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[Note: Following is Zithromax no prescription an encouraging testimonial from a woman whose thinking God radically changed through the Zithromax no prescription True Woman Conference. It originally appeared on the Girls Gone Wise blog. We publish it Zithromax no prescription here to encourage our dear friends and partners in ministry at True Woman and Zithromax no prescription to encourage Christian women to participate in those excellent conferences--CJR.]

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In 2008, when I attended my first True Woman Conference how to buy Xenical online without rx, I had Zithromax no prescription no idea how God would use that weekend to set me on a Zithromax no prescription new path in my walk with Christ. It was the day after my 34th birthday, and Zithromax no prescription Mary Kassian's message rocked my thinking. I was a feminist! The culture had Zithromax no prescription infiltrated my mind way more than I cared to admit. God had Zithromax no prescription some foundational repair work to do.

At the Zithromax no prescription end of the weekend, I was more than thrilled to sign the Zithromax no prescription True Woman Manifesto, and Zithromax no prescription with gusto, I took this message back to my church and Zithromax no prescription girlfriends. But I found out that most of my friends weren't interested. I felt like I was hitting brick walls and Zithromax no prescription eventually just got frustrated with even trying to talk about biblical womanhood. (Insert Heather not following the Holy Spirit here!)

By the time True Woman '10 rolled around, I was beyond excited, longing for Zithromax no prescription deep fellowship with other sisters. And that's just what I got. I didn't know it Zithromax no prescription at the time, but God also had plans to peel back another layer and Zithromax no prescription dig even deeper into my heart and attitude.

It started when Nancy Leigh DeMoss shared that she had just come from her cousin's funeral, where Zithromax no prescription the line to visit the family was hours long. She explained that Zithromax no prescription her cousin didn't have Zithromax no prescription a big platform, but simply lived out biblical womanhood with her husband and Zithromax no prescription sons. That impacted me greatly!

Then Holly Elliff said that we're busy doing things, but are Zithromax no prescription we busy doing the things God has called us to Zithromax no prescription do? Those were two of the Zithromax no prescription most impactful moments for me at True Woman '10.

I came away from Zithromax no prescription the conference knowing just what God wanted me to do:just do it. Just live out biblical womanhood with my husband and Zithromax no prescription sons. Be a true woman in my home for an Zithromax no prescription audience of One, the One who really matters.

A couple weeks later, I was listening to Zithromax no prescription a podcast with Mary Kassian talking to Bob Lepine about The Art of Marriage. After looking over the Zithromax no prescription website, praying about it, and talking to our pastors, my husband and Zithromax no prescription I decided to host an Art of Marriage conference. That stirred in us a desire to do more marriage ministry.

Now, a Zithromax no prescription year later, we have a newlywed ministry at our church and Zithromax no prescription are pouring into the lives of five newlywed couples. These couples are Zithromax no prescription watching our life, marriage, and family-watching us live out biblical manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood.

I smile as I think how God had Zithromax no prescription to rearrange my heart, attitude, and ideas. He was so tender and Zithromax no prescription gracious with me. His patience is priceless!

This is why I am beyond excited to talk about True Woman '12. If you Zithromax no prescription want God to pick you up, put you on a Zithromax no prescription new path, and do a new work in your heart, then Zithromax no prescription plan on joining me in Indianapolis in September for True Woman '12! I can't wait to see what God has for me (and you!) next.

How about you? Did God rock your thinking at a True Woman Conference? I'd love to hear about it!

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[Language Alert:  I use the Sl** word in this Zithromax no prescription post to address the phenomenon of thousands of women walking in Sl**Walk Marches]

This week marks the first anniversary of SlutWalk.

The first SlutWalk demonstration buy Crestor without rx from us pharmacy took place in Toronto, Canada, on April 3, 2011. The rally was held in response to Zithromax no prescription a Toronto police officer's statement that Zithromax no prescription young women could help safeguard themselves against rape by dressing more modestly.

