Christina Fox, Author at Women.pcacdm.org

God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season: The Gift of Wellness

MARISSA HENLEY|GUEST “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18) In part one of this series, I shared my experience of battling a rare form of cancer as a young mom and how I saw God’s faithfulness on display. As we continue to consider Habakkuk 3 and God’s gifts of faithfulness in suffering, let’s focus on God’s gift of wellness in our winter seasons. When I talk about God’s gift of wellness, I don’t mean physical health or personal safety. We may not always have those things, but we can have a wellness in our souls because of the unshakeable promises and presence of our heavenly Father. Some of you may have read the first post in this series about the ways I witnessed God’s faithfulness and thought, “Well good for her, but that’s not my story.” Maybe today you can’t see how God is at work in your circumstances. Maybe you feel like God isn’t showing up or you don’t understand why He would allow this to happen. Maybe there can’t be a happy ending in your winter season as you grieve the loss of someone or something you’ll never get back. How is God faithful in those moments? Habakkuk was in a similar situation. He had no expectation that his circumstances were going to improve....

God’s Faithfulness in a Winter Season: The Gift of WellnessChristina Fox2025-03-04T18:23:20+00:00

Sanctifying Relationships

KRISTI MCCOWN | GUEST My personal struggle is, most of the time, “between my ears,” as Susan Tyner would say. My mind is a battlefield—a place where intrusive thoughts, fears, and sinful desires battle for control. Relationships are at the top of the list of the daily battles that I struggle with. This is why I am grateful for gospel friends. “Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…” This C.S. Lewis quote from the book The Four Loves came to mind when I listened to the podcast “Risky Obedience” by Karen Hodge and Susan Tyner. Their conversation has been a breath of fresh air for my soul. The vulnerability they share is life-giving to me. One of Karen's questions in the first episode that struck me was, “Why is it risky? What do we risk when we enter relationships with other people?” Relationships, for me, are equal parts messy and wonderful. Much of the pain throughout my life has come from the way I respond to conflicts with others. I have a strong desire to be liked. My love language is words of encouragement, but the flip side of that is that I fear criticism. I fear what others think of me. So, when someone criticizes me or points out an error, I tend to fall apart. My reaction is to cover, hide, or blame. I believe the childhood saying, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me," is incorrect because words do hurt. There is another childhood rhythm that says, "I'm rubber, and you're glue; what bounces off me sticks to you.” Both statements make it sound as though the words people say to us have no effect. But they do. In fact, they often have a lasting impact, leaving scars that last far longer than any schoolyard fight or tumble. Even more, if others hit us with hurtful words, our sinful desire will be to hurt them back. Karen Hodge reminded me so sweetly in this podcast that “we speak out of the overflow of our hearts.” We see this in our cutting and sarcastic jabs, in the ways we place blame on others, or in our defensive responses. Whatever is in our hearts will come out when we have a conflict with another person. I know that all too well. As I continue to think about how I respond to the messiness of interpersonal relationships, the podcast left me with two encouragements...

Sanctifying RelationshipsChristina Fox2025-03-10T18:03:29+00:00

Our Daily Bread

SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR I once had a Bible study leader whose husband waited desperately for a kidney transplant. This woman was raising three middle-school children. A neighbor recognized the family’s need for food and early each morning delivered a loaf of freshly baked bread. One day she came to the door and my study leader asked her son to answer it. The neighbor presented the bread, the son thanked her for it, and then yelled upstairs to his mother saying, “Mom, our daily bread is here!” Our leader told us all this was an “ah-ha” moment for her. She had realized that this was more than a neighbor’s kindness. The Lord had provided. She never ran out of bread to make toast in the morning, or lunches to take to school. She understood that this was her manna, and evidence that she could trust the Lord daily for provisions. She vowed that she would face the long road to her husband’s transplant and recovery, by trusting in the Lord for daily provisions. There would also be no more complaining, as had been her habit. A Grumbling Problem The book of Exodus records the Israelites’ long journey through the desert wilderness to the promised land. They too had a habit of complaining. Even after a series of miracles rescued them from the Egyptians; supernatural plagues, protection of their firstborn from the angel of death, and the parting of the Red Sea which engulfed Pharoah and his army, three days into their journey they complained there was no water to drink. They had a grumbling problem. But God provided yet another miracle. He told Moses to throw a branch into the water, which miraculously makes it clean. It was a test from God where He revealed himself as their merciful healer. “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer” (Ex. 15:26). About a month later came another complaint, this time for food. God responded by sending manna every morning, along with rules about how the manna was to be gathered, how long it could be kept, and how it could be stored for the Sabbath....

