Episode 12 - MODESTY AND FEMININITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Meadow Hall continues to speak with me about her convictions regarding modesty and femininity. What about bikinis and leggings? Should they be part of our wardrobe? Can Christians wear jewelry? How do we embrace femininity in a genderless society? Should we pursue an egalitarian or complementarian marriage?

I also introduce to you my 13-year-granddaughter, Autumn Rose, Pearl’s youngest daughter. She shares how she loves being an Aunty to Warren. And now she is waiting to be an aunty again February 2019 when Bowen and Kahoru have their little baby.

Transcript

Rocky: 0:13

Welcome to the podcast, from our home to yours, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy: 0:28

Hello to you again today. I have Meadow with us again this week, so I know you're going to enjoy listening to her, but I also have Meadow's youngest sister, Autumn rose. Autumn rose is Pearl's youngest daughter, 13 years old and the most beautiful young lady. And so Autumn, I wonder if you could tell me, what's your most favorite thing in life?

Autumn: 1:04

Well, I love to be an Auntie, and it's like my favorite thing.

Nancy: 1:13

Yes. Isn't that great? I love to be an Auntie. I think that is so wonderful. I love seeing Autumn with little Warren, Meadows baby, who's nearly six months old now, and Autumn is with us today because she's looking after Warren while Meadow will be talking with me to you. And what's the best fun being with Warren?

Autumn: 1:42

Well, I love hearing him laugh and just making him smile, and he's just so cute. And he's so hyper, and he's moving all the time and stuff.

Nancy: 1:51

Yes. Oh, this little boy Warren. He is just out to get out into the world, isn't he? It's so funny to see the difference because Serene's little baby, Solly, Solace, but we call her Solly Mcdonald. I mean, not mcdonald, but Solly McDolly. And I call her blobby because she is just so fat and blobby and oh, she is squeezy and gorgeous and just growing fatter by the day. But she just sits and smiles and grows fat. Whereas, Warren, oh goodness me, he's already organized Kendall and Meadow and organized his schedule. I mean Meadow didn't plan to have a schedule. She was going to just nurse him day and night and just be this glorious mother. But oh no. Warren decided I'm going to make my own schedule, and he just takes after his dad who is an engineer. And he likes everything just happening according to plan. In fact, when Kendall and Meadow were courting, we called it the business plan of love. Well Serene concocted that name because he was doing everything according to plan, that's who he is. And it seems that little Warren is just growing in his footsteps, and he is just full of energy and finding it a little hard to be a baby. He just wants to grow up and just get on with everything doesn't he? What else do you like to do, Autumn?

Autumn: 3:50

I love singing.

Nancy: 3:51

Oh yes. And she is a beautiful singer. She takes after her mommy and her sister Meadow, and she writes her own songs.

Autumn: 4:04

Yeah, I love writing songs and singing and just playing the piano; it's really fun for me. And I love hanging out with my family and my cousins and friends.

Nancy: 4:17

Yes, and photography. I think you're into that now too aren't you?

Autumn: 4:22

Yes. I love photography.

Nancy: 4:23

Yes. And Autumn is so blessed that she has cousins and friends on the hilltop here because, now that she's the youngest, and Meadow is married and Bowen is married and Noble and Rocky, they are always out and about. She would just be all on her little lonesome, but she's got her cousins, so she's usually staying at one cousins or the other cousins, and I think that's so wonderful. I remember when Serene was at the tail end of our family and the others were, many of them had left home by then and she was often so lonely. In fact, so lonely she would come into our bedroom at night and just bring a blanket and sleep on the floor in our bedroom because, isn't it interesting? Nobody wants to sleep alone. Autumn has this beautiful bedroom in their new house, but I think you'd rather sleep in the not so beautiful bedroom with your cousins, wouldn't you?

Autumn: 5:35

Yeah, I love spending the night with my cousins.

