| Where Are the Women?
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Just in sleuthing out a picture to go along with this article, I've been further convinced of the lack of value placed on a truly feminine woman in our culture. Where are the women of gentleness, grace and beauty? Where are the women who see themselves not as sexual objects or competitors with men, but as beautiful, wise and confident creations in their womanliness and wisdom?
I am a feminist in a new sense of the word: "Girl power," yes-but at the cost of undermining "boy power"? No. I believe we should be free to enjoy being womanly, to love flowers and beauty and to love our positions as "the weaker vessels."
Does that make us weak? Absolutely not. Does it mean we can't go to school and get good jobs? No. Does it mean we aren't physically strong? No. But our efforts to be so are unhealthy if based on a desire to outpace men or become man-like.
How, then, do we teach our girls to be feminine when a good part of our culture is teaching them to do whatever boys can do?
One idea: When we encourage our girls in homemaking, teaching them how to serve with grace, beauty, and joy, we give them the gift of embracing their feminine, nurturing qualities. We prepare them for the future. Wearing a dress from time to time helps, too (when they're long enough!).
Please hear me. Not every woman is a domestic goddess. Although my
husband is the better cook, I am the better cleaner, doing my
part well and with joy (most days!). I launder and clean with the intent of blessing
my family. I enjoy wearing feminine clothes.
The servant role (in either a man or woman's case) is not a popular one. Could this be part of the reason why divorces are so common? Neither party wants to be a doormat, so they fight to have their way. But servanthood is not about being stepped on. It's about giving out of a desire to care for others. When we lose that ability, we lose our femininity.
One of the pictures of a feminine woman I love is from a little-known movie called Open Range. It is first and foremost a movie about being a man, but Annettte Bening's portrayal of a country nurse is beautiful. She works in a garden, loves her tea set, is very intelligent and yet she is brave, bold and caring. She has "saved her love for a long time," which obviously portrays her innocence. She works hard, generously gives, and stands for what is right. She is truly feminine and truly a woman.
"Girl power" is real, but "boy power" has its place as well, and women lose their identities when they seek to destroy or compete with it. There are a number of advantages to being a woman, including the amazing power to give life, and to withhold our love and that creative ability until the right time. Our femininity and that wisdom are key parts of womanhood, as well as an important part of our role in making purity work.
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| CHRISTMAS BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!
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To all very efficient Christmas shoppers: It's finally here!
In this book/CD gift combination, the daughter of the princess from The Princess and the Kiss has suffered from a common ill of our modern society-a sense of entitlement. After all, she's the princess! She's become used to an amazing array of holiday gifts.
The king and queen make a plan to limit their child's Christmas gifts to three, in the manner of the Wise Men, in an attempt to cure the daughter's selfishness. Not only does the princess discover deep and precious meaning in her three gifts, but the joy of giving as well.
Your purchase of The Three Gifts of Christmas through our web site is also a precious gift to PurityWorks. Proceeds help us to provide materials and training to families in need of health and wholeness. What better gifts to give than storybooks and gifts from PurityWorks!
All Jennie Bishop's books are available on the PurityWorks web site. Visit our store to purchase the purity resources you may need today. Your purchases help support the message and mission of PurityWorks every day.
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PurityWorks for US |
Carolyn Hill is a PurityWorks volunteer who has hosted a Planned Purity seminar at a Florida academy. "If I were to choose one seminar that has impacted me more than any other seminar I have attended, I would have to say it was the Planned Purity event sponsored by PurityWorks. At the seminar the message was very clear that a life of purity is cultivated at an early age. We as parents have been equipped by God to help our children achieve this. The best part of the conference was that it gave me as a parent countless tools and resources. I have been able to use them to help my children understand purity in an age appropriate and practical way. I have had the privilege of witnessing for myself through my own children how Planned Purity gives children freedom to be children, and the confidence and strength they need to make wise choices. PurityWorks has made such a difference in the way my husband and I raise our little girls. It has sparked a passion in us to tell other parents that there is a much better way of teaching children about purity that actually works!"
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Computer Gifted to PurityWorks
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We'd like to celebrate the generosity of a friend of PurityWorks who wishes to remain anonymous. A gentleman blessed us with a computer which will be our dedicated machine for bookkeeping in the office. We're so grateful for this partnership and giving which is so vital and meaningful to us!
THANK YOU!
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Please Visit
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For great information on technology and strategies for
online/technological integrity
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| P.O. Box 940961 ˇ Maitland, FL 32794 www.purityworks.org ˇ 407-792-8141 |
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About Jennie Bishop
and PurityWorks
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Purity is a topic often associated with teen abstinence, but Jennie Bishop makes it her business to spread a message that personal integrity is about more than sex, and relevant at all ages. "Issues of purity affects us from the cradle to the grave, in our hearts as well as our bodies," she says. Bishop's best selling children's picture book, The Princess and the Kiss, has received wide acclaim from organizations such as Dennis Rainey's Family Life for its simple, straightforward message of saving a "kiss" for a future spouse. The companion book for boys, The Squire and the Scroll, approaches purity for boys from the angle of an adventurous quest, dragon included. Both medieval tales also have Life Lessons devotionals available that help parents and children go deeper, even offering purity ceremony ideas. The overwhelming response to these books made Bishop aware of the need for a practical, strategic approach to purity training for all ages. Her methodology, Planned PurityŽ, is now presented in PurityWorks seminars in the U.S. and around the world. "Purity is a worldwide issue that crosses every boundary," says Bishop. "It touches every area of life. I believe that when the root issue of purity is addressed and individuals learn to value purity worldwide, nations will experience true freedom, greater health, growth and economic success." Jennie speaks in many venues: pregnancy organizations, schools (public and private), churches (of all denominations) and community gatherings. Her poise and passion make Jennie a frequent guest on radio (Family Life Today, WBCL's Mid-morning Show, and more), and television (The Harvest Show, 100 Huntley Street, and others). As a member of the board for iCare, a division of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, Jennie lends her voice to the iCare vision, providing parents with strategies by which they can understand modern technology and communication devices to guard their children's purity. Bishop's non-profit organization, PurityWorks, also mobilizes purity training efforts for children, families, teens and adults in Ukraine orphanages, with partners in Kiev, and in various outreach settings in African countries, including Nigeria and Namibia. To stay in touch by reading Jennie Bishop's personal blog, click here. |
Partnership
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PurityWorks operates through a partnership of giving. Our work in raising a standard of personal integrity and sexual purity is only possible with the help of contributors like you!
Monthly partnership is so important to us. Gifts of even $10 or $20 a month can have an amazing effect when we all partner together. And our world desperately needs the change we can bring.
Investing is easy. Just visit our website at www.purityworks.org and sign up for automatic withdrawal from your checking account. If you prefer, you may send gifts to PurityWorks, PO Box 940961, Maitland, FL 32794. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email jennie@purityworks.org.
Your gift will be a lasting investment in building a worldwide network of people teaching people to turn their hearts towards purity.
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