Quina Aragon is a spoken word poet who knows what it means to wrestle honestly with God and “pour out her troubles before him.” Through her journey with chronic illness, she has embraced the practice of lament in her prayers and poems. Along the way, she has learned that God brings beauty from the ashes of our pain, suffering, and questions. Tune in to hear her story and hear her perform one of her poems!  Love Has a Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God by Quina Aragon  Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times by Soong-Chan Rah  “To All the Poets” by Andrew Peterson  The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Work is one of the biggest ways we reflect and worship God. Many people have forgotten the value of work, and feel a sense of meaninglessness. This month, we will send you the book Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen for a gift if any amount to the Colson Center. This book provides a biblical understanding of work, and why it is so meaningful. Go to colsoncenter.org/swfebruary to receive your copy. The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

I’m answering your questions this week in a special Q&A episode! My friend and colleague Maggie is back to host with me. We talk about things like developing a consistent prayer habit, parenting teens, caring for aging parents, church traditions, and more.     The Book of Common Prayer  Colson Center National Conference: https://colsoncenter.org/  Dancing with Max by Emily Colson    Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 Colson Fellows Program! Participants take a nine-month deep dive into Christian worldview and learn how God’s story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration explain the world better than any alternative can. They study how the gospel is not simply a matter of eternal destination, but a way of life. You can request more information about the Colson Fellows Program today at colsonfellows.org.     The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc   

Jessika Sanders returns to share her journey from radical independence and people-pleasing to experiencing God’s grace at her lowest point. Her path led her from New York to Turkey, where a turbulent cross-cultural marriage brought her to rock bottom, and to an unexpected encounter with God. Her story highlights the profound difference between religious legalism and a living, grace-based relationship with God.    Praying Through Ministries In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis by Jessika Sanders and Eric Schumacher Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep by Tish Harrison Warren The Watchmaker's Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie ten Boom by Larry Loftis   The Strong Women podcast exists to display the beautifully diverse ways God invites and equips women to participate in His story. Strong Women is a listener-funded program from the Colson Center that is only available for free because it has already been paid for by hundreds of listeners like you. To join the community of women who make this program possible, visit colsoncenter.org/swmonthly today.     The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Being a stay-at-home mom is not a demotion—it’s a career shift. Sherri Seligson knows what it’s like to trade a dream job for the privilege of staying home to raise her kids full-time. Her story reminds us that it’s the small habits and “little obediences” of everyday life that shape us into who we will become one day. Whether you’re a mom or not, I think this conversation will encourage you that your unseen acts of faithfulness are eternally significant.    Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery  Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery  Wonders of the Ocean Realm by Tricia Goyer and Sherri Seligson   Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design by Ken Ham, Hugh Ross, Deborah Haarsma, and Stephen C. Meyer  How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens by Benedict Carey  Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri     Register for the Colson Center National Conference by January 31 to get a discount by going to colsonconference.org.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Are we quick to view children as a blessing, or an inconvenience? Today I get to talk with lawyer Erin Hawley, who was part of the legal team that helped bring an end to Roe v. Wade. She shares her perspective as a Christian, mom, and lawyer, reminding us that even in our radically pro-abortion culture, the Church can be a world-changing force for life like it was in the days of the early Church.    Alliance Defending Freedom  Parenting Teens with Love and Logic: Preparing Adolescents for Responsible Adulthood by Jim Fay and Foster Cline    Register for the upcoming Breakpoint Forum: A New Sexual Revolution at colsoncenter.org/phoenix.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc     

How do we walk with loved ones through suffering when we’re suffering too? Today I get to talk about this topic with Whitney Pipkin, who experienced the profound comfort of Christ in the midst of her mom’s 20-year cancer battle. In the discomfort of death and in the face of her complete inability, Whitney encountered Jesus, the man of sorrows. Whitney’s testimony is one every Christian needs to hear.    A Praying Life by Paul Miller  One With My Lord by Sam Allberry  Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson  The Storied Life by Jared C. Wilson  An American Childhood by Annie Dillard  Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard    Register for the upcoming Breakpoint Forum: A New Sexual Revolution at colsoncenter.org/phoenix.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Laura Powell, a dedicated advocate for Christianity, shares her transformative journey from a non-Christian athlete to a passionate believer. She dives into the compelling evidence for the resurrection, framing it through the CASE acronym: Crucifixion, Appearances, Skeptics, and Early testimony. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of nurturing curiosity in faith, exploring how mentorship and community shape beliefs. Additionally, Powell connects theology with economics and public policy while recommending impactful reads, highlighting the contributions of influential women throughout history.