Nancy: 5:38

Yes. It's just that company is so wonderful, isn't it? It's such a blessing. But thinking too about being an Auntie, I think this is a wonderful thing of how it's meant to be in families. Because here Meadow has Autumn, and she's such a wonderful blessing, and little Warren has an Auntie who can laugh at him and talk to him and play with. I'm sure that gives Meadow time to go and get supper on or do something like that, and it's how it's meant to be. As the old ones have little children that then the younger aunties and uncles, they become such a blessing, and that's the blessing of bigger families and how God intends it to be. There's so many young mothers today who have no one. They are just trying to manage it on their own. They don't have sisters and brothers around. The little baby doesn't have aunties and uncles who want to hold it and visit and be part of it. And it just makes family life so much more wonderful. Well, thank you Autumn, lovely having you with us. You can go and look after Warren now, and Meadow is going to come. Now, Meadow is back with us after checking on Little Warren, and last week we got to talk about modesty. I don't think we've talked about everything yet. Have you got some more things you'd like to share, Meadow?

Meadow: 7:22

There were just a couple more points that I wanted to make. And you know how I was talking about last week that some clothes can become a stumbling block to men? And we, as Christian women, don't want to do that because we want to help our brothers out, not make it harder for them. And so even though the Bible does not give specific instructions on what is modest and what is not, we know that, in our culture, there are certain clothing items that can either be offensive or can be a stumbling block to men today. And one of those things are leggings and yoga pants. And so many women wear them.

Nancy: 8:07

They're actually becoming the norm.

Meadow: 8:09

Yes. And they're in fashion. They're hip and they're cool and they're comfortable. And so women loved to wear them. The problem is, they are so distracting for men. And a lot of women either don't realize this or they don't care, because this is what I want to wear, it's comfortable and just leave me alone. Right? But that's not considerate and that's not respectful. And I know some young men, they'll come back from a party and they'll complain, all the girls were wearing leggings with no long shirts, and it was so distracting. And these are young men who are trying their best to have pure thoughts and a pure heart and to stay pure for their future wives. But all of these Christian women who are supposed to be sisters in Christ to them are presenting a stumbling block before then.

Nancy: 9:04

Yes. I think there are many who actually do it ignorantly, Meadow. Because it's the fashion, they just go and buy it because that's what there is to buy, and they're not really aware. So I think it's important for us to think about these things. And precious mothers, we have to talk to our daughters about these things. And it's not easy because girls, they just want to be in fashion. They want to wear what everybody else is wearing. But if they want to wear them, well, we've got to encourage them to get just a nice little skirt to wear over them that just covers the most part or whatever. But we have to compromise somewhere because they are an offense to men. Well maybe we shouldn't say offense because to some men they're a delight.

Meadow: 10:01

My husband loves it when I wear them around the house.

Nancy: 10:03

I know! And I have a dear friend and she just said to me the other day, actually, she said, if I get into those, goodness, she said, my husband's just getting me into the bedroom immediately.

Meadow: 10:17

Well, they don't leave anything to the imagination.

Nancy: 10:20

I know.

Meadow: 10:21

They show everything.

Nancy: 10:22

Yes, And you know, so many young girls don't even realize that as they go out into the world.

Meadow: 10:29

And that's part of the issue is that these young women aren't being taught the way a male brain is wired, and they aren't taught the reason why we should be modest. They're just told that you should, but they don't really understand why. And so I agree that, mothers, don't just tell your daughter not to wear that, tell her why and tell her how it can affect other people and tell her why she needs to save her body for her future husband and how meaningful and special that will be.

Nancy: 11:00

And leggings are so, especially in the winter time, warm and lovely. And so we have to teach them how, if they want to wear them, what to wear with them to make them feminine and still look beautiful and modern. But, to also be covered and modest.

