Dannah Gresh's TED Talk releases today, Leslie opens up about her two death penalties, WORLD's Marvin Olasky interviews Rosaria Butterfield, and Nancy DeMoss shares how to be intentional in your faith walk. You won't want to miss it!
Shopping for modest clothes--let alone modest swimwear--can be painful. Try shopping for swimwear with your daughters or granddaughters, and you’re already digging through your purse for the Ibuprofen. We'd like to prevent your headache with some super practical swimwear shopping tips.
“Many of the black females I ran with in college went on to be doctors, lawyers, etc. I was looked down upon by a research professor when I expressed my desire to stop grad school and do the internship with my church college ministry, Volunteers For Christ. See, I was forfeiting all that the civil rights leaders had worked so hard for me to be able to do—I had gotten into law school and wasn’t going to go.”
Tupperware! Ovens! Floor wax! Electric washers! Vacuums! Polyester! . . . The message of womanhood in the 1950? You'll be happy when you have your stuff.
Sexual violence is a problem that ought to concern us all. However, I fear that SlutWalks do little to improve woman's lot. In fact, they arguably exacerbate the very problem they say they're trying to solve.
Back in 1999, although I had been off drugs and alcohol for a few years, I felt as if I was losing my mind. One day I would be up, and a few days later I would be down. Then lo and behold, my good old friend “my cycle” would arrive on the scene. I never put two and two together. Until . . .
Do you ever read verses like this and feel a little irritated or “cramped” as a woman? I mean, I thought Paul valued women, but what’s up with this idea of “No talking for women in church”?
The message we are hearing this International Women’s Day is that women will only be equal when they assume the same roles as men. Enforcing “sameness” will uphold woman’s worth and dignity. I beg to differ.
According to Wikipedia, one in seven couples have problems in conceiving a baby. When you're facing a childless future, how do you know what's right when it comes to infertility treatments? Should you seek medical help? What kinds are okay? Is it even biblical?
Submit your suggestions for a suitable title and subtitle for this
8-week study, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a Kindle with Voices of the True Woman Movement already downloaded to it!
I have all the tell tale signs of a hormonal overload. My skin has betrayed me. There isn’t enough chocolate in Hershey to satisfy my cravings. Worst of all, my emotions seem to have stamped their ticket for a roller coaster ride where there are no exits.
So what are we to do? Should we start playing “Leave it to Beaver”
re-runs and tell women they’d be happy if they followed June Cleaver’s
example? Should we encourage them to start wearing high heels and pearls
while vacuuming? Should we run advertising campaigns that glorify the
value of ironing, or disparage women who can’t bake cookies from
scratch?
Most change happens gradually. A child slowly learns to read. Braces slowly straighten teeth. A bush is slowly trimmed and shaped into a hedge. But then there are those changes that happen all at once. They are “Click!” or “Aha!” moments when our perspectives suddenly shift, and we begin to see the whole world in a different light.
A couple weeks ago, I left my computer and cubicle behind, and hit the streets asking women some tough questions about what it means to be a true woman. While I’m glad I didn’t have to answer these questions on the spot, I will say that there’s a whole lot of confusion amongst women about who we are, why we exist, and what will make us truly happy.
I often told people that I was destined to do great things. I assumed that meant being exceptional at my job, and I secretly suspected that I would soon be filthy rich.
I was feeling a little under the weather the other day, so my sweet husband decided to take my boys out for breakfast to give me a break. When the hostess asked how many to seat and my husband replied “just the three of us,” she bent in close and whispered, “Did momma leave?”
While listening to Nancy and Mary talk, I continued pondering how well the movie The Incredibles illustrates several points made by speakers in the True Woman Movement . . .
You're invited to a party! In fact, you're invited to two. The catch is,
you can't go to both. You''ll have to make up your mind which one to
attend . . .
Next Tuesday, I will be joining host Chris Adams LIVE on the LifeWay Women’s Video Livestream Webcast to discuss the ministry
challenges and opportunities of living in a world gone wild. Join us as
we discuss how you can seize the moment to help women discover the
meaning of womanhood, and live according to God’s beautiful design.