Feminist activist, Sonya Barnett, was incensed at his remark. She bristled at the Zithromax no prescription implication that provocatively dressed women were in any way responsible for Zithromax no prescription their own victimization and abuse. Barnett argued that girls should have Zithromax no prescription the right to dress slutty without fear of sexual assault. Suggesting otherwise, places the Zithromax no prescription blame on the female victim, and excuses the behavior of the Zithromax no prescription male perpetrator.

Barnett organized a Zithromax no prescription protest march to the Toronto Police Station, which she dubbed "SlutWalk." Through it, she hoped to raise society's collective consciousness, and to encourage girls to:

• "reclaim" the word "slut" and other such negative male-defined labels,
• exert their right to Zithromax no prescription reject male-defined, patriarchal norms of female dress and behavior, and
• protest a culture that puts blame on the victims of sexual assault.

Zithromax no prescription

Over the Zithromax no prescription past year, more than 50 SlutWalks have taken place in the Zithromax no prescription US, Canada, and around the world, including Australia and Britain. The events are Zithromax no prescription similar to "Take Back the Night" rallies. But they differ, because addressing sexual violence is Zithromax no prescription only one of their aims. SlutWalk also wants to aggressively redefine notions about woman's sexuality.

To that Zithromax no prescription end, SlutWalkers sport T-shirts and signs with slogans like, "Sluts pay Taxes," or "I'm Proud to be a Slut." Many protesters dress provocatively, in skimpy leather thongs, bras, skank-boots, and Zithromax no prescription fishnet stockings, paint the word "slut" on their bare skin, or Zithromax no prescription skate around on inline skates in lingerie. Their male supporters wear shirts that Zithromax no prescription read, "I Love Sluts!" The message is that it's misogynistic when men categorize women as sluts, but it's empowering when Zithromax no prescription women define themselves as such. Women have the right to be Zithromax no prescription as slutty as they want to be.

Sexual violence is Zithromax no prescription a problem that ought to concern us all. However, I fear that Zithromax no prescription SlutWalks do little to improve woman's lot. In fact, they arguably exacerbate the Zithromax no prescription very problem they say they're trying to solve.

Zithromax no prescription

SlutWalk ideology is bad for women. Here are five reasons why:

1. It absolves girls of risk-management responsibility:

Telling a Zithromax no prescription girl to be careful about the way she dresses, where she goes, and Zithromax no prescription how she behaves is about risk management, not victim blaming. Risk management is Zithromax no prescription an important consideration in many areas of life. For instance, earlier this Zithromax no prescription week a local hockey player left his car unlocked and Zithromax no prescription key in the ignition when he jumped on the team bus for Zithromax no prescription an out-of-town game. He's lucky his car wasn't stolen.

Had it Zithromax no prescription been, his dad, a police officer, would have still brought the Zithromax no prescription full force of the law to bear on the thief. The "invite" of an open car doesn't reduce or minimize a thief's culpability. But that doesn't mean that leaving your car unlocked is smart. It's not good risk management.

SlutWalk ideology puts the Zithromax no prescription entire onus for sexual conduct on the guys. It teaches girls that Zithromax no prescription they don't need to manage risk. It encourages foolish behavior.  It implies that a girl can dress provocatively, go to a guy's apartment, get drunk, get naked, pole dance, come on to Zithromax no prescription him, and then accuse him of rape when he doesn't stop at the last minute. C'mon girls. Use your Zithromax no prescription brains. Yes, he may be culpable of rape, but you sure didn't do yourself any favors by throwing your Zithromax no prescription car doors open. If you're wise, you'll put up boundaries ordering Accutane over the counterto Zithromax no prescription safeguard yourself against the risk of unwanted sexual attention and Zithromax no prescription not put yourself in risky situations.

Don't misunderstand me. Women who Zithromax no prescription are sexually abused are NOT at fault. A crime is a Zithromax no prescription crime. But there are sometimes things that girls can do to Zithromax no prescription lesson their vulnerability.

