christian romance

• The very real challenges of being "content in singleness" in a world that glorifies romance
• My own journey & reflections amidst so-called "waiting seasons" with God
• 5 Practical Tips for what to do with uncomfortable / mixed emotions that often come up
• Biblical vs. secular self-love & why it matters
• Managing the tensions of having longings AND trusting God

• Is It BAD To Have Desires? (How To Manage The Tension Between DESIRE & SURRENDER) | Ep. 27
• What If My Prayers STILL Aren't Answered? (5 UNEXPECTED Gifts Of UNANSWERED Prayers) | Ep. 26
• What People Don't Tell You About Grieving - Natasha Smith ("Can You Just Sit with Me?") | Ep. 30
• What is “Self-Care” vs. “Soul Care” (& Why Does It Matter)? | Ep. 16

• You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis & Lisa Chan
• Celebrating Singles (Online Course & Podcast)

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Have you ever wondered why guys with fish in their profile photos are such a catch in the online dating scene? Join me as we cast our net into the deep and sometimes murky waters of digital romance. With Veronica and a colorful crew of panelists, including two Johns, Jeremy, Robert, and Joshua, we'll navigate through the art of profile crafting, the strange lure of those fish photos, and the quest for genuine human connections in an era where swiping right is the new courtship dance.

This isn't your typical heart-to-heart about love; it's a no-holds-barred conversation that fishes out the humor and absurdities in our modern quest for companionship. We're not just talking dating apps; we're taking a step back to reminisce about the days of community-focused matchmaking and how it compares to algorithmic encounters. In a world saturated with image-focused selections, we humorously toy with the idea of "Just Vespers," an app that's more about shared experiences than eternal promises. It's a session filled with laughs, a touch of nostalgia, and a candid look at how we present ourselves in the hopes of finding something real.

Wrapping up our rendezvous, we delve into the realm of dating intentions and how the digital profiles we craft are akin to placing an ad for a good ol' used car - you never know what you're going to get. Whether we're searching for life partners within specific cultural niches, like Orthodoxy, or just scrolling for a good time, this episode peels back the layers of what we're all truly seeking behind those screens. So tighten your seatbelt and tune in for a joy ride through the ups and downs of finding love, Orthodoxy style, in the digital age!

Found our YouTube channel yet? 
https://www.youtube.com/@cloudofwitnessesradio

Thank you for journeying w/ the Saints with us!

MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

Before Dune, Daniel saw a trailer for Redeeming Love. After the trailer played, he leaned over to his friend and said, "I think that's supposed to be a sexy Christian movie.". So, here we are talking about that "sexy Christian movie". Boy, there sure is a lot to talk about here.

Topics: 

• Melvin compares Redeeming Love to an awkward interaction he witnessed at work. 
• Redeeming Love contains some rather extreme and transgressive content despite having a serious lack of context. 
• Daniel details some background for Redeeming Love, author/screenwriter Francine Rivers, and director D.J. Caruso. 
• Redeeming Love is loosely based on the Minor Prophet book Hosea from the Bible. 
• Each character feels devoid of personality which may work in both a shorter and more artistic film than Redeeming Love ends up being. 
• Where Redeeming Love works is where it leans heavily into its "inspiration", but even then, that's not success from talent, that's success from... copying Scripture. 
• Discussing the comparatively excessive conveniently censored nudity in Redeeming Love. 
• Additionally, discussing all the other crazy content that borders on "Christian misery porn." 
• As we continue our discussion, the 2+hour runtime of the film continues to be a recurring issue. 
• At least the sets and outfits are fun! 
• Questioning why the film didn't display the complicated dynamics of sexuality (gentle self-sacrifice vs aggressive selfishness) in a way that can be both edifying to its performers and beneficial to the narrative structure. 
• One glaring issue throughout the film is each character's severe lack of agency. 
• Observations from other reviews and responses to Redeeming Love. 
• Is this a Christian exploitation film in the traditional sense of an exploitation film? 

Recommendations:

• The Boice Commentary Series: The Minor Prophets, Volume 1 // The Preacher's Commentary Vol 22 & Vol 23 
• Derry Girls (Show) 
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Novel by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Book)

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks! 

• Early access to uncut episodes 

Support on Patreon for Unique Perks!

• Early access to uncut episodes
• Vote on a movie/show we review
• One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins

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Have you ever considered your philosophy of romance? Christopher Marlowe's, "The Shepherd To His Love" captures the optimism of a romantic with beautiful poesy. And Sir Walter Raleigh has a pessimistic reply in his subsequent work, "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd." But wisdom is neither naive or pessimistic. Christianity has a profound and beautiful romance story at the heart of its message. God created human beings to reflect himself, and the love between spouses and between parents and children both reflect unique aspects of God's love. Romance is at the core of what it means to be human, and is therefore dangerous and beautiful. A Christian philosophy of romance is needed, and introduced.

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Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Dreams Rekindled by Amanda Cabot - Though she hopes for a quiet, uncomplicated life for herself, Dorothy Clark wants nothing more than to stir others up. Specifically, she dreams of writing something that will challenge people as much as Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin seems to have. But in 1850s Mesquite Springs, there are few opportunities for writers--until newspaperman Brandon Holloway arrives, that is.

Brandon Holloway has seen the disastrous effects of challenging others and has no intention of repeating that mistake. Instead of following his dreams, he's committed to making a new--and completely uncontroversial--start in the Hill Country.

As Dorothy's involvement in the fledgling newspaper grows from convenient to essential, the same change seems to be happening in Brandon's heart. But before romance can bloom, Dorothy and Brandon must work together to discover who's determined to divide the town and destroy Brandon's livelihood.

