being a woman

On Being A Woman: I Have the Answer to What all this Means

On Being A Woman: I Have the Answer to What all this Means

When I started writing this series, I believed that I was part of a small percentage of women who felt like they didn’t fit in the box. But as I’ve gotten feedback on what I’ve written and had several conversations with friends, I’m starting to think that no one really feels that they fit in the “woman box.” They feel, like me, that they have maybe half the characteristics they are supposed to have, but are missing about half as well.

So what does it mean to be a woman? And does the Bible give a comprehensive answer to that question? (spoiler alert: it does not.)

All these questions and discussions spurred me to do something weird…

On Being a Woman: When Who You're "Supposed to Be" Isn't Who You Are

On Being a Woman: When Who You're "Supposed to Be" Isn't Who You Are

When I inevitably proved not to be the kind of woman I was supposed to be over and over again, it wasn’t something wrong with what I was doing; it was something fundamentally wrong with me as a person. I always felt like the black sheep, I was passed over a lot because there was something about me that wasn’t quite right. It sometimes felt as though calling me a “Christian woman” was as ironic as calling me a name that means “peaceful and quiet.”

Here's Looking at You on International Women's Day

Here's Looking at You on International Women's Day

I’m realizing that all the things about being a woman that used to make me feel weak have actually revealed the strength I have. This is true for all the women that I encounter every day. We consistently show up for our jobs, families, friends, and communities, often while dealing with additional and unseen physical, emotional, societal, and systemic realities that simply come along with being a woman.

Where Do Women Belong in the Church?

Where Do Women Belong in the Church?

When we eliminate 50% of our possible leaders, teachers, writers, counselors, and speakers from the majority of our church ministries, we are hurting ourselves. We are pushing men to step into roles that just don't fit them and concentrating the skills of women into a very small amount of ministries.

Some Things We Can Agree on Regarding Feminism

Some Things We Can Agree on Regarding Feminism

Too often the Christian circle wants to talk about where we should land on the feminist spectrum. Around whether Jesus was a feminist or not and what those hard female Biblical passages mean. Maybe the best question isn't what word we pin to our vests, but what we plan to do with those beliefs. 

The Issue with Modesty and Grace

The Issue with Modesty and Grace

So where's the line? That's what we always want to know. Fingertip length? Cover the shoulders? One piece swimsuits? No cleavage ever? Where is the line between abaya and hooker? Because all of us have an unspoken line somewhere between the two and deep down we want an actual rulebook to give validity to what we've always thought. 

Learning to Love Myself as a "Package Deal"

Learning to Love Myself as a "Package Deal"

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Definitely one of Jesus' teachings that is hardest to swallow. It demands unconditional love and care for others. But as I think about this teaching, I realize that if most of us loved our neighbor the way we truly love ourselves, we would actually treat them worse than we do now. We would be constantly critical of them, not letting any small mistake, annoyance, or flaw go unnoticed. We would pick them apart, trying to make them more like everyone else.

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