Women's Roles...and Sarah Palin!

What a great "awakening" for our society and the role of women in it! In my last blog I wrote about the changing roles of women and how it all began, in the media at least, with that loveable Lucille Ball! While I am more in line and love the June Cleaver side of the road, I can't help but think that June would have had some trouble using the internet!



I think the answer lies somewhere in between! I believe women can be feminine and demure, while still being strong in character and integrity and handle whatever life throws at them. Submission to a husband and being a "stay at home mom" is a choice that is made, not a life of servitude that is forced! More and more women are choosing to be with their kids, enjoy taking care of their house and having the energy to spend "quality time" with their husbands when they get home in the evenings - by choice. (Wow, I'm beginning to sound like pro-choice - got to be careful on that one!) I choose this life of putting my family first because I believe that this is what the Bible teaches - 1. that women should be keepers of the home because we are uniquely gifted with an innate care and nurturing for children and we are by nature more relationship oriented than men. 2. That women should be submissive to husbands because while we have great ideas and intellectually we can come to great conclusions, we must guard the emotions that we bring to the table. By sharing with our husbands our insights/ideas, etc. and then allowing him to filter through the heart strings we also present, he can make a well-rounded decision. Most marriages are in trouble because we have fallen for the 50%-50% line instead of realizing that we are both in this 100% and someone has to give when we don't agree! If we respect our husbands (also in the Bible - his greatest need), then submission to him will cause him to walk a little smarter, thoughtful and keep him closer in tune with God. 3. That women should care for their children - not allowing some daycare center (amazing that "schools" start at 1 year old now huh?) to raise our children for us. Clearly, no one will love and care for YOUR child more than YOU...but yet we are satisfied with allowing someone else to teach them what they should believe in, stand more, develop their character, build their self-confidence and self-image, teach them social skills and guide them as they learn how to handle conflict. When kids start spending 6 - 8 hours a day with strangers and other kids at 6 weeks old, how can we expect them to grow up with convictions and a healthy idea of what family stands for! "Here's a radical thought: most of the perceptions we have as adults actually develop when we're children." (taken from http://www.syl.com/articles/theinfluenceofmediaongenderperceptions.html Moms...the call goes out to you! Parent your children - teach them when they rise up, when they walk through the day, when they face difficulty and when they lie down at night - you gotta be there! BY CHOICE! Ladies, I like Sarah Palin - she is strong in character, knows who she is and what she stands for and, while she is not perfect and I certainly don't know her well enough to assume that she is the model of a Christian wife/mom, at least in the media she presents herself as a lady...much different than the women we see everywhere today. What's the difference? Feminity? Class? Well, all of those things - but a lady is also someone who is comfortable saying "I'm a wife and a mom and I'm proud of it" and someone who is comfortable being feminine without seeing it as a sign of weakness...Let's bring back feminity - not feminism! By the way, read the book..."Feminine Appeal" by Carolyn Mahaney if you want to study this subject a little more... Michele Everson Proud wife of Pastor Chad Everson and Proud mom of two wonderful boys

Women's Roles...Are We Going Retro?

Much has changed since the days of June Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver - the perfect housewife and mother, vacuuming the house in her high heels! I know I am nowhere near this role - I'm happy if my house gets vacuumed at all (much less that I am in my sweats) in the middle of my hustle and bustle world! So, how have things changed? Is it just the hectic nature of our society now that has us jumping through hoops? The economy dictating our schedules? Or have we changed in our perception of women's roles and what we think about "little women in the kitchen" mentality? If you think about it, the feminist movement really began back in June's day - if not before...as the video voice-over discussed, Lucy was a perfect example! So, if we have "come so far baby!", are we really happier? enjoying life more? And, if we are happier, then we should be having a positive impact on our society and our children, right? Well, let's see...depression rates among women have soared, more women are now on psychotherapeutic drugs than ever before, more women are in psychological care than ever before and polls show more "dissatisfaction" with our lives among women than ever before! Where is it all coming from? Did you know that there is a growing trend among women to chose to become stay at home mothers? More women are finding their way back home - I know this is not popular among the feminist crowd to discuss because they would have us believe that this is a step backwards, but it is true. The rates among women choosing to stay at home and raise their children (even in the middle of a struggling economy) is growing. "This is significant because, for four decades, women's labor participation rates consistently climbed, from 40.8% in 1970 to 57.5% in 2000. The phenomenon caused profound changes in American family, culture, and economy. The shift in direction has some people wondering whether or not the sexual revolution at work is over and what may have caused the change....In a 2005 study, the U.S. Census Bureau reported an estimated 5.6 million stay-at-home moms. That is a 22% increase from 1994." (from an article by Dulce Zamora at http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/hard-choice-for-moms-work-stay-home ) So, what do you think? Why is it that women, in growing number, are choosing to stay home? Even in the economic disaster that is occuring right now for the American family, more women are choosing to be at home with their children - why? Let me hear your opinion on this subject - tomorrow I'll tell you mine!