Bloom!

- -- - Leslie Ludy is a speaker and author of several books, including Authentic Beauty , Set-Apart Femininity , and Wrestling Prayer . She shares with us about her message and life in our interview with her: - "The preoccupations of a young woman – their looks, their clothes, their social life – don’t seem to change much from generation to generation. But in every generation there seems to be a few who make other choices.” You mention that this is one of your favorite quotes and that it inspired you at a young age to live a set-apart life. What is your vision for those “few who make other choices”? What exactly does living a set-apart life for Christ look like? - During most of my teen years, I lived the way countless other Christian young women live today - with one foot in the world and the other in the murky waters of Christian compromise. I lived my life only two or three steps ahead of the culture’s standards. When it came to clothes – I dressed seductively, jus...

- Try to imagine this: your family is utterly destitute and can barely provide for one meal a day. Because you have to help your parents provide food and clothing for all your siblings, it is impossible for you to go to school. - A friend of your family—or even a relative—comes to your father, and offers to provide for you. He promises to take you to the city, give you a place in his home, supply you with every commodity, and even let you go to school. You can hardly believe it—this seems like a dream come true! - Your parents accept immediately. You pack your few belongings, and travel to the city. - But things are not as they seem. This ‘close friend’ is a trafficker, whose job is to steal poor, vulnerable children, and make them slaves. - He may take you to a brothel, repeatedly rape you, and threaten to hurt your family if you do not work for him. - He may take you to his home and force you to work as a domestic slave. This imprisonment will include regular beatings and possibly se...

...#23, Jennifer! You've won our little book giveaway for Wrestling Prayer: A Passionate Communion With God by Eric and Leslie Ludy. Just send us an e-mail with your address and we'll send you the book. Congratulations! - grace & peace, Jessina, Joanna, and Megan -

- - A trace of where we've been on the web this week...two ministries and a thought-provoking article: Gethsemane International We found out about this ministry last week and have been encouraged and emboldened by the work they are doing for orphans in Kenya. We encourage you also to check out their website, read their updates, and consider praying for this orphanage. Give Uganda Water This ministry is working to build clean-water wells in Kiburara, Uganda. They have built three wells so far and are hoping to build more. Because of their work, "waterbourne illnesses are no longer the leading killers in Kiburara." Half the Sky An article delving into the struggles women face today across the world--particularly in China and India--and what is needed to right the wrongs that face them. Ultimately, McCulley argues, the gospel message of redemption and reconciliation is needed to battle the women's rights issues of today. - grace & peace, Jessina, Joanna, and Megan -

- In Andy Crouch's Culture Making (IVP Books, 2008), he explains how the only way to change culture is to create culture--instead of the oft-attempted methods of of condemning, critiquing, copying, or simply consuming culture. So instead of relating to culture passively, Crouch encourages us to actively create new cultural goods--everything from music, food, relationships, business, politics, fashion, and so on. But what does culture making look like for teenagers? Or what does culture making look like for someone who is in school or working at the grocery store? What part does the arts play in culture making? Listen in to our conversation with Andy Crouch as he answers these questions and more. Although your target audience was most likely not teenagers, what would you hope a teenager would gain after reading Culture-Making ? Actually, I definitely hope teenagers will read the book! I tried to write it in a way that would be accessible to any motivated reader. The bo...