IS THE BIBLE GOOD FOR WOMEN? by Wendy Alsup

This book is a study about women as one author believes that God sees them and relates to them. A woman herself and speaking from experience, Wendy Alsup begins with an Introduction of why she wrote this book. She spreads her material across ten chapters. She ends with book with Discussion Questions for personal refection and study. She wraps all this up with Notes for each chapter where she has cited data and facts. Wendy Alsup is also the author of Practical Theology for Women, The Gospel-Centered Woman, and By His Wounds You are Healed. She began her public ministry as deacon of women's theology and teaching at her Seattle Church. Currently, she teaches math at her local community college. She writes guest posts for two Christian women's websites.

I was interested in reading this book. As it specializes in women. In the past, I read a book called Women and the Word of God. The author of that book came from a theologically conservative worldview. I half-expected this book to uphold biblical feminism, which means that women are equal to men in all things. This includes being authorized to serve as pastor and being equal in the home. To be clear, the Bible asserts women's equality but teaches that God forbids her from serving as pastor or elder, and that the husband is the head of his home. Alsup of Is the Bible Good for Women? seems to share the same perspective as did the author of the book I read many years ago. She uses the Bible alone to try to clarify difficult or unclear Bible passages. Like the past author I read, Allsup lays the foundation of marriage as the model of CHrist and the Church. THe husband is to mirror Christ's sacrificial love to his wife. In turn, she is to submit to him as the Church submits to Christ. Allsup also tackles the difficult questions of abuse and sinning husbands. I found myself wishing that I had access to books like this early in my marriage or even when single! This isn't a feminist book nor does Allsup write about "women's rights." She mentions abortion only twice in this book, and her stance is unclear. But one guess, from her stress on women conforming to God's design, where she stands. I used the Questions in the back of the book for my own quiet times. I didn't see much touching on single women or their concerns, in this book.

I recommend this book for all women. At all stages of spiritual growth. I especially recommend this book for new Christian wives or those planning marriage. Reading and applying the principles of this book will help them get a strong start in their marriages. But Christian wives at any stage of marriage will benefit from this book. Single women may not find much in this book for them. So I see no point in recommending this book to them. I recommend this book for Christian husbands to hep them understand their own roles and their wives. Feminists? If they have open and receptive hearts, this book has much to say to them about what God thinks of women. Allsup should consider writing a youth version of this book for girls.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through BloggingForBokksin exchange for my honest review of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review of this book. The cope I received was an uncorrected proof of the final book. Check this review against the final copy of this book.

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Author Bio

ISBN: 978-1-60142-900-1

Mooching, Poverty and Giving

As of this writing, I have been reading a book about mooching. Mooching? The premise of this author is that many of us in the US and in the UK are moochers. We think we are entitled to get, get, get while others work for our goods. We want something for nothing. The commodity here? Money. Government money. Taxpayer dollars. What inspires us? Grabbing hold of all the freebies that Big Government is all too happy to hand us, courtesy of the taxpayers. Agreed?

We need to be clear on what programs are actually welfare and what are not. In the US, programs such as Food Stamps, Aid for Families of Dependent Children (AFDC), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and Medicaid are means-tested "welfare" programs. That is, they are based on documented need. They are not "entitlements." Other programs are considered "entitlements" and are not welfare and are not based on financial need, but on other criteria. Social Security Disability (SSD)is for those who have documented disabilities that prevent them from being gainfully employed. Social Security is an entitlement for anyone 65 and over. Veteran's Benefits are for those who have served in the military. Survivor's Benefits go to those who have lost spouses or parents. The programs exist for different needs and situations.

But many people, especially those who subscribe to the conservative viewpoint, tend to see most government programs as "welfare" and agree that we are a "nation of moochers." Much of this is because people who subscribe to the conservative viewpoint disagree with their liberal counterparts about what the government's role in meeting needs should be. In reading the book I have been reading, I wonder if the author changed the names of the "welfare recipients" and "moochers" whom he mentioned by name. It is my hope that he did. As a Christian, I know that we are not to be "moochers" or to have the reputation of being such. We are told that, "If a person won't work, he should not eat." Where the rub is is determining if a recipient of benefits cannot work or will not work. In many cases, even when a person looks able-bodied and so should go get a job, he or she may have an invisible disability that makes getting or holding a job very difficult. Can this person be considered a moocher?

What is the opposite of a moocher? It is a giver. Who can give? Many people labor under the notion that we must have a lot of money to give. Many believe that small financial gifts do not count, and that the "big givers" matter more than the "small givers." But in my Bible, Jesus heaps praise on a destitute widow who dropped two mites in the collection basket. She may have not thought her gift was worth much. But Jesus, seeing the sacrifice that was involved in her gift, lavished praise on her.

