Christian Parenting: PurityWorks by Jennie Bishop
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Jennie
    • PurityWorks >
      • Planned Purity
      • Five Doors
    • Blog
    • FAQs
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Nicaragua
    • The Kings of Sabaneta
  • DONATE
  • Books
  • Contact Us

Me, My Selfie, and I

1/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture














​The ability of this generation to make themselves look model-worthy in a photo is astounding. Of course, that only means that we have learned to hide our flaws better, which doesn’t always work in our favor. It’s one thing to be at your best, and another to create a false persona.

It reminds me of a story by John Fischer, Dark Horse. This short allegory paints a picture of a horse farm where black and white horses are trained to pose to hide their black spots. Some of them learn to cramp their muscles into ridiculous poses to appear completely white.

Think of a Facebook profile picture or post as a billboard. What are we selling? All of us are selling something. Maybe it’s one of these “products” below:

  • I love to party.
  • I love my family.
  • I am sexy and more desirable than you.
  • I am a professional business person.
  • I don’t give a rip about what you think.
  • I like gardening (or some other hobby).
  • I have cool stuff.

A number of these pictures are posted to compete as we try to be prettier, be the most together, display the best-dressed kids, show off the coolest stuff or the most skin. We are reaching out to fill the hole of our worth and value with other people’s comments and likes.

In Dark Horse, a wild black horse shows up outside the stable one day and calls to the other horses to follow him if they want to be free. Some jump the fence and find that the freedom this horse speaks of is more than being out of the corral. The freedom they gain is from any posing they learned to do. They become free to be honestly themselves.

We need the same freedom. 

Let’s look at a few profile pictures today and see if we can guess what each person is selling. We will find some hidden messages if we look closely. Messages like this:

  • I need attention.
  • I’m so lonely.
  • I don’t know what to do with this anger.
  • My body is my only worth.
  • Without my stuff I feel empty.
  • I need God.
  • I like gardening.

Yes, some messages are just what they seem. But they’re just a single frame of a life. Never judge someone by their selfie. And never believe that your selfie is all you are. We all harbor beautiful brokenness; we just have to jump out of the online corral to find ourselves free.


0 Comments

Legislation and the Heart

10/31/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
As we close in on voting day, we're all analyzing the candidates. We're hoping they will help our country grow stronger and enact legislation that will set us on a good course.

Unfortunately, some matters we can't legislate.

Behavior is a problem not because we don't have rules in place, but because hearts aren't in the right order to start with. Without right hearts we won't have right guidelines for good results. This starts with individuals, not with legislation for a nation.

The same is true in our children's lives. We can make all kinds of rules for behavior, but what our kids really need is guidance about becoming people who want to obey and know the difference between right and wrong. That's a matter of the heart.

The good heart will eventually make wise rules that benefit everyone. The bad heart will make rules that only serve itself.

What is the most powerful way to change our nation? I would submit that the answer is Christian parenting.Parents who decide to position Jesus as the example raise children who serve, children who love, and children who want to do what's right.

This process, of course, isn't failsafe. Free will allows each individual to choose a path, no matter what values were taught in the home. The way is narrow that leads to life. But when we teach it, how much more likely are our children to succeed? How much more will they be able to contribute to a nation blessed because they honor God? And how much more likely will they be to return to standards of integrity, even if they wander?

This is why PurityWorks exists - to champion the pursuit of these pure hearts, resulting in citizens who will change not only a nation but a world. With a good heart comes all the benefits of righteousness (of which there are many - read Proverbs 10 and 11 and make a list).

Who knows who our president may be in the coming years? If we're intentional, we can raise leaders who bring a pure heart to the White House and other positions of influence. And that would change not only our rules, but allow other hearts the same opportunity to do good.

Don't give up. The culture may be hostile, but God is good. And when our hearts intend to follow Him, He supports us. In fact, His eyes look over all the world, looking to support those who are fully committed to Him. Make that commitment to your family, your country and the world around us today by intentionally pursuing pure hearts in your home.
0 Comments

Determination

9/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
My dad is a squirrel lover. When he comes to his Florida place for a vacation from farming in Ohio, he loves to watch the squirrels in the backyard. To keep them interested, he’s built feeding contraptions between the trees outside the back window. These twirling PVC pipes with cobs of feed corn on the end are a source of constant entertainment as a type of “squirrel circus” ensues.

But it’s not easy for the squirrels at first. Each one is tentative the first time they attempt to crawl out on the crazy whirligig. But eventually the desire for corn overcomes them, and soon they are expert performers. Their sense of balance and agility is amazing. They even eat hanging upside down by their back legs! Now that’s determination.

How determined are you?

Determination is powerful. Think of the last time you were really determined to do something. Maybe you received a bill that was a mistake. You might have spent hours on the phone, finding your way through the answering machine maze and talking to a number of people. But you did whatever it took to get your money back.

That’s what determination is – doing whatever it takes. And not just in the big things. Sometimes it takes determination just to get out of bed. If you struggle with depression, have been through a family breakup, or are facing other dire circumstances, that simple obstacle can be terribly intimidating. Set your feelings aside and be determined!

I remember the first time our family planned to take an overseas flight. I was terrified of the plane trip. In the end, I just had no say, “No matter what, I am getting on that plane.” I was determined to get to the other side of the Atlantic! I recognized later that many people would have been kept from my help, had I given in to fear.

In the same way, your child needs determination. Teach them to set reasonable goals and be determined to reach them, to persevere and not give up! When they learn perseverance and the satisfaction of a goal reached, they will do better in everything (read James 1:2-4).

Life is not going to hand us our “corn.” We are destined to struggle, sometimes intensely, throughout our days. That’s why we need determination. No matter the complication of the circumstances, we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us.
​
Decide what matters to you, or what you and your family need to be healthy and well and spiritually strong. Then say, “No matter what, I will …” or “I am determined to …” You’ll be amazed at your ability (and your child’s) to push through the hard stuff and reach the prize. Don’t give up! Be determined today!
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Follow Us

    Get Blog Posts by Email:

    Archives

    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    Boys
    Children
    Clothing
    Culture
    Families
    Fathers
    Girls
    Hate Pornography
    Honor
    Internet Safety
    Marriage
    Married Sex
    Media
    Modesty
    Parenting
    Planned Purity
    Purity
    Technology
    Virtue
    Women

    RSS Feed

Home  |  About  |  Media  |  Blog  |  Store  |  Contact Us  |  Donate

PurityWorks E-letter


PurityWorks-Logo
Email Us

Picture
Sign up to receive the the PurityWorks electronic newsletter with tips, training and news from our mission efforts in Nicaragua and worldwide.
E-letter Sign Up

© 2014-15 PurityWorks - All Rights Reserved  | International Speaker and Author Jennie Bishop
Store icons created from work by Freepik; licensed under CC BY 3.0
New-Sky-Websites