blog.

The Word Before the Word: Beginning a Dialogue on Women, the Church and Gender-Prejudice

By Megan Westra / March 19, 2013 /

  I’ve recently received requests to address several issues regarding women in the church – which is super, SUPER exciting! (I’m still open to more suggestions/questions, by the way, so if you have something you’d like to read about please let me know!) But before we dive into the tumultuous waters of male headship and…

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Distress. Freedom.

By Megan Westra / March 18, 2013 /

“Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered by setting me free.” (Psalm 118:5) Sometimes I feel like life over the past two years has been one big season of crying out to the Lord. Newly married. Moving across the country. Living intentionally (and as a racial minority to boot.). Distress.…

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i'm ba-aa-aa-ack!

By Megan Westra / March 17, 2013 /

Thank you all for your patience last week as I was swamped under a pile of work – not the least of which was writing and giving my. first. sermon.   (eek!)   all went well and I will be back around the blogosphere in normal force this week.   in my sermon preparation last…

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Teaching the Fish to Swim

By Megan Westra / March 11, 2013 /

I remember it like it was yesterday. A bold, bright, red “F” scrawled hauntingly on top of my test paper. The shame and horror burned its way through my heart to the bedrock of my being and began to pour a toxic foundation of lies. “You’re so dumb.” “You won’t amount to anything!” “You’re worthless.”…

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On International Women's Day…

By Megan Westra / March 8, 2013 /

Today I celebrate you my mothers, sisters, friends, journeymates. Yes, all of you. Maybe I over think things. But chances are, if we’ve spent more than five minutes together (or if I’ve read your blog) I’ve seen a glimpse of who God is through you Even if you don’t believe or have the slightest idea…

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Spiritual Selective Hearing

By Megan Westra / March 5, 2013 /

When I was a child, I was plagued with this disorder that my mother liked to call “selective hearing.” Perhaps you’ve experienced this as well: whenever mom would call that dinner was ready or say something like, “Hey Megan, I’m going to run some errands at the mall, do you want to come?” I would…

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A Series of Prayer (while we await our redemption)

By Megan Westra / March 4, 2013 /

“Then your light will break out like the dawn,     and you will be healed quickly.” It’s a dark, sick and broken world we live in.  You don’t have to look very hard to see how bad it is. War.  Famine.  Rape. Abuse. Broken families.  Broken hearts. HIV/AIDS.  Malaria.  Cancer. We all experience it in one…

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Cease Fire: A Prophetic Call to End the "Mommy War"

By Megan Westra / February 26, 2013 /

It was a beautiful (and unfortunately all too rare) moment. A group of women nestled around a table: stay-at-home-moms and working moms; breast-feeding moms and bottle-feeding moms; totally natural and cesarean deliveries and everything in between; public and Christian schools. Sharing life and experiences together, diverse as they may be.  And loving it. Prior to…

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A Lenten Meditation: For fasting and fellowship.

By Megan Westra / February 25, 2013 /

“Is [true fasting] not to share your share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—   …and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” Sometimes I wonder what archaeologist and anthropologists would think about our culture if they dug up ruins of 21st century America thousands…

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A Lenten Meditation

By Megan Westra / February 18, 2013 /

“Here is the way I want you to fast. Set free those who are held by chains without any reason.     Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed.     Break every evil chain.” (Isaiah 58:6) For Lent this year I am not giving up coffee or facebook or ice cream.…

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