I have switched from mooching to giving. I do this because, as good as it is to provide both government "safety net" programs and private aid efforts, we must not neglect those in developing countries. In developed countries, especially the US, the poor usually experience what has been called "relative poverty." But most people in developing countries experience what is called "absolute poverty." While we can do very little about the sea of need in those parts of the world, we can make life better for one child and his or her family. Consider sponsoring a child.

The above two photos are courtesy of Compassion International, Inc.

What Is The #1 Killer Of Women? Not What You Might Think!

Breast cancer. This word inspires much fear in most of us and so there is more awareness of this cancer than just about any other cancer, and breast cancer causes, events, literature, and resources are very popular and high-profile. Indeed, over the years, a tremendous amount of time and money have been poured breast cancer awareness; many women (and a handful of men, as men can get breast cancer too) have come forward with survival stories and have deservedly heralded for theiir courage and strength. I know that lots of time and money are also poured into other cancers but I don't see that happening to near the degree that I see it with breast cancer. When any cause is personal to us, we are natually more passionate about it than any other cause because we can relate to it. And so when people survive a known killer or lose others to it, it naturally moves them to advocacy and action. I have seen more causes and posts, especially on Facebook, on breast cancer than on any other cancer. I have recently gone to a Wal Mart and I have even seen a Breast Cancer Awareness Bible in the Inspirational Books section! And that is the first Bible of this kind that I have ever seen. There is even a click-to-give site devoted to breast cancer alone. many businesses will sponsor fund-raising campaigns, not to mention numerous nonprofits. And we all know about the famous "Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure" and the Susan G. Koman Foundation. Even Christian bookstores have become aware of this form of cancer, as shown by a few books, such as one titled, "When God and Breast Cancer Meet."

Believe me, if breast cancer were the only killer of women, I would not begrudge it all the resources, time and tireless advocacy efforts that have and continue to be poured into it. But sadly, breast cancer is, by far, not the biggest killer of women! When I write this, I know that, when you experience a trauma or an illness, no matter what it is and how much awareness it ends up getting, it is never enough.

What is this #1 killer of all women, especially of women past menopause? It is heart disease! Yes, it's true and at the end of this blog I will provide sources where you can verify this grim and unsettling fact for yourself. Now, we are all well aware of heart disease in men because, traditionally, doctors and other health experts have always taken heart disease in men seriously. Men have been taught to fear heart disease and cancer. I have heard it suggested that a reason that women have been led to fear breast cancer much more than heart disease is not only because it is life-threatening, but because of the cultural idea that the breast is the symbol of female physical beauty and so when that is threatened or gone, many women are devastated. And the fear is not only loss of physical beauty but also the fear of losing attactiveness to spouses or partners as represented by the loss of the perceived symbol of this beauty. A threat of the loss of physical beauty is seen as somehow, in my opinion, as more immediate and more real than the loss of life itself. Also, we typically fear the treatments for breast cancer or other cancers, such as chemotherapy or radiation. Heart disease in women does not seem as threatening because no threat to female beauty is seen as associated with it. Heart disease just seems more mundane, no doubt because, in the free world, it is so commonplace as a cause of death. I have seen far fewer resources and much less awareness about heart disease in women than I have seen about breast cancer. By far! There are very few fundraising efforts about it, few businesses sponsoring any such and few causes devoted just to women's heart health. This is so unfortunate, for no doubt it is undiagnosed heart disease that kills more women than any of us know of. I'm not aware of how much training docors receive in medical school or during their residencies, concerning how to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease in women (Remember, the female body is not the same as the male body and doesn't this also apply to the female heart?). And so doctors tend not to take symptoms of heart disease in women as seriously or dismiss any female concerns as being "stress," "nerves, or even "PMS"! I think part of all this is because womenhood, itself (pregnancy, menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, menopause) as almost become a disease itself and has been medicalized.

Health experts tell us that when women get heart attacks, symptoms might show themselves differently from those seen in men. And they also tell us that women are more likely to die of heart attacks than men are. So it seems to me that all women and those who care about them, need to be every bit as concerned, maybe more so, about heart disease than about cancer. However, a few years ago, I did see an Oprah Winfey talk show about women's heart health and so I give her credit for awareness, as one of the few high-profile people who have addressed this issue. Many more resources and much more advocacy and awareness need to go into women's heart health, diagnosis, treatment, and especially prevention. The government have done precious little in this area, including legislation or funding concerning women's heart health awareness, no doubt because because of the lack of of advocacy and awareness of citizens, including women. And health experts tell us that older women, at menopause, are every bit as vulnerable to getting heart disease as are men. During the childbearing years, we women have estrogen, a female hormone, to give us some protection against heart disease. At menopause, we lose this estrogen, a source of heart disease protection and so the heart disease risk climbs.

