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OpinionWhen gossip is disguised as prayer
‘How many of us ask more questions than we really need when someone asks us for prayer. Do we really have to know the intricacies of the situation when God knows all and we can lay it before him?’ asks Samantha Bailie-McMurdock.
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OpinionSuperstition is socially acceptable, but Christians don’t need to be superstitious
‘Whilst most superstitions indicate a desperate plea to divert misfortune, some promote happiness, such as ‘seeing two crows together’ signifying a forthcoming positive occurrence and picking up a penny where ‘all day long you’ll have good luck’. Although tempting to recite such optimistic rhymes, it credits a fabricated prediction rather than God-breathed prophecy. It can be a snare to place trust in a reality deviating from Christ,’ says Hannah Wickens.
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OpinionFinding rest as a Christian woman while building a business and birthing a baby
‘As women, we carry layers of responsibility - some seen, others hidden. We’re birthing babies, building businesses, holding up households, and holding space for everyone else. The weight is not just physical, it’s mental, spiritual, and emotional. And when you’re in the thick of it, even rest feels like a luxury,’ says Salomé Criddle.
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OpinionGREAT SEXPECTATIONS: I know what I want in a husband, but should I lower my expectations?
In our fortnightly column ‘Great Sexpectations’ we answer your questions on sex, faith and intimacy. Drop us an email on womanalive@premier.org.uk and ask us anything. Here, Marcia Dixon answers a woman in her late twenties who is worried she will never find a husband.
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OpinionI thank God for my mother (who is also my best friend)
‘In this mother-and-daughter relationship, we are fiercely for each other, fiercely opinionated and fiercely determined to set an example for what a mother-daughter relationship could and should look like,’ says Jessica Stark.
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OpinionWhat is the “true purpose” of marriage for Christians?
‘Jesus never forced anyone to follow him, yet his unwavering love transformed lives (Luke 22:42, Galatians 5:22–23). You can’t control your husband. But you can let the Holy Spirit shape your own heart and responses,’ says Suze Gurmeseva.
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Opinion‘God carried me when I was told I needed to terminate my pregnancy’
‘At a routine check up on the baby, a few days before our planned C-section, her heart rate kept disappearing. Distressed this was the end, I agreed whole-heartedly to an emergency C-section as our church community prayed fervently over Zoom,’ says Beth Appleby.
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OpinionFaith is not the only thing I have in common with world famous actress, Olivia Colman
‘If I ever meet Olivia Colman (one can dream) I would love to chat to her about school, and our experiences of drama classes with Mr Hands, but I would also ask her about her faith, and encourage her that the God she worshipped in chapel choir at school, is the same God who wants a close walk with her today, and to bless her even more than she knows,’ says Jemimah Wright.
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OpinionFive books to bring joy and laughter to our walk with God
‘If you have found your walk with Jesus has become a little serious, then here are five books that remind us that joy and laughter are all part of God’s design,’ says Kate Orson.
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OpinionBritain’s favourite Mary Berry turned 90 last month and we reflect on the impact this famous Christian has had on the UK
Sophie Dianne celebrates a much-loved British cook, Mary Berry, on this special birthday, and considers what is known of her faith.
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OpinionAfter a harrowing journey through cancer, the unbearable pain of losing a child, I found strength not in my own resilience alone but in the abiding presence of Jesus
‘Over time, I’ve learned that healing isn’t forgetting, it’s finding strength again. It’s rediscovering joy, slowly. It’s holding both sorrow and gratitude in the same hands. And it’s realising that God never wastes the hard things,’ says Mary Bourne.
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Opinion‘I believe the lyrics of the worship song ‘Goodness of God’ are true, despite chronic sickness and birth trauma.’
‘It would be so easy to be angry or become bitter when we are dealing with chronic pain or sickness, and when life hasn’t turned out the way we thought it would, but for me holding onto God’s promises is what provides me with the strength to carry on and persevere, to continue to hope. Knowing that all things shall be made right eventually,’ says Charlotte Phillips.
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OpinionGwen Stefani has been actively sharing her Christian faith
‘To have people with a platform declare Jesus has changed their life, is now a bolder move than it would have been previously. To put your head above the parapet in this age of social media trolling is not for the faint hearted, but sharing our faith brings life,’ say Jemimah Wright.
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OpinionMy tribute to Pope Francis
The world mourns as Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff dies after 12 years in the Vatican, aged, 88. Emily Nelson shares her tribute to the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
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OpinionGREAT SEXPECTATIONS How do I let go and move on from a guy that is not good for me?
In our fortnightly column ‘Great Sexpectations’ we answer your questions on sex, faith and intimacy. Drop us an email on womanalive@premier.org.uk and ask us anything. Here, Marcia Dixon answers someone who wants to get out of a bad relationship.
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OpinionWhat Easter Monday means to me
‘Luke’s account tells us that it was the evening of the day of the Resurrection that Jesus appeared to his disciples. Since Jewish tradition counts a full day as being from sunset to sunset, that means it counted as Monday,’ says Jenny Sanders.
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OpinionDid you know the day we celebrate Easter was decided by a woman from Yorkshire?
‘I realised that Christianity had a history that included women beyond the Bible stories. As a girl growing up in a traditional parish where women did not participate in any ministries, this was transformative,’ says Nancy Walbank.
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OpinionGrief and the Gospel: learning from the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi this Easter
‘Many people have become familiar with the Japanese art of kintsugi – repairing broken pottery with gold. This is the essence of wabi-sabi. Easter isn’t just about victory—it’s about life returning after devastation, not as it was, but as it is now,’ says Rachel Mataraki.
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Opinion‘I am a pastor’s wife and have struggled with depression, so I decided to use social media to encourage those who also are feeling weak.’
‘God kept taking me back to 2 Corinthians 12:9: Boast in weakness. So I did. I talked about mental illness, medication, therapy, exhaustion, and the crushing pressure on Christian women - especially leaders’ wives - to be perpetually perfect, endlessly helpful, and never in need,’ says Kathryn Segal.
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OpinionKaty Perry had a spiritual experience during her trip to space
‘Katy Perry described the flight as “second only to motherhood,” and she found herself deeply moved. Apparently, during the descent, she sang What a Wonderful World, later sharing that the experience of going to the edge of space was “a spiritual high”,’ says Jemimah Wright.
