The Strong Women Podcast

Many of us struggle with body image. Our bodies matter and we are called to care for them—but how do we do that without obsessing? What does it look like to steward our bodies? This week, I’m re-airing an interview about these questions with Lainey Greer. Lainey uses her unique background of exercise science and systematic theology to equip Christians with a biblical view of the body. We talk about the big picture of stewarding our health and what that looks like practically.  Show Notes: Lainey’s website: https://laineygreer.com/  Forsaken Body Podcast  Be Well: Learning to Steward Your Health by Dr. Lainey Greer  Lainey’s curriculum – Understand Healthy  Our Bodies Tell God's Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender by Christopher West  Purdue study on obesity among religious  Providence by John Piper  The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges  The Strong Women podcast exists to display the beautifully diverse ways God invites and equips women to participate in His story. Strong Women is a listener-funded program from the Colson Center that is only available for free because it has already been paid for by hundreds of listeners like you. To join the community of women who make this program possible, visit colsoncenter.org/swmonthly today.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/    Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women   Join Strong Women on Social Media:    https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC   https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/   https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/ 

Merry Christmas! Today, I'm re-airing a favorite episode featuring my friend Haley Stewart. Christmastide is a season of festivity—carols, parties, decorations, and food. But do we understand the real meaning of festivity and its divine origins? In this conversation, Haley offers us a Christian understanding of festivity that begins and ends with who God is and what He's done. Show Notes: Mouse Nuns series by Haley Stewart and Elizabeth Wallin:  The Pursuit of the Pilfered Cheese   The Curious Christmas Trail  Strange Sound by the Sea  ”The Sham Practice of Christmas” by Haley Stewart  Advent Resources from the Strong Women podcast:  In Tune with the World, a Theory of Festivity by Joseph Pieper  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens  The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander  Advent Hymns: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, O Come Divine Messiah, People, Look East, Handel's Messiah  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson  Silas Marner by George Eliot  Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson  Works of Mercy by Sally Thomas  The Church today is often seen as irrelevant. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. At the Colson Center, we believe the Church is God’s gift to the world, called to be present and active in this cultural moment without being taken captive by it. In other words, the Church is meant to “move the world,” not move with the world. That’s why we equip believers with a Christian worldview through our media, training programs, and events—because a Church that “moves the world” starts with one faithful Christian. We need your help to continue strengthening the Church in 2025. Thanks to a generous matching donation, every gift between now and December 31 will be DOUBLED until we meet the full match. Help us strengthen the Church to move the world in 2025. Make a gift with double the impact at colsoncenter.org/swdecember.  The Strong Women podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them. Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/

It’s time for Ebenezer Scrooge to “face the facts” about his spiritual state and meet the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. My colleague Meredith joins me to explore this sobering yet necessary part of Scrooge’s journey and the transformative power of mercy triumphing over judgment. Even if you’re familiar with A Christmas Carol, you’ll find some fresh truths about Scrooge’s redemption (and ours!) in today’s conversation.  Meredith’s favorite adaptations of A Christmas Carol are A Christmas Carol (1951) with Alastair Sim, and the Broadway musical A Christmas Carol (1994) with music by Alan Menken. This episode of the Strong Women podcast corresponds with our Strong Women Advent 2024 reading plan. We’re reading A Christmas Carol together this year, and you can read with us! Get your free reading guide at colsoncenter.org/advent.  Grab a copy of A Christmas Carol. Here are several options:  Free digital version  Paperback  Illustrated hardback  Ebook  Audiobooks  Bonus: Illustrations by John Leech  Adaptations of A Christmas Carol to watch:  Traditional  A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim (1951) (Titled Scrooge in the U.K.)  A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott (1984)  A Christmas Carol with Sir Patrick Stewart (1999)  Musical  Scrooge with Albert Finney (1970)  A Christmas Carol (1994) (Broadway production. See here for upcoming performances near you)  Unconventional  The Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine (1992)  A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey (2009) (Animated feature)  Let me know what you think of these adaptations! Pop into the Strong Women Podcast Community Facebook group to let me know what’s your favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol.  Related Podcast Episodes:  Best of Strong Women: Discussing A Christmas Carol With Jessica Hooten Wilson  Embracing True Festivity This Christmas With Haley Stewart  Best of Strong Women: The Strength of Mary With Dr. Timothy Ralston  A Defense of Christmas (Classical Stuff You Should Know)     The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Abundance, festivity, community, and feasting are hallmarks of the Christmas season! They’re also central themes in Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey with the Ghost of Christmas Present. Heidi White joins us this week for a rich discussion on the second spirit in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Listen and learn how fasting, feasting, service, and celebration shape the Christmas season and our Christian life.   This episode of the Strong Women podcast corresponds with our Strong Women Advent 2024 reading plan. We’re reading A Christmas Carol together this year, and you can read with us! Get your free reading guide at colsoncenter.org/advent.  Grab a copy of A Christmas Carol. Here are several options:  Free digital version  Paperback  Illustrated hardback  Ebook  Audiobooks  Bonus: Illustrations by John Leech  Adaptations of A Christmas Carol to watch:  Traditional  A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim (1951) (Titled Scrooge in the U.K.)  A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott (1984)  A Christmas Carol with Sir Patrick Stewart (1999)  Musical  Scrooge with Albert Finney (1970)  A Christmas Carol (1994) (Broadway production. See here for upcoming performances near you)  Unconventional  The Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine (1992)  A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey (2009) (Animated feature)  Let me know what you think of these adaptations! Pop into the Strong Women Podcast Community Facebook group to let me know what’s your favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol.  Related Podcast Episodes:  Best of Strong Women: Discussing a Christmas Carol With Jessica Hooten Wilson  Embracing True Festivity This Christmas With Haley Stewart  Best of Strong Women: The Strength of Mary With Dr. Timothy Ralston  A Defense of Christmas (Classical Stuff You Should Know)    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc