Thoughts on Femininity and Crassness and Other Controversial Things

If you've been reading along here for a while, you won't be surprised by my thoughts below. I'm a traditionalist in many things, and what I refer to as a "true feminist." I believe women and men of all races and nations and colors and socio-economic statuses and abilities are created in the image of God. Every life from the tiniest preborn baby to the oldest person in the nursing home is sacred, because we are His image-bearers. Every life is sacred because every person has an eternal soul. Every life should be treated equally under the law, and every life valued equally. That does not mean that men and women have to do everything equally. It is okay for men to be inclined toward some interests and women inclined toward another. That doesn't make men better than women any more than it makes women better than men. It just means we are all people who are gifted by our Creator in different ways and it is our job to be wise stewards of God's good gifts.

But as a mother of three girls I want them to know that it is okay to embrace your femininity. The Lord has filled your heart with a desire to nurture and guide and given you a love for beauty and that is a good thing. Do not disregard the gifts of our gracious God who loves you. You represent something that is quickly disappearing in our world. It is painful for me to meet some women (not all of them, but some) who work with my husband and witness their brashness and hear the crass words that come pouring out of their beautiful mouths. I have no respect for men or women who cannot express themselves without profanity (see, I warned you I was a traditionalist).

I want my girls to know that yes, you can be anything you want to be. But no, you cannot do it all. All the best gifts require sacrifice. Remember the stories Jesus told about the treasure and the pearl?

Matthew 13:44-46 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Yes, you can study hard and become the best in your chosen field. But it may not leave you time to be the wife your husband needs or the mother your children need. It is okay for you to decide that the Lord has called you to put others first in your life and set your own plans aside, for a season or forever. Your Daddy and I chose to do that for you. Daddy is a great lawyer and he could move to a more prestigious city and work much longer hours and make a lot more money, but he wants to be home for dinner every night and come to your ballet recitals and coach your brother's baseball team and teach your Sunday School class. Mama considered several careers but decided that what she really wanted was to be a mom who genuinely enjoyed her children and spent her days with them. I didn't want to have babies and then hand them off to someone else to raise until they were old enough to be sent to school for someone else to teach. Is it a sacrifice for us to make these choices? In some ways, yes. But being your Mama and Daddy and raising you to know and love the Lord is more valuable than any other career we could choose. So when it is time for you to choose a career, I want you to think long and hard about it. I don't want you to be locked in to a particular path because you've taken on a ton of debt. Pray for guidance, find what and who you love, and be wise.

Poptart: 6 months

Well, here we are! I didn't think it was possible but the kids are getting more excited about their baby brother every day! Poptart is the recipient of daily hugs, kisses, and stories. Life is moving right along and so are preparations for baby. My sweet cousin and aunts are planning a baby shower and Honey is sewing bedding for the nursery. We are doing some home renovations (hoping they are wrapped up in the next two weeks) and then we'll get the nursery put together. I have a goal of having the house sorted out by Thanksgiving but my list keeps growing. We shall see...

Today, We Remember

Mama's Recent Reads

The Austen Escape, Katherine Reay Because sometimes you need a sweet story with nothing objectionable in it.

Home, Marilynne Robinson And sometimes you need thoughtful fiction.

The Day the World Came to Town, Jim Defede When bad things happen, look for the people helping. On 9/11, U.S. airspace was closed and all planes were ordered to land. A small town of 10,000 in Newfoundland, Canada took in 7,000 passengers and cared for them for days.

Teaching from Rest, Sarah Mackenzie I re-read this book every year before I start teaching. "If God expected you to get thirty-six hours' worth of work done in a day, He would have given you thirty-six hours to do it. If you have more to do than time to do it in, the simple fact is this: Some of what you are doing isn't on His agenda for you."

Parenting, Paul David Tripp. The best book on parenting I've ever read.

God and the Transgender Debate, Andrew Walker. Thoughtful, compassionate, Biblical, and grace-filled.

A Crazy, Holy Grace, Frederich Buechner. Buechner's reminders of the ever-present grace of God even in hard times: a blessing.