Title Tuesday: Katherine von Bora

We have been completely immersed in the 1500s since completing the #reformationday unit from @brighterdaypress. 

If you’ve been on the fence about unit studies, I would start with hers. They are so user-friendly!

While doing the unit, my oldest asked if only boys were in the Reformation. 

We have thoroughly enjoyed researching and hunting down information about the women of the Reformation. 

This was by far my favorite book we found for kids. 

If you are interested in resources for adults just shoot me a DM.

This is why I love homeschooling. 

A simple question sparked weeks of conversations, questions, and research.

Title Tuesday: My Dear Hamilton

So I am a massive @hamiltonmusical fan.

When I found out that the inspiration for My Dear Hamilton by @stephanie.dray and @laurakamoie was based on the authors’ viewing of the musical I knew I had to read it.

Let me tell you, @stephanie.dray and @laurakamoie did NOT disappoint. (Please tell me y’all are working on another book soon?!?!)

Their interpretation of how Elizabeth walked through life as the wife of one of the most influential men in American history was just AMAZING.

Of course, as I was reading I was imagining @phillipasoo and @reneeelisegoldsberry doing all of the talking between Eliza and Angelica and that was just heart-wrenching.

Also, can I just say that as a person that majored in history I LOVE the end portion where the authors talked about who, where, and why they researched in order to make the book as historically accurate as possible?

If you are a Hamilton fan you should read this one. Parts had me laughing, a LOT of parts had me bawling, but the story as a whole is so well written that you get lost in the birth of our nation through the eyes of a woman that lived it.

Are you an author looking to have your book reviewed on @goodreads and @amazon?
Send me a DM!

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. 

According to the website the goal of this particular day of awareness is to "Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality."

In light of that, I thought I would share my favorite books about women who have greatly impacted the world. Keep in mind that I am a Christian so almost all of the books come from that perspective.

Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God
by Shirley Ray Redmond

First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents
by Bonnie Angelo

Reformation Women: Sixteenth-Century Figures Who Shaped Christianity's Rebirth
by Rebecca VanDoodewaard

First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies 

by Kate Andersen Brower

The One Year Women in Christian History Devotional: Daily Inspirations from God's Work in the Lives of Women 

by Randy Petersen 

Great Women in Christian History: 37 Women Who Changed Their World 

by A. Kenneth Curtis

Hey Y'all

Welcome back to my little corner of the internet. 

Thank you for your patience, emails, and check-ins on social media. It really did my heart good. 

I took about nine months off of writing anything at all and almost two years off of writing anything of real substance beside book reviews. A lot has happened for our family in the last 18 months so let me give you the cliff-notes version:  

• we PCSed (moved for all you non-military) from San Diego to Philadelphia, 
• my husband started a masters degree & sports medicine residency, 
• I had a miscarriage, 
• 2019 ended,
• we fostered a working dog, 
• I found out I was expecting again, 
• the pandemic started, 
• my husband started K9 Farr Fitness,
• the world seemed to shut down, 
• our daughter Emily was born,
• we got our new dog MJ,
• 2020 ended,
• my husband started studying for board exams,
• today we hit the one year mark of choosing to staying-at-home because of the virus

Of course any one of those things is challenging but to have all of them happen in 18 months? 

It has been a bit of a whirlwind. 

We have had marriage struggles, health scares, political unrest, social unrest, but most of all? 

Most of all we have had Jesus and I am so incredibly grateful. The last two years forced growth from me as a child of God, mother and wife that wouldn't have happened otherwise. 

Some of you may have noticed that things look a little bit different around my blog and social media lately. I have dropped the Forgiven Former Feminist moniker. 

I realized that while the name was catchy, it wasn't Christ-like and it didn't give me the scope to write about all the things I want to. I felt like everything had to be geared towards feminism and that left out things that I am really passionate about like: 

• homeschooling
• books
• time management
• pornography and sexual integrity
• Army life
• body image
• fitness
• home management 

...and frankly anything else that comes to mind. So, I have essentially re-branded to just my name across social media and here on the blog. I plan to write about anything and everything that I am thinking. Some things may really resonate with you while other things don't. That is totally fine, part of being an adult is learning how to get along with people you disagree with.  