With this second novel in the Mesquite Springs series, bestselling author Amanda Cabot invites you to discover the healing power of truth.

About Amanda: 
From the time I was seven, I was convinced I should be a writer. The type of writing varied with the seasons. For a few months I fancied myself a playwright. Fortunately the teachers in my elementary school indulged me, and my class produced my two plays: "All About Thermometers" and "Hawaii." Neither, I am happy to report, made its way to Broadway.

There was a brief time when I aspired to be a newspaper reporter, but that was soon eclipsed by my determination to be a novelist. All the while, though, I knew that writing was not the easiest way to earn a living, and so it was always going to be a second career. That's why I went to college and majored in French, fully intending to teach at the university level. When I graduated, I married my high school sweetheart and took a "temporary" job as a computer programmer. Although it hadn't been part of my plan, that turned into a permanent career in Information Technology.  

Along the way, I've had a chance to do a lot of writing, including four technical books and what I describe as "enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city." (My budgets were also considered to be works of fiction.) Now, though, I'm able to write full time, and for the first time, all I'm writing is fiction. 

No doubt about it, I've been blessed. I had parents who nurtured my love of reading and have a husband who's not just my best friend but who's driven tens of thousands of miles to help me research books and who, after all these years, still hasn't lost his sense of humor, even when dinner is late because I have "just one more scene" to write. 

Visit her website for more information.

Liz Tolsma also has a new book about to release. Preorder The Silver Shadow, a romantic suspense in the True Colors Crime series,  here. 

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

Dance in Donegal
All of her life, Irish-American Moira Doherty has relished her mother's descriptions of Ireland. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira decides to fulfill her mother's wish that she become the teacher in Ballymann, her home village in Donegal, Ireland.

After an arduous voyage, Moira arrives to a new home and a new job in an ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira's mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she's journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she'd never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.

Jennifer Deibel's debut novel delights the senses, bringing to life the sights, sounds, smells, and language of a lush country and a colorful people. Historical romance fans will embrace her with open arms.

You can buy the book here.

Also be sure to preorder Liz's new book, The Silver Shadow.

Denver of 1900 is still a dangerous place to be following the silver crash of 1893. And of out of the dark comes a shadow intent on harming women. Ambitious young Denver newspaper reporter Polly Blythe is searching for the big story that’s going to launch her career. On Friday evening, August 24, 1900, she gets her break when two women are cracked over the head within a two-minute walk of each other. But policeman Edwin Timmer thwarts Polly’s ideas of a serial criminal. . .until the shadowy figure strikes again. Will the reporter and the policeman team up to find the culprit before he strikes too close for comfort?

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

We chat with Author Elizabeth Camden about her latest release, A Gilded Lady, and her upcoming book, The Prince of Spies, as well as her life before she was an author and what she likes and doesn't like about writing.

Be sure to visit her website to find out more about her.

A Gilded Lady
Caroline Delacroix is at the pinnacle of Washington high society in her role as secretary to the first lady of the United States. But beneath the facade of her beauty, glamorous wardrobe, and dazzling personality, she's hiding a terrible secret. If she cannot untangle a web of foreign espionage, her brother will face execution for treason.

Nathaniel Trask is the newly appointed head of the president's Secret Service team. He is immediately suspicious of Caroline despite his overwhelming attraction to her quick wit and undeniable charm. Desperate to keep the president protected, Nathaniel must battle to keep his focus fully on his job as the threat to the president rises.

Amid the glamorous pageantry of Gilded Age Washington, DC, Caroline and Nathaniel will face adventure, danger, and heartbreak in a race against time that will span the continent and the depth of human emotion.

You can purchase the book here.

The Prince of Spies
Luke Delacroix has the reputation of a charming man-about-town in Gilded Age Washington, DC. In reality, he is secretly carrying out an ambitious agenda in Congress. His current mission is to thwart the reelection of Congressman Clyde Magruder, his only real enemy in the world.

But trouble begins when Luke meets Marianne Magruder, the congressman's only daughter, whose job as a government photographer gives her unprecedented access to sites throughout the city. Luke is captivated by Marianne's quick wit and alluring charm, leading them both into a dangerous gamble to reconcile their feelings for each other with Luke's driving passion for vital reforms in Congress.

Can their newfound love survive a political firestorm, or will three generations of family rivalry drive them apart forever?

You can purchase the book here.

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Love's Pure Light by Suzanne Dietz, Shannon McNear, Janine Rosche, Deb Raney
Be transported to unique time periods as you follow a treasured family nativity set through four generations of the Shepherd family.

Joy to the World by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt, and Erica Vetsch
In Joy to the World, three popular authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas in one book have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

A Joyful Christmas by Cynthia Hickey, Liz Johnson, Vickie McDonough, Liz Tolsma, Carrie Turansky, and Erica Vetsch
Grab a warm cup of tea and watch as romance is kindled and joy is restored to broken lives during six bygone era Christmas celebrations.

Silver Bell Christmas by Jennifer Lynn Cary
She's learning to live again…
…He wants to leave the past behind
Together they might find love's second chance in their golden years.

A Christmas Wish by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
She vowed to marry for love. He promised his daughters a mother for Christmas. Time is running out for both of them.

Please don't forget to check out Liz Tolsma's website.

Jess Michaels speaks to the amazing Piper Huguley about the weirdness of names, learning from first books, being a planster and her process, the issues in the CBA and making strides with characters of color in Christian fiction.