2. It equates sex with power:

SlutWalk buys into Third Wave feminist ideology that Zithromax no prescription sex is power. It preaches that sex is ultimately the way a Zithromax no prescription girl exerts and expresses her freedom and equality. It intimates that Zithromax no prescription slutty women are powerful women. If a girl wants more power, then Zithromax no prescription she'll throw off male-defined Judeo-Christian notions about sex. Sadly, I see the Zithromax no prescription carnage of this attitude in multitudes of today's young women -even those who Zithromax no prescription are Christians. Power is not the right to do what you Zithromax no prescription want, nor to act in a sensual, promiscuous, immoral way. True power is Zithromax no prescription "the might to do what's right"-It's the backbone and strength to walk in the way of the Lord.

3. It teaches girls it's cool to be crass

I gotta admit I had Zithromax no prescription a hard time writing this post. Though the post called for Zithromax no prescription it, I don't like using the word "slut." I think it's crass, crude, and inappropriate.  Since when Zithromax no prescription is being ill-mannered and potty-mouthed a mark of personal empowerment? SlutWalk would have Zithromax no prescription us believe it is. A Huffington Post writer sarcastically entitled her response to Zithromax no prescription the movement: "Dear Feminists, Will You Also Be Marching in N***erWalk? Because I Won't." order Valtrex overnight cheap  It's NOT cool to be crass. It does nothing to elevate women or womanhood.

4. It casts men as oppressors

If you get the diagnosis wrong, you'll get the treatment wrong.

SlutWalk blames the Zithromax no prescription problem of sexual abuse on patriarchy. It buys into the feminist mindset that Zithromax no prescription throughout history men have been on a misogynistic power trip, and Zithromax no prescription part of a massive subversive patriarchal plot to oppress women. Men are Zithromax no prescription bad. Women are good. Get rid of male privilege and you'll get rid of the problem.

Well guess what?  Women can be bad too. Female to male domestic violence is Zithromax no prescription statistically just as prevalent as male to female. And the feminist argument that Zithromax no prescription women act this way because of the patriarchal system is simply not true.

Yes, due to Zithromax no prescription the mechanics of male-female plumbing, women are raped more than men. Rape is Zithromax no prescription a horrible wrong. But at its core, the problem isn't maleness or men. It's sin. Some men are oppressors.  But many are decent, honorable guys who'll throw themselves on a Zithromax no prescription sword to protect the ones they love. It's high time we stopped swallowing the Zithromax no prescription lie that the male sex is responsible for all the world's ills.

5.  It encourages sexual permissiveness

SlutWalk wants girls to Zithromax no prescription stop feeling shame. A girl should be able to act trashy without feeling trashy about the Zithromax no prescription way she acts. A Slutwalk Organizer explains:

"The event is Zithromax no prescription in protest of a culture that we think is too permissive when Zithromax no prescription it comes to rape and sexual assault," said Siobhan Connors, 20, of Lynn, Massachusetts, another Boston organizer. "It's to Zithromax no prescription bring awareness to the shame and degradation women still face for Zithromax no prescription expressing their sexuality ... essentially for behaving in a healthy and Zithromax no prescription sexual way."

Okay, let me get this Zithromax no prescription straight. SlutWalk thinks that we live in a culture that's too permissive with regards to Zithromax no prescription men forcing women to have sex. But it also thinks that Zithromax no prescription it's healthy for women to be sexually permissive. Whoa. Now there's some fancy mental gymnastics! How-pray tell-does the idea that it's healthy for Zithromax no prescription women to sleep around outside of marrige detract guys from pressuring, coercing, or Zithromax no prescription forcing them to do so? Surely, if it's healthy for Zithromax no prescription girls to sleep around, then it logically follows that it's healthy for Zithromax no prescription guys to expect girls to engage in that type of behavior. It fosters the Zithromax no prescription mentality, "Of course you want it! All girls want it!  It's good for you!"

Sexual violence is a horrific sin. But SlutWalk isn't helping matters any. Sadly, I think it's just shooting women in the foot. It's creating a Zithromax no prescription mindset and culture that exacerbates the very problem it says it Zithromax no prescription wants to solve.

(This post was originally published on the Zithromax no prescription Girls Gone Wise blog at www.girlsgonewise.com)

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In the seventies, Gloria Steinem famously quipped, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Then she and Zithromax no prescription the rest of her feminist buddies set about to convince us of this Zithromax no prescription idea. Sadly, we swallowed the bait. And now a whole generation of girls is Zithromax no prescription being raised to believe that men are inconsequential, and that women can Zithromax no prescription make it just fine without them.