So on that note, I am going to sign off for today. 

I can't wait to share more with y'all soon!

Title Tuesday: Made Like Martha

Welcome to  Title Tuesday, my favorite day of the week! This day is dedicated to book suggestions, news, cartoons, and reviews. For 2020 I decided to structure my book reviews by breaking each month into topics. You can find my topics list here. This month we are covering womanhood. So lets jump in!

Today I want to talk about Made Like Martha by Katie M. Reid.

So full confession?

I actually bought this book by accident.

I was in a Bible study group that was doing another book on Mary and Martha and when I was in a sleep deprived state I accidentally bought this book by mistake.

Lucky me!

Ok, now that I have said that, lets get on with the review. 

Let me preface this by saying that I am a self declared Martha and I have always thought that the church's teaching on Martha shammed people like me rather than allowing us to play the role that God has given us. 

I have always HATED the conversation about the sisters Mary and Martha. It has been one of my least favorite parts of the Bible for a LONG time. 

Enter author @katie_m_reid. Katie writes from a great perspective that re-frames our thinking of the often misunderstood pair of sisters. 

As a self diagnosed Martha it is nice to see someone that doesn’t think we need to be fixed, but rather refocused on Jesus.

Katie uses biblical evidence and solid theology to show how Martha's can (and should!) be used within the church body to further show the glory of God and to help spread the gospel message. 

Overall I give Made Like Martha by Katie M. Reid a solid 5 star rating! 

If you are a fellow type A woman that is tired of hearing how you "should" be more of a Mary check out this book and be encouraged that you are not made wrong and that there is absolutely a place for you in the body of Christ!

Title Tuesday: Dear Daughters

Welcome to  Title Tuesday, my favorite day of the week! This day is dedicated to book suggestions, news, cartoons, and reviews. I write this portion of my blog because I am a big believer in the motivational speaker Charlie Jones' quote which says, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I try to meet as many new people as possible and to read everything I can. This is my way of sharing that information with you. You can see a visual summary of the books I have reviewed for both adults and children over on my Facebook page. If you are interested in understanding my rating system for books you can read my Book Review Explanation here and What I Believe here. If you want to check out what I am currently reading or what I want to read next, friend me on Goodreads!

So, I am so incredibly excited about today's book. I have been waiting for almost a WEEK to share this book with you... are you ready? The book is Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation by Susie Davis.

Let me start by saying that Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation is a beautiful book just physically. It has a lovely cover and the colors are soft and feminine. It has a page where you can write who presented this book and the date. The end of each chapter has pages lined softly so that the reader can take notes on the feelings that each chapter created and the action steps that you need to take.

For the overall content? I could not get enough.

If you are a frequent reader of Title Tuesday then you know that I don't usually care for devotional style books, but this book truly isn't like that. Dear Daughters actually feels like Susie Davis sat down at her kitchen counter and jotted down a letter of her thoughts to me about our last phone conversation. (No, I have never met her, but I SWEAR she makes it feel like I hang out at her house every day!) She tackles real life issues in an honest and no-nonsense manner. She writes like a true Titus 2 Woman to another woman and it was all theologically sound without any fluff.

Overall, I have to give this book an A+ and then some extra sparkle points. Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation by Susie Davis is probably the best book I have read in 2019. I literally CRIED while reading some of the chapters. I would STRONGLY recommend it for any military spouse that is away from home and family. (She doesn't discuss military things, it just speaks to the military wife's heart REALLY WELL.) I will be purchasing multiple copies of this book to give to my friends. If you are female, you need this book. If you work with or love a female, read this book to understand the struggles that women are facing and how to care for them. Susie Davis knocked this one out of the park!

Title Tuesday: Audio Book Sale!

Welcome to  Title Tuesday, my favorite day of the week! This day is dedicated to book suggestions, news, cartoons, and reviews. I write this portion of my blog because I am a big believer in the motivational speaker Charlie Jones' quote which says, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I try to meet as many new people as possible and to read everything I can. This is my way of sharing that information with you. You can see a visual summary of the books I have reviewed for both adults and children over on my Facebook page. If you are interested in understanding my rating system for books you can read my Book Review Explanation here and What I Believe here. If you want to check out what I am currently reading or what I want to read next, friend me on Goodreads!