Our Daily BreadChristina Fox2025-03-04T18:05:28+00:00

Cherish: A Safe Place for Growth

KIM BARNES | CONTRIBUTOR A few years ago, my husband, a pastor, and I experienced a significant crisis in our ministry life. We were crushed. I went from being a pastor’s wife who loved the church and could imagine no better life, to being a pastor’s wife who thought it would be great if her husband found a different line of work. I went from viewing gathered worship as a place of ministry, hospitality, and joy to a place that my head knew was necessary and good, but that my heart struggled to be present for. I couldn’t imagine ever being able to truly love and trust a local church again. I’m thankful that during that season, I had access to counseling for pastor’s wives through Cherish. Connecting with Cherish I have a vivid memory from the summer of 2019. My husband had gone ahead of me to his new pastoral call while I stayed behind to finish the packing, house-selling, and other necessities. As I sat amongst boxes, I took a break and scrolled on my phone and saw a post on social media about a new program from the PCA: Cherish. It offered free and discounted professional counseling for PCA pastor’s wives. I’d seen this promoted online before, but it didn’t seem like the right time for me to pursue counseling. We were in the middle of a big move that was stressful; adding something else to my life seemed like a bad idea. Yet, in that moment, nudged by the Holy Spirit, I thought I should check it out...

Cherish: A Safe Place for GrowthChristina Fox2025-02-24T16:05:10+00:00

The Practice of Prayer

KC JONES|GUEST About two years ago I went through a season of spiritual depression. Even though I was raised in a Christian home with parents who taught me the Scriptures and encouraged me to pursue God and although I knew I was following His lead, I felt low, like something big was missing. I was imbued with a sense of discouragement so palpable that at times I felt like I could not breathe. That is when the Spirit of God reignited my sense of wonder, instilled in me a longing for deep, enriching prayer, and ultimately brought me to my knees in awe of Him. For that is where it always begins, you see… with a hunger for God Himself. The Difficulties of Prayer Flannery O’ Connor felt a similar tug, as did I, to grow in her own prayer life. She confessed, “Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and my self is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all. What I am afraid of dear God, is that my self-shadow will grow so large that it blocks the whole moon, and that I will judge myself by the shadow that is nothing. I do not know You, God, because I am in the way.” 1 O’Connor’s confession seems to capture the difficulty we feel when approaching prayer. First, in order to emerge victorious in this practice, regardless of the snares that threaten to entice us away and destroy us is this: We must simply do it. We must practice prayer as a discipline until we grow from duty to delight. Prayer is Powerful We need to understand why we pray. Because this is true: Prayer is powerful. It changes everything....

The Practice of PrayerChristina Fox2025-02-24T15:52:09+00:00

Light and Life for Caregivers

GINNY VROBLESKY|GUEST When I was in graduate school, I remember listening in wonder as the professor described plants as photoautotrophs—eaters of light. They take the energy from the sun, combining it with water and minerals to make the oxygen and food that enables the rest of us to live. Through them, light becomes life to us. This image of trees absorbing light and giving off life came to me recently as I thought of caregiving for my dad. Usually, I dwell on the challenges I face, my inadequacy and fears, not on the privilege of sharing light and life with him. But he depends on me, in the same way young children depend on their parents. We become life sustainers or life givers, and who of us is adequate for this? As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” What do we feed on to sustain us so that we may give to the ones under our care? Feast on His Faithfulness Psalm 37:3b says that we are to dwell in the land (where God has placed us) and to feed on His faithfulness. We are to nourish our spirits on His care for us right, even in the midst of the trials of the day. The verse also refers to Isaiah 40:11, a passage where God reminds His people that He cares for them as a shepherd cares for His sheep. Making a list, even if only in our minds, of ways God has cared for us during the day reassures our hearts that He is present with us. The verse also refers to Isaiah 40:11, a passage where God reminds His people that He is caring for them as a shepherd. In our culture, shepherds walk behind the sheep, often pushing them forward with sheepdogs. But in the Middle East, a shepherd walks before the sheep, calling them by name, leading them forward. They follow him because they know his voice and trust him. Jesus uses this picture to describe Himself in John 10. As we think of how He has shepherded us in the past we can have more courage to follow Him into the often-difficult future of caregiving. He understands how the threats and challenges of life shake us. But He assures us that He is with us, goes before us, and calls us to come with Him into that future. David also encourages us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). He ponders this goodness in Psalm 31 as he remembers that his times are in God’s hands, and that God had wondrously shown His steadfast love (or faithfulness) to David when David was in a besieged city. As caregivers, we often feel we are in a confined, tough place, but that is where God can show us His steadfast love. The reality of His faithfulness is definitely food for our souls...

Light and Life for CaregiversChristina Fox2025-02-24T15:48:37+00:00

What I Learned From Sharing the Gospel with a Mormon

JANE STORY |GUEST I was two years post-college and alarmed to learn how hard it was to make nonbelieving friends. I struggled to find people to share the gospel with because my primary social outlet was church. I began asking God to bring non-Christians into my life. I could not have predicted the mission field that was about to open to me. Plopping into the gray cushioned chair at my new doctor’s office, my eyes fell on a Bible and a Book of Mormon. My heart began to race as I struggled to interpret what I was seeing. Either he was a Mormon, or he was religiously open, allowing people leave literature in his waiting room. Could this be an answer to my prayers? I tried casually bringing up faith at the end of the appointment: “Hey I noticed a Bible and a Book of Mormon in your waiting room. Can you tell me more about that?” His flustered response surprised me: “I… uh… well… I’m a Mormon!” he blurted, like a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. He then revealed that he was the local bishop, which is the top Latter Day Saints (LDS) authority in a given area. I was intimidated, yet undeterred. That simple question spawned a friendship that lasted for years. Here are a few key lessons I learned about reaching Mormons:...