Anything guys can do, girls can do better. Right? Well maybe-maybe not. But according to the Bible, roles aren’t based on who’s more capable or competent, or whose turn it is, or who wants to have a go at it.
Do you feel like “throwing in the towel” in your marriage, in your faith walk with Jesus, in life in general? As you watch this video, be encouraged that because God is a God of redemption, there’s no reason to quit! There is a way out, and He will provide that at the right time.
It didn’t take long for an opportunity to share some of what I learned with a woman after a swim class. Leslie’s mom was a Feminist,
and Leslie had obviously absorbed much of the Feminist philosophy into
her life. A lesbian in a relationship that she admitted was “not
satisfying,” Leslie said she didn't think she could relate to the
biblical model of womanhood.
"I am no less of a woman in my singleness, and when I embrace God’s purpose in my singleness rather than resenting it, I am able to display trust in a sovereign God to the world around me. This type of trust will reveal much about God’s character to the world around me: 'Therefore, a single woman who lives with that final day in view, and finds Christ to be her all in all here, says something very powerfully and very clearly about her Savior.'”
True women of God are . . . well, strange! Learn why as Janet Parshall discusses the three hallmarks of these women that are so antithetical to the culture.
Men are not women. They are not genderless. They are not androgynous.
They have an innate, God-given bent to initiate and be heroes. They want
to untie the world from the tracks of complacency. They want to get
their hands dirty. They want to answer the call of manhood. They want to
be MEN . . . and what’s more, they want women to be women.
My friend’s long walk through death’s shadows has ended this week. Kathy Helvey’s four-year battle with leukemia has given way to the victory of eternal life.
Recently I overheard a young man complain that he received plenty of pats on the back at work, but had to work really hard to ever hear any kind of compliment at home . . .
. . . That’s just one of the many reasons it gives me great pleasure to announce the just-released book, Voices of the True Woman Movement. Pull up a chair (or sit down on the corner of my beach towel), and let’s turn the never-before-opened cover and take a glance inside.
Struggling against God's design will leave you wounded and confused, wondering what went wrong. God had something much better in mind for women when He gave them life.
Besides the expected beer commercials (getting the girl), and annoying chicken commercials (getting the food), and voice-over babies trading stocks (getting the money), there were a few commercials during this year's Super Bowl that illustrated men were getting frustrated.
There's nothing unusual about the idea that scantily clad Betty would use her seductive charm and kisses to "train" a man. The classic Betty Boop, and women throughout history, have used that tact. But the other message on the box was startling.
According to a recent article I read, feminism allows individuals to redefine feminism and construct a personal feminist philosophy. So, for those who care to see it, here is my "personal feminist philosophy."
Being good is bad. Being bad is good. That's the message communicated in Rachel Simmons' book The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence.
As a result of the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, we've lost over forty million babies as a nation. Four thousand pregnancies per day are ended through abortion. Did you get that? Please allow these numbers to sink in.
Our Creator delights in making things according to His unique design. That's why snowflakes are different. That's why male and female are different. That's why each individual is different.
Amidst the busyness of Christmas, I want to pause and reflect more deeply upon the Christmas story. And this year God has brought to mind two women who played a major role—two women who I think are true examples of biblical womanhood.
Our responsibility as True Women is to apply the truth of God's Word to our lives in order that others can see the transforming power of Christ at work.
"As Christians, we have an opportunity to help families around the world by both standing against incredible injustice against women and by preaching the gospel of reconciliation. Let's not lose any ground to lesser solutions."
Ephesians 2:14 states that Jesus Christ Himself is our peace. If this is true, why are so many homes brimming over with stress-filled activity, busy schedules without margins, chaotic bustle, and conflict?
Oakley concluded that women needed to be educated about how bitter and demeaning housework and caring for children really was, and to be convinced to reject this traditional woman’s role . . .
