculinity: Words like leadership, protection, providing, littered the discussion. But in equal number were comments decrying the existence of man-buns and murses, guys who don’t hunt and drive a Prius – as if biblical masculinity required a certain haircut and hobby list.
Mama, Embrace Your Not-So-Quiet Time
I’m reading the bible chronologically this year. Every morning finds my clunky, awkward journaling bible propped halfway between an armchair and an endtable, coffee spilling with each elbow bump as I turn pages with one hand and hold my nursing baby with the other. Sometimes my eyes are so heavy I can’t remember which part of the Tabernacle I was reading about two minutes before. Sometimes I re-read a passage three times as my two-year-old interrupts with tears or toys.
What I Lost When I Got Married
We’re told, when we get married, we can accomplish more together than we ever could on our own. That when two become one, marriage is greater than the sum of its parts.
But what they don’t tell you is that marriage isn’t just the gain of a partner; it also involves loss.
Weary in the Center of God’s Will
I think we need to look at tiredness differently; not as a bragging right, not as a complaint, not as anything but a human reality. Because to be tired is to be human. To be tired is to have done good work in a fallen world.
More American Than Christian: 5 Things to Learn from Liberty University’s President
Liberty University has always been political.
It was political thirty years ago. It was political my sophomore year of 2009. It was political for all five years of my career on campus. And, as we saw in the news this week, it has remained political to this day.
Is the “Better Person” You’re Becoming the One Jesus Wants?
Most goals are about improving ourselves. We want to lose weight, eat well, improve family relationships, and read more. None of these things are wrong. But when we look across the goals we set as people of God we should ask ourselves: Why all the self-improvement? Is this what Christians are called to pursue?
Thanks, Eve: Perspectives on the Curse of Genesis
For 2018, Lisa and I are introducing a few changes to the podcast – Uniquely Woman! There’s new podcast art and a new tagline: Inviting women to biblically challenge the status quo. We’re going to dive into some deep subjects where we might have answers – or we might be asking questions, both equipping us to better live out our faith.
Dear Marrieds: Stop Alienating Your Single Friends
“I feel like married people are on a different plane.” Some version of that sentence enters my inbox on a monthly basis.
My married friends don’t have time for me anymore.
When my friends couple up, they start treating me like a project – just because I’m single.
I’m sad my best friend is getting married because it means I’m going to lose her.
A Biblical Approach to Body Shame
For the last episode of Uniquely Woman in 2017, Lisa and I are jumping back in for a full-length episode on body image. We tackle what the Bible says the body is, lies we believe about our bodies, and how we each work on overcoming body image issues.
What to Do About a Non-committal Boyfriend
After dating over two years, this reader’s boyfriend still isn’t sure he wants to move forward toward marriage. What’s a girl to do?
Can a Wife Spiritually Lead Her Husband?
When we met and first married, my husband knew much less about the Bible than I did. I’d just spent four years getting a degree in religion from our Christian alma mater; his degree is in engineering. I’d just spent 24 years being discipled by parents who intentionally taught me the Word of God; he’d committed to following Christ wholeheartedly in the last three years. We entered marriage equally yoked in love for God and desire to serve Him, but I was, and still am, the more biblically-knowledgeable person of our pair.
Is Online Dating a Lack of Trust in God?
I often speak to Christian women frustrated by the lack of dating options in their circle of peers. They’ve tried involvement in their communities, joining new groups and clubs, and even switching churches to surround themselves with people their age – and still, women outnumber men 3:1! But when I suggest they consider online dating, I am universally received with shock. “Doesn’t that mean I’m not trusting God?” They ask.
“Absolutely not!” I answer – and this post explains why!
10 Must-Read Posts for Young Christian Wives
If you’re one of the many young wives in my blog community, this is for you! The first two years of marriage are a season of incredible transition. Young wives sometimes struggle to communicate with their new husband, to understand their own emotions, and to navigate the new waters of home management and intimacy.
