Who Does He Say You Are?

Women of the Bible has long been a favorite study topic of mine. The stories of the women in Old Testament was probably one of the first things that really helped me understand God's creative design and plan for us as women. I've continued to read and study all of the ladies of Scripture, and Colleen's book is now at the top of my list of resources.
I wish I had this book earlier! It's style would lend itself perfectly for group study, a book club, or discipleship. It also would be perfectly suited to personal study and journaling.
Colleen chose the stories of twelve New Testament women, shared the Scripture, and wrote a personal reflection that you can tell is the fruit of prayer and time with the Lord. She also connects the Biblical women's story to you in a section called "Who Does He Say You Are," includes an original prayer, and questions for reflection. It's the perfect length and the perfect content.
Also- the print version is beautiful! The cover is the softest, and the pages are on nice thick paper, which is perfect if you are an underliner/notetaker.
If you are looking for inspiration to discover and rediscover exactly who Jesus says you are, this book is for you.

Twelve chapters. Twelve women (actually 13). Twelve truths. To build on, dive into, allow to breathe and weave into our lives and our hearts. I honestly struggled through this book, I knew I had broken places but I didn't know where all the cracks were and this book touched and opened so many of them. I got through this book with my journal, my bible and God. I needed this book but I didn't know it and I am so glad I was blessed with this opportunity.
I'm encouraged and lifted after this book. This book is great to work through on your own but it's also perfect for a group study. The accountability and encouragement that can be shared and lived with this book is great.

How do we define ourselves or more importantly who defines us? We might say we define ourselves but shouldn’t we be looking to God about who we should be. The author states in the prologue, “ I began to remember God’s vision for who I am, to hear him remind me of who it was he made me to be, by drawing near to him in prayer and reading scriptures, which had always been my favorite way to encounter Jesus and build my relationship with him”. The title “Who Does He Say You Are” is of course a play on words from the Gospel of Mark 8:29. “Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah”. The author, Colleen Mitchell shares with us her personal story of loss and grief as the backdrop of her book. She brings us along on her spiritual journey. She includes, “And somehow we found our way through the grief and I found my way back to intimate friendship with Christ, back to who he says that I really am”.
I liked that the bible verses were provided not simply their bible reference pages at the beginning of each chapter. Description of the women in the New Testament like the Virgin Mary, the Samaritan woman at the well, Mary Magdalene, and Mary and Martha to name a few, are the topics of the chapters. A feminine spirituality is explored by the author and is also consistent with Catholic teachings. The best part is her confrontational style of addressing us her readers. You can see yourself in the characteristics of each woman’s story in the bible. The author draws us out with questions and reflections. I loved the prayers at the end of each chapter. The author concludes with, “I hope you are encouraged to see the Gospels as an invitation to consider who we are in light of who Christ is and to accept the grace he offers us to be transformed by our encounters with him”.
I would recommend this book to you because it accomplished its purpose in drawing me closer to God. In times of grief we can feel lost and this book makes you feel found again.

I was really excited to read this book because Colleen is a blogging friend of mine, and a constant source of inspiration. She is a devout Catholic who isn’t afraid to speak out for what she thinks is right regardless of popular opinion.

This book sucked me in from the first page. It begins with a familiar theme that has been woven throughout my July reads, redemption in the midst of heartbreak. In the middle of the shattering pain of losing a child, and several subsequent miscarriages, a ministry was born.

This book focuses on the women in the Bible – how God transformed them, and what their stories mean to us as women of God. Colleen unpacks the stories of familiar characters like Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene, as well as lesser-known names like Anna the prophet. I am not all the way through this book yet, but I can barely put it down. I have highlighted so many passages that seem so simple, yet why didn’t I ever see that before?

One of my favorite parts is in the first chapter, which is about Mary. Colleen says:

God could have chosen to break upon the scene of human history to save us from our very selves in any way he wanted. It could have been in a way that was overtly grand and glorious and terrifying. He could have shaken the foundations of the earth with his coming and darkened the universe only to light it up again. He could have put on a fantastic show.

But he chose instead to create a vessel that could cradle his greatness – he chose to be borne by and born of a woman.

Wow, right?