Meadow: 11:18

Yes, I agree. There is one other thing that I feel like is really important to cover. And that is bikini's because almost everyone wears them now, even Christians. And the sad thing is they were invented, they were actually invented, by a Frenchman who worked in a lingerie shop. I believe it was in the 1950's or around that time. And when he invented them, it was so scandalous that he cannot hire a model to model it for him. So he actually had to hire a stripper. And one magazine actually quoted on the bikini that no girl with tact or decency would wear such a thing. And back then, guards at the beach would measure women wearing bathing suits, and women wearing bikinis would be kicked off. They were so offensive back then. But with the 1960's, came the sexual revolution, and the feminists bought the rise of the bikini, brought the rise of the bikini. And since then, it has been attributed it to the power of women, and it was nicknamed the power suit. Recently, a few years ago, some male college students at Princeton University, they did a study to see how the male brain reacts to seeing the bikini. And this is really interesting. They noticed that when men saw pictures of scantily-dressed women, this part of their brain actually turned off the part that connects to people, like makes a human connection with them. And it was as if they were seeing these women as objects and not people.

Nancy: 12:59

Like porn, in a way.

Meadow: 13:01

Oh yes. And so the study concluded that bikini's really do inspire men to see women as objects, as something to be used rather than someone to connect with. How is that giving power to women?

Nancy: 13:15

Oh yes. And so we do have to face all these challenges, and mothers, of course, we have to face them with our daughters growing up. I'd love to bring you back to the word again. Remember when we talked last week about God being the very first clothes designer? And how it says that he made coats for them. And the word for that was a word that means, it came from the shoulders. So it was something that did cover them. And then it does say... yes... What does it say here? Go back to the word, yes."And the Lord God make coats of skins." Though it would have been beautiful leather clothing designed by God himself, and clothed them. Now the Hebrew word there is labash, and it's a word that means... Let's see, I'm sure I have it here somewhere. Yes. It means to wrap around, to clothe oneself, to put on garments. So it's not taking off. It's putting on. In fact, one of the meanings, also of that word, is to put on, and many times it's translated"and they put on garments." So it was something to completely clothe and cover them. I think of that beautiful passage in Ezekiel 16. And it's a passage that you could read again. It's speaking of Israel and of how God found Israel and what he did for them. It's also speaking in typology of how God finds us in our sin and how he redeems us and how he covers us. Let me read some of it to you from the New English translation."And God says, I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you, declares the sovereign Lord, and you became mine. I dressed you in embroidered clothing." Do you notice how all these words speak of covering? I spread my cloak. I covered you. I dressed you. And he doesn't dress us in rags. He doesn't dress us in boring sackcloth and denim. No,"I dressed you in embroidered clothing and put fine leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with jewelry." That's interesting. Let's read on." I put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head." Now, this is all typology, but I don't believe that God will use that typology if he did not believe that we should never wear jewelry. He wouldn't say these things. And we often read in the Bible of how the bridegroom and the bride were decked with jewels, and God speaks about our being decked with jewelry. And here it even talks about earrings and necklaces and so on. So these things are not wrong. The Bible talks about them. And so we can't become self righteous and legalistic and say, oh no, we must not wear such things. Of course, it does say in Peter that our clothing is not to be the wearing of jewels and doing up of our hair and so on, but of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. Now, of course, it's not saying we can't wear that, but that's not to be what we put our focus on.

Meadow: 17:55

That's not true beauty.

Nancy: 17:56

That's not our focus and that's not our true beauty. It can enhance what we're wearing and if we do it in taste, it can be beautiful. And God loves it because he talks about it in His word. You were adorned with gold and silver while your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidery. Oh, isn't that glorious? Yes. Not drab, horrible, boring clothes. It's so funny because every Friday night we have a Shabbat meal in our home. We're not Jewish nor are we sabbath keepers, but we do the Shabbat meal because it is so glorious and wonderful and the greatest blessing in our family. And it's where the father reads Proverbs 31 to the family, specifically to his wife. Then he speaks to his wife and just blesses her and upholds her before the family and speaks about all her good points. And then he, as a father, goes to each child and blesses them and encourages them, and it's just a favorite time in every week. But when my husband is reading Proverbs 31, and he gets to where she is clothed with silk and purple, and he always says, but she isn't dressed drab with boring clothes because my husband cannot stand that.

Meadow: 19:27

He says that every time.

Nancy: 19:29

He never stops saying it! We kind of get it into our brain don't we? He wants us to be dressed beautifully. Yes. And God does too because this is what God is saying. This is the word. Oh, sometimes people, I don't think they read the word of God, especially some people who are so kind of into this very self righteousness. And you know, they think you can't do this and you can't do that and you have to dress so boringly. But no, that's not the word. And God even speaks many times in His word about beautiful women. The Bible is not afraid to say, this woman was beautiful. In fact, of one woman, I just forget who it was now, it says, she was beautiful of form and face.

Meadow: 20:28

Why would God mentioned that if it's not important?

Nancy: 20:32

I know, he just loves beauty. Your beauty was perf... oh no,"you were adorned with gold and silver while your clothing was of fine linen, silk and embroidery. You became extremely beautiful and attain the position of royalty. Your beauty was perfect because of the splendor which I bestowed on you, declares the sovereign Lord." Because, ultimately, this is spiritually speaking, and it's showing how it is God who makes us beautiful. He covers us with his righteousness, and I love that scripture. It's in, let's see, yes, Isaiah 61:10."I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me." That's that word labash again, L-A-B-A-S-H. Just completely clothing and covering with the garments of salvation."He has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments and as a bride adorneth with herself with jewels." There we see again how God speaks of how a bridegroom wheres ornaments, and the bride wears jewels. So God's not against that. But it says here that he clothed us with salvation. He puts on us a robe. Now a robe is just not a scanty little bikini or a scanty little dress with cleavage. A robe is a robe that covers. And here it's spiritually speaking; he covers us with a robe of righteousness. But I believe, I think, what do you think Meadow? If we are clothed with salvation, not just, you know, scantily clothed. We're clothed with salvation. We're covered with a robe of righteousness. That if this is how God covers us spiritually, we won't be people who want to expose ourselves physically.

Meadow: 23:03

I have never thought of it that way, Nana.

Nancy: 23:06

I mean, if you're spiritually clothed, are you going to be someone who goes around physically exposed? I don't think that's possible.

Meadow: 23:14

That's really good.

Nancy: 23:16

And I think that, you know, if we're truly clothed and robed with righteousness, well, we want our clothing to be righteous. We want it to be beautiful and glorious, but righteous. So we will be clothed because that's how God wants it. He was the, once again, let's get it. He was the first clothes designer, and his clothing fully clothed from the shoulders down.

Meadow: 23:43

He doesn't partially clothe.

Nancy: 23:45

No, he doesn't partially clothed. He fully clothes. Yes. So there is so much more that we could speak about this subject. And maybe sometime I'll talk to you more about other Hebrew words because, you know, how I'm a great lover of finding what God really wants to say to us from the Hebrew words. But while I have Meadow her with me here, Meadow, what are some other things that you feel strongly about as a young woman?

Meadow: 24:18

I'm very saddened that a lot of women these days, they feel like they have to be just like men, or they feel like they have to compete like men to prove that they are also important and that they are also special. And because of that, women are losing their uniqueness. They are losing their purpose. We are not supposed to be exactly like men. We're supposed to be unique to men because, otherwise, why would have God created women?

Nancy: 24:53

I know. I can never understand. My brain hasn't quite got around it. Why do women want, as you said, to even dress like men? Why do they want to be like men? Why do they want to get out in the corporate world like men? I don't understand. I mean, isn't it the greatest thing in the universe to be who you are? I mean, I think the saddest thing in life is to go through life missing out on God's total and divine purpose for you. And if he created you female, His highest purpose for you is going to be as a female. Therefore, let's be female to the fullest. Don't you think?

Meadow: 25:56

Oh yes. And I know so many young girls these days who have this mindset, and it's like they can get so offended because someone associates them for being like a woman or kind of tells them that they can't do something a man can do or that they are different in some way. And it's like they're insecure about their womanhood. And I just, I can't relate to that at all because I'm totally secure of being a woman because I feel like being offended of being feminine and being a woman and not being like a man, I feel like that would make me ashamed of who God created me to be.