Today is a little different on Title Tuesday. I love helping people find good books to read. Helping them to do it at a great price is even better. In the past I have written about how to get audiobooks for free, how to keep track of your reading list, and even how to make time to read when you are a busy mom.

But today I want to share a special deal with you, as I do from time to time. I do not benefit from this in any way. I don't get a portion of your purchase, nothing. I originally had a different post up for today, but this deal was SO good I just had to change my plan. (Don't worry my other review will go up next week instead!)

Christian Audio is my FAVORITE place to purchase audio books and they are having a massive sale right now. Brand new audio books are available for just $4.99! But this deal ends on Wednesday November 21, 2018 so make sure you do it soon so that you don't forget. Click here to see ALL of the title included in this sale.

I wont lie... my digital library has expanded... again.

I am just dying to read Susie the biography of Charles Spurgeon's wife!

Title Tuesday: Loving Luther

Welcome to  Title Tuesday, my favorite day of the week! This day is dedicated to book suggestions, news, cartoons, and reviews. I write this portion of my blog because I am a big believer in the motivational speaker Charlie Jones' quote which says, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I try to meet as many new people as possible and to read everything I can. This is my way of sharing that information with you. You can see a visual summary of the books I have reviewed for both adults and children over on my Facebook page. If you are interested in understanding my rating system for books you can read my Book Review Explanation here and What I Believe here. If you want to check out what I am currently reading or what I want to read next, friend me on Goodreads!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am finally done with my 6 month break from reading fiction. I have only read two fictional books this month and one of the was Loving Luther by Allison Pittman. I am legally required to tell you that this was sent to me by the Tyndale Blogging Program in exchange for a free and unbiased review. :)

So let me start by saying that I LOVED this book! 

Keep in mind that it is a novel, so it is a fictional account of what Katharina Von Bora's life was like prior to her marring Martin Luther. Yes, THE Martin Luther. The story starts with her life as a very young child getting abandoned at a convent by her father. We see her intelligence and convictions forming from an early age and only grow stronger as she matures into adulthood. Without spoiling any of the story we watch as she escapes the confines of the convent and pursues a relationship with a man.. that isn't LUTHER?!?! Only to have her heart broken and eventually end up with Luther. 

What I Liked:
The imagery in this book is phenomenal, you can almost feel the cold of the stone convent as you read Pittman's writing. 

The characters (even the supporting ones) are very well developed. We get a clear sense of not only their biographical information but also their moral and philosophical ideologies and how the impacted Katharina. 

The development of Katharina's other love interest Jerome was so incredibly good. I absolutely loved him in the beginning (as we are supposed to) and I could not sand him at the end. His character arch was expertly written. 

What I Didn't Like:
I was a little disappointed that the books ends at their marriage. With a title like "Loving Luther" I think I was expecting to read about how she loved and supported him while they were married. But, I think that may just be a classic example of judging a book by its cover.

Overall, I give Loving Luther by Allison Pittman a solid A+. This book would be an excellent addiition to any Christian library (church, private school, homeschool)

If Allison Pittman decides to continue this book out into a series and write about the Luther's married life, I will be THE FIRST person in line to buy that book. Or is she wants to tackle any other historical person of the Christian faith, I will be in line for those books too!

Scripture Saturday: Titus 2:3-5

Do you have those things that just nag at you? Things that really irk you? 

I have recently found that one of my greatest irritants is Christian women. 

Wait... What? 

Isn't this blog all about biblical womanhood?

Yes, and I want to clarify that there is a HUGE difference between being just a Christian woman and living out biblical womanhood. 

If you are a woman and you take Christ as your Lord and savior, then you are a Christian woman. That is it. But living out biblical womanhood takes work and effort. One of the best descriptions of biblical womanhood can be found in Titus 2:3-5 which says,  

"...the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

That makes it pretty clear doesn't it? 

So here is the part that gets me... 

WHERE ARE THESE WOMEN? 

I see SO many Christian women being bogged down by the daily grid that they are completely out of the battlefield. They are failing to practice these things much less teach them to other women. These women are struggling with holding it all together when God has called us to thrive and pursue Him. I think that is due in large part to the abdication of older women from their roles as teachers. 

