The Strong Women Podcast

Did you know that the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has many themes that go well with Advent? Join us as we talk to returning podcast guest Jessica Hooten Wilson about this famous Christmas story and what it teaches us about time, waiting, and remembering Christ's birth. You won't want to miss the wonderful conversation. Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to harmful secular ideologies about race, sexuality, human identity, and more. In response, the Colson Center seeks to equip believers with a Christian worldview on all these things, so they can know, live, and speak the truth in love. As we reach the end of the year, would you consider donating to support the ongoing work of the Colson Center? You can make your donation at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. This Summer, give your teens an unshakeable faith that will last a lifetime. Summit Ministries' Student Conferences give students reasons to trust the biblical foundation you have laid for them. Students will wrestle through the hard questions as they build an unshakeable faith. Register for a two-week session in Colorado or Georgia. Use code STRONGWOMEN24 for an exclusive discount. Learn more at summit.org/strongwomen. 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/

Today's guest, Ann Wyse, knows what it's like to wrestle with the significance of her work in completely different seasons of life and to come out on the other side recognizing that nothing God calls us to is insignificant. Listen in to hear Ann's story of being a solo missionary in Tibet, transitioning from the adventure of missions to the adventure of raising children stateside, and learning to trust that God places us where we are for a purpose. You'll be reminded that your calling—whether it's outwardly spectacular or seemingly mundane—matters to God. Download your free Strong Women Advent resource guide! Advent began Sunday, December 3rd. Explore "Prepare the Way of the Lord-Advent 2023" for books, devotional, music, and art that tunes your heart to worship in preparation for the coming King this Christmas season. Landed.Colsoncenter.org/advent Paperback Chasing Faith Among Yaks and Nomads, a Memoir by Ann Wyse Kindle Chasing Faith Among Yaks and Nomads, a Memoir by Ann Wyse Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life by Joshua Becker The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom Strong Women is partnering with our amazing friends at Drinklings to offer a special Flannery O'Connor mug and Strong Women coffee blend just in time for Christmas! Check out these products here and get yours today. These also make great Christmas gifts for the other Strong Women on your list! Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to harmful secular ideologies about race, sexuality, human identity, and more. In response, the Colson Center seeks to equip believers with a Christian worldview on all these things, so they can know, live, and speak the truth in love. As we reach the end of the year, would you consider donating to support the ongoing work of the Colson Center? You can make your donation at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. How do we remain faithful to Christ when our faith clashes with this cultural moment, or when we have to choose between conscience and career? We need courage, and courage must be cultivated. Join us at CCNC 2024 to find answers and tools to cultivate courageous faith for the specific challenges you face in this cultural moment. Speakers include Dr. Al Mohler, Father Calvin Robinson, Riley Gaines, Katy Faust, and more. For full speaker lineup and registration, go 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/

Imagine if you got everything you ever wanted. Would it satisfy your soul? After experiencing great success in her athletic career, today's wise-beyond-her-years guest realized that only Jesus could satisfy her soul and give her a firm foundation amid the ups and downs of life. Grace Lyons-Turk is the former captain of the Oklahoma University women's softball team and a three-time Women's College World Series champion. Rather than finding her identity in her athletic skills, accomplishments, or career, Grace has used her platform to make much of the Lord and point others to Him—from fellow teammates to the watching world. Listen in and hear how surrendering to the Lord and finding our identity in Him is the pathway to unshakeable joy. Download your free Strong Women Advent resource guide! Advent began Sunday, December 3rd. Explore "Prepare the Way of the Lord-Advent 2023" for books, devotional, music, and art that tunes your heart to worship in preparation for the coming King this Christmas season. Landed.Colsoncenter.org/advent Grace Lyons Reads Her 'Dear Softball' letter Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Player's Conference gathering of college athletes Grace's husband, Michael Turk's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Hangtime37 Strong Women is partnering with our amazing friends at Drinklings to offer a special Flannery O'Connor mug and Strong Women coffee blend just in time for Christmas! Check out these products here and get yours today. These also make great Christmas gifts for the other Strong Women on your list! Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to harmful secular ideologies about race, sexuality, human identity, and more. In response, the Colson Center seeks to equip believers with a Christian worldview on all these things, so they can know, live, and speak the truth in love. As we reach the end of the year, would you consider donating to support the ongoing work of the Colson Center? You can make your donation at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. This Summer, give your teens an unshakeable faith that will last a lifetime. Summit Ministries' Student Conferences give students reasons to trust the biblical foundation you have laid for them. Students will wrestle through the hard questions as they build an unshakeable faith. Register for a two-week session in Colorado or Georgia. Use code STRONGWOMEN for an exclusive discount. Learn more at summit.org/strongwomen. 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/

