My Response to Why I Warn Against the Wilsons

 A friend of mine recently asked me why I didn't like Rachel Jankovic (author and daughter of Pastor Doug Wilson) and thought she was a hypocrite. Here is my response. (I will probably add to this as time goes on and I have more time to write more specific things.)

So my primary concern with Rachel is her affiliation and similar teaching/theology as her father (thus this post is about "the Wilson's"). I have done extensive digging into his theology, character, and handing of church/other matters and would put him in the category of a false teacher. There are too many serious concerns to not to. I believe his teaching to be dangerous. In fact, I consider Doug Wilson a dangerous false teacher and an abusive narcissist. So, while I will admit I have not thoroughly examined Rachel's writing/speaking very specifically, as she and her father work together and teach/hold to the same things I haven’t felt it was necessary to spend the time to do that. 

 

As for their hypocrisy... a hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. If someone claims to be an orthodox, Biblical teacher, but teaches things that are opposed to, even offensive to the truths of Orthodox Christianity, than umm yeah that makes them a hypocrite. So the real issue here is whether or not what the Wilson's teach is consistent with Scripture and Orthodox Christianity.

 

I will below list my main areas of concern with the Wilson's (and by this I mean Doug Wilson, his family or really anyone associated with him). Please note I don’t necessarily agree with everything his critics say or believe themselves, but when it comes to the topic(s) at hand, I believe they are absolutely right in their critique and concerns. Those who have gleaned good things from the Wilson's may think they are just throwing stones, but most of them have tried very hard to be fair in their critiques and concerns. Some of these are or seem small, but small things add up as well. Small flaws in character add up to bigger ones. The more small things I saw, the more I slowly became concerned. It will take some time for you to get through all this…. It was several months of me listening, reading and researching to come to the convictions I have now.

 

Doug Wilson’s questionable (heretical?) theology: It is important to say that a lot of what the Wilson's say, *seems* orthodox and right, and a lot of it IS orthodox. However, their false doctrine/teaching is extremely sneaky and subtle. I will share a lot of what others have written/said since they have done more extensive work and say it better than I could.

 

His view of Justification This is one of the biggest and most serious concerns. I really don’t have time to write out a whole explanation and argument, plus the two below do it very well:

https://theocast.org/is-doug-wilson-a-false-teacher/

https://thelondonlyceum.com/on-justification-doug-wilson-and-the-moscow-doctrine/

 

On Federal Vision: This is rather complex, but to summarize for you, Wilson says he’s Reformed, but the views he holds on the Covenants and on justification do not line up with traditional/orthodox Reformed theology. A lot of Reformed people outside his camp have serious concerns with views on this (and obviously Arminians would strongly disagree with him in this area of theology as well).  https://carm.org/about-theology/what-is-federal-vision-theology-and-is-it-biblical/

 

(P.S. Doug Wilson has claimed he no longer holds to “Federal Vision” however, it is very important to note that he has NOT rejected the theology that Federal Vision holds to - and that is the problem. In other words, he’s rejecting the label but keeping the theology. Tricksy… and completely hypocritical.)

 

Views on men’s/women’s roles:  The more I have read/heard from the Wilson's on this topic, the more I have been seriously concerned - and downright disgusted. The extreme patriarchy is very subtle at times, but I would assert is NOT in line with Biblical complementarianism. Again, they say a lot of things thare are actually right or at least *seem* right, but digging deeper I have often seen some red flags and have thoughts like “ehhh I’m not sure that’s quite right/balanced”. And on further study, I've found their view to not be in line with Scripture. As Rachel has written more about the area of womenhood it's important to address her specifically here. But as she is collusion with her father, I cannot freely trust her view on being a Biblical woman/wife/mother. While I have seen she does have many good and right things to say, there are also some huge concerns and wrong theology... At best, I would have to give too many cautions to feel I could recommend her to anyone. 