Now, please hear me, I am not saying OLD WOMEN are failing. I am saying if you are further along in your spiritual journey than another person, YOU are the older woman, even if you are 14 years old. 

So this is where I challenge you and myself. 

We as the body of Christ need to do better.

Be the one to reach out your hand and say I am here. Let the struggling women know that they are not alone. You can do that in two ways, physically and spiritually.  

Physically, you can be the person to:

volunteer to babysit her children (for free!)
volunteer to help her catch up on housework

volunteer to host her family in your home for a meal

Spiritually you can be the person to drive the conversation toward God by: 

asking about her time in the word

asking how you can pray for them, 

asking how God is working in her life right now 

These are so simple, and yet we have entire congregations filled with women that are so overwhelmed by everyday life that they aren't in the battle for God's kingdom. 

We should be outraged by that!  

I for one refuse to sit on the sideline. I want to see godly women living out biblical womanhood every single day. I want Titus 2 women working for God's glory the way that HE called us to. 

So join me. 

Think about the women in your church, Bible study, mommy group, or office. Is there someone there that you can reach out to? 

If so, DO IT. 

If not, look again. I bet they are there. 

Title Tuesday: #Bibliophile

Welcome to  Title Tuesday, my favorite day of the week! This day is dedicated to book suggestions, news, cartoons, and reviews. I write this portion of my blog because I am a big believer in the motivational speaker Charlie Jones' quote which says, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I try to meet as many new people as possible and to read everything I can. This is my way of sharing that information with you. If you are interested in understanding my rating system for books you can read my Book Review Explanation here and What I Believe here. If you want to check out what I am currently reading or what I want to read next, friend me on Goodreads!

Today I want to talk about the phrase, "I love to read". I hear this all the time, especially from people asking me for book recommendations. 

I see people use the hashtag #bibliophile in their posts and bios and it really irks me. 

Just because you read a lot doesn't mean you are a bibliophile. 

Let me give you an example. 

If I eat a lot of potato chips can I call myself a foodie? 

NO! 

You aren't a foodie, you just like chips. 

You may be chip expert, but you are not a foodie. 

By the same token, if you are only reading one genre of books (especially if the target of that genre isn't your age bracket) I would say you are not a bibliophile. You may have an emotional attachment to that genre, but that is about it. I would also say you should evaluate the emotional response you have to those books and why you have it. I would submit that grown women often times read things because of the emotional appeal, not for the challenge of learning or growing. 

In my opinion a Christian women shouldn't be reading: 

• young adult fiction (most young adult fiction isn't suitable for young adults!) 
• romance ("Christian" or otherwise!)
• horror (tell me how this brings ANY honor to God?)
• erotica (It is just written pornography and you know it.)
• anything that pollutes their mind 
• anything that fails to bring glory to God.  

If you are reading trash you aren't a bibliophile you are a garbage disposal. 

God calls us to honor him in everything that we do. That means what we read needs to be a testament to our Christian faith. If it isn't I would search your heart carefully, ask pastors and mentors, and pray to God for discernment to see if it is really something that you should be doing. Reading a bunch of junk doesn't mean you love books, it means you love the emotional pull of something that probably doesn't bring glory to God. At best it is neutral and does nothing, at worst it damages your walk and your voice for Christ. 

Making 2018 My Best Year So Far...

Hello y'all!

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018. As I posted yesterday, today I will be sharing with you how I plan to lean heavily on God this year to allow myself to become who HE wants me to be.

The way that I am going to do that is by making 2018 my best year so far!

So, in order to do that, I had to put a plan in place and I needed some resources. I will be putting links in to all of my resources (keep in mind that the ones that link to Amazon are affiliate links which means that if you purchase something through that link I get a small commission off of that purchase) in the text so that you can easily get them if you are interested in joining me in any of my missions!

The first thing I had to do is decide what Bible reading plan to follow this year and when I am going to do it. I decided to use a Bible with 365 readings in chronological order because I really like reading the Bible in the order that it happened. For some reason that just makes all the parts and pieces fall in place in my mind. I chose to use the The Daily Bible from Harvest House Publishers. I like this Bible for several reasons:

• It is dated so you can easily see where you are supposed to be. 
• It has devotional topics scattered throughout that really help inspire deeper thought and questions. 
• It has a cross-reference index in the back. 
• it comes in hardback. 

