We
had been driving for several hours before we pulled up at the church. My friend
and I hopped out of the car. I was actually nervous. After years of following GirlDefined, I was actually here at their
conference Radical
Purity, and I hoped I would get to meet Kristen and Bethany.
We
were early—I had timed it that way. Walking in, everything was decorated with
pink balloons, calligraphy, and white painted pallets. A lady wearing a hot
pink ruffle top and white capris came over to greet us with a sweet smile.
Turns
out, we were so early they hadn’t even locked the doors yet to keep people from
coming in until 5. “I’m so sorry,” the lady in the hot pink told us, “I think
there’s a Starbucks around the corner that y’all can hang out at until check-in
starts.”
Both
of us were feeling more like pancakes, so we headed to a run-down Denny’s to
chat and pass the time before the conference started.
The
Lord knew I needed to go to that conference. The Lord knew I needed that
weekend away from the craziness of life. We were hosted by the sweetest,
godliest couple who really poured into us (not just gave us a place to stay),
and the conference was amazing.
And
by the way, I did get to meet Kristen
and Bethany and they are some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met.
There
has not been anything I’ve read or watched from them that hasn’t uplifted or
encouraged me in some way or another.
Their
book, Girl Defined, was no exception.
I
gave it to my eleven-year-old sister for Christmas and by March, she had read
it twice and loaned it to a friend, who had read it thrice. Both say it’s their
favorite book.
From the back of the book:
In a culture where airbrushed models and
career-driven women define beauty and success, it's no wonder we have a
distorted view of femininity. Our impossible standards place an incredible
burden of stress on the backs of women and girls of all ages, resulting in
anxiety, eating disorders, and depression. One question we often forget to ask
is this: What is God's design for womanhood?
In Girl Defined, sisters and popular bloggers
Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird offer women a countercultural view of beauty,
femininity, and self-worth. Based firmly in God's design for their lives, this
book helps women rethink what true success and beauty look like. It invites
them on a liberating journey toward a radically better vision for femininity
that ends with the discovery of the kind of hope, purpose, and fulfillment
they've been yearning for.
About the Authors
Kristen Clark is married to her high school sweetheart,
Zack and is the co-founder of GirlDefined
Ministries. She is passionate about promoting the message of biblical
womanhood through blogging, speaking around the country, mentoring young women,
and hosting Bible studies in her living room. In the end, she's just a
fun-lovin Texas girl who loves all things outdoors and eats dark chocolate
whenever possible.
Bethany Baird is a Texas born and raised girl doing life
with her parents and seven siblings. She is the co-founder of GirlDefined Ministries and is passionate
about spreading the truth of biblical womanhood through blogging, speaking and
mentoring young women. To her family and close friends, she is simply a tall
blonde girl who loves any form of competition, drinks way too much coffee, and
can't get enough of her little fluffy dog.
Overall Rating: 5 stars
Writing Style
Something
very different about this book is
that it is written in very simple
language. Like I mentioned above, my eleven-year-old sister had no problem
reading it. For me, I do prefer a higher level of reading, but I love that I
can give this book to young girls and have them understand everything.
Kristen
and Bethany are very funny and have some hilarious personal stories, which
spice up the reading. It makes it hard to put down—knowing that there might be
another funny story on the next page!
Content
The
content was excellent. I have a strong appreciation for their approach toward
Scripture, their love for the Lord, and how theologically sound their work is.
I can tell how much this book was bathed in prayer. It makes a difference.
I
loved the Three Pillars of Biblical Womanhood they discuss in the book: She
helps others, she nurtures relationships, and she produces life. I love how
these are not only applicable for women who are married with children, because
Biblical womanhood is much more than children and marriage.
Maybe
this is just me, but I love stories and I love when books are full of examples
and stories that are applicable to the topic. Kristen and Bethany provide loads of stories. Stories about themselves,
about a pink-haired girl named Chloe, about Marilyn Monroe.
This
book gets into the very deep topic of Biblical womanhood and breaks in down
into something that almost anyone can read, appreciate, and understand.
Mature Content
There
is nothing explicit in this book that parents should be concerned about. Yes,
it talks about serious topics like God’s design for sexuality. There are many
stories of dysfunctional lives, including at least one dealing with abuse. But
these serve a purpose and there is no explicit content.
Final Thoughts
Girl Defined is an excellent book for any girl wanting
to know more about God’s design for women, femininity, and beauty. I have no
hesitations about recommending this book. Also, check out their blog, their newest book Love
Defined, and their upcoming conference (which I
will be attending, Lord willing!).
Have
you read Girl Defined? If so, what
are your thoughts?
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