After getting hooked to their blog, I decided to read the book Girl Defined by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird. The blog talks about biblical womanhood and how to live life according to God's standards for femininity. This book is an all-around study of what it means to be a Christian woman. The book was absolutely fabulous, and it was full of so many important points, so I'll be splitting this book review into different segments. PART 1: FEMININITY GONE WRONG At what age did you start worrying about how you looked? Maybe you started using makeup, or caring about your wardrobe a little more. Every girl at some point or another wonders if they measure up. The world's standards have become almost impossible to live up to, and yet we try harder and harder to fit into today's culture. The world tells us to wear this, look like that, listen to this music, read these books, and watch these shows to fit in and be happy. But what the world says will make you happy will leave you empty and dissatisfied. Kristen and Bethany give the example of Marilyn Monroe. She had it all: fame, fortune, success. And yet she committed suicide at the age of 36. She had everything the world said would make her happy, and yet she was still empty. If the world's standards do not give us lasting satisfaction though, then what does? The only way to be truly satisfied is through God. Apart from God, lasting peace and happiness doesn't exist. "We have never found long-term satisfaction by embracing counterfeit femininity," say Clark and Baird. But what is "counterfeit femininity?" The sisters write about the three pillars of counterfeit femininity:
Throughout the book, Kristen and Bethany talk about how to follow God's design for femininity in beauty, relationships, and careers. They explain how life changing his plan is, and how much happier you will be when you ditch counterfeit femininity. I'll be doing a review of each part of the book, and the book has 5 parts, so bear with me while I write like crazy for the next few weeks 😀. Better yet, get the book yourself, and follow along while I post!
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Hello there! Sara over at R5:3-5 tagged me for the Back to School Tag, so we'll hop right into it! Here's the rules:
Here we go, then! Questions: 1. What grade are you in, and are you homeschooled, go to private school, or public school? I'm in 10th grade (sophomore) and I've been homeschooled my entire life. 2. What is the best thing about school for you? In our homeschool co-op, we're doing an English/History hybrid class that's based on the musical "Hamilton." My two favorite subjects, and musical theatre? Yes please! 3. What is the worst thing about school for you? I work three mornings a week, and when I come home after an early morning and hard work, I have to go straight to the computer and start doing my schoolwork. 4. In what ways does your faith affect your school? When you're homeschooled, you have a lot more free time than sitting in school 7 hours a day. This leaves me some spare time to study the Bible, and talk to God. The Bible also talks a lot about laziness, and I have a few great verses when I feel like procrastinating. 5. What is your favorite day of the school week and why? Tuesdays are my favorite, because our homeschool co-op is every Tuesday and I get to see all my friends! It's kind of like real school, with the different classes and classmates and everything, but it's only one day a week. 6. Describe your favorite teacher you've had. I have three teachers who are my favorites: - Mrs. Padgett, my FLVS U.S. History teacher last year, was super fun and nerdy, and she really challenged me. - Mrs. Hanks, my math teacher in co-op, is such a great character and does a really good job explaining why we need to learn the concepts she's teaching. - Mrs. Brookins teaches the "Hamilton" class I mentioned in the second question and she's really funny. 7. What do you want to do when you finish school? When I'm done with high school, I want to go to a bible college in Brazil so I can study theology in Portuguese. Then I'd want to be a missionary on the Amazon River. 8. What has been your best school year and why? 8th grade was fun because I knew all the ins-and-outs of middle school. 6th and 7th grade were weird because I looked like a dork, but in 8th grade I got my act together lol! 9. What's the craziest thing you've done for school? As homeschoolers, anywhere you go can count as a field trip. Some memorable field trips would be: - A tour of a dairy farm - A tour of Winn-Dixie - The IMAX theater Phew, I made it, and I didn't die! Now here's the blogs I'm tagging: - Savannah @ The Adventurous Christian Girl - Belle @ Seeing Everything Else This was super fun for me, and I hope you enjoyed too :) Our culture is obsessed with looks. Everybody wants to look the same, and look pretty. We stand in front of the mirror, scrutinizing our face, and everything about us, and either think we’re better than someone else or we’re worse. We either like what we see in the mirror or we can't stand it.
It’s so easy to compare ourselves with others! I struggle with that, and you probably do too. Everyone does, in a way. Comparison is a huge thing that tears us down. And it’s mostly just about looks and outward appearances that seem to matter when you're comparing yourself to someone else. Because anybody can create a fake identity based on the person they look up to and want to be. But the Bible clearly says it’s our inward heart that matters! 1 Peter 3:3-4 Says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles, and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Instead of looking in the mirror and thinking, ‘I wish I had prettier eyes,’ Search your heart and pray, that God would show you what you need to learn. Ask God how you can become more like Him. More kind, loving, gentle, and confident. About the Author: Hello! My name is Nina, and I'm 12. I've been writing for about 3 years, and I also love all kinds of art, photography, music, and going on adventures :) My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11, and I live in Arizona with my two older siblings, parents, and dog. Most girls dream of having a boyfriend, and being in a relationship. I've been there plenty of times. I'm only 15 and I've already got a Pinterest board dedicated to my wedding. But this past year has been eye opening where guys are concerned. Now, I'm sure you've heard plenty of Christian girls talk about how they intend on staying single until they're old enough to consider marriage. You may think, "Most of these girls have never been in a relationship, so it must be easy for them to wait. How would they know how awesome a relationship is? Maybe if they knew, they'd change their minds." But a few months ago, I made the decision myself, and it wasn't that hard. I have also had a boyfriend before. The last few months of singleness have been eye opening, and have helped me realize that I am not ready for a relationship in this stage of my life.
Let's start at the very beginning. Last June/July, a boy (we'll call him Peter) was talking to my dad before I even knew he was interested in me. When my dad told me about this, I was a bit nervous... and excited! You see, I had never been in a romantic relationship before, and the whole endeavor was completely novel. The next week, "Peter" and I discussed our feelings for each other, and soon we were courting. Our parents were very involved in everything, and despite the stigma around the words "boyfriend/girlfriend," we didn't really know what else to call each other. This was not only our first relationship, but the first relationship out of all our friends and peers. There was a lot of pressure to be the example and set the standards for not only our younger siblings (as we were both the oldest siblings) but to our friend groups as well. We were together for almost a year, and it's been about 3-4 months since the breakup. I was the one to end it, and I feel awful because I really hurt Peter, and it ruined what could have been an amazing friendship. I see where I went wrong; where we both went wrong. There are so many things I would change if I could, but the past is in the past. It still hurts, but I've had so many new opportunities. A relationship is very time consuming, and I have been able to use my time as a single girl to spend precious moments with God, my family, and my friends. I've been able to focus on school more, and thus, better grades. I've learned more about myself that I realized, and been able to dedicate time to study the Bible and work towards my goals. I've been able to dedicate my time as a single girl to God, and no relationship could ever fulfill the joy I have in Him. I had heard from so many people to cherish these years, and now I really know what they're talking about. I have so much more to live for than a boyfriend. Sure, I have some really great guys in my life, but I'm not interested if I can have God's joy. My life doesn't revolve around a relationship with a boy. It revolves around my relationship with the Lord, who knows everything about me, even my future. Now how attractive is that! |
AuthorHi, I'm Abigail! Welcome to my blog. Hope you enjoy! Archives
August 2018
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