True womanhood and reform - in honor of National Women's History Month

Just some of the women heroes in my life:

Sor Juana de la Cruz, 1651-1694; Mexican writer, poet, nun, defender of women's education and considered by many to be among the first feminists of the New World (See http://bit.ly/GF6Xt2.).

Mary Baker Eddy, reformer, discoverer of Christian Science, author, teacher, healer, speaker and founder of the Christian Science Monitor and more. See marybakereddlylibrary.org.

Christiana Figueres, current day Climate Change warrior and appointed Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in May 2010 to today. See http://figueresonline.com/

Sybil Doreen Crooks, my mother and teacher, horsewoman, pilot, skiier, adventurer, entrepreneur, and my introduction to life and how crazy wonderful and good the world is!

For this very special month, I certainly wanted to do more than just celebrate the achievements of women, I wanted to dig in deeper to understand the spiritual impulse behind the many lasting reforms women have initiated throughout the years.  So what I did was to collect a number of selected stories and ideas from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy that highlight the spiritual undercurrent behind all reforms.  In the Bible I share a story from the Old Testament when a group of sisters were able to overturn an oppressive law about inheritance.  In Science and Health, I chose selections that bring out what true reform is and how it is happening today. 

A question and a response are central to these readings:"A higher and more practical Christianity, demonstrating justice and meeting the needs of mortals in sickness and in health, stands at the door of this age, knocking for admission.  Will you open or close the door ... ?" 
"In this revolutionary period, like the shepherd-boy with his sling, woman goes forth to battle with Goliath."

For those of you who would like to listen in on these readings (which are then followed up by people sharing their inspiration, healing and spiritual progress), please check out the following:

The Wednesday  Gathering is a live, teleconferenced prayer and gratitude meeting open to all, hosted by prayerfulliving.com.

To participate  by phone, call:1+559-726-1300; Participant access  code:463846#

The  Wednesday Gathering begins at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time; 10:00 am Pacific or 1700 hrs GMT

For those of you who would just like the citations, here they are!

Zeph 3:14-17
Prov 31:10-26
Num 27:1-8, 11
Num 36:5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13
Prov 11:16
Prov 31:29-31

SH 268:6-13
561:22-25
562:3-7, 24-28
514:10-19
28:32
534:18-30
65:13-23
63:12-20, 23-27 
327:1
248:19-32 
516:24-31
508:17-25
517: 7-14
516:21
57:4-11
60:6-11 
340:23-28 (to ;)
67: 32-3
68: 4-8
256: 1
170: 22
224: 22
232: 16-19
268: 11-13
570: 14-23
 
Hymns are taken from the Christian Science Hymnal
Hymn 200
Hymn 374
Hymn 12