Passionate Housewives

This book is sold through Vision Forum. I love Vision Forum...they cast such a vision of Christian homeschooling life. Every man is noble, every woman is lovely, and every child is obedient. They paint a picture that is soooo beautful. I want to live in their picture...and I wonder what the people that are fully attempting to "live the Vision Forum life" do when find that they fall short of this beautiful ideal every single day? What do they feel when they lay their heads on their pillows at night and feel like their families have failed to reach that ideal? I am glad that I am not surrounded by Vision Forum families. If we all put on this veneer of beauty and domestic perfection toward one another, I think I would crumble with discouragement.

But anyhow...I still love the picture they paint of "Biblical Domesticity to the Glory of God". It is my little private dream that I strive towards. (You'd never know by looking at us, but I do.)

My friend and I have decided to read through this book together and discuss it. We had our first discussion today. We covered the Preface and Chapter 1. Here's what we LIKED:

"As we have pried our covetous fingers off those things that are not for us and instead clung to God with all our might, we have found our desperation met with mercy, strength, and power by our loving and powerful Savior. While it may seem counterintuitive, the lesson is true: living MORE for self will only keep us further from that true joy we're after as women."

"If we find ourselves in a position where we feel that serving our families gets in the way of serving Christ's Kingdom, then we should fall on our faces and repent...Serving our family IS serving the Kingdom."

Here's what we DIDN'T LIKE:

There is a statement in the book that is presented as a worldy lie: "If you don't make time for yorself, no one else will!"

We didn't agree with their assertion that it is wrong to make time for ourselves. At this point in our walks we do believe that it is important to make time for ourselves, to recharge and renew. Many acts of service to our families are draining. The tank gets empty and we need time to refill. One of may favorite expressions in this regard is this: "I need to take care of my kid's mom." If I don't take care of my kid's mom and my husband's wife then I become an exhausted irritable screaming shrew. Maybe the Vision Forum ladies don't...but I do :). So, I believe in taking time for myself...thus this blog.