I think that we all know that prevention is the key, as it is in most things, in fighting heart disease in both genders. And the methods of prevention for women as pretty much the same as for men: Eat a well-balanced, sensible diet that is low in fat, especially saturated and trans fats, exercise regularly, avoid smoking, control weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, try to keep stress at manageable levels, and more. So I won't go into any more prevention talk here, because so much has been said already. But far more needs to be done about the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women. If we women would fear undiagnosed heart disease and its likely consequence, death or serious disability, as much as we would breast cancer or other cancers, we may be more motivated to action to beat this #1 killer of women as well as men.Research tells us that young people of both genders need to be concerned about heart disease and things related to it, such as diabetes and stroke. These are striking people at younger and younger ages, just as cancer is. Yes, older people need to be more concerned about things like cancer and heart disease than the young, but younger people should not be complacent and should live "heart-healthy" lives.

In my family, heart disease, much more than cancer, has been the biggest killer. The women in my family, like no doubt so many other women, have never been diagnosed with heart diease though such a diagnosis and proper treatment may have saved many lives. I wonder how many more of us, like me, have a family history of heart disease rather than a family history of cancer. And a family history of heart disease should concern women every bit as much as men and we women should work as hard, as men, to reduce the risk factors for heart disease and heart attacks, that we do have control over. Through the media and literature, I have heard much earlier and much more frequently about breast cancer and the need for its prevention through doing breast self-exams and getting mammograms, than I have heard about heart disease in women and its prevention. This needs to change so undiagnosed heart disease will stop killing women.

February is "Go Red For Women" month, for the purpose of heart disease awareness as it pertains to women. Yes, cancer, especially breast cancer, as words, seem to strike more fear in the hearts and minds of women than the word heart disease does. And it is with good cause that we women fear cancer. It is scary. Heart disease tends to be seen as almost mundane by comparison. If there is a family history of it, as there is in my family on both sides, it may not motivate many of us to take steps to prevent it as much as a family history of cancer would. To illustrate, there are women who, aware of their breast cancer risks, have elected to get double mastectomies and I can understand and sympathize with the drive to take every precaution to avoid something that you are at high risk of experiencing if you do not take preventable steps to do something about it! We have no control over any family history of heart disease, but we have control over and can take action concerning our lifestyles, including eating right, exercising, and avoiding unhealthy substances and having regular doctor check-ups. If we would educate ourselves about heart disease in women (heart disease in men has far more awareness), and try to bring awareness to others, heart disease many not claim so many lives and shorten them. I'm glad that, at least in my local school district, schools make it a point to involve students in heart disease awareness through fundraisers. We need much more community efforts like this in every community and save many lives!

Because of this insufficient awareness and lack of resources,  there seem to be not many websites devoted exclusively to women's heart health, the rest of the resources being more a part of general sites. I hope that this one website will get many more views, as well as many shares. This is another part of lifesaving work.

Women and Heart Disease Website
Women and Heart Health

Comprehensive fact sheet page that answers many women's heart health questions
Women's Health Publications

Face sheet page with many links to resources
MedlinePlus/Heart Disease In Women Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile.com Photo by jdurham This photo can be found here.

What is the #1 Killer of Women? Not What You Might Think!