 Here's an article documenting the abusive teaching on a wife's obligation to submit to rape: https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-church-that-preaches-wives-need-to-be-led-with-a-firm-hand/

Here is something from Rachel's own mouth... she's being grossly mistreated/controlled and doesn't even see it... seriously? What Christ-like husband would treat his brand new wife like this???: https://www.facebook.com/ExaminingMoscow/videos/346749201336488 

And while we're at it, here's another video from Rachel with a rather shocking condemning and hypocritical attitude. Other's "know for absolute certain?" You're a woman, you can't do anything right - that is the main message I've gotten from Rachel.  https://www.facebook.com/ExaminingMoscow/videos/1920306348165019

And one more for you: 

I can also talk about Nancy Wilson and her parenting advice.... you can watch clips of her "Biblical parenting advice" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75lZfjq_GWg  The whole Wilson family also appears in this video - notice the gaslighting from several of them - Dean (the host/critic) is really good at pointing out the red flags you should notice. (P.S This is very similar to the Pearl's borderline(at best?) abusive parenting advice - STAY AWAY! P.S.S. I am not at all anti-spanking, I think it can be fine done correctly, but it can very easily be done wrongly.)

I will add here that I have personal experience of having to submit to and respect a husband who was in the wrong - who was going the wrong direction theologically - it was hard, I had to learn and grow a lot in my obedience to God in my submission and attitude towards my husband, however, my complementarianism/beliefs about submission are NOT the same as the Wilson's. I would absolutely not put them in the same category.  

I have seen too many quotes and heard things Doug Wilson himself has said that are downright demeaning to women and completely unbiblical. Here’s an example: It might just be a woman's fault if she gets raped.... “But women who genuinely insist on ‘no masculine protection’ are really women who tacitly agree on the propriety of rape.” (Douglas Wilson, Her Hand in Marriage, p. 13) (And no, I’m not taking this out of context, you can read more in articles I’ve shared).

 

Here’s some people who have written about concerns in this area:

https://fullmetalpatriarchy.wordpress.com/category/doug-wilson/

https://mereorthodoxy.com/sex-submission-and-evangelicals-doug-wilson-controversial-words

https://spiritualsoundingboard.com/2016/01/15/pastor-doug-wilson-on-rape-submission-feminists-and-boobs/

 

Doug Wilson/Christ’s church handing of sexual sin and sexual abuse:

This is another HUGE concern. I'm not sure there is another area of all of life that makes me more angry than the ignoring/injustice of abuse in "Christian" environments. If I were to curse like Doug Wilson and his crew does, this is where I'd do it. Not only do the above patriarch views allow for this kind of thing to flourish, there continues to be very little accountability or serious concern for protecting others and dealing with abusers appropriately. There has been NO admission of “hey maybe we got this wrong” only defensive tactics. I have looked into this probably the most extensively - I have listened to the victims and others who witnessed the situation(s), read reports, the actual court cases, etc.

You can find more information about the abuse cases at this link (which also provides links to actual court cases): https://bredenhof.ca/2023/07/10/doug-wilson-the-ugly/

 

Another article on this issue:

https://religiondispatches.org/sexual-abuse-is-inevitable-in-christian-patriarchy-just-take-a-look-at-doug-wilsons-christ-church-and-its-new-documentary-eve-in-exile-the-restoration-of-femininity/

 

Other personal/character concerns:

His crude language and sexualized content. This is mentioned in several of the resources I’ve shared, but worth stating again. Much of it is downright disgusting and inappropriate for a Christian. I have directly read and personally listened to SO many crude things, and swear words (F-word, s-word, d-word and so much more) from Doug Wilson and from others who work closely with him. I will not link any videos or proof of this one but it's easy to find. They literally throw these words around the same as an unbeliever would. Is this really the kind of people you want to recommend to others?

 

Also, when he first was trying to become pastor of his current church, the elders didn’t think he conformed to their statement of faith (mainly having to do with his view of justification above). They asked him to either conform or step down. Instead, he mobilized church members to support him and basically forced the other elders to resign/leave and took over the leadership of the church. It was a forcible power struggle that he won. This is not an appropriate way to be any kind of respectable leader and I consider this a very bad indication of his character - but it lines up with other control issues that are reported. (This whole thing is common knowledge and a number of people have written about it - it’s mentioned in several of the resources I shared.) The main reason Wilson formed his own denomination is that none of the other main (Presbyterian Church of America is where he first tried to join) denominations would accept him. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with starting your own denomination, but if it’s because you can’t find a single one you could at least be acceptable in - that indicates a problem. Not to mention I'm pretty sure he's just a narcissist who wants to be in complete control.