Christmastime is a season of festivity—carols, parties, decorations, food. But do we understand the true meaning of festivity and its divine origins? Haley Stewart—mom, author, and editor at Word on Fire Spark—joins us this week to give us a true vision of festivity, one that begins with encountering God and responds with an overflow of joy for who He is and what He has done. Listen in for a rich conversation on true Christmas joy and finding echoes of festivity in our favorite Christmas stories. We also talk about how the countercultural practice of Advent prepares us to celebrate Christmas with greater joy. Download your free Strong Women Advent resource guide! Advent begins Sunday, December 3rd. Explore "Prepare the Way of the Lord-Advent 2023" for books, devotional, music, and art that tunes your heart to worship in preparation for the coming King this Christmas season. Landed.Colsoncenter.org/advent Mouse Nuns series by Haley Stewart and Elizabeth Wallin: The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese The Curious Christmas Trail, and Strange Sound by the Sea "The Sham Practice of Christmas" article by Haley Stewart on the University of Notre Dame's Journal of Church Life In Tune with the World, a Theory of Festivity by Joseph Peeper 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 Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson Silas Marner by George Elliot Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson Works of Mercy by Sally Thomas Strong Women is partnering with our amazing friends at Drinklings to offer a special Flannery O'Connor mug and Strong Women coffee blend just in time for Christmas! Check out these products here and get yours today. These also make great Christmas gifts for the other Strong Women on your list! Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to harmful secular ideologies about race, sexuality, human identity, and more. In response, the Colson Center seeks to equip believers with a Christian worldview on all these things, so they can know, live, and speak the truth in love. As we reach the end of the year, would you consider donating to support the ongoing work of the Colson Center? You can make your donation at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. How do we remain faithful to Christ when our faith clashes with this cultural moment, or when we have to choose between conscience and career? We need courage, and courage must be cultivated. Join us at CCNC 2024 to find answers and tools to cultivate courageous faith for the specific challenges you face in this cultural moment. Speakers include Dr. Al Mohler, Father Calvin Robinson, Riley Gaines, Katy Faust, and more. For full speaker lineup and registration, go 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 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/

