It's been good to learn a little church history through the lives of the Women of the Reformation . It's given me a lot to ponder when I contrast my life with theirs. So many things now seem trivial and meaningless after reading about women who were burned at the stake for refusing to take mass and agree to the doctrine of transubstantiation. Everyday life in itself would have been a challenge in the 1500s. There was no sanitation, clean water, electricity, and refrigeration. Medical care was barbaric. You had to grow up fast because life was short and life was hard. There would have been plenty of good excuses for not occupying one's self in the Word or in prayer due to daily cares. But somehow these women made a way because it was so valuable to them. I'm still haunted by the story of Joan Waste , a young blind woman who would pay what she could to have the Word read to her because she loved it so much. That very love led to her martyrdom. I can't help bu...