Worth the Wait: Geneva’s Home Birth Story
The little girl cooing in the bassinet joined us only four weeks ago, but with each passing day we love her more than the one before. Geneva Anne joined us on October 21st. She took her time getting here, and judging by her personality so far, that will be par for the course (unlike her sister Adeline, who had to be two weeks early and continues to operate on a packed social schedule and abundant extroversion). As I finally sit down to share her birth story, I see the grace of God for her specific entry into the world – the same way Adeline’s birth was the grace we needed for that season.
How I Study the Bible: Step by Step
Last week I shared a little glimpse of my bible study routine on Uniquely Woman. But if you’re like me, sometimes you need to see it in writing! My bible study routine has changed over the years. As I shared in this post, worship doesn’t look the same as it did when I was a single, working professional – or even when I was first married.
A Christian Mom’s Postpartum Reading List
In the first few months after Adeline was born I think I read close to forty books. The library was my best friend! So when I was planning for my postpartum with Geneva, I immediately started an Amazon wishlist of books to read. I made sure to include the ones I’d been wanting to own (I’m pretty picky, and keep a minimalist bookshelf!) and some new releases I’d been waiting to arrive!
God Can Handle Your Disappointment
To write it out feels silly and insignificant, but that’s the reality. According to my dates (which are accurate) I was due October 1st. It is now October 19th, and I am still pregnant. What’s more, my first child – Adeline – was born two weeks early, so I have been on high alert since 36 weeks. I am now 42 weeks and four days, and even if my dates are off by a week, I have been in “pregnancy mode” since the end of January. So for six weeks, I have woken up with hope and anticipation. For four weeks I have been completely ready. For two weeks I have been having contractions. And last weekend I had twelve hours of labor that fizzled out in exhausted sleep.
How to Make a Bible Study Corner in Your Home
When I think over my walk with the Lord, that journey is marked by little altars; places where I spent time worshiping Him, laying my requests at His feet. Those places couldn’t be more different. As I moved from living at home with my family to attending to college, from college to career, from single to married and from marriage to motherhood, my times with God changed with me. In every season I had a “bible study corner”; a place I met with the Lord. But it looked different each time.
What the Bible Really Says About Eve’s Curse
What does the Bible really say about birth? In this first solo episode on Uniquely Woman, I tackle Genesis 3 and how Christians should approach birth and babies.
New Age ideology dominates the birth conversation largely because the church has been silent besides to terrify women with whispers of “their curse.” But man was cursed too, right?
You Can’t Beat Your Porn Addiction – And That’s the Point
I know where you are because I’m there, too.
Dear girl,
I see you. I see you scouring the internet for articles telling you that what you’re doing isn’t wrong, that you shouldn’t feel guilty, everyone does it, you’re fine. You’ve found plenty to support what you want to hear, but somehow none say it in a way that really puts you at ease.
Simple Prayers for Your Grieving Heart
The shock of loss seems to steal our breath and with it our ability to think clearly. It can be extremely difficult to think of how to pray for ourselves and the people we love so dearly. Thankfully, our faith in God and reliance on Him has greater power and yields greater results than our grief.
God knows precisely how our brains function in times like these and He has mercifully given us the Holy Spirit to pray for us.
When God Burns Your Dreams To The Ground
I was recently talking to a young woman who was struggling to find purpose and meaning in her current season of life. Her job was draining, her relationships felt forced, and her faith was tired. As I began to share a few things I hoped would encourage her, she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Yeah, that is easy for you to say since you actually have a job that you are passionate about… but I’m stuck.”
How to Do Family Devotions with Small Children
I wanted to share our family’s routine for family devotions at night with you all, because this is something the Lord has placed on our hearts and we want to be faithful in it. With that being said, please don’t take this in any way as us lifting ourselves up or trying to come across as super spiritual. Family devotions are not for everyone, and the last thing you want is guilt to motivate you to get in the Word as a family.
5 Psychologically Proven Ways Scripture Teaches Us to Combat Anxiety
When it comes to mental health challenges like anxiety, the Bible may not give you a clearly listed 10-point plan on what to do, but in its entire context we are guided on how to apply specific practices that combat anxiety. This is why it’s so important to not only know the Word but have it stored in your mind and heart so that you know what God’s wisdom has to say about the troubles you’re facing. And what’s really cool is that psychological research has discovered these very same practices to be the most effective.