“Lean In” Valentines from Nora Borealis

A Bar and a Pole
“What would happen if collectively we decided to give one another the benefit of the doubt? What if we agreed that there is always more to us than one essay, one conversation, one moment, one admission? People are nuanced and complex; we are not just the organizations we lead, the coalitions we identify with, the drums we beat, the churches we belong to, the friends we keep, that one thing we said or did.”

Celebrating Love, Celebrating Single Parents
“Listen- if character is what we do when no one is watching, then single parents are character personified. They are the ultimate Love Ninjas. They are REAL LOVE.”

If men got the Titus 2 Treatment
“Now, some men will say they find office work more stimulating and rewarding than manual labor, or that it provides more financial security in their particular situation, but these men are more interested in pursuing selfish ambitions and wealth than submitting themselves to the Word of God.”

Evidence Of The Changing Evangelical Tide
“This is a great victory for those of us that believe that women’s leadership in the church is long overdue. I believe that this is just one piece in a much larger movement to change the majority opinion among evangelicals on this issue. Pew Research now indicates that 75% of evangelical leaders believe that women should serve as pastors. This is changing…”

44 Stock Photos That Hope to Change The Way We Look At Women

Happy Saint Valentine’s Day
“Perhaps even more faithful to Valentine would be to write a note to someone who might be an enemy or who might be a most unlikely, subversive friend. Try that today.  And sign it as he did, “Your Valentine” — I’m sure it will make ole Valentine smile down on you or blow you a kiss from heaven.”

When Women are Invisible in the Church
“No, Jesus did not ignore women.  He looked at them; he taught them; he touched them and was touched by them.
He loved them, and he entrusted them with the good news of salvation through faith in his death and resurrection.  The church that bears his name should do no less.”

More about The Locust Effect: 

The Hidden Plague the World Has Missed
“Violence tends to be an invisible force that wrecks the lives of millions and millions each year. It is easy to see the shacks, starvation, and sickness. It is not so easy to see the rape, torture, and murder that happens behind closed doors and in dark slums. The victims are scared and ashamed and many never speak of these things. The few brave that do speak about it aren’t taken seriously because they are poor and most often justice is not served.”

A Beginners Guide to The Locust Effect
“If we care about education for girls – we need to know that the #1 reason girls in the developing world don’t continue with education is a fear that they will be raped or abused at school. We can’t talk about education unless we also talk about the impact violence has.”

Because everyone deserves to be safe
“I didn’t know how widespread, how common the threat of everyday violence is to the poor. I’m betting you didn’t either. I didn’t know that the police in many countries are only trained to guard the rich. I didn’t know that families devastated by crime have to pay everything they have for a trial they can never win.”

Make sure you check out my own review of The Locust Effect and enter to win a copy of your own by clicking here!