           Breast cancer. This word inspires much fear in most of us and so there is more awareness of this cancer than  just about any other cancer, and breast cancer causes, events, literature, and resources are very popular and high-profile. Indeed, over the years, a tremendous amount of time and money have been poured breast cancer awareness; many women (and a handful of men, as men can get breast cancer too) have come forward with survival stories and have deservedly heralded for theiir courage and strength. I know that lots of time and money are also poured into other cancers but I don't see that happening to near the degree that I see it with breast cancer. When any cause is personal to us, we are natually more passionate about it than any other cause because we can relate to it. And so when people survive a known killer or lose others to it, it naturally moves them to advocacy and action. I have seen more causes and posts, especially on Facebook, on breast cancer than on any other cancer. I have recently gone to a Wal Mart and I have even seen a Breast Cancer Awareness Bible in the Inspirational Books section!  And that is the first Bible of this kind that I have ever seen. There is even a click-to-give site devoted to breast cancer alone. many businesses will sponsor fund-raising campaigns, not to mention numerous nonprofits. And we all know about the famous "Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure" and the Susan G. Koman Foundation. Even Christian bookstores have become aware of this form of cancer, as shown by a few books, such as one titled, "When God and Breast Cancer Meet."
          Believe me, if breast cancer were the only killer of women, I would not begrudge it all the resources, time and tireless advocacy efforts that have and continue to be poured into it. But sadly, breast cancer is, by far, not the biggest killer of women! When I write this, I know that, when you experience a trauma or an illness, no matter what it is and how much awareness it ends up getting, it is never enough.
          What is this #1 killer of all women, especially of women past menopause? It is heart disease! Yes, it's true and at the end of this blog I will provide sources where you can verify this grim and unsettling fact for yourself. Now, we are all well aware of heart disease in men because, traditionally, doctors and other health experts have always taken heart disease in men seriously. Men have been taught to fear heart disease and cancer. I have heard it suggested that a reason that women have been led to fear breast cancer much more than heart disease is not only because it is life-threatening, but because of the cultural idea that the breast is the symbol of female physical beauty and so when that is threatened or gone, many women are devastated. And the fear is not only loss of physical beauty but also the fear of losing attactiveness to spouses or partners as represented by the loss of the perceived symbol of this beauty. A threat of the loss of physical beauty is seen as somehow, in my opinion, as more immediate and more real than the loss of life itself. Also, we typically fear the treatments for breast cancer or other cancers, such as chemotherapy or radiation. Heart disease in women does not seem as threatening because no threat to female beauty is seen as associated with it. Heart disease just seems more mundane, no doubt because, in the free world, it is so commonplace as a cause of death. I have seen far fewer resources and much less awareness about heart disease in women than I have seen about breast cancer. By far!  There are very few fundraising efforts about it, few businesses sponsoring any such and few causes devoted just to women's heart health. This is so unfortunate, for no doubt it is undiagnosed heart disease that kills more women than any of us know of. I'm not aware of how much training docors receive in medical school or during their residencies, concerning how to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease in women (Remember, the female body is not the same as the male body and doesn't this also apply to the female heart?). And so doctors tend not to take symptoms of heart disease in women as seriously or dismiss any female concerns as being "stress," "nerves, or even "PMS"! I think part of all this is because womenhood, itself (pregnancy, menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, menopause) as almost become a disease itself and has been medicalized.
          Health experts tell us that when women get heart attacks, symptoms might show themselves differently from those seen in men. And they also tell us that women are more likely to die of heart attacks than men are. So it seems to me that all women and those who care about them, need to be every bit as concerned, maybe more so, about heart disease than about cancer. However, a few years ago, I did see an Oprah Winfey talk show about women's heart health and so I give her credit for awareness, as one of the few high-profile people who have addressed this issue. Many more resources and much more advocacy and awareness need to go into women's heart health, diagnosis, treatment, and especially prevention. The government have done precious little in this area, including legislation or funding concerning women's heart health awareness, no doubt because because of the lack of of advocacy and awareness of citizens, including women. And health experts tell us that older women, at menopause, are every bit as vulnerable to getting heart disease as are men. During the childbearing years, we women have estrogen, a female hormone, to give us some protection against heart disease. At menopause, we lose this estrogen, a source of heart disease protection and so the heart disease risk climbs.
           I think that we all know that prevention is the key, as it is in most things, in fighting heart disease in both genders. And the methods of prevention for women as pretty much the same as for men: Eat a well-balanced, sensible diet that is low in fat, especially saturated and trans fats, exercise regularly, avoid smoking, control weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, try to keep stress at manageable levels, and more. So I won't go into any more prevention talk here, because so much has been said already. But far more needs to be done about the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women. If we women would fear undiagnosed heart disease and its likely consequence, death or serious disability, as much as we would breast cancer or other cancers, we may be more motivated to action to beat this #1 killer of women as well as men.
          In my family, heart disease, much more than cancer, has been the biggest killer. The women in my family, like no doubt so many other women, have never been diagnosed with heart diease though such a diagnosis and proper treatment may have saved many lives. I wonder how many more of us, like me, have a family history of heart disease rather than a family history of cancer. And a family history of heart disease should concern women every bit as much as men and we women should work as hard, as men, to reduce the risk factors for heart disease and heart attacks, that we do have control over. Through the media and literature, I have heard much earlier and much more frequently about breast cancer and the need for its prevention through doing breast self-exams and getting mammograms, than I have heard about heart disease in women and its prevention. This needs to change so undiagnosed heart disease will stop killing women.
          Because of this insufficient awareness and lack of resources, I have found only one website devoted exclusively to women's heart health, the rest of the resources being more a part of general sites. I hope that this one website will get many more views.

Women and Heart Disease Website
http://womenheart.org/

Comprehensive fact sheet page that answers many women's heart health questions
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/heart-disease.cfm

Face sheet page with many links to resources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseaseinwomen.html