What I saw stopped me dead in my tracks. The aisle had been transformed. From top to bottom, beginning to end, it was stocked full of colorful balls of yarn. I stood there gawking in amazement.
As you read today's post, I just ask that you prayerfully consider what I've presented with a gracious heart ... AND please don't throw any tomatoes (or messy verbal jabs)!
Without hesitation, I would say Priscilla was a gifted, strong, and intelligent woman. But I want us to observe a few things as we consider this True Woman.
One of the most debated church issues is "women's roles." At the risk of invading seemingly "shark-infested waters," I'm going to wade in today to discuss women's role in the church. And let me say from the outset, I am NOT opposed to strong women.
So, if we're all equal, why shouldn't I expect to be treated equally? Why should I “esteem someone better” than myself? Doesn't that seem a little like “inequality?”
There is much debate in the Christian community over the touchy subject of role distinctions. One camp argues that the wife's role of submission was the result of the fall. If this were the case, I would have an even greater struggle with submitting!
Just a couple days ago, I was wounded by someone’s words. As I wiped my tears away, I picked up Nancy DeMoss’ four-week devotional booklet titled The Power of Words, and found my perspective changing as I read this . . .
In modern English, "meekness" carries the stigma of cowardly acquiescence. But the meekness of the Bible—the meekness manifested by God and given to the saints—is a strong, active, volitional, courageous attitude.
I had always confused the idea of meekness with weakness. I pictured a fragile-hearted, mouse-like woman when I heard this term—not appealing in the least! Then I came across 1 Peter 3:1-6 . . .
We can be performing some pretty spectacular looking, super-duper, spiritually impressive activities . . . but if our motives are impure, these activities are worthless.
I’m excited because these very virtues are the ones that please God—the ones He finds beautiful, according to His Word. That’s enough to motivate me to tackle these all-too-often foreign virtues!
We tried. We really did. We embraced education, careers, prominence. We despised all relationships and responsibilities that would hold us back. We moved marriage, mothering, and homemaking from the top of our lists to the bottom–or crossed them off altogether. After all, we were so much more enlightened than our fore sisters were. The world had revolved around men, but it was our turn now.
As we sang we'd glare at the boys, while digging our heels into the ground, giving the impression of grinding them into powder. I doubt we understood the song's content, and although our little game may have been innocent, in actuality, we girls loved the feeling of power brought on by this early form of ‘male bashing.’
There’s one Southern phrase that I’m quite drawn to: “Steel Magnolia.” I love the phrase, because to me it speaks to the essence of womanhood. The image melds beauty with perseverance, softness with backbone, delicacy with durability, sweetness with stamina.
I’m pushing a lawn mower, biceps flexed, wearing a t-shirt I’ve earned by waking up before dawn to detassle in the cornfields. Yes, I feel good about myself and my strength.
Today, let's consider how we express our femininity in more substantive ways than time spent in malls, dressing up for dates, collecting hundreds of lipstick colors, or the love of “Southern Living” décor.
Why not dress him in some of my old dresses, complete with a purse? We could let his hair grow long; no one would ever know the difference. We could call him . . . Erica!
My husband, a pastor, eventually reached a crisis of faith brought on by his inability to reconcile the question of God’s power to transform. You see, he watched me begin every day on my knees in prayer and in diligent study of the Word, and yet I was a terror to live with.
"There is no other worldview that gives the respect to womanhood that Jesus does.” Watch this short video by Dr. Ravi Zacharias and tell me if you agree.
. . . Think of it like exercise. Few and far between are the women who look forward to running alone on a treadmill. But, get a group of women together at the YMCA, with a loud, peppy cheerleader-type at the front, and suddenly exercise becomes . . . enjoyable!
Many of you signed up—and should have received—the first day of the 30-day True Woman Make-Over. I thought it would be fun to post this “make-over” on the blog so that we can talk about what we're learning together . . .
I recently asked Joni Eareckson Tada ten questions—questions about the
True Woman ’08 conference, about true womanhood, and about her
marriage. You can watch the entire behind-the-scenes interview now, or just read a condensed version here . . .