Julie Miller is doing a great job of updating Sunshine's library with some great resources. You should check it out (if you have not already).
I would like to share a thought from a book Julie asked me to read, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Meg Meeker. Meeker writes, "The most aggressive campaign against your daughter's emotional and physical health is directed at her sexuality."
That statement really struck me. It occurs to me that the "campaign directed at sexuality" has broader implications than just young girls. Although, I would readily admit that its impact is felt by young girls earlier and at a deeper level than boys of the same age. Allow me the liberty to modify the statement as follows:
The most aggressive campaign against emotional and spiritual health is directed at sexuality.
Is this not true? Our culture is pervaded by influences that carried to their logical end, lead to poor functioning.
What do you think? What can we do as a congregation?
Friday, October 20, 2006
Have you noticed the library lately?
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3 comments:
I personally think that raising our young girls, teenage girl and young women to believe in more that the power of their bodies would go a long way. Little girls allowed to wear clothing too short or too tight is considered cute. Young women is considered "looking adult" or "showing off what God has blessed them with." In my opinion, it is showing those young ladies how to get attention for anything BUT their mind, spirit or purity. We create shallow beings that don't HAVE TO BE any deeper because they think no one expects anything any deeper.
I may have gone in a direction that you were not talking about, Jason. Sorry, if I did. But I think teaching girls to be modest goes a long way.
**Save some surprise on your wedding night** I am not suggesting covering your face and walking around in a robe, just making young women have more to them than their bodies. God may give someone a model's figure, and there may be a purpose for that down the road, but it should not be the only thing she has going for her.
I knew a girl, when I was in high school, that was gorgeous! Amazing skin, beautiful smile, the works! But the more I knew her, the more I could tell she didn't have anything more that that. She didn't see herself as a person (with opinions, feelings, a purpose), only the object of much physical affection. No one commented on her grades, good or bad, only how pretty she was, how it would take her far. It didn't. It led her into wanting to keep everyone proud of her so when she would start to gain weight, she used drugs or purging to control it. It was a downward slide from there. At the end of it, at nearly 30, she finally realized there was more to her than her body. That her mind and spirit were worth more than anyone had ever told her.
I don't want to see any of our girls, or anyone at all, have to over come that kind of mindset.
Again, sorry if I went off in my own little direction.
Excellent, Stephanie! Excellent!!
Jennifer
Good comment, Stephanie.
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