It’s been a long week. The time change has thrown me for a loop, I know that. And two weeks of solid rain and darkness and fog hasn’t helped either. When it’s this rainy and dark all you want to do is stay cuddled up in bed and mutter “stay away, cruel world.” When I do get to work, (because God said if a man will not work, he will not eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10), the kindergarteners, the constant rain and no outside recess makes for a very un-fun atmosphere. They’re cranky too!
I notice that Tim Challies posted an essay of Aimee Byrd’s who had re-posted it from Lisa Spence, called “Where are the mature women writers?“
Lisa expresses her gratitude that there are many younger women passionately writing and given a platform to do so, but laments the lack of more experienced, mature voices to speak to the issues that we are confronted with after the toddler rearing years. … Many of the big conference platforms and marketed book deals are invested in the younger women. I’m glad to see that young women have more resources to choose from these days, but what if we want to read about more than being a mother or the beginning foundations of the faith? Where are the more academic or doctrinal contributions from women? Where are the women being included in theological conversations with men that are not on mere token women’s issues? There are some, but the ratio is way out of whack.
I agree that the Christian media darlings are usually the younger, more vivacious, excitable women. These are women who write as the author notes, about foundational theological issues or about being mommy to young children. Where are the women with a more mature understanding, going through middle years life issues, or who simply possess a greater wisdom and speak it calmly, even staidly?
There may be fewer of these women and the ratio may be out of whack, but for heaven’s sake, it’s not like there’s a complete dearth of middle years women who write and blog and speak.
There’s 59-year-old, married for 40 years Susan Heck, “With The Master“. Mrs Heck is a mother and a grandmother.
Michelle Lesley is a homeschooling mom of 6, involved in music ministry, and is an author. She blogs at Michelle Lesley Books.
Mrs Sharon Lareau is a 27-years-married woman in New England who home-schooled her children for 18 years. She has health issues which render her homebound and which impact her ministry. Grace abounds in her writing. Her nook is at Chapter3Ministries.
New Englander DebbieLynne Kespert is married and also has cerebral palsy which necessitates the use of a headstick to write. She writes at The Outspoken Tulip.
Georgian Martha Peace is a 50-year married mother of two and grandmother of 12. Mrs Peace is both an author and a speaker. She writes at http://www.marthapeace.com/
And just for a change of pace, there’s me. I am a 55-year-old childless, single woman devoting time outside of work to Jesus, as 1 Corinthians 7:34 says the unmarried or childless woman is to do. I can’t vouch for how wise I am but I do blog theologically. 🙂
This list comprises women of diverse interests and stages and physical abilities of middle years life. I know that there are many more mature, middle years women who blog about the issues we face and the deeper theological thoughts gracefully given to us from years/decades of living in submission to the Lord and His word. I suspect one reason these elder women labor in relative obscurity compared to the younger, media-oriented women is that they just roll up their sleeves and with little fanfare, go about the Lord’s business.
the-end-time.org 