"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." ~James Bryce Part 3

Go here for part 1 and 2 of these posts.

This is the last post in the series of three books that have really stuck with me in the past few weeks. Yesterday I posted a bit of a prelude to this post here. The book I am now going to discuss is "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God" by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald.

First off, I will say that this book must be taken with a grain of salt. Both of the authors are women who truly believe that the wife's place is in the home....period. Which as many of us know (and as I stated in my previous post) isn't always possible, for various reasons.

There are several things that this book addresses: From the extensive "Me" culture that has become the expected norm in our country (and typically doesn't not yield true happiness in anyone), to parents being told they should leave the raising of their children to professionals (and ultimately to the state), as well as the common misconception of the "Stepford wife".

This book is meant for those women who desire to have a profound, biblical, relationship with God, their spouse, and their children. This book is about finding yourself and ultimately contentment in your roles in those three relationships. What I loved about this book was how it brought to my eyes the importance of my role as a stay at home wife/mother, it showed me how to rely on my husband and my God.

It is not about settling and accepting my position, grudgingly, it's about reveling in it and taking it to the next level. Is it always easy? No, it never is, but it is so worth it. Not only are we doing what needs to be done, but we begin to love the doing because of the change in heart. And during the course of all of that we are not putting aside our talents and interests, but using them to God's glory as opposed to increasing our own, often selfish, glory.

The book discusses submission to one's husband, which most EVERYONE chafes at. That's because most people don't understand what is meant by that and ultimately go about it in the wrong way. Submission is not about being a door mat it's about conceding responsibility, it's about EVERYONE putting the needs of others' before their own. If EVERYONE is doing that then we are even more blessed, because NO ONE is selfish and EVERYONE is looking to make the lives of others EASIER! There is no ulterior motives or enslavement.

The "Stepford wife" and June Cleavers were created to trivialize and destroy the true image of the homemaker, sadly by the very liberal feminists that believed that women should not be in the home, and should have no such choice of such an "illegitimate profession", as said by Vivian Gornick. Being a "housewife" is not about maintaining an immaculate home that is decorated in the finest of everything, it is so much more. The ideals of June Cleaver and the "Stepford wife" make any woman feel that they are unfit to do the job.

There is so much more in this book that I am not even touching on, and not even conveying perfectly. This book truly opened my eyes to the importance of my roles as a wife and mother. For any woman who wants a more profound biblical life (regardless of being a wife or mother) this book has so much in it about how to achieve that; how to be a loving, hospitable, compassionate caregiver.

Again, I do add that some parts be taken with a grain of salt, unless you are willing and your heart is open to a literal understanding of a woman's role as the Bible explains it. Also, I am not calling out anyone's decisions for their own lives and families or saying that one way is right and another wrong. I am only saying that if you are willing this book will open your eyes.