From Widows To Warriors

For too long the women of the Bible have been depicted in one-dimensional terms. On one side are saints, such as Mary, while on the other are "bad girls," such as Eve and Jezebel. Just as often, the female characters of the Bible are simply ignored. However, the women of the Bible are complex, multidimensional individuals whose lives are inspiring, funny, and tragic in ways too many of us never hear. In this first of two volumes, Lynn Japinga acquaints us with the women of the Old Testament. From flawed heroes like Ruth and Rahab to fierce fighters like Deborah and Jael to tragic characters like Jephthah's daughter and the unnamed concubine of the book of Judges, readers will encounter a wealth of foremothers in the faith in all their messy, yet redeemable, humanity. This Bible study introduces and retells every female character who contributes to one or more Old Testament stories, diving deeply into what each woman's story means for us today with questions for reflection and discussion.

Over a thousand years ago, the great kingdom of China was under constant threat of invasion by powerful tribes and warring states along its rugged western border. For generations, one fiercely-patriotic clan of warriors - the "Yang" - battled bravely in the nation's defense. The widows of the clan pleaded with the Emperor, whose own court had become weakened by corruption and greed, to send reinforcements. But none came. Soon, the last remaining Yang soldiers were overwhelmed by a sea of bloodthirsty invaders. Distraught and incensed, the Yang widows - a few hundred strong and many of whom also seasoned warriors - took arms and set off to the western border. But even before reaching the enemy, the journey itself would be fraught with peril. In their determination to avenge the deaths of their loved ones, the Widow Warriors would face the full fury of nature's most destructive forces, a vast enemy army with sorcery and monsters on its side, and perhaps most powerful of all, the demons within themselves! Pat Lee's return to comics! Collecting the four-issue series, plus bonus material and cover gallery in one volume.

Warriors and Widows is a war novel. The time is from September of 1965 to February of 1966. The characters are from a platoon of the 1st Battalion, Sixteenth Infantry, 1st Infantry Division assimilated and trained at Fort Riley in Kansas, then sent to Vietnam to search out and destroy the enemy. Search and Destroy is their only mission. They typically roamed the jungles for twenty-five days at a time hunting the enemy, killing them and destroying all of their dwellings and supplies. As the story progresses and the men's experiences in combat grow, so do the costs of war. Costs are levied on all involved. Men kill and are killed. Women's husbands and sweethearts back home are wounded and killed. North and South Vietnamese are similarly affected by the battles. As time goes on, both searchers and destroyers realize that they are destroying not only their enemies, but also themselves and their loved ones.

The latest from award-winning author John Wemlinger, The Widow and the Warrior is set in Frankfort, Michigan, along the shores of Lake Michigan. It tells the story of one wealthy family's tragic 130-year history. Anna Shane, national political editor for The Washington Post, is poised on the brink of turning her family's tragedies into triumph until a secret society and a greedy relative conspire to see her murdered. Shawn O'Toole, an ex-Special Forces operator, retired from the Army rather than face war crimes charges. For the last year he has lived in a self-imposed exile, until a call from his father calls him home to Frankfort and a chance to save Anna's life, using some of the very same vigilante tactics that cost him his military career.

Who says women don’t go to war? From Vikings and African queens to cross-dressing military doctors and WWII Russian fighter pilots, these are the stories of women for whom battle was not a metaphor. The woman warrior is always cast as an anomaly—Joan of Arc, not GI Jane. But women, it turns out, have always gone to war. In this fascinating and lively world history, Pamela Toler not only introduces us to women who took up arms, she also shows why they did it and what happened when they stepped out of their traditional female roles to take on other identities. These are the stories of women who fought because they wanted to, because they had to, or because they could. Among the warriors you’ll meet are: * Tomyris, ruler of the Massagetae, who killed Cyrus the Great of Persia when he sought to invade her lands * The West African ruler Amina of Hausa, who led her warriors in a campaign of territorial expansion for more than 30 years * Boudica, who led the Celtic tribes of Britain into a massive rebellion against the Roman Empire to avenge the rapes of her daughters * The Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, who led an untrained army of 80,000 troops to drive the Chinese empire out of Vietnam * The Joshigun, a group of 30 combat-trained Japanese women who fought against the forces of the Meiji emperor in the late 19th century * Lakshmi Bai, Rani of Jhansi, who was regarded as the “bravest and best” military leader in the 1857 Indian Mutiny against British rule * Maria Bochkareva, who commanded Russia’s first all-female battalion—the First Women’s Battalion of Death—during WWII * Buffalo Calf Road Woman, the Cheyenne warrior who knocked General Custer off his horse at the Battle of Little Bighorn * Juana Azurduy de Padilla, a mestiza warrior who fought in at least 16 major battles against colonizers of Latin America and who is a national hero in Bolivia and Argentina today * And many more spanning from ancient times through the 20th century. By considering the ways in which their presence has been erased from history, Toler reveals that women have always fought—not in spite of being women but because they are women.

Widowhood is a life-changing experience that can bring you to your knees, no matter whether your loss was sudden or anticipated. Each day is filled with challenges, questions, and fears. Each day you will have to find the strength to move beyond your fears and tears and step into the unknown. Your own strength will fail you, however, you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you! This book is a compilation of my writings over a year and half since I lost my husband unexpectedly. As I walk this journey, I identify the various emotions and challenges that are innate to widowhood. Some of us struggle with understanding these emotions or how to deal with them; most of us think something is wrong with us because we feel the way we do. The truth is these emotions are a common thread in the lives of a widow or widower. The narrative is real and visceral. It is not made to sound pretty or palatable; there is nothing pretty or palatable about widowhood! We are not here because we volunteered for the position; we are here because we were drafted into the position of widow or widower. Accepting this new identity is not easy. Yet, accept it we must. Deep within each of us is a strength we do not know we have because we have never been called upon to use it. I am confident that you will draw strength and encouragement from the words shared in this book; although written from a widow's perspective, the truth expressed applies to both widows and widowers.

The Mystic Warriors of the Plains offers readers an extraordinarily detailed view of the daily activities of the peoples of the North American plains, including the Sioux, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Nez Perce, Comanche, and many others. Used by Kevin Costner as a resource text for the motion picture Dances with Wolves, this is an extraordinarily in-depth examination of the day-to-day lives of the North American plains Indians, with over one thousand illustrations and thirty-two four-color plates. Covering everything from social customs, personal qualities, and government to types of weaponry, achievement marks, and the training of Indian boys, The Mystic Warriors of the Plains is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Plains Indian lore that will delight and inform everyone interested in understanding the native peoples of the Plains. "Magnificently and accurately ... conveys both the tragic ironies and splendors of the rich plains civilization." —Newsweek "Fascinating detail that gives a better idea of the plains people than mere description can do...."—Navajo Times

Offering a meticulously researched yet also deeply personal history of the Reformed Church in America throughout much of the twentieth century, Lynn Japinga's Loyalty and Loss will be of intense interest to the members of the RCA, reminding them of where they have come from, of the bonds that have held them together, and of the many conflicts and challenges that they have together faced and ultimately surmounted. For those outside the RCA the questions of identity raised by this book will often sound very familiar, especially, perhaps, in its account of the church's struggle throughout recent decades to reconcile the persistently ecumenical spirit of many of its members with the desire of others within the denomination to preserve a real or imagined conservative exclusivity. Others may find the conflicts within the RCA reflective of their own experiences, especially as they relate to such issues as denominational mergers, abortion, the Viet Nam war, and women's ordination.