For years I had a scrap of paper posted on my fridge, with the antidote to becoming a grumpy old lady. Do you want to know what it said? Before I tell you, Let me explain what motivated my quest to keep this prescription on hand. It all started when I worked as a therapist [...]
As a woman, I react to the new, gender-inclusive NIV Bible the way I react to nails scratching down a chalk board. Here are 10 reasons why the new NIV is bad for women.
From squabbles to all out brawls, here’s an MSN list of the Top 10 Fights in Marriage. Are you having these sorts of spats in your relationship? Take a poll to see if the list got it right.
Women resent the fact that men are so attracted to beauty, while men resent the fact that women often don’t make the effort to properly attend to it. So how do we resolve the impasse?
In 1 Timothy 2:9, the Lord provides three guidelines that help Christian women figure out what and what not to wear. Asking yourself these three questions will help you figure out how to dress.
To benefit the most from this video book blog, you will want to get a copy of Girls Gone Wise so you can study the book as you watch them. You will also want to complete the questions in the Girls Gone Wise Companion Guide, or download the free chapter questions. They’ll help you apply what you’re learning. Note that these videos are different than the discussion-teaser videos included in the Girls Gone Wise Group Study Kit and DVD.
The cautionary tale recorded in Proverbs 7 paints a picture of a typical Girl-Gone-Wild. For the purpose of the narrative, the author depicts her as a young, married woman– but she could be any woman. The point of the story isn’t her age or marital status. It’s about the “wild” characteristics she displays. In this introductory session to the Girls Gone Wise Video Book Blog, author Mary Kassian points out that the Girl-Gone-Wild could be the girl next door, your best friend, or the lady sitting next to you at church… she may even be you!
Did you know that you can tell the difference between a Girl-Gone-Wild and a Girl-Gone-Wise by looking at her feet? The Sage tells his son that he’ll be able to spot a Girl-Gone-Wild by the way she walks. He advises him to check out a woman’s feet, steps, path, and ways. In this Girls Gone Wise Video Book Blog, Mary Kassian identifies the foot-heart connection as the first point of contrast between a Wise Thing and a Wild Thing. Watch it to find out what your feet reveal about YOU.
Popular mass media perpetually drips messages about gender, sex and relationships into our minds. The trouble is, it often promotes false or counterfeit images of what womanhood is all about. In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, I challenge you to examine whether your mind is being deadened by that constant drip drip drip. When it comes to the ideas you expose yourself to, are you being wise or wild?
The image of Wile E. Coyote obsessively scheming to catch the Roadrunner fits the description of the Wild Thing to a T. She’s “wily of heart.” No matter how many times this approach blows up in her face, she continues to scheme to get the guy to do what she wants. In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, Mary Kassian outlines five types of manipulation that are characteristic of the Girl-Gone-Wild. Are any of them characteristic of you?
Girl Power! Girls Rule! I am Woman hear me ROAR!… Pop culture upholds a saucy, sassy, my-way-or-highway, karate-chopping, male-kicking attitude as the ideal for women. But the Bible portrays a loud, defiant disposition as an ugly, undesirable by-product of sin. It upholds a markedly different type of attitude for women as “very precious” in the eyes of God.
“Barefoot, pregnant, and tied to the kitchen sink” is a popular phrase that depicts the sorry state of the traditional housewife. Feminism liberated women from these supposed “shackles” and encouraged us to get out of the house. But the Bible says that constantly being “out and about” is a mark of a Girl Gone Wild…”her feet do not stay at home.” Yikes! Does that mean that God dooms women to a barefoot, tied-to-the-kitchen-sink existence? Find out in this Girls Gone Wise video book blog.
Much like their big feline relatives, domestic cats are effective predators. But cats aren’t the only ones with exceptional hunting abilities. According to the Bible, the Girl-Gone-Wild is also adept at the hunt. She sets up traps, and then lies in wait, focused and highly alert for prey. She’s fixated on getting what she wants. But the trouble is her nets ensnare far more than her intended target. She’s injured by her own devices. In this Girls-Gone-Wise video book blog, find out how you can ditch the destructive predatory focus of a Wild Thing for the productive focus of a Girl-Gone-Wise.
How hot is too hot? How much skin is too much skin? Which joints of your body need covering up? Everyone wants a list, but the Bible doesn’t provide one. It does, however, teach us the naked truth about clothing. The reason we wear clothes isn’t just to keep warm or “wow” people with the latest fashion. And it’s not just about helping guys keep their thoughts pure either. There’s a far more profound reason why we need to be careful about what we wear. Find out what it is in this week’s Girls Gone Wise video book blog.
No one wants a reputation of being a BIG flirt—but what about just a bit of flirting? What if you just flirt for fun? Or flirt to convert? The ancient prophet Isaiah had something to say about women who’d perfected the art of “the walk” and “the look”—you know the look he’s talking about… that sultry, steamy, “come get me” one. In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, you’ll find out when you should use body language to turn on the charm.
Who wears the pants? And does it even matter? Because 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. In this Girls Gone Wise Video book blog, you’ll find out that there’s a really important reason why roles matter, and why it should be the guy pursuing the girl… and not the other way around.
“How far is too far?” How much can I mess around with my boyfriend before I cross the line? That’s the question that Christian girls usually ask. But I don’t think a young woman can figure out where to draw the line until she figures out why God created sex and what it’s all about. In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, you’ll discover the reason for sex, and also you’ll see that the “how far is too far” question isn’t the best one to ask. Whether you’re unmarried or married, there’s a much better question about your sexuality that you ought to be asking.