Nancy: 26:42

Exactly. And I think this is such an important point. But here we are both saying why? How could they even think like that? Well, we know what it is. It's deception. The deception of Satan. Satan hates everything about God. He hates his plan. He hates the creature that God created. He hates the plan God has for us on this earth, and therefore, he seeks to distort it in every way. And so he is the deceiver, and he seeks to distort. And that's why it's important for us to talk about these things and speak the truth because we live in this deceived society with all this deception all around us. And we've got to know the truth and be strong in it.

Meadow: 27:31

That's exactly what it is.

Nancy: 27:33

Yes, and I do believe, precious mothers and daughters, older mother, young mothers, just young daughters, I hope you're listening too. Just be who God created you to be. He chose you to be a female, and a female is totally different to a male. And if you try to be a male, you're going to miss out completely on all the blessings of life because all our blessings that we're going to receive in life are going to come to us as female because that's who we are.

Meadow: 28:16

Do you know what's so interesting? Most men are not attracted to women who are more like men. They are attracted to women who are feminine and womanly because this is an eternal instinct that God has given men to be attracted to their opposites. And so they want someone that completes them, not someone who was just like them and who can compete with them and prove to do all the same. The reason why men are drawn to women is because she is everything I'm not. Where I'm weak, she is strong and where I am strong, she is weak. And that's why God brought the man and the women together. And even though a lot of women will not admit this, even feminists, they're attracted to manly men. A lot of them are because we instinctively want a man who is like the protector, is the leader and the provider and that's why we've always been attracted to the man who is strong and smarts and intelligent. And we want that even if we would never, some women would never say that. And so our society has become confused about the meaning of equality. And they think equality means sameness. When in God's eyes, equality means worth. Men and women are both equally worthy, but we are not equally the same.

Nancy: 29:50

No, that's right. And in this genderless society, oh my. And that's what Satan is trying to do. He's trying to make it a genderless society because God made the genders. God made the different sexes and right through the word, what do we read? We read male and female, Adam, Eve, husband, wife, mother, father, husband, wife. Did we talk about that and son and daughter? It was all distinct, and each one is so different. In fact, female. What does female mean? I was writing. I think I've even lost where I wrote it now, but that doesn't matter. I had this quote here. Let's see, where are my glasses? Here they are. I have to get glasses if I'm reading a quote, ladies. A very famous feminist, Naomi Goldenberg, says,"All feminists are making the world less and less like the one described in the Bible and are thus helping to lessen the influence of Christ and Yahweh on humanity. We women are going to bring it in to God as we take positions in government, in medicine, in law, in business, in the arts and finally in religion; we will be the end of Him. We will change the world, so much, that He won't fit anymore." That of course, is right from the very pit of hell. And that's what Satan is inciting feminists to do, to completely distort the image of God created male and God created female. I think of that passage in the New Testament where Jesus quoted from the very beginning, and it was where the Pharisees came to tempt Jesus. It was Matthew Chapter Nineteen, and they were asking him about divorce. And anyway, Jesus just answered them and he said, sorry,"don't you know that he, that created them in the beginning, created them male and female. It's interesting when we read those words. Don't you know, that in the beginning God created them male and female? Those were the words that God spoke forth at the end of that marriage ceremony when he brought Adam and Eve together. But we just read them, and we don't understand the full meaning. But the word for female there is very interesting. It is a Greek word, and the very root of it means a suckling mother. The verb means to suckle a babe at the breast. The noun speaks of a woman suckling a child. So it's really amazing that the people, what did they hear Jesus say that? Don't you know that he created them suckling mothers? And then he talked about the male. What did he use for that word? The word in the Greek is arsen, and it means... get this, very interesting. It means able to lift heavier loads. Isn't that amazing?

Meadow: 34:04

Wow.

Nancy: 34:05

Yes. Because stronger for lifting. Now it is true that women on the whole, sorry men, on the whole, have 50 percent more brute strength than women. And I'm so glad to have a husband who can carry heavy things for me, who can lift heavy thing. I mean, imagine... I could not imagine trying to live on my own. In fact, the house would fall down all around me because I don't know how to fix things and I don't know how to do this and that. My husband does that kind of thing. I'm the heart of the home. I'm the nurturer and the nourisher in the home. But he's the provider, and he's the fixer, and he lifts heavy thing and does the heavy jobs.

Meadow: 34:52

Thar's my husband.

Nancy: 34:54

Yes, isn't that how it's meant to be? I mean, we can't do without the other. And of course, when God created man first, when we go to Genesis chapter two, we read how God created the male first. And then quite a bit happened before God created the female. The next scripture after it says,"and God created the man and breathed into him the breath of life" It then says, and then God created this beautiful garden of Eden. Very interesting. Before He created the woman, He created the home first. Isn't that amazing? And of course, we don't read what happened there. We have to surmise. But I can't imagine that after God created Adam, that he would leave him staring into space while he went to the east of Eden and created this glorious garden home. No, I'm sure he would have taken him with him. He would have been showing him the type. Yes, this is what the husband does, Adam. We prepare the home for the woman. And so the home was prepared before he ever put Adam to sleep and brought forth the woman out of the man. And when she woke up, where was she? In her home. Her home, the place where God intends her to be. That place that he has put in every woman a desire to be, that she loves to make a home, to be in a home. I guess you say, I know plenty of women who don't want to be at home. They just want to get out. Well, it's because they're being propagandized. They're being brainwashed, right through their lives. At school and at college, it's just brainwashed. Get out of the home. It's insignificant. Motherhood, what's that? You've got to make a way for yourself. You've got to do your career. And so it's brainwashed into them. But right, deep down, every woman wants a home. She wants to make a nest because that's who she is. And when God said to Adam, before He ever created Eve, he'd made the garden. And then He said, well, it's just not good for Adam to be alone. And especially now that he's got this wonderful home. I'm going to make him a helpmeet. Now, that word in the Hebrew is ezer kenegdo. Two words, help meet. Ezer kenegdo of course means what it says. It means to be a help, to be a strength, to be a saving help. It's a very powerful word. And some women think, oh, so that's all I am, just a help to my husband. No, that word is a word that is used of God. It's the same word that's used of God who is my help. It's one of the names of God who comes to our aid. Our husbands need us.

Meadow: 38:41

Jesus was a servant.

Nancy: 38:44

Yes, and they need our help because we give to them what they haven't got, and so they need our help. But then it's kenegdo. Now that's interesting. It means part opposite. It means something that is totally unique and different but fits together. It means that we are to fit together, although we are uniquely different. We're part opposite. That's the meaning of that Hebrew word. It's like a seatbelt, which is a very common... What do I mean in saying common? I mean rather a crude illustration of something so beautiful, but when you put a seat belt together, they're not both the same. They're two different things, but they glove together. And that's how we come together.

Meadow: 39:48

And the two become one.

Nancy: 39:49

Yes, we become one when our husband takes his role as the male, and we take our role as the female. And we glove together. We fit together. And that's the sad thing today. In all these marriages, where they seeking to both be the same, what do they do when they come together? They butt heads. They clash. They cannot actually fully connect because we have to be unique and different to connect.

Meadow: 40:24

Yes. That is so good Nana. And that's why Satan hates it so much because he knows that when they come together and they complete each other, he knows that that is a powerful thing, and so he wants to prevent that in any way he can. And that is why he is trying to deceive all these women.

Nancy: 40:43

Yes. And to see Satan's way always ends in destruction. How did it end for him when he rose up against God? He was thrown out of the eternal realm. It ended in destruction, but he still wants to take us with him, and he still tries to tempt us and woo us with his independent spirit that rises up against God. Even though we may be Believers, even though we may love the Lord with all our hearts, we can still rise up against the way God has planned for us. We don't like it. Oh, we'd rather do this. But it's not until we submit to His plan, surrender to it, that we find the blessings. Because God's ways ends in blessing; the devil's way ends in destruction. And we are seeing this in marriages and family life today.

