WA Community - November 2021

Adoption

I love reading Woman Alive as it is so encouraging and inspiring to read about the lives of Christian women in such a variety of situations. In the article ‘Adopting my girl’ in the September issue it was great to read of the wonderful things that God has done in Jen’s life.  However, I felt it should be noted that Sharon’s experience of adoption is somewhat out of date (the 1980s was a long time ago!). I know from experience that the adoption application process is now a lengthy and arduous process (taking years rather than a couple of months). Also, due to the very sad prevalence of abortion, the children in need of adoption are more likely to be older children from troubled homes rather than unwanted babies. This brings different challenges.

What I have found most helpful is a book that has been recommended by writers in your magazine: Salt Water & Honey by Lizzie Lowrie. She shares her honest account of living with the unfulfilled longing for a child and finding God in the midst of this. It is very well written and I believe that people going through this in contemporary times will relate to it.

Julia, via email

 

Refreshing read

I just wanted to say thank you for sending through the October edition of Woman Alive. I subscribed to Woman Alive (quite) a few years ago (when Jackie Stead was editor) and then decided to have a break. I have been impressed with the standard of the magazine and also with how you have moved with the times. For me it has been a refreshing read and I had forgotten quite how good it was/is. It is particularly refreshing post-lockdown.

Keep up the good work and I look forward to receiving the next issue.

Jenny, by email

 

Talking about colour

I found the interview with Diane Louise Jordan in the September issue so helpful. Diane asks why she is obliged to define herself by her colour every time she fills out a form. I so agree! I am ‘white’ British: but what does that really mean? It’s just my colour, but my ancestry comes from Vikings/Danes/French. My husband’s ancestry is Anglo-Indian, so our three grown-up children are actually three different colours. I always want to cross out the ‘white’ and just say I’m British. My son is not black British: he just happens to have inherited colour from being 16th Indian, whereas my other son hasn’t.

Thank you to Diane for sharing her story and for this amazing work she is doing to break down barriers and be a channel to bring peace and healing.

And thank you to the whole team once again for a great magazine.

Gillian, by email

 

Dating

Love what you do; keep up the good work. However, I did just want to share a thought. I liked the James Bond girls dating blog, but I was surprised to read something so direct and down the line as saying “don’t date non-Christians”, knowing that Woman Alive has previously explored the issue of being in a relationship with a non-Christian. I used to have a very black-and-white stance on these things but one divorce and broken second engagement later, I am muddling through a fairly grey approach to life these days. I felt that Rachel’s hardline approach seemed to contradict the one taken some months back. Just wanted to share my heart. As I say I love what you do; I am sure that mine is just one of many broken hearts even after trying to do things ‘perfectly’ (Christian boyfriend/husband, no sex before marriage etc).

Laura, via Instagram

 

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

What content have you been loving and sharing this issue? Remember, as part of the Woman Alive community you not only have your print magazine but you also have access to:

• The Woman Alive Book Club group on Facebook – for book reviews and conversations

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If you have anything to share, contact us by email using womanalive@premier.org.uk

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