Many of us struggle with body image. Our bodies matter and we are called to care for them—but how do we do that without obsessing? What does it look like to steward our bodies? This week, I’m re-airing an interview about these questions with Lainey Greer. Lainey uses her unique background of exercise science and systematic theology to equip Christians with a biblical view of the body. We talk about the big picture of stewarding our health and what that looks like practically.  Show Notes: Lainey’s website: https://laineygreer.com/  Forsaken Body Podcast  Be Well: Learning to Steward Your Health by Dr. Lainey Greer  Lainey’s curriculum – Understand Healthy  Our Bodies Tell God's Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender by Christopher West  Purdue study on obesity among religious  Providence by John Piper  The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges  The Strong Women podcast exists to display the beautifully diverse ways God invites and equips women to participate in His story. Strong Women is a listener-funded program from the Colson Center that is only available for free because it has already been paid for by hundreds of listeners like you. To join the community of women who make this program possible, visit colsoncenter.org/swmonthly today.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/    Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women   Join Strong Women on Social Media:    https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC   https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/   https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/ 

Merry Christmas! Today, I'm re-airing a favorite episode featuring my friend Haley Stewart. Christmastide is a season of festivity—carols, parties, decorations, and food. But do we understand the real meaning of festivity and its divine origins? In this conversation, Haley offers us a Christian understanding of festivity that begins and ends with who God is and what He's done. Show Notes: Mouse Nuns series by Haley Stewart and Elizabeth Wallin:  The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese   The Curious Christmas Trail  Strange Sound by the Sea  ”The Sham Practice of Christmas” by Haley Stewart  Advent Resources from the Strong Women podcast:  In Tune with the World, a Theory of Festivity by Joseph Pieper  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens  The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander  Advent Hymns: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, O Come Divine Messiah, People, Look East, Handel's Messiah  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson  Silas Marner by George Eliot  Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson  Works of Mercy by Sally Thomas  The Church today is often seen as irrelevant. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. At the Colson Center, we believe the Church is God’s gift to the world, called to be present and active in this cultural moment without being taken captive by it. In other words, the Church is meant to “move the world,” not move with the world. That’s why we equip believers with a Christian worldview through our media, training programs, and events—because a Church that “moves the world” starts with one faithful Christian. We need your help to continue strengthening the Church in 2025. Thanks to a generous matching donation, every gift between now and December 31 will be DOUBLED until we meet the full match. Help us strengthen the Church to move the world in 2025. Make a gift with double the impact at colsoncenter.org/swdecember.  The Strong Women podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them. Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/

It’s time for Ebenezer Scrooge to “face the facts” about his spiritual state and meet the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. My colleague Meredith joins me to explore this sobering yet necessary part of Scrooge’s journey and the transformative power of mercy triumphing over judgment. Even if you’re familiar with A Christmas Carol, you’ll find some fresh truths about Scrooge’s redemption (and ours!) in today’s conversation.  Meredith’s favorite adaptations of A Christmas Carol are A Christmas Carol (1951) with Alastair Sim, and the Broadway musical A Christmas Carol (1994) with music by Alan Menken. This episode of the Strong Women podcast corresponds with our Strong Women Advent 2024 reading plan. We’re reading A Christmas Carol together this year, and you can read with us! Get your free reading guide at colsoncenter.org/advent.  Grab a copy of A Christmas Carol. Here are several options:  Free digital version  Paperback  Illustrated hardback  Ebook  Audiobooks  Bonus: Illustrations by John Leech  Adaptations of A Christmas Carol to watch:  Traditional  A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim (1951) (Titled Scrooge in the U.K.)  A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott (1984)  A Christmas Carol with Sir Patrick Stewart (1999)  Musical  Scrooge with Albert Finney (1970)  A Christmas Carol (1994) (Broadway production. See here for upcoming performances near you)  Unconventional  The Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine (1992)  A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey (2009) (Animated feature)  Let me know what you think of these adaptations! Pop into the Strong Women Podcast Community Facebook group to let me know what’s your favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol.  Related Podcast Episodes:  Best of Strong Women: Discussing A Christmas Carol With Jessica Hooten Wilson  Embracing True Festivity This Christmas With Haley Stewart  Best of Strong Women: The Strength of Mary With Dr. Timothy Ralston  A Defense of Christmas (Classical Stuff You Should Know)     The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc