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Friday, May 28, 2021

Yesterday...Goodbye, House

Yesterday, I left this: A fireplace.  A place of warmth to enjoy on a cold winter day.  A pretty feature in our family room.  A little something we chose to have added to our house when we finished off the basement five years ago.  The boys used to get so excited when this fireplace would kick on.  They would call to me, "Mom, the fireplace is on!  Want to come camping with me?"  We would sit in front of that fireplace and they would just smile, watching the flames and dreaming their little boy dreams.  I would sit there and smile, watching THEM.


Yesterday, I left this: A set of two steps at the bottom of a longer set of stairs leading to the basement.  We used to put a baby gate there, once upon a time.  And two little guys would climb those two steps, make eye contact with their momma, and make her heart skip a beat when they took a flying leap down those 18-ish inches.  Then they would smile and do it again.


Yesterday, I left this: A room with a washer and dryer in it.  A room I used almost daily (even on the day we moved).  A room where I would dig through clean, not-yet-folded laundry, trying to find the clothing my daughter HAD to have for school that morning.  I would spend time alone in there, sorting through outgrown clothes and figuring out who to pass them on to next.  My girls would come and help me load laundry, chatting about whatever was on their mind at the time.  Did I mention I spent a lot of time in there? Because I did.  Almost every day.


Yesterday, I left a place where memories were made.  I cried, thinking through all that happened in that house.  We had so many good times there.  We got through some tough days together there.  It was the first house Tim and I owned together.  It was the only house my youngest three remembered living in.  It was comfortable.  It was home.


Yesterday, we left our house.  The new owners came as we were clearing out the last of our things from the kitchen.  It was heart-warming to see their excitement and happiness with their new house.  They walked through with some family members, showing them where they would now be living.  We signed the papers, handed over the keys, and now that house is their home.  Now they get to make their memories.  I pray the house is a place of joy for them, just as it was for us.


Yesterday was a day to reflect and to say goodbye.  Bluebird Lane, we will miss you.  Allegan, we will miss you.  We are thankful for our time there and all the memories made.


Tuesday we will sign the papers, get the keys, and move into our next home.  We will start making memories there.  We will begin making that house our home.  We look forward to Tuesday with anticipation.

Thursday, November 12, 2020

A Day in the Life...

Last May, I wrote something for my blog that I never ended up posting.  It was mostly written for my own enjoyment, to remember what life was like at that time.  Now, I look back and chuckle to myself.  18 months ago, things were so different!  It is amazing how much can happen in such a short time...both by children growing and the world changing.

May 2, 2019:

One day, I will forget what a typical day in 2019 was like.  Of course, there is no typical day.  But there are several types of days I tend to cycle through.  Today is Work Day.

I did not work last night, so I woke at 6:45 when Tim's alarm went off.  My Fitbit says I got 7.5 hours of sleep; much better than my 6 hours I have been averaging this week.  Tim checks his phone and tells me today is a 2-hour delay for the girls, due to fog.  Nice!  I close my eyes for a few more minutes, then we get up to get the boys ready for preschool.

The girls are self-sufficient in the morning (with much coaching), and they happily follow my instructions to eat breakfast and get ready for school before playing.  The boys take more one-on-one attention and are scrambling to get out the door on time today.

I make some coffee and pack the girls' lunches.  The phone rings, and I chat with my friend while finishing these tasks.  I'm encouraged by her call.  We have so much in common with the stage of life we are in, and she just "gets me".  We wrap our call up so we can focus on our to-do lists, and I start getting myself ready for the day.  I am happily curling my hair in my bedroom, singing along with a Pandora station on my phone, when the girls come upstairs, giggling.  "We can hear you downstairs, Mom!"  Well, I was intending to have the morning to myself, and this is what I do when I am alone!  They find this information hilarious, and they join in the singing for a bit before retreating downstairs for another snack and a bit of TV.  (What is with all the snacks?!  They just had breakfast!)

It's 9:50.  Time to take the girls to school.  We head out the door, the girls with their backpacks, me with my grocery list and empty bags to return at Walmart.  I drop them off at school and head out to do my shopping alone.

Grocery shopping is uneventful.  I hit two different stores and stock up on food for the week, making it home at 12:00.  Tim has picked the boys up from preschool and is home for lunch.  I bring the groceries in the house, put away the refrigerated items, and leave the others on the floor for later.  "Later" might be today...might be in a week.  I am not very good about putting away groceries.

Lunch time for all!  Tim leaves to go back to work, and the boys want to watch TV.  I lay down on the floor for some rest before work.  It's not very quiet today.  N wants to climb on me and J wants to talk.  I think I nodded off for awhile, but I don't really know.  I feel okay to be up all night though, so I get up.

The boys tell me it is snack time.  Didn't they just eat?!  We get a snack. 

It is already 2:15.  The girls are staying late at school today, so I get another hour to accomplish things before picking them up.  I put some laundry in the wash, start up the dishwasher, and make a mental list of the other things I want to do before getting the girls.  The boys are building with blocks, so this might be a good time to read.

*At this point, my blog post ends.  I am sure I did not get to read.  I would have picked up the girls at 3:30, come home and fetched everyone another snack, encouraged everyone to do their daily reading, then started making supper.  We would have eaten dinner at 5:30, then I would have retreated upstairs to shower and get ready for work while Tim finished dinner with the kids and cleaned up the kitchen.  At 6:40 I would have left for my shift at work, which I am sure included a nice lunch break where I could attempt this blog post.  I am also sure the laundry never made it to the dryer that day, and the groceries sat on the kitchen floor for approximately one week.  Some things don't change.  ;) *

November 10, 2020:

I worked last night.  Morning report went a little longer than usual.  I was in the covid unit, so I took the time to sanitize my shoes and change my clothes at work before coming home.  This got me home around 8:15.  The family had just gotten back from dropping S off at school, and the youngest four were packing toys and schoolwork to take to the church.  Today was supposed to be a school day for all.  However, we got a message last night that the kids' elementary school is doing remote learning for a week and a half due to many staff members being quarantined for covid.  Thankfully, the kids can just read and play at the church today while Tim works.

2020 is so weird.

I unpack my work gear and head upstairs to sleep.  Last night was busy, with a lot of physical labor.  I am exhausted, and I am in bed by 8:45 and fall asleep immediately.  Next thing I know, my alarm is ringing.  It is 2:00 and I need to pick S up from school.  5.25 hours of sleep.  The lack of sleep is the hardest part of working night shift.

I get dressed, put on a touch of makeup, grab a mask and some coffee, and head out the door.  I get S from school and swing by the grocery store.  We need butter to make dinner tonight.  And cream for coffee.  And some food for work tonight. Drinks too.  And S needs candy.  

Together, she and I head back to the truck and drive to the church to swap out vehicles and bring home the little kids.  I need to get the boys started on their schoolwork.  They have read at the church, but they are not focused enough to do their other schoolwork there.  

3:20, we arrive at home.  Everyone wants a snack.  (That hasn't changed.)  I tell them no though.  We have a schedule to keep!  The girls are all finished with their work, so they head off to play.  I get the boys set up at the table, and we start their school packets.  N is motivated and works through his packet quickly.  J is taking his time and doing everything super neatly.  Finally, we get to a point in their work where they need to color, cut, and glue.  Yay!  Independent work!  I seize this opportunity to begin making dinner and pack myself a lunch for work.

At 5:00, dinner is ready.  We clear the table, eat together, and then I head upstairs to shower while Tim cleans the kitchen.  I return at 5:30 to help the boys with the rest of their school work.  N finishes his and runs off to play.  J and I continue to work together until 6:05.  Then he is done, so we clean up the table again.  I return upstairs to finish getting ready for work.

6:45, I am heading out the door.  This is later than I intended to leave, but it was unavoidable today and I will still be on time.

I change my clothes at work, gather my supplies, and head to the covid unit for report.  I have the same assignment as last night, so I know what to expect.  This makes the night flow a bit more smoothly.  Working the covid unit is not easy though.  My shoes are covered with disposable booties.  I wear a hairnet.  When I go into a patient's room, I change out of my white mask, into my StarWars-esque respirator.  I put on goggles, a face shield, gloves, and a disposable gown.  This process is time-consuming, but necessary.  Then when I exit the patient's room, I carefully remove and sanitize all these items.  I have a meticulous routine, and it is time-consuming.  Tasks that would normally be very quick, turn into a 20 minute process.  I have learned to plan ahead and prioritize better.  I try to do as much as I can each trip into a patient's room, to minimize the amount of times I enter and exit.  But I still have to make some calls from the patients' rooms, asking my co-workers for supplies that I have forgotten.

We have an excellent work team.  We support one another and help out as much as we can.  Work is very different than it was 18 months ago, but I am thankful for the group I am blessed to experience it with!

Tonight's work is not as physically taxing as last night.  It is emotionally draining though, and I am exhausted again by the end of the shift.  I sanitize my shoes, change my clothes, and clock out.  I head home to sleep until lunch time, when I will get up to do school with the kids, pick up my grocery order, and swing by the library.  It is going to be a busy day again.

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I am sure 2021 will be vastly different than the two years prior.  While I enjoy today and embrace the chaos, I also look forward to seeing what next year holds.  I wonder what that next "typical day" post will look like.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

I Thought This Was Normal

I grew up in a loving home.  I had 3 older brothers.  My dad worked third shift most of my life, and my mom worked during the day.  Mom left the house around 5am, worked hard all day, then came home and took care of the house and our family.  She cooked dinner every single night, and we ate together as a family.  Dad worked hard all night in a physically taxing job, then did the school-runs with the kids in the morning.  He slept during the day and woke up to eat dinner with the family before preparing for another night of work.  Mom did the school pick-ups when we were younger, and then we car-pooled with another family as we entered high school.  

My parents were around. They were involved.  They loved and supported all four of us.  They took us to church.  They lived out the things we learned on Sundays.  God's Word was their foundation, the formation of their worldview.  They lived this out in their daily lives.  They were not perfect by any means, but they tried hard and they were genuine.  They were wonderful examples to us.

Somehow, in all of this, I felt like I did not quite fit in.  I felt different in my family because I was not a boy.  I felt left out because I had my own room and didn't like the same things my brothers liked. I was a tall girl, and I hit puberty early.  I felt different from my peers because of that. I was bigger than other people my age.  I felt my body was abnormal.  I had a fierce case of acne throughout my teen years.  I felt that was all people saw when they looked at me.

I spent a lot of time alone in my room.  I liked to read and play the clarinet for long, long periods of time.  I enjoyed writing.  But I also spent a lot of that time mentally beating myself up.  I thought my family would be better off without me.  I felt like I was a burden in many ways.  I was not convinced my friends were actually my friends. 

Anything negative that was said about me, I took to heart.  I took it as truth.  Positive things that were said about me, I blew off.  I figured those people did not know the real me, or they were just saying those things to be nice.

I thought these feelings were normal.

I thought every person went through this.

I thought everyone else was better at concealing things than I was.

I did well in school and graduated salutatorian of my class.  I went to a competitive college, entered a difficult major, and worked about 15 hours a week while taking a full-time course load.  It was a lot of work.  I loved it.  I loved learning.  I loved challenging myself.

I started talking to my future husband during my senior year of college.  Until that point, I did not think guys liked me.  I had some male "friends" in high school who had said some things to that effect, and I believed them.  I did not think there was anything attractive about me.  But I felt like Tim was worth the risk of opening up to.  He was in school in Michigan and I was in school in Ohio.  We would talk on the phone every Friday night until my phone died...usually 3-4 hours.  Then we would e-mail throughout the week.  

One day as a senior, I was in clinicals for nursing.  I was in the ICU that day, and I had a patient receiving tube feedings.  My instructor pulled me to the side to review the process with me.  I didn't know all the answers.  As was typical of me, tears formed in my eyes and I could not hold them back.  I was embarrassed to be crying, but this was how I coped.  My instructor, out of concern and compassion, tentatively broached a sensitive topic with me.  She placed her hand on my shoulder and asked, "Have you ever considered talking to a doctor about being put on an anti-depressant?"

I was humiliated.

I remember sharing this experience with Tim when it happened.  I was rationalizing all of it to him.  I was a sensitive person.  It is okay to be sensitive.  It is okay to cry.  It is okay to be a quiet person.  It is okay to be timid.  I was still strong.  There was nothing wrong with me.  I was normal.  

Looking back, all of those statements were true.  But they did not make the concerns of my instructor any less true. 

I graduated from Cedarville and moved into an apartment in Grand Rapids to be closer to Tim and figure out where our relationship was going.  That decision was atypical for my personality, but it was exactly what I needed.  My confidence slowly grew as I lived on my own, started my first real job, and got involved in a local church.  Making friends was difficult at that stage though, and I spent a lot of time alone.  

Tim and I got married a few years later, and we moved to California.  We had no family nearby, and we needed that.  We needed to learn how to be a married couple on our own.  The first year of marriage was rough for me.  I had this constant underlying fear that Tim would learn more about me and realize he didn't like me after all.  This feeling of inadequacy drove my response to my husband.  I accused him of thinking things he didn't think.  I took things he said and filtered them through the way I thought of myself.  I twisted his words. I heard things he never actually said.  I shed many tears, especially that first year.  

Then our first daughter was born.  I never knew my own selfishness until I was responsible for the life and well-being of another human.  Again, I spent a lot of time in tears and self-criticism.  I did not get enough sleep, because she was not a good sleeper.  I was afraid to be too needy, so I did not make alone-time a priority.  I missed my family.  I wanted to be near them, so they could know my baby girl.

We moved back to the midwest, now living within a few hours of our families.  Every two years, we added a child to the family.  Our grand finale was a set of twins.  With each addition, both happiness and stress grew.  By this time Tim and I had worked through the issues of our early marriage, and I no longer had those fears I had at first.  But every month, during my cycle, I would still beat myself up and hear him saying things he was not saying...things he has never said...things my rational mind knows he would never say.

I gradually learned to verbalize what I needed in those emotional situations.  But often, especially with the kids, I let stressful situations build up until I exploded in verbal anger.

Twice, I ended up in the walk-in clinic to be seen for abdominal pain.  Both times, I was told it was anxiety.  I was offered medication.  I was told I needed to deal with my stress.  I responded in anger.  I was frustrated they were not dealing with my medical symptoms.

As a Christian, I questioned if my anger was a sin issue.  Maybe I had sin in my life to deal with, and if I could just break through and conquer that, my issues would be resolved.  I had a lifelong cycle of responding in anger, beating myself up about it, confessing and repenting, praying for change, allowing stress to build up, responding in anger, etc.

In December of last year, I had an appointment with my primary care doctor.  She was going through her thorough assessment, and she asked, "how are you doing emotionally"?  The fountain of tears was not containable.  I had a lump in my throat and could not answer her question.  She looked at me and said, "ohhhhhh...let's visit that a little bit".  I shared my concerns about my anger.  I told her I was no longer able to function as the mom my children needed.  I admitted the depression I had been denying my entire life, and I asked for help.

Asking for help was a difficult thing to do.  Again, what if this was a sin issue that I was attempting to cover up with medication?  I was discussing this with a friend.  She said, "My son's therapist says that 'mad is sad's bodyguard'.  Sometimes it is easier to respond in anger than it is to be sad.  You are protecting yourself from sadness when you do that."  Mind.  Blown.  My anger was a manifestation of depression.

After 10 months of being on medication, I am finally able to write this blog post.  I am able to tell my story to the world, without embarrassment.  My mind feels so much more clear.  I do not know how to describe in words the cloud I lived under before treatment.  It was a fog in my mind, threatening to overtake and distort reality if I let my guard down.  It was a constant negative feeling, an inability to cope with any added stress in my life.

But again, what if it was a sin issue?  The Lord has been working in my heart, all this time.  These are not happy pills that take away all emotion.  Yes, I sin.  I still get angry, though not as quickly or as frequently as before.  I still confess my sins and pray for a change of heart and the ability to respond more appropriately.  But finally, I am able to accept the truth that God provides mercy and grace to ALL of His children.  I am no exception to that wonderful truth.

Why am I writing this post right now?  Mainly, I want to encourage other people.  First, if you are in a situation like mine, please seek help.  Maybe for you, that means seeking out a good Christian counselor.  Maybe it means talking to a trusted friend.  Maybe it means asking your doctor about medication options.  Whatever that looks like, reach out for help!  I sometimes wonder what pain I would have spared myself and my loved ones if I had listened to my nursing instructor and sought treatment in college.  Second, realize that those around you may have more going on in their lives than they let on.  Are you a close friend that can ask them how they are really doing?  Consider how you can support someone who may have an undiagnosed mental health condition.  Encourage those around you!  I had this support, but for so long I just was not ready to address my needs.  Give people time, and realize it may take years.  Find a way to let them know you love them, and realize this may look different for every person.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Esther: The Hidden Hand of God

 

Lydia Brownback’s new Bible study, Esther: The Hidden Hand of God is a well-written, thought-provoking study of the book of Esther.  This is the first release of Brownback’s “Flourish” Bible study series. 

This 10-week study takes a deep look into the book of Esther.  Each week covers approximately one chapter of Esther.  Brownback includes a helpful introduction and several charts throughout, to aid in understanding the flow of the book.  She provides background information for each chapter, and then walks the reader through Esther, verse-by-verse.  Brownback does an excellent job of pointing out repetition, explaining historical context, and highlighting major themes throughout this study.  She concludes each chapter with questions for the reader, to guide in points of application. 

I have been studying the book of Esther with my oldest daughter.  The questions I cover with her are based on Brownback’s book, though tailored to fit the emotional/maturity level of an eleven year-old.  I appreciate that Brownback is teaching Bible study methods that will help my daughter develop good habits now, which she will be able to implement throughout her entire life.  We are enjoying our study together, and I am thankful for this resource!

I highly recommend this author for those who seek a challenging inductive Bible study.  This study can be used for groups or individuals alike.  Brownback is set to release a study of 1 and 2 Peter in January.  I look forward to seeing and working through more of her studies in the future.  Her website gives a schedule of what studies to expect and when.  A leader’s guide to the study of Esther can also be downloaded there for free.

Rachel's Rating:

★★★★★

Thanks to NetGalley for providing and advanced copy of this book for review, in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Book Review: Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

Aimee Byrd's Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is a book written in response to John Piper and Wayne Grudem's 1991 book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.  Byrd begins her book with a summary and explanation of a short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, which was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the 1890's.  This short story tells of a woman who is suffering from post-partum depression and is prescribed rest therapy by her physician husband.  She spends her days alone in a room she does not like, the walls of which are covered in yellow wallpaper.  She eventually begins to see hallucinations of a woman struggling inside the wallpaper.  In an effort to free the woman in the wallpaper, the narrator tears down the wallpaper and is found creeping around the room.  Byrd references this story often throughout her book and addresses the issue of "yellow wallpaper" present in our churches.  Byrd states in her introduction that Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is not a "man-bashing book.  And this isn't a womanempowerment [sic] book.  This is a book that appeals to the reader to look at the yellow wallpaper in the church and to do something about it."  
 
Summary
Byrd's book is divided into three sections, each of which confronts an area Christians need to "recover" regarding biblical manhood and womanhood.  The first section deals with recovering the way we read Scripture.  Byrd writes that although men and women read the same text in Scripture, the Bible is marketed differently to men than it is to women, both in sales and in church culture.  Some things Byrd cites as major gender-based issues in the church are the availability of Bibles in beautiful patterns, the fact that women tend to post Bible study pictures on social media in picture-perfect shots, and women not being taken seriously for their theological insights.  Byrd states, "I want to read my Bible just as seriously as the men.  The pretty cover on the women's Bible already begins to send a message that women will approach Scripture less seriously than men.  I'm judging the cover as I see the cover judging the readers by their gender."  She addresses that there seems to be an unwritten message that men cannot be taught by women, which she states is not consistent with Scripture.  She writes of Huldah, Ruth, Naomi, Rahab, Shiphrah and Puah, Achsah, and Deborah, etc. as "gynocentric interruptions", who were active in God's overall plan throughout Scripture, not merely in women's ministry.

Section two builds upon the first section, addressing how Christians need to "recover our mission".  This section specifically addresses Piper and Grudem's book.  Byrd tells of her first encounter reading their book as a new bride, compared to her next reading of their book years later.  She claims Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood promotes an unorthodox view of the Trinity, called eternal subordination of the Son, which she states Piper and Grudem use to build their premise of women being subordinate to men.  She confronts what it means to be a masculine male and a feminine female.  All this discussion is to build up to her main question:  Is Biblical manhood and womanhood our aim in discipleship?  Byrd rightly states, "Christian men and women don't strive for so-called biblical masculinity or femininity, but Christlikeness.  Rather than striving to prove our sexuality, the tone of our sexuality will express itself as we do this."
 
Byrd discusses how parachurch organizations are taking over the church's responsibility of discipling believers and why this is an issue.  There is much truth in her statement, "We reap the fruit of our interpretive community.  The public teaching of the Word shapes our private reading."  She adds, "It's the continual meeting together under the Word and sacraments, the continual receiving of God's means of grace, the continual benedictions of blessing and call to bear fruit, and continual personal time spent in the Word that truly shapes us."  In essence, what we learn in our church shapes how we read Scripture, and we need the community of men and women in the church setting, as God designed, to help us learn, interpret, and apply Scripture. 
 
Byrd's final section is titled, "recovering the responsibility of every believer".  In this section, she addresses women as necessary allies to men, rather than as ones who are "to continuously be looking for, affirming, and nurturing male authority", which she quotes John Piper as stating.  She uses the example of Phoebe being commended by Paul to show that in the New Testament, women were entrusted with great responsibilities, even delivering and subsequently explaining Paul's letter to the Romans.  
 
My Thoughts
I was first introduced to Aimee Byrd about 2 years ago, through her book No Little Women, which I reviewed here. I enjoyed that book and was excited to read another book by Byrd. I liked how No Little Women called for discernment and challenged women to be doctrinally sound.  I expected the same of Recovering From Biblical Manhood and Womanhood but was surprised to find that was not entirely the case.  Though Byrd called for those things in words, she referenced many egalitarian authors and agreed with them, which was discouraging.  I expected more discernment from her.

Having never read John Piper and Wayne Grudem's book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, I did not realize what I was about to read when I selected Byrd's book.  I found myself wishing her book had been laid out more clearly, quoting specific sections of Piper and Grudem's books so that the context of the ideas she was conveying was more clear.  At times it was difficult to understand the point she was trying to make.  Perhaps being more familiar with Piper and Grudem's book would make this easier.  I have read and listened to John Piper many times, and I have much respect for him and his teaching.  I find it difficult to believe that he is promoting the things Byrd claims, and I would like to study more what Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is conveying.

There were several issues Byrd addressed as major that I consider very minor.  The beautiful covers on women's Bibles are just simply beautiful covers.  They appeal to a gender that is attracted to beautiful things.  If anything, it is a profitable marketing scheme to compel women to purchase more Bibles.  I do not think my church takes my theology less seriously based on my flower-print Bible that I purchased because of its beauty and lined margins, perfect for my colorful notes that help me visually remember the flow of Scripture.  Her statement about women in Scripture being active in God's overall plan, not just women's ministry put me on the defensive.  Of course women are active parts of God's plan.  In my complementarian circles, I do not personally know anyone who denies that. 

Byrd makes some statements in generalities that I personally have not experienced.  She states that pastors' sermons are geared toward men rather than women.  My experience has been that pastors give illustrations based on their own lives.  These illustrations do likely speak more to men, simply because the ones speaking are men.  This does not mean pastors do not consider how Scripture impacts women.  This does not change the application of a passage.  Byrd also speaks of not being taken seriously by the pastors in her church.  This is unfortunate, though not my own experience.  I have been blessed with godly leaders who have invested in my life through book recommendations, Scriptural preaching, and being willing to participate with me personally in theological discussions.  As a pastor's wife, I am blessed to have daily theological discussions with my pastor in my own home.  My husband/pastor encourages me to study Scripture and recommends resources to help to that end.  I know from watching him that he treats other women in the same manner.

Byrd's book was disappointing in that it did not address key Scriptures regarding women in the church.  1 Timothy 2:12 - "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather she is to remain quiet."  I would expect this would be a key text to confront in a book on this topic.  Also, she took much liberty in expounding on the unknowns of Scripture regarding the women mentioned previously.
 
Denny Burk, current president of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) reviewed Aimee Byrd's book.  Regarding statements Byrd claims the CBMW makes about the eternal subordination of the Son (ESS), Burk states, "The Council has never approved any official statement endorsing ESS. Byrd’s case against CBMW relies on there having been some official endorsement of ESS at CBMW, but that has never happened. Many of the council members have never held to any version of ESS (however it is defined) and would resist any implication that they have. But Byrd misrepresents this."
 
Overall, I was disappointed in this book.  I expected more of Byrd, based on her previous writings.  Unfortunately, this is not a book I can recommend to others.

Rachel's Rating:
★★☆☆☆
 
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.