 

 

Other resources:

I would recommend checking out this facebook page (they are also on Instagram) - I wouldn’t agree with all their angles or everything they say, but they bring to light a lot of what I mentioned above and a lot of provide evidence in videos, quotes, documents, etc. https://www.facebook.com/ExaminingMoscow

 

This is written by a unitarian, so obviously there are some things in there we wouldn’t agree with him on, however he tries to be fairly fair and goes through some of the other things mentioned above as well as some I didn’t take the time to mention (i.e. Doug Wilson’s controlling nature, sloppy writing and references in writing, his view on slavery in America, his extreme patriarchy, extreme political views, etc. - all of which I would agree are concerning).

https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ngier/wilsonempire.htm

 

 

In closing, so yes, I absolutely warn against the Wilson's, and anyone associated with them. If you're not convinced yet, take the time to listen to/read through the links provided.

LENT: Yes, No or Maybe So?

Historical Background: 

Lent refers to the 40 days leading up to Easter beginning with Ash Wednesday (but excludes Sunday’s). It is celebrated not just by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Anglicans but also many Reformed and various other Protestant denominations, although most of the latter aren’t as traditional and don’t do anything for Ash Wednesday.  

The word “Lent” is an Anglo-saxon word that means “spring”, but the idea of Lent originally came from a Latin word meaning “forty”. The 40 days is (supposedly) symbolic of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (although how this exactly relates to preparing for baptism or repentance I’m not really so sure). There is some evidence that there was a springtime pagan festival that lasted 40 days and many think that as the area was Christianized that the festival was transformed into a period of preparing for Easter. This could certainly be “a” reason, but I would not go so far as to say it’s the only one, nor is it reason enough to write it off. (Some people also think Easter was connected to a pagan holiday for the goddess Eoster. That certainly could explain the name we give the day today, but in Scripture, Resurrection Sunday [the term some prefer for beforementioned reason] was clearly the Sunday following Passover and thus we celebrated it at that time.)

The Lenten season dates back to the late 300’s where, after the conversion of Constantine and the legalization/encouragement of Christianity there were many new people coming into the Church. With the dramatic increase of seekers, the Church found itself needing a way to “vet” the newcomers to be sure of their seriousness and commitment to Christ.  (Prior to this the commitment of someone to baptism in a culture that persecuted Christians was enough!) There are some traces of the idea prior to this around the Easter season (looking forward to the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection and being more focused on the idea of death to sin/self and new life in Christ) but the 40 days and the various things that went along with it were put into place quite a bit later. Originally, these preparation days (it wasn’t 40 days in every area, but it became unified over time) were specifically designed for new converts who were preparing for baptism (that would take place on Easter Sunday). For x-number of days they were required to focus on repentance and confession of sin (acts of penance were later added), death to sin and self (which was practiced by various forms of fasting) along with doing various good works/acts of service in order to show/prove their repentance of their old way of life and their desire to live for Christ.

It then somewhat gradually became an opportunity for baptized believers to also take the season to prepare for remembering Easter, reflecting on their sin, fasting in different ways, growing in repentance and their need for Christ for life/deliverance from sin. The liturgy for Lent is certainly beautiful and filled with Scripture on repentance, and our desperate need for God’s forgiveness and mercy.

 

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Catholic/Orthodox/High Anglican churches will have Mass (church service with communion) and will utilize ashes, making a cross sign with them on the forehead that often then is symbolically washed off on Easter Sunday.  Ashes symbolize death, and Easter obviously is the celebration of the resurrection (and thus our new life in Christ). Not all lower Anglican churches will incorporate the ashes (it is not required in Anglicanism) but will still have a service (often with communion) and focus on the theme of death to sin and self.

There are various spiritual disciplines encouraged or provided during Lent. Many higher churches have the “Stations of the Cross” which commemorates the final hours of Christ’s life. Flowers are removed, things are veiled, and various other symbolic means are used to aid in the remembering of Christ death for sin. There are Lenten devotionals that are focused on the theme of repentance and a deeper confession of sin that are encouraged for families to go through together.

