Kathleen

Cheryl,

I’ve been reading over your blog for a while now and so many posts have been extremely helpful for me in my understanding of the hard passages of the Scriptures. Thank you.

Actually, my comment doesn’t show the extent of gratefulness to God that your insights have helped me in understand my value as a member of Christ’s Body. I’ve had tears in my eyes off and on all day because of what God’s Holy Spirit has been teaching me lately.

I’ve struggled with finding my giftings valued within the organized church, and have battled shame and puzzlement with my insatiable desire to understand the Scriptures and apply them with the giftings and passions God has apparently given me. The church I most recently have dealt with is becoming increasingly patriarchal (however that’s defined) and the resources promoted there all revolve around some of these same theologians and Vision Forum/CBMW/Mahaney, etc., teachings. Top-down, authoritarian teachings are really becoming prevalent in the homeschool arena (of which that church is in the center of).

I am in a healthy place now, but the past teachings and restricting of women into very specific roles (wife, mother, mother’s helper, full-quiver, homeschool) had a very detrimental effect on my physical health and my soul. I literally became ill (stressed out to the point of anemia and fainting 3 times and ambulanced to the E.R.) after realizing the full scope of the manipulations of the Word that were going on with the teachers there. The teachings were getting so bad from the PULPIT that the main elder was advocating “The Return of the Daughters” as a resource to consider for raising our daughters.

I also wanted to say, “Hey, Lin!” 🙂 You’ve been one that’s helped me see so many things in the Word that I had never seen before, and I thank God for you.

This blog is such a blessing, thank you.