“If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned” is how the old saying goes. But so many women throw caution to the wind and ignore boundaries, thinking it would never happen to them. The young married woman of Proverbs probably didn’t think it would happen to her either. Her lack of personal hedges landed her in trouble—entangled in a messy affair. In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, you’ll be challenged to take precautions and establish some wise hedges, so you can avoid crashing through boundaries and making a train wreck of your life.
How do you spot a fake? Most of us wouldn’t dare deal in counterfeit cash. But yet we tolerate counterfeit spirituality. We are two-faced. Our public persona doesn’t match our private one. You can spot a counterfeit designer handbag by opening it up and examining the details. This Girls Gone Wise video book blog outlines seven signs of hypocrisy that you can spot in the life of a Wild Thing. They’ll help you know what to look for so you can tell the difference between real and fake.
My son and his friends have an acronym for guys who are being smothered by needy girlfriends. It’s “CGS,” which stands for “Clingy Girlfriend Syndrome.” Some girls are so needy for attention and affirmation that they cling to men like plastic wrap to a piece of raw meat. But women who try to quench their neediness through relationships with men are usually left feeling parched and dry. In this Girls Gone Wise Video Book Blog, you’ll find out that there’s a far more reliable way to satisfy your heart’s deepest thirst.
Calling all shopaholics… Is the pride-and-joy item in your closet a pair of Manolo Blahniks? Do you like to have a look at the label and see designer names like Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Armani, or Versace? If so, you may have a lot in common with the woman of Proverbs 7. She had impeccable taste! This Girls Gone Wise video book blog points out that Wild Things are intent on filling their homes and closets with designer-label fashion and all sorts of beautiful things—but that if you’re smart, you’ll set your heart on getting so much more!
The underlying message of most ad campaigns is, “Indulge. You deserve it!” The Wild Thing would agree. She feels entitled to indulge in all sorts of pleasures… visits to the spa, beauty treatments, splurging on the sexy red dress and that pricey, exotic fragrance. And if she decides to indulge in a night of forbidden romance and pleasure, who’s to say she’s shouldn’t? It’s not anybody’s business but her own! In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, you’ll learn that a woman who willingly forfeits gratification can be infinitely happier than the one who insists on her right to indulge.
What happens if you cross your heart with your right hand, and cross your fingers with your left? Do you still have to keep your promise? What if you’re really mad at the person with whom you’ve made the agreement? Can you get out of it then? The Wild Thing of Proverbs 7 thought so. In this Girls Gone Wise video book blog, you’ll learn about covenants. You’ll discover that even if you don’t cross your heart or sign a piece of paper—even if you just shake your head and say “yes”—even if what you said you’d do is just a little thing, your word is your word. A promise is a promise.
She was a sweet-talkin’ woman. She knew how to turn on the charm, butter him up, and get him to do her bidding. The way a woman uses words is another point of contrast between a wild and a wise woman. In this book blog, you’ll find out that using sweet talk is a strategy that sours relationships. If you want to enjoy life and see good days, you’ll mind your mouth and exchange your wild speech habits for those of a Girl-Gone-Wise.
Have you ever seen someone go wrong because he or she hung out with the wrong friend? That’s what happened to the young man in the Proverbs 7 story. The Wild Thing exerted a negative influence on him. When he hung out with her, his standards went right out the window. The Bible says that bad company ruins good morals. Do you and your friends influence each other negatively or positively? In this Girls Gone Wise book blog, you’ll learn about the power of influence and the wisdom of that old saying, “You’re known by the company you keep.”
Some women are caught in a pattern of revolving door relationships. That was the problem of the Wild Thing of Proverbs 7. She just couldn’t seem to make relationships work. One man after another passed through her heart and bed. In this book blog, you’ll see that the inability to sustain a relationship is often accompanied by an attitude of disrespect. You’ll learn that a Girl Gone Wise takes care to build her house – but that a Wild One tears it down with her own hands.
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. In this Girls Gone Wise Video Book Blog, you’ll see that the two characters in the Proverbs 7 tale chose to accept the invitation of Lady Wild. But if you’re smart, you won’t follow their lead. You’ll RSVP and claim a seat at the feast of Lady Wise.
In this final episode of the Girls Gone Wise book blog, you’ll hear about a Wild Thing who discovered the alternate ending… the happily-ever-after one that we all dream about. You’ll find out how you, too, can choose that ending for your story. You’ll be challenged to do life differently, and to join the quiet counter-revolution of Christian women who dare to take God at His Word and delight in His plan for male and female. It’s a challenge you won’t want to miss!
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Our culture constantly bombards us with messages about womanhood—and many of them are false. So we need to be intentional when it comes to figuring out what God says about who we are and how we ought to live. Otherwise, we risk making the mistake of the Wild Thing of Proverbs, whose ways wandered because she didn’t ponder the path of life. (Proverbs 5:5-6) She messed up her life because she didn’t make the effort to figure out how to be a godly woman. The Bible encourages us to be careful to walk as wise and not wild. (Ephesians 5:15) When it comes to figuring out manhood, womanhood, sex, gender, and relationships, this book and blog will help point you in the right direction.
If you have your own blog, you could re-post the videos, and do the study with your own internet community. You could start a Facebook group with some girlfriends, post links to the videos, or embed them on your page. You could use the videos in your small group, on your website, or on your church website. Or you could discuss the book with friends using Skype or MSN. Your imagination is the limit. You’re welcome to use them in any way that will help you.