What are women made for and what are they capable of? What makes them valuable? What is "women's work"? One of the most culturally influential women in American history used her life's work to answer these questions and affirm women in both society and the home—yet many people have never even heard of her. Sarah Josepha Hale was a mother, writer, activist, and editor of the popular nineteenth-century women's magazine Godey's Lady's Book. Her work contributed to a robust and holistic view of womanhood that validated women as image bearers, dignified their many spheres of work—both domestic and professional—and advocated for their access to education and advancement. Take a listen to this best-of episode with journalist Melanie Kirkpatrick and be encouraged by this remarkable woman from American history. The Strong Women Podcast 81. The Woman Who Influenced a Nation with Melanie Kirkpatrick The Hudson Institute: https://www.hudson.org/ Lady Editor by Melanie Kirkpatrick Thanksgiving by Melanie Kirkpatrick Escape from North Korea by Melanie Kirkpatrick Godey's Lady's Book January 1864 by Sarah Josepha Hale and Louis A. Godey Early American Cookery: "The Good Housekeeper," 1841 by Sarah Josepha Hale Northwood by Sarah Josepha Hale Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Strong Women is partnering with our friends at Drinklings to offer a special Flannery O'Connor mug and Strong Women coffee blend just in time for Christmas! Check out these products here and get yours today. These also make great Christmas gifts for the other Strong Women on your list! I'm so excited to introduce a new Advent resource for you just in time for the Christmas season: "Prepare the Way of the Lord"! Christmas is on its way, and you and I have a sweet opportunity to know Jesus better this season. To help you observe Advent in a meaningful and doable way, I've put together a curated collection of Advent recommendations. These are designed to help you prepare your heart for the Lord this season. "Prepare the Way of the Lord – Advent 2023" includes recommendations for Advent reading, music, art, learning, books and activities for kids, and more. Whether you're new to Advent or have observed it for years, these lists are designed to cut through the fluff and excess and help you tune your heart to Jesus. Advent starts on Sunday, December 3, 2023. You can access your free copy of "Prepare the Way of the Lord" by clicking here. Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to harmful secular ideologies about race, sexuality, human identity, and more. In response, the Colson Center seeks to equip believers with a Christian worldview on all these things, so they can know, live, and speak the truth in love. As we reach the end of the year, would you consider donating to support the ongoing work of the Colson Center? You can make your donation at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. How do we remain faithful to Christ when our faith clashes with this cultural moment, or when we have to choose between conscience and career? We need courage, and courage must be cultivated. Join us at CCNC 2024 to find answers and tools to cultivate courageous faith for the specific challenges you face in this cultural moment. Speakers include Dr. Al Mohler, Father Calvin Robinson, Riley Gaines, Katy Faust, and more. For full speaker lineup and registration, go 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 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/

What is education for? How does the Christian worldview shape our approach to it? If you ask this week's guest, she'll tell you that it's for the flourishing of children, parents, and communities. Lynn Swaner is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). She joins us to talk about a Christian ethic of education and discipleship, the unique landscape of schools today, as well as the exciting innovations happening in Christian education across the country. We discuss what it looks like to approach education Christianly (whether you're in a Christian school context or not) and to live out Jesus' call toward love and discipleship as parents, students, and teachers—all for the advance of God's kingdom and the flourishing of culture. Association of Christian Schools International Colson Educators "How Do You Do It All?" Blog Post By Lynn Swaner June 30, 2022 Mystery and Manners by Flannery O'Connor Future Ready by Lynn Swaner, Jon Eckert, Erik Ellefsen, and Matthew H. Lee Culture Map by Erin Meyer A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietze American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to harmful secular ideologies about race, sexuality, human identity, and more. In response, the Colson Center seeks to equip believers with a Christian worldview on all these things, so they can know, live, and speak the truth in love. As we reach the end of the year, would you consider donating to support the ongoing work of the Colson Center? You can make your donation at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. How do we remain faithful to Christ when our faith clashes with this cultural moment, or when we have to choose between conscience and career? We need courage, and courage must be cultivated. Join us at CCNC 2024 to find answers and tools to cultivate courageous faith for the specific challenges you face in this cultural moment. Speakers include Dr. Al Mohler, Father Calvin Robinson, Riley Gaines, Katy Faust, and more. For full speaker lineup and registration, go 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 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/

From a young age, Kellie Fiedorek was driven by a passion to seek justice and uphold the dignity of every human life. Today, she serves as senior counsel and director of Government Affairs at Alliance Defending Freedom. In this episode, she shares her journey into the legal profession, her work with ADF, and her involvement in the 303 Creative v. Elenis Supreme Court Case. Kellie also underscores the vital importance of the fight for freedom of speech and freedom of religion, emphasizing that this cause transcends political or religious affiliations. Tune in to be inspired by Kellie's story of following the Lord's leading, being faithful with what's in front of her, and trusting God to equip her for the work He has called her to do. Alliance Defending Freedom Blackstone Legal Foundation S4 04: Staying Faithful Under Public Pressure With Lorie Smith Strong Women Podcast The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Subscribe to the Strong Women monthly journal Christians are called to speak the truth in love, love God and our neighbors, and care for the victims of bad ideas in this cultural moment. At the Colson Center, everything we do is to help Christians live out that calling. To support this ongoing work in the coming year, partner with us by giving a year-end gift at colsoncenter.org/swyearend. Registration for our 2024 Colson Center National Conference – Courageous Faith – is now open! From May 30 – June 2, we'll gather in Arlington, Texas at the brand-new Loews Hotel & Resort. We at the Colson Center believe every Christian can live like one. But we also know that, when the world around us is changing rapidly, it's hard to know how to live as a Christian in this time and place. The Colson Center National Conference is a gathering of people who want to face today's unique challenges with informed and courageous faith. This year's gifted speakers include Sean McDowell, Neil Shenvi, Kathy Koch and more. They will help us tackle the complex worldview challenges of today with biblical insight and practical application. To register, go to colsonconference.org 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/

