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A fresh perspective on Deborah by Barb Haesecke
Our first-born daughter is a born leader. She came out of the womb with Director of Activities stamped on her forehead! She was smart, analytical, creative and passionate. She loved big projects and The Big Picture. (Still does!) On many a day, I just shook my head and said, “Lord, I don’t quite know what to do with her!” But as she headed off to college, I saw her blossom. She joined ROTC and after graduation spent five years serving our country…
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La La Land Now Streaming: How do we decide between his dreams vs her dreams vs steadfast love?
If you only watch the first half of La La Land (just released on DVD), you’ll find yourself swept into the blue-sky, sunshine, and citrus colors of Hollywood dreams. The opening big production number on the jammed LA freeway introduces us to Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), off to a prickly start but eventually falling in love and cheering each other on. He wants to revive the lost art of pure jazz in his own club; she wants to become a famous Hollywood actress. Part one concludes with Seb and Mia’s Boy-Gets-Girl kiss in an iris fade so typical of bygone Hollywood Happy Endings. But, as in…
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Should your Women’s Ministry drop the self-esteem talk?
Have you ever felt like women's ministries kind of have the same three topics on repeat? Women are tired of going to church and chanting "I am beautiful" while wearing Proverb 31 shirts and taking selfies in front of a pink backdrop. I get it…as a female minister who is addicted to church history and loves exegetical preaching, the narrative of women's ministry can stand to be a little less Fru-Fru. Yet before you consider deleting the topic of self-esteem and beauty altogether, I implore you- don't do it! I am living proof that good theology does not do away with crippling insecurity. My in-depth understanding of the Imago-Dei (image…
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Finding Women in Unexpected Places
Last month I embarked on a nine-day journey in the Middle East with a group of journalists. We went at the invitation of the host country’s Board of Tourism. And while I was there I interviewed a former seminary classmate, Bob Piper*, and his wife, Christine*, about living in a place where it’s illegal to proselytize. 0
