Gifts from Within

Lent has traditionally been a time for self-denial and penitence, a time to examine the baser aspects of human nature. But the church increasingly recognizes that this negative focus does not always build a relationship with God, especially among women who already struggle with issues of worth and self-esteem. In its wide range of writings, Gifts from Within invites women to spend the time of Lent focusing on their uniqueness and on the gifts of their feminine spiritual nature. This collection points the way for women to deepen their ability to recognize God''s love and to live as God directs.Starting with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Day, each day''s meditation explores an aspect of women''s lives, their unique spirituality, and their heritage in the biblical stories. By connecting their own stories -- some sad and some joyous -- with the biblical texts, readers of these devotions may find Lent to be a time of inspiration instead of merely something to be endured.