Meadow: 41:49

And on the topic of submitting, Nana. We know there's one verse in the Bible that God says that women are called to do, that a lot of women don't like. And that is submitting to our husbands. And a lot of women associate that with the 1950's when women never got a say, and they were doormats and, and husbands are more important. And no, that's not true at all. And I think this one author put it really well in her book. It was"Love your husband, love yourself." That's a really good book. And she was describing how, you know, an orchestra, they have, you know, the person, the conductor. The conductor is the one who is in charge. So you have to have a conductor to tell all the band what to do, otherwise, there's just chaos. That doesn't mean the conductor is the most important person there. So God knew that the family needs the conductor. And so that's why he made the husband the head so that there is order and that there is not chaos. And so it is the wife's job to submit to that authority? Not because that makes her less important, but because he is the head. It is the picture of Christ. The husband is the head, and the wife is the church because Christ is the head, and we are the church.

Nancy: 43:15

And can we imagine the church ordering Christ around? You know, He is Lord of lords and King of kings and the head of the church. But you mentioned back in the 1950's. Well, I look back, and in the 1950's, I would be just getting to a young teen, and I look back at my family life in the 1950's. And yes, my father was the head of the home, and my mother submitted to him. But, was that sad? No. It was so beautiful. I mean, we lived in harmony. We lived in unity, and my father adored my mother. He lifted her up to the highest degree. Oh my. He just thought she was wonderful, and she submitted to him because she knew that was her role. But in doing so, she was not made a doormat. No, she was lifted up. He wore her as a crown. As the Bible said, that the virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, and my mother was like a crown to my father. He wore her; he talked about her. He was so proud of her, and she was one who loved clothes. We've been talking about clothes. She was a clothes lover. She was a dress designer, and she made all her own clothes. Not only her dresses but her hats. Every time she walked down to the town, back in those days, you didn't just pop into your car with whatever you're wearing, no, you got dressed up. And so she was always dressed up, walking with her beautiful clothes. Her hat, her gloves, her handbag. Oh, and my father thought she was the queen of the whole town. And, you know, he lifted her up. And when we take our role, our husbands lift us up.

Meadow: 45:22

Yes. And it goes with the whole love and respect thing. That's why the Bible instructs the women to respect their husbands and for the men to love their wives the way that Christ loves the church. Because God knows that men are wired that way, that they need respect, and so a lot of women don't understand that that's what they are called to do. And they just think that they need to love their husbands in the way that they want to be loved.

Nancy: 45:50

Yes, yes. Well, once again, our time is gone. It went too quickly again, didn't it? So let's just pray. Father, we thank you again for these glorious opportunities to speak of your truth, to speak of your word, and we just thank you for leading us in your way. We thank you that your way is the way of righteousness. Your way is a way of holiness. Your way is a way of blessing, and we ask that you will lead us all more and more in this way. I pray your blessing upon every woman, every daughter, every husband, every home in the name of Jesus. Amen. Would you like to pray too Meadow?

Meadow: 46:42

Yes.

Nancy: 46:43

Pray especially for the young mothers and this generation, your generation.

Meadow: 46:51

Yes, I will. Father, thank you so much that I was able to come here with my Nana and that we were able to share what is on our hearts. And father, I ask that you would use us to reach other people, Lord. And Father, I ask that you would break all of these lies that have been happening in our culture and especially that have been happening to the women of my generation, Father. I pray that these women and these young girls would open their eyes, and they would see who you created them to be, Father, and who you have called them to be, and that they would embrace that. They would embrace being a woman, Lord, and that they would not be ashamed of who they are, Father. Amen

Nancy: 47:36

Thank you Meadow for being with us these last two weeks. It's been such a blessing.

Meadow: 47:47

Thank you so much for inviting me, Nana. It's an honor.