The second thing that I decided to do was organize my quiet time caddy. I purchased this caddy because it is very sturdy and it has sections that aren't going to bend under the weight of my supplies. Really you could use a basket or an organizing bin, it really doesn't matter what you're using as long as it works for you.

In my caddy I have:
Crayola Fine Tip Markers,
Crayola Broad-Line Markers,
12 count of Crayola Colored Pencils,
The Daily Bible,
The 52 Lists Project,
the 52 Lists for Happiness book.  

I use the markers and colored pencils for marking in my Bible. I have a very specific way of marking that helps me to focus on the words and understand what is going on in the text. It also makes it so that I can easily glance at any portion of my Bible and tell you what the main themes are simply because of the colors and symbols used.

The list books are something new that I am adding in this year to help me be more mindful, focusing on what God is doing in my life. The books are broken down into 52 lists with specific prompts. I plan to write out each of my lists in my notebook and make it a reminder to pray for the things, people, activities, and events that I list out each week. My husband and I will be doing the 52 Lists Project together and I have added in the 52 Lists for Happiness just for myself.

The last thing that I decided to incorporate this year was the Homemaking Ministries 2018 Reading Challenge for Women. There are two options for the challenge: 13 books (1 every 4 weeks) or 12 books total (1 every 2 weeks). I am not going to post up the challenge specifics because if you are interested you need to sign up for the emails and information here. Since it wasn't my idea it feels a little bit skeezy to post the specifics of the plan on my blog. (But, I can tell you that each time I finish a book I will be reviewing it on my Title Tuesday posts, so be sure to come back and check it out! ) I have already started the first book and so far it is just fabulous and I can't wait to share about it later this month. I am super excited to get to the rest of the books on the list, and maybe some of the ones on the men's list too!

In order to make 2018 my best year so far, these are the things that I decided to do. I am going to post pictures and updates periodically about what I am learning and how I am growing. If you are joining me for any (or all!) of the parts of my plan please let me know. I would love to be praying for and with you as you work to draw closer to God in 2018.

Happy New Year!

Final Post of 2017!

Hey y'all!

Welcome to the very last Forgiven Former Feminist post of 2017. I am so incredibly grateful for this year and the opportunity to continue serving God through writing, ministry, and our interactions!

As many of you know, I like to pick a word of the year to focus on during the everyday trials of life. At the start of each new year it is super easy to get caught up in making resolutions, plans, and goals that aren't realistic or frankly even heartfelt. So rather than a bunch of resolutions, I choose a word to focus my life around for the year.

For 2017, my word was intentional. I spent most of the 2017 year focusing on being diligent in my interactions with my husband, sons, and friends. It was a great exercise for me and I believe it made me more outgoing and braver in the topics that I addressed both on the blog and in real life. In light of attempting to be more intentional, I wanted to share what I am going to be focusing on for 2018.

The word of the year for me in 2018 is... 

I know what your thinking. What a strange word, right? Let me explain a little bit. My husband is an active duty soldier, I have two (100% all boy) sons, and we run a Christian gym ministry out of our home that focuses largely on lifting heavy objects repeatedly.

When I asked my 10 closest friends to give me their top five words to describe me I got words like: strong, capable, organized, disciplined, structured, intentional, and tough. None of those words are bad things, at all. But I feel like I have spent a great deal of time learning to be tough and not enough time learning to be what God designed me to be. God designed me to be a partner for my husband, a helpmate. He has the strong and capable thing down, so I want to focus more on being the other side of that, the part that he can't be.

In Proverbs 11:16 it says, "A kindhearted woman gains honor but ruthless men gain only wealth".  I want to be a kindhearted woman. The dictionary explains tenderness as being soft or delicate in substance, not hard or tough, and easily moved to sympathy or compassion. Those are the qualities that I want to foster in myself this next year. I want to draw closer to the Lord, allowing myself to be soft and gentle because I know that I have El Shaddai being my strength, my toughness, my fortress. So tomorrow I will share with you how I am drawing closer to God and being more tender in daily life.

See you then!