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The idea of having a season for new converts to learn doctrine and to give them a chance to bear the fruit of faith and repentance is certainly NOT a bad thing. Taking care to disciple new believers is very important. Of course, on the other hand, it would be easy for this preparation time to become focused on one’s good works and acts of contrition as what makes you “worthy” of being a Christian/being baptized. For baptized believers as well, it’s not bad at all to have seasons where you do some form of fasting (it is assumed in Scripture that believers will fast), and/or where you spend more time focused on reading Scripture/immersing yourself in the things of God. I have had seasons like this. They were seasons of growth (in various ways), refreshment and spiritual blessing. The danger of course with any kind of good works is that we can find pride in it. How natural is it for us to think “wow I just gave up social media for a month” and find satisfaction in ourselves! What prideful creatures we are! Scripture tells us over and over again to beware of pride or of finding righteousness in ourselves/our good works. The parable of the Unprofitable Servants (Luke 17:7-10) is very helpful for us in this area. Here there are servants who are doing what they are supposed to, they are being obedient, but the Master does not thank them for it. Jesus says in conclusion, “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’”. In other words, when we obey, do a good work, or take a season for fasting/repentance we should not look to God as if to say “God, look what I did!” Rather, it should humble us, and we should say “Anything I have done is worthless before You, and all is by Your grace”. In all our spiritual disciplines, they should humble us and bring us closer to God. Again, I do believe Christians should be fasting in some forms and taking seasons where we spend more time in prayer/spiritual disciplines. It’s assumed and encouraged in Scripture. If you as a Christian have not really considered this, you should be.

But is Lent Scriptural? The season certainly is not. It is hardly Scriptural for you to feel obligated to keep it since it’s not found in Scripture and no one should ever feel obligated or be pressured into keeping a tradition. However, is it “wrong” to celebrate Lent? No, it’s your heart and attitude that is important. If you are celebrating Lent just because that’s what your church tradition does, or to gain some sort of bonus points before God, to attempt to “show” Him how repentant you are or even perhaps (even secretly) to feel better about yourself, then you’re doing it wrong and furthermore, you’re distorting the Gospel. But if you take it as an opportunity to focus in more on Christ, to take time away from the world/things in order to pour into others or into Scripture and prayer and your heart is humbled and challenged by it, than it can absolutely be very encouraging and beneficial for a Christian. Pastors can take the opportunity leading up to Easter to preach a series on sin, repentance, the cross, etc. At the very least, taking time to emphasize the coming of and the remembrance of Good Friday and Easter is extremely valuable. Certainly, it will make Good Friday/Easter a little more meaningful and special as you anticipate them together. (The same can be said about the Advent season and looking forward to Christ’s coming.) Personally, I think most Protestant churches do not make a big enough deal about the Easter season – Palm Sunday is sometimes not even really referenced at all, “Holy” week gets a Maundy Thursday OR Good Friday service (rarely both) but besides making Easter Sunday more special that’s about it. What is the season really about? I challenge you: Are your decorations more about spring or bunnies and eggs than they are about Jesus? Is the start of the baseball season more interesting than gathering and remembering/celebrating with your church family?

 

If you’re wondering if I’m celebrating Lent, well, no.  I do not personally feel the need to something “just because it’s Lent”. Again, I do think Christians should be encouraged to take times of spiritual fasting, etc. but to emphasize a certain time of the year where people feel obligated to do this (I think) takes away from the personal desire and conviction of the Spirit. Lent can be a reminder for us that we should take seasons to fast, seek deeper repentance and spiritual growth. Those are all good Biblical things (and I will also say that I appreciate the emphasis of this in the church services leading up to Easter). But it doesn’t have to be during Lent, and especially should not be “just because” it’s Lent. Using the Lenten season in a way that makes people feel obligated to follow tradition I don’t believe is most faithful with Scriptural teaching. But it’s very important to not make assumptions or judgements about those who do or question their motives. Many Christians keep Lent from a desire to love and honor God and that should be admired. But others see the season leading up to Easter as a joyous time of looking forward to remembering Christ’s resurrection and the salvation He accomplished for us. Both are acceptable. May our hearts just be every more focused on Christ and His work for us.

 

As a follow-up, here is a helpful/interesting article on Lent from a Reformed (non-Anglican) perspective: https://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/yes-and-no-lent-and-the-reformed-faith-today/?fbclid=IwAR2Te0GnuV3D5L518SfTml-9d6BbJx54eTD0fdfKfIaaKSaU92ImAeR8utU

 

And HERE is another Reformed perspective on Lent which I thought was really helpful from Doug Wilson. 

 

 

 

Christians, Civil Liberty and Resisting Authority

With the health and economic situation going on in our country and the world right now, there are all kinds of various opinions, feelings and beliefs on how the virus should be handled and what rights the government has over personal freedom even in a time of crisis.

