Move over, Victoria-- I know the real secret! - Nancy Kennedy

Which Everyday Idols Are Holding You Captive?

FOOD. BUSYNESS. IMAGE. POSSESSIONS. ACHIEVEMENT. APPROVAL. CONTROL. PERFECTIONISM. ATTENTION. HAPPINESS. BEING RIGHT. "PERFECT" RELATIONSHIPS. INDEPENDENCE. REVENGE. SELF-PITY. LOVE. SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Like most women, you probably have a life filled with modern-day "idols" that attempt to steal your attention and affection from God. Innocent-seeming idols like chocolate, thighs of iron, and a home that rivals Martha Stewart's. Things you turn to first, before turning to God, when you long for comfort, affirmation, self-worth, or love.

You know that God is the answer to all your needs. But then you have a fight with your husband, and that cheesecake in the fridge starts calling your name. You stay home from a women's retreat because your wardrobe is (literally) from the last century. You desperately wish that your house or hair or kids were as nice as your friend's (or anybody else's).

Nancy Kennedy is the author of numerous humor books for women, including Prayers God Always Answers and Honey, They're Playing Our Song. Her work has appeared in Christian Parenting Today, Marriage Partnership, Virtue, Today's Christian Woman, Aspire, and other national magazines and newspapers. Nancy also writes a weekly religion page feature for the Citrus County Chronicle. She and her husband, Barry, the parents of two daughters, live in Florida.

"Move over, Victoria--I Know the Real Secret! moved me! It moved me to laughter, insight, and ownership. Identification (and I certainly i.d. with Nancy) is a safe way to 'fess up to our humanity, allowing us to draw closer to God's divinity. Move over, girlfriends, because here comes Nancy Kennedy, a wacky and winsome woman!"
-- Patsy Clairmont, author of Stardust on my Pillow: Stories to Sleep On (and lots of others!)