Kathy Gibbens, a logic teacher, shares her journey of teaching logic and the importance of clear thinking. They discuss fallacies, like equivocation, and the role of definitions. They also recommend the book 'The Watchmaker's Daughter' and talk about the power of prayer and learning lessons in faith.

Abortion has been packaged and falsely marketed as a form of healthcare necessary for women's empowerment, while pro-life advocacy has been mislabeled as anti-woman. Dr. Christina Francis knows this reasoning is backwards, and she uses her voice to fight for the wellbeing of women and babies. Today, she does that as an OB-GYN and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG). Dr. Francis works hard to inform women about the realities of chemical abortion as well as the lifesaving option of abortion pill reversal. This week, she talks about her journey of becoming a passionate pro-life advocate, the harms of chemical abortion, the progress of her lawsuit against the FDA, and how Christians can be thoroughly pro-life. Alliance Defending Freedom American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists March for Life Live Action The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession by Dr. Fahr Curlin and Chris Tollefson Secular culture has widely embraced the destructive ideas produced by Critical Theory. But these ideas have caused great cultural divisions and a loss of faith. Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer's latest book, Critical Dilemma, is a much-needed resource to help Christians understand Critical Theory in all its forms and respond with discernment, truth, and love. You can claim your copy today at colsoncenter.org/swcriticaldilemma . Registration for our 2024 Colson Center National Conference – Courageous Faith – is now open! From May 30 – June 2, we'll gather in Arlington, Texas at the brand-new Loews Hotel & Resort. We at the Colson Center believe every Christian can live like one. But we also know that, when the world around us is changing rapidly, it's hard to know how to live as a Christian in this time and place. The Colson Center National Conference is a gathering of people who want to face today's unique challenges with informed and courageous faith. This year's gifted speakers include Sean McDowell, Neil Shenvi, Kathy Koch and more. They will help us tackle the complex worldview challenges of today with biblical insight and practical application. To register at our lowest price, go to colsonconference.org 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/

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, Lainey Greer joins us to answer these questions. Lainey uses her unique background of exercise science and Ph.D. work in systematic theology, with an emphasis on human embodiment, to equip Christians with a biblical view of the body that applies to everyday life. We talk about the big picture of stewarding our health and what that looks like practically. 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 Secular culture has widely embraced the destructive ideas produced by Critical Theory. But these ideas have caused great cultural divisions and a loss of faith. Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer's latest book, Critical Dilemma, is a much-needed resource to help Christians understand Critical Theory in all its forms and respond with discernment, truth, and love. You can claim your copy today at colsoncenter.org/swcriticaldilemma . Registration for our 2024 Colson Center National Conference – Courageous Faith – is now open! From May 30 – June 2, we'll gather in Arlington, Texas at the brand-new Loews Hotel & Resort. We at the Colson Center believe every Christian can live like one. But we also know that, when the world around us is changing rapidly, it's hard to know how to live as a Christian in this time and place. The Colson Center National Conference is a gathering of people who want to face today's unique challenges with informed and courageous faith. This year's gifted speakers include Sean McDowell, Neil Shenvi, Kathy Koch and more. They will help us tackle the complex worldview challenges of today with biblical insight and practical application. To register at our lowest price, go to colsonconference.org 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/