Monday, January 07, 2013

Christian Women of the Year


My new years review of the past year will first focus on Catholic Women who write clearly and forcefully about their journeys to and with the Lord in print and on the Internet. I began with a list of two whose writing in the past year have been moving and inspiring. However, that list quickly went to five.These nominees are:
Hallie Lord:
 ''Welcome! My name is Hallie Lord. I’m 33 years old and have been married to Dan (you can learn more about him here) since October of 2001. We have six children under the age of ten (who we happily home school) including a baby boy due in March, a two-year-old girl, a four-year-old girl, a six-year-old girl, an eight-year-old boy, and a nine-year-old boy. Simply put: we’re crazy blessed.
I am the editor of (and contributing author to) Style, Sex, and Substance: 10 Catholic Women Consider the Things that Really Matter." (quoted from the profile on her Blog ''Moxie Wife'')

Jennifer Fulwiler:
 ''I grew up atheist. As far back as I can remember, it seemed simply obvious to me that neither God nor any kind of spiritual realm existed....The first crack in my worldview came when I met my husband. After we began dating I found out he believed in God.... I started asking questions. Then our first child was born, and I started asking questions with humility....Research led me to the shocking conclusion that God exists, and the more shocking conclusion that he became man in the form of Jesus of Nazareth.'' (An extract from her extensive profile on her Blog "Conversion Diary'') She is also one of the authors in Hallie Lord's Book mentioned above. Her memoir about her journey from Atheism to Christianity will soon be published. A TV show about her faith and family called ''Minor Revisions''  is on NET-NY a New York City Christian TV Channel. She and her family live in Texas where she home schools their children.
Roxane Solonen:

" is a wife and mother of three sons and two daughters. She also wears the hats of church cantor, children's author, speaker, newspaper columnist and communications specialist through her business, Beauclair Communications. Find her musings on faith and family life at Peace Garden Mama, and ruminations on the writing life at Peace Garden Writer." (From profile associated with her column on the "CATHOLIC MOM" website.) 

'Infinite Grace':
The name of the author of this blog is not published but her background and ministry is explained by this profile quote. "At the age of 17, I walked across this bridge, alone, into downtown Pittsburgh, with $300 in my pocket that my mother had given me to get an abortion. I went into the the Fulton building and did what I was told to do. I didn't have a choice - if I did I wouldn't have chosen abortion." (From the heading on her blog, "Post abortion Journey".) Grace is the name of the daughter who died that day. She is a very powerful pro-life voice in the church and our country.

Dawn Eden:
Dawn is currently studying for a doctorate in Theology and hopes to be a teacher of Theology in a University or Seminary. Since she and I were fellow students in a graduate course on 'Theology of the Body' (Biblical understanding of sex, marriage and family) six years ago, when she was first a Christian, she is the only nominee that I have met personally. In addition to her full time studies she is currently speaking around the world about her second book, "My Peace I give You" dealing with recovery from sexual abuse with the help of God's love and the example of the saints.
The Winners are:

After due consideration of this amazing group of women I have decided to  highlight two of them that had the opportunity to talk about their Journey to the Arms of Jesus on the TV show "Journey Home" this last year and both interviews are available on YouTube.

 In the next two postings I will embed their interview videos for your viewing. Both their journeys are so different (Atheist to Christian - Jennifer and Jewish to Christian - Dawn) from my own (Cradle Catholic to agnostic to born anew Catholic Christian - Joe) that I get new insights into my own faith every time I hear them speak

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