I have seen a few Christian organizations that have written articles arguing for the Christian’s obligation to submit to governing authorities – specifically right now with the stay-at-home orders etc. While they do make some valid points, and while Romans 13/1 Peter 2 do indeed have a lot to say to us today, there are some very key points that I believe these authors have neglected.

1) In America, our supreme “governing authority” is the Constitution, not the governing leaders themselves. Our leaders are supposed to be subject to the Constitution; “we the people” hold the true power and are responsible to hold our elected leaders accountable to the Constitution. Romans was written to Christians under Rome, indeed a pagan government but still different in structure than ours. There are indeed applications we must make, but they were not under the Constitution like we are today. Therefore, it is not an equal or simple application. To simply quote Scripture without considering these societal differences is not good exegesis at all. Is it right to allow our elected leaders to ignore and/or misuse the Constitution they, under oath, committed to defending? It is one thing to respect the office someone holds; it is another to do nothing while a person abuses that office.

2) There are always limits to our submission to authority, and that includes many “gray” areas of conscience. Complete, unquestioned submission is NOT Biblical. Clear Biblical violation is obvious, we are called according to Scripture to obey God rather than men, but in areas of conscience where the Word of God is not so clear it gets very complicated. (We have this problem in churches and families too.) Some of the authors acknowledge there is a time for “civil disobedience” but are vague about what this means, and they do they acknowledge any issues of conscience. We cannot just tell others they should “submit to governing authority” when it’s not a clear-cut Biblical issue and their conscience tells them that what the government is requiring is not right or lawful. To quote Scripture like that is a cop-out and, I believe, an abuse of Scriptural authority.

3) I wonder if these authors have considered that if we did follow “submit to governing authority” the way they are suggesting that we most certainly would not be where we are right now. The American Revolution very likely never would have happened – and even if it had, our country would certainly not have been built nearly entirely by God-fearing men (although not all Christians by any means). None of us would be sitting where we are right now, perhaps we would not even exist. Slavery would still be legal. The Civil Rights movement wouldn’t have happened, and neither would hundreds of other movements that have built us a (mostly) better society.

4) At least one article quoted 1 Tim 2:1-6 (“Pray for your leaders so that you may lead quiet, godly lives…”) and said we should “strive” to live quiet and godly lives but gave NO application for what this actually means. If our leaders allow us to do this well then great, but what if they don’t? Does being “quiet and godly” mean submissively laying down under the whip? Are we not allowed to defend ourselves when we are being unjustly treated? Does it mean we should not seek to hold our leaders accountable to the oath they took to defend our Constitution? I think Micah 6:8 is a little more specific: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to seek justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” We are called to stand for truth and justice, and to seek to be kind and merciful towards all.

5) And then there's Jer. 29:7, where the Israelite's are instructed to “seek the peace and prosperity” of the foreign nation where they dwell. This is not talking about the internal peace God gives us despite suffering or hard circumstances. This peace is more external, and has a lot to do with security. To ultimately feel secure you need to be free to live your life as you believe is right and good. Peace is freedom from oppression, unrest, injustice. This cannot be a short-term freedom/security either; you can’t have peace if you are uncertain about future security. We as Americans seek the peace of our nation by seeking order and justice (adherence to the law, ultimately the Constitution), and also by seeking to get along with/tolerating others even though you may have disagreements. To have peace, sometimes you have to compromise on issues (although there are lawful and moral limits of course). I don’t know about you, but all this reminds me a lot of the phrase “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (from the Declaration of Independence).

6) They neglect Human Responsibility in the nurturing and preservation of truth and justice. This is rather connected to the last point. Like parents are responsible for the raising of their children, like pastors are responsible for their flock, we, as citizens of this country, are responsible for her preservation. The results are always God’s, but we will be held accountable for our stewardship. There are consequences for inaction as well as action. You reap what you sow. “...whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor 9:6).

To conclude, in respect to government, we as Christians are called to:

1. Trust God’s sovereignty, remember this world is not our home, etc. This should be a given, but we do need to be reminded from time to time.

2. Pray (and support, and vote) for leaders who will allow us to live peaceable, godly lives. Absolutely!

3. Respect authority, give honor to wear honor is due - remembering that our ultimate authority (and therefore due the most respect) in America is the Constitution.

4. Seek the peace, prosperity  and preservation of our nation – by seeking justice and respecting the laws and protecting the liberty we are blessed to possess.
5. And of course, try our best to be kind and gracious towards those who think differently. 