Take the Zithromax no prescription T-shirt a friend of mine spotted for sale in Target, for Zithromax no prescription example. In large, garish print designed to splash across a Zithromax no prescription girl's developing breasts the T-shirt proclaims, "Who needs boys, I can WIN by myself!"

Just think about it Zithromax no prescription for a moment. On the surface, the slogan seems to Zithromax no prescription encourage a girl to develop a healthy self-respect and avoid getting enmeshed in dependent relationships.  But there's an Zithromax no prescription underlying message here. The slogan insinuates that men are inferior, and Zithromax no prescription that they are expendable. It fosters an unhealthy, independent, a-woman-needs-a-man-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle, type of attitude.

Honestly, what Zithromax no prescription would you think would happen if Target started selling a boy's shirt that spouted: "Who needs GIRLS, I can WIN by myself"? Can you imagine the outrage?

Power and Independence

Today's young woman is Zithromax no prescription taught to value personal power and independence. She can WIN! She doesn't need men. Indeed, in order to Zithromax no prescription truly win, she must do so without them. Men are the Zithromax no prescription bad guys. They're the Zithromax no prescription ones who stand in the way of a woman reaching her full potential. They're the optional and disposable piece in a woman's life. Independence is Zithromax no prescription the highly prized and sought after trait that will guarantee her success. So she approaches relationships with the Zithromax no prescription resolve to retain her autonomy at all costs.

Even in Christian circles, we cultivate an Zithromax no prescription attitude of independence in our girls. The underlying message is Zithromax no prescription that women need to be independent because men are untrustworthy, and Zithromax no prescription will almost certainly let them down.

But can a woman truly "win" in a world without men? Is she better off without ties to Zithromax no prescription a godly father, uncle, cousin, husband, or brother? Will she succeed when Zithromax no prescription she fiercely exerts her autonomy and regards and treats men as non-essential? Will this attitude actually enhance her relationships and her life?

I think not.

Independence versus Interdependence

God created the Zithromax no prescription two sexes to be interdependent-not dependent, codependent, or independent. This is Zithromax no prescription the case in marriage, and is also the case in the Zithromax no prescription general way the sexes interact with one another. Scripture actually cautions us against adopting an Zithromax no prescription independent attitude:

"In the Zithromax no prescription Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, and man is Zithromax no prescription not independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman and Zithromax no prescription all things come from God." (1 Corinthians 11:11-12)

God did not create male and Zithromax no prescription female to operate independently. In this game called life, we're players on the same team. We're "heirs together of the grace of life."

You will do your Zithromax no prescription daughter a disservice if you teach her to be fiercely independent. It's not a biblical perspective, and it's not good for her.  Yes, you Zithromax no prescription should teach her to guard against unhealthy relationships, and not to Zithromax no prescription look to men for her source of identity.  But at the Zithromax no prescription same time, you should be careful to teach her to respect men, to Zithromax no prescription encourage and speak well of them, and to value and welcome the Zithromax no prescription contribution that they can make to her life.

I understand that Zithromax no prescription there are some scum-bags out there. I understand that your daughter may never get married. Or that Zithromax no prescription her spouse might ditch her. Scripture provides an answer to these potential situations.  It teaches that Zithromax no prescription God has a special spot in His heart for women who Zithromax no prescription don't have Zithromax no prescription dads or husbands. It promises that in such situations, He will be Zithromax no prescription their father or husband.

We Need Each Other

Women need men. Even those who Zithromax no prescription will never have a boyfriend or husband need men. Do not buy into culture's idea that Zithromax no prescription men are unnecessary. Do not teach your daughter to be independent of men. Do not teach her to Zithromax no prescription devalue men and write them off as inconsequential to her life.  We need men. We need them to Zithromax no prescription be the fathers, brothers, husbands, protectors, providers, and heroes God created them to Zithromax no prescription be. Being interdependent and having healthy relationships with males enriches a Zithromax no prescription woman's life. To truly "win", women and men need to function interdependently.

It may be true that a fish doesn't need a