How a Dad Loves a Prodigal

My dad and I are really close. In fact, we're so close that I worked for him doing all of his bookkeeping for the year before my twins were born. I loved talking to him nearly every day, especially since he lives so far away from me now. But we weren't always so close.

I was once a prodigal daughter.

For nearly two years I ran from my parents, family, and the Lord. I liked sin and liked living in sin. Talking to my dad (and mom) meant conviction, and I wanted nothing to do with it. If you peered through the window of my past you would have seen that I perfectly fit the profile of the son in Luke 15:11-32. I was wild, impulsive, and opposed to authority on every level.

A quick survey of the families in your church would probably reveal that many have or had children who in some way have strayed from the faith of their upbringing. Parenting is hard work with no real guarantee of the outcome. While every situation is unique and has its own challenges, one thing is certain—prodigal children need to know they are loved. And my parents made sure of that.   Continue at Courtney Reissig

You Can't Turn Lemons into Lemonade

But is this the best way to handle disappointments? Do we just put a smile on our face and pretend the bitterness is really sugar in disguise?

We all know the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." In some ways, it's become a mantra for handling life's disappointments. When life doesn't go your way, make something out of it. When you are disappointed with the way things are, change them for the better. When something bad happens to you, don't let it get you down.

I don't know about you, but I can't just do that.

Shadow of the Fall

We all face disappointments at some point. Whether it's failing to make the cheer-leading squad for the second year in a row (true confession) or not getting the job you have always dreamed of, disappointment starts early and lasts until we reach the grave.

If you live long enough, you will experience disappointment in some capacity. That's a given. But is there a way to think theologically about our disappointments? I think so.   Continue at Courtney Reissig

The Victoria Secret Fashion Show and Christians

I’ve never seen the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, and I don’t intend to start making it a yearly ritual. But my choice is irrelevant considering millions tuned in last week to watch the annual show boasting big name entertainment and barely clothed models. Some find it repulsive and demeaning to women. But mostly, the wider culture embraces the message and gladly joins in on this party.

So why am I writing about this? The Victoria Secret Fashion Show has very little do with Christian women, right? Yes and no. While it might seem like the Victoria Secret Fashion Show is tailor-made to appeal to the interests of men, I’m surprised (and discouraged) to not only see that there are women who like it, but Christian women. And that is a troubling trend.

The issue with it isn’t so much lingerie and underwear. Nearly every major department store sells those. The issue isn’t even really about Victoria Secret as a store, even though their marketing demographic seems to be getting younger and younger. Victoria Secret makes their money selling sexy. Every ad, every fashion show, and every picture displaying their apparel promises one thing to the woman (or man) looking to purchase—buy their stuff and you won’t just feel sexy, you will be sexy. There is no problem in feeling sexy, if you are married and if the person you want to feel sexy for is your husband. But if you are 15—or even 20—and not married the last thing you should feel right now is sexy.  Keep Reading >>>

By His Wounds You Are Healed

Bible studies for women have long been stereotyped as overly emotional and theologically shallow, following the assumption that women don’t flock to rigorous theological study and few women would be equipped to teach even if they did. Thankfully, this assumption is dying in certain women’s ministry circles. With the advent of the True Woman movement, and now The Gospel Coalition’s 2012 National Women’s Conference in Orlando, more resources by and for women are helping them study of the Bible.

Enter Wendy Horger Alsup, author of By His Wounds You Are Healed: How the Message of Ephesians Transforms a Woman’s Identity. She is also the author ofPractical Theology for Women, which was birthed out of a class she taught at Mars Hill Church in Seattled.

Alsup wrote By His Wounds You are Healed to show Christian women their spiritual inheritance in Christ and the wealth of transformative grace available to them because Christ paid their debt on the cross (9). But this book is not for the faint of heart. She does not write to cater to emotions or the latest fad. She writes to help women see the wealth of truth written in God’s Word. While there are countless excellent commentaries and studies out there on the book of Ephesians, the benefit of this study is that it was written by a solid, Christ-saturated woman with the hearts of women in mind. Women need theology and in-depth Bible study just as much as men do. Alsup understands that and answers the call. Keep Reading...

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