So Christian, humbly seek wisdom in how you should honor God, trust, pray, be respectful to that which is the authority. Seek peace and security, stand up for truth, for what is right and just and lawful. "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." – Ben Franklin

I highly recommend everyone watching this video:  Freedom versus Fear video

“These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the

sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their

country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of

man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have

this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more

glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly:

it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how

to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if

so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”
 -Thomas Paine, The Crisis

Reading List: February 2018

Finished since last post:

Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner by Jaroldeen Edwards

The subtitle for this book is “Personal Discoveries of A Mother of Twelve”. It was a neat read from an experienced mom not just about parenting, but personal and spiritual discoveries as well. Great thoughts and meditations for any mom!

“Home is a living, breathing thing – a laboratory for living. I believe we should create a home that makes people think, ‘I want to be in that home,’ not ‘I wish I owned that home’.” (p. 77) “I realized that any growth that comes from pain and challenge can come only after we have stopped asking why… The firs thing we must do in order to begin to gain the lessons from pain is to accept what is past and let it go. Then we must begin to ask ourselves the what questions: What am I still able to do? What am I learning? What goals should I set?” (p. 101)

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith by Rosaria Butterfield

This was a super interesting testimony and story from a former lesbian turned pastor’s wife! Just hearing her journey from lesbian feminist professor to Christian was inspiring and convicting… there were people who loved her no matter what and invited her into their home and patiently answered her questions. (There was one short chapter on her view of only singing Psalms in worship which I pretty much skipped - 0 Biblical support as far as I’m concerned – but I digress!). It also goes through her experiences as a pastor’s wife which was also really interesting.

Between Worlds: Essays on Culture and Belonging by Marilyn Gardner

Marilyn (Brown) Gardner grew up the child of missionaries in Pakistan. I knew her parents, one of her brothers married my mother’s sister. This was an interesting account of being a Third-Culture Kid (TCK) – a child who is raised in a different country than it says on their passport and how their sense of “home” is rather… confused, and comes with challenges that others have a hard time understanding. It was an interesting read and I really appreciated her openness and honesty about her experiences and journeys. 

The Shaping of A Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot

This subtitle of this book is “How My Parents Nurtured My Faith”, and it’s about Elisabeth’s parents, their own history and how they nurtured and raised their 6 children. It’s one families’ story, but it is beautiful, inspiring, convicting even. She talks about her parent’s individual walks with God, how they instructed, disciplined, dealt with work and play, how they particularly nurtured and taught each child, learned to trust them to God as they made life decisions (some of which maybe they weren’t thrilled about) and learned to let them go (Elisabeth along with several of her siblings went to the mission field). It gave me some great inspiration about how I want to raise my children in the Lord.

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ida May Gaskin

This was written by a woman who, when she wrote this book, had been a midwife for 30+ years and overseen hundreds of births. This book is a MUST-READ for every pregnant woman! It is a powerful book that has put me in awe of how amazing God created the female body! Birth is not a thing that we need to fear (although it must be taken seriously). It is a natural thing, not something to be treated. Babies were meant to be born and women were made to give birth to them. Yes, there’s pain involved, but it’s not the kind of pain you need to dread…. In fact, the birth experience can be the most amazing of your life! As I get ready to have my child in the next 3 months, I am excited and ready to trust God and my body to do what it was made to do.

The Duties of Parents by J.C. Ryle

I have really appreciated J.C’ Ryle’s books in the past so wanted to read this short work as well. Very simple, but important advice for parents on raising their children in the ways of the Lord.

“Train [your children] with this thought continually before your eyes that the soup of your child is the first thing to be considered.”

Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History by Suzanne Humphries, MD & Roman Rystrianyk

This was a book written by two individuals (one a medical doctor) who have spent years researching and studying health, disease and vaccines. They take a detailed look at the history of disease and how vaccines were created and what their actual impact was. Did vaccines really cause the eradication of smallpox and other diseases? Or is there a lot more to the story? Very interesting and informative book!

“Beginning in the mid-to-late 1800’s and into the 1900’s, the mortality rate for all infections diseases dropped. The deadly threats that were once so commonplace slowly faded into the past. By the end of the 19^th century, it was apparent that sanitation was making a significant impact against the bacterial diseases, typhus and typhoid fever, without any vaccine.”

Currently Reading:

Grace-filled Parenting by Paul Tripp (great so far!)