Hi sisters!
I just wanted to thank you all for your support for my book so far! I wanted to send a quick update: If you pre-ordered or ordered a copy at the beginning of September, your book should be arriving soon. There were some complications getting the copies printed. If someone orders now through Amazon, a copy will be sent within a few days. It seems the printing has been worked out! Here is the link again (a kindle version is available as well).
Also, in my last post, I forgot to thank my editor – my mom! She has been instrumental in my writing (helping me with papers in high school and college); she catches everything! Let me tell a short story: All of us have been struggling in some way with COVID and it has impacted me professionally in a number of ways. One of those ways was this book. Elm Hill (my publisher which was a branch of Harper Collins Christian Publishing) went out of business this year due to COVID. Around June, myself and some other authors were told that our final edits were due within a few weeks and after that . . . no more changes could be made! In this eleventh hour, my mom was there spending hours on the phone with me as we picked through the book. I could not have done that “marathon” editing without her. Thank you and love you!
Lastly, I don’t mention the group by name in my book, so I wanted to take the opportunity to also thank all the college students who have been part of S.E.A.R.C.H. – my parents ministry in Ohio. My parents were examples of discipleship, but it also takes men and women who want to grow and be discipled. I got to see their humility, their struggles, their triumphs, their passion for Jesus, etc. I then got to see them pour their lives into other people thus fulfilling what Paul told Timothy:
“what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
II Timothy 2:2
Then there were the women who took me under their wings – from the time I was little until I was out on my own. I get choked up just thinking about their investment into my life.
I hope my book inspires women to invest in their own discipleship and in the discipleship of other women. It doesn’t make the headlines, it’s not “flashy,” fast, or mass produced. But an investment into others, one at a time, is an investment generationally.
Since my book was delayed (and some are still waiting on its arrival), I wanted to send my “Introduction.” It is found below. My last post had the overall description and the chapter titles listed. Please click here to see that post.
[Strive With Me: Introduction]
On one rainy day, I walked by the bookshelves in my living room and began scanning the mini library beginning to form. Because I enjoy organizing, I had designated a shelf for the Christian books which had challenged me and sharpened me most in my faith. These books consisted of authors such as Francis Chan, Timothy Keller, David Platt, N.T. Wright, and others. I felt gratitude for their teaching and wisdom which I had devoured over the years. But then a sense of sadness struck me. Only two books on my shelf were by Christian women. “Why?” I asked myself. I knew of many Christian women authors. I had read their books and participated in their studies. The answer to my question was not that I had no knowledge of Christian women authors, nor was it because I had not read their literature. The question continued to haunt me. It would catapult me into a search that has brought me to writing this book.
My overall intent in writing this book is to awaken Christian women to break unbiblical cycles and to activate them to be part of the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20). I am not intending to disrespect Christian women’s literature and I am very thankful for the topical books I have. However, I am concerned how silent Christian women’s literature and programs in the church are when it comes to training, expectations, and discipleship. In order to read about these topics, my choices are mostly limited to books written by men.. Though I am very thankful for their insight, we as women can implicitly determine that those conversations are for men only. We can assume that the only purpose of Christian women’s literature is to heal, comfort, affirm, or discuss a specific topic, such as parenting or marriage.
The Great Commission includes every woman who follows Jesus! And if we are not participating in the Great Commission, then the Body of Christ is suffering loss. I have been blessed to be on the receiving end of discipleship and on the giving end of discipleship. The principles I discuss in this book are not theory, but have been tested on the battlefield. I have heard, seen, and can testify to the liberating work God has done in the lives of women who were once caught in the cycles discussed in this book.
This book is a challenging call to action within our current Christian women’s culture. We have found ourselves in cycles of incomplete gospels, hard accepted myths which are not biblical (or at the very least, skewed), spiritual immaturity, and spiritual sterility. I am calling my sisters in Christ to break these cycles and live in obedience to Jesus’ revealed commands. This book calls women to examine the gospel, the kingdom of God, spiritual maturity as defined by the Bible, and the mission of making disciples. We are called to participate in these and devote our lives to them. This is a woman to woman, sister to sister tough love challenge.
I want to state a few facts. One, I am writing this because I love my sisters in Christ dearly. Since love is an action not just a feeling, this is one way God is leading me to show love to my sisters in Christ like you. Two, I have a fire in my chest to speak truth into this situation even if it means speaking hard truth because truth sets us free (John 8:32). Three, I am not purposefully trying to offend or shame anyone. If something offends you, I pray you look to the Scriptures and go to the Lord with it. This book might seem harsh at times because we need to deconstruct false/incomplete theology and practices found in our Christian women’s culture. After deconstruction, I will do my best to offer helpful, reconstructive applications. Four, I know some of this will be new to some of you. Maybe a denominational, cultural, or other bias has kept you blinded in some areas. However, my concern is moving forward, looking to the new thing God might be birthing.
Generally speaking, women are more relational than men and we are comforted by God defining our relationship with Him as Father/daughter or Husband/bride. Yet there are other dynamics God uses to define our relationship with Him such as: King/citizen, Master/bondservant, Nobleman/employee, Teacher/disciple, Commander/soldier, Coach/athlete, and others. Therefore, I hope this book helps women live and operate more completely and wholly as they discover greater depths of their identity in Christ and relationship with God. I pray women read this book knowing it is spoken in love.
[End Introduction]
By the River Together 