What I Learned From Sharing the Gospel with a MormonChristina Fox2025-02-17T19:56:57+00:00

The River Approach to Women’s Ministry: Part 1

STEPHANIE HUBACH | CONTRIBUTOR In recent weeks, since a tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River in Washington DC, I’ve heard many people say, “I don’t want to fly again anytime soon!” I can understand that sentiment. We become aware of our human frailty in bold relief at times like this. However, I’ve flown into Reagan National Airport many times over the years. Some of those flights are quite memorable to me, especially when we landed at night. Reagan National Airport sits right on the banks of the Potomac River, and often the planes follow what is called “the river approach” when landing. On a clear night, passengers have an astonishing view of our nation’s capital from the air as the plane winds along the twisting path of the river. With each building lit up at night, one can see how the Washington monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the White House, the Capitol, and the Smithsonian Institution are all arrayed in relationship to each other. It is a stunning perspective! I’d fly it again in a heartbeat—just to take in the view. In a similar way, when we take an aerial perspective to the Scriptures—through the lens of biblical theology—we can suddenly see how all of the parts relate to the whole. We can see—lit up, if you will—how the major themes of Scripture tie together the grand story that God is authoring. What is that grand story—the “meta-narrative” of Scripture? And how does it relate to how we pursue women’s ministry in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)? What is the “River Approach” to Flying Over Scripture? The “river approach” to flying over Scripture—or the aerial view—helps us to step back and see the sweeping themes of how God is at work in the world, and where things are headed. This is often described as the Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation (or New Creation) paradigm. Think of the Bible as describing a great drama that is unfolding—and God himself is the playwright. The first act of that drama is God’s Creation of all things. The second act of that drama is the Fall of humanity and all of its consequences. The third act of that drama is the unfolding of Redemption that comes through Christ. And the final act of that drama has yet to be revealed to us: the Consummation of Christ’s already-not-yet kingdom, also known as the New Creation—when heaven comes down-to-earth and all things are made new...

The River Approach to Women’s Ministry: Part 1Christina Fox2025-02-17T19:52:03+00:00

Thriving in Women’s Ministry Leadership

KENDRA KAMMER|GUEST As I drove home from a women’s ministry meeting with a friend one evening, tears started running down my face. All my fears and frustrations burst forth in a torrent. I kept thinking: Does anyone think I can do this job? Am I going to get the hang of it? Why is it so much harder than when I served in women’s ministry previously? As the new Women’s Discipleship Director at my church, I craved wisdom. Suddenly, I understood why Solomon asked for wisdom above all riches when he took on the leadership of Israel. In 1 Kings 3:7-9, Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant Dad my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you… And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.” Solomon felt ill-equipped to fill his father’s shoes. His greatest concern was to be worthy of the great calling he had received. Two years ago, God called me to be his faithful servant in a job that was too big for me. Since I had served in women’s ministry leadership for over twenty years, I thought the job would be an easy fit. But instead, God had a challenge for me. By the third month on the job, I was already burned out. A surprising (but not unexpected) gift came in the form of a two-week sickness, which slowed me down enough to reorient my priorities and recommit to my calling...

Thriving in Women’s Ministry LeadershipChristina Fox2025-02-12T16:58:30+00:00

Love is Patient

KIM BARNES | CONTRIBUTOR Today I had an early breakfast meeting and left while my husband, Robert, was still in bed. When I got home, our bed was made. Later he noticed that the floor was dirty, so he mopped it. This afternoon, when I burned something in the oven, he came to my rescue, not only soaking the very messy pan but scrubbing it clean an hour later. My husband is not the man I married nearly 35 years ago. A Lesson in Early Marriage We were newlyweds—married just a few months—when I came home from my stressful job to find our apartment in chaos. Robert worked as our church's youth director, which meant he worked many nights and weekends and was often home during the day. That afternoon, I arrived to find dishes piled up, an unmade bed, and beard trimmings filling the bathroom sink. It wasn't the first time, and something in me snapped. I lost it. I went on a rant about my husband's slovenliness and his lack of regard for me. Obviously, I posited, if he really loved me then he'd understand that I value a tidy space, and he'd want to please me by cleaning up before I came home exhausted. I jumped to all sorts of conclusions and made wild accusations about his character and attitude toward me. Robert listened to my tirade with remarkable composure. When I finally paused for breath, he looked me straight in the eye and very calmly asked, "Did I mislead you? Are you surprised that the guy with the messy, disorganized apartment that you fell in love with continues to be messy and disorganized after getting married?" His question stopped me in my tracks...

Love is PatientChristina Fox2025-02-06T20:07:51+00:00

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