Hello friend,
I’m so thankful for YOU. Thank you for being here today. Every time you open an email from me, click “like” on a post, share something you find valuable, you are contributing to this little online ministry. YOU help make a difference in the lives of women just by being here. THANK YOU.
**Scroll down to get book giveaway winner, mini-essay, book review, radar links, podcast episodes & more!**
HAPPY SUMMER! Post-COVID (ish), what are your summer vacation spots? We are thinking about the places we want to schedule for years to come, so I’ll take every suggestion you’ve got. Do you have a spot you LOVE that’s great for families? I’d love to hear about it because I am terrible at vacation planning!
👉👉👉 So…about today’s subject line: I want to start today by directing you to a podcast episode I was guest on this week. On “Why is Everyone Yelling?,” I share my story of giving up alcohol and why I did it. It was pretty vulnerable and scary to share, but I just know it will help someone! If you are interested in a a conversation about culture, alcohol and even “mommy wine culture,” take a listen:
WINNER OF THE MAY BOOK GIVEAWAY: erica.boles@gmail.com! You won the book, “Well-Watered Woman” by Gretchen Saffles! Please respond ASAP to claim your book.
*Next month will be ANOTHER book give away. You MUST open the email and claim the book to get it though. That’s how the giveaway works ;) So be sure to open your emails each month to see if you won!
Learning How to Live
I’ve been reading through Ezekiel for the past month — and it’s been wonderful and terrible. As my friend and former podcast guest Kaitlyn said recently:
When my husband suggested reading Ezekiel, I could only conjure up the music of Lauren Daigle’s “Dry Bones” and wonder how we were going to get through this thing. We had no idea how thrilled we would be by it — how powerfully God would speak to us through this crazy old book of the Bible. Sample pages of how my Bible looks after reading it: '
And wouldn’t you know it all felt so present? So timely? Ahh if the Bible isn’t living! Just one example:
“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart, and a new spirit. Why will you die, O House of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and Live!”
The Bible doesn’t use exclamation points very often, so this stood out to me. And it’s really the only message we need at times, right? STOP. REPENT AND LIVE! Why do we resist repentance? Why do we fight to stay in these prisons? Give up your worldly self. Repent. LIVE.
On My Radar
Tiny Theologians. I have talked about this before, but I’m loving these flashcards for my kids — such a great idea!
“A Hidden Life.” This movie, about a Christian Austrian man in WWII who refused to pledge allegiance to Hitler is beautiful, inspiring, heartbreaking and endlessly thought-provoking. Well-worth a watch.
Church Politics. I highly recommend just subscribing to this podcast, but this particular episode on “Seeking secular approval” is so good. LISTEN!
Book Review: Jesus and John Wayne
I saw so many people reading this online that I gave into the pressure! It’s THICK, but I actually sped through it. It is incredibly thorough, well done and easy to read, though it’s important to remember that this author likely comes with her own agenda. The book sorts through some of more prolific white evangelical figures in recent cultural/political history. There are a lot of awful things to reckon with — related to both political and sexual corruption — and these things should not be discounted.
If you are interested in the evolution of the Christian Right, the Moral Majority and some of the more bombastic figures of the past few decades, this book will be up your ally. I would say, however, that it’s best to read this book with the understanding that it doesn’t represent all white evangelicalism. It disregards some of the genuine and principled reasons people subscribe to evangelicalism and conservatism in general. Also, as the word “evangelical” has become terribly ill-defined as of late, it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone is on the same page with what that is these days.
All in all, I thought it was really good. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!
Worth Your Time Podcast
I’ve had several great guests since we last chatted! Check out these episodes below. You can click the links to listen on desktop or find the podcast, “Worth Your Time” on iTunes. Sometimes on other apps, you need to search my name, “Ericka Andersen,” to find the show! You can subscribe for new episodes every other week!
You guys may know how much I read, so I’ve been making a point to update my Goodreads account more regularly. If you are on Goodreads, let’s connect over there! Are you on Goodreads? I find it incredibly helpful for finding new books to read and am kind of mad at myself for not utilizing more earlier! A few books I’m reading:
A Gentle Answer by Scott Sauls
Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side by Natasha Crain
The Coddling of the America Mindy by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff
What is the best book you’ve read recently? Let’s hear it!
LYLAS (who remembers this?!),
Ericka
P.S. HOPING to have some exciting news about my next book on social media in the next 1-2 weeks. Keep an eye on Instagram!
Best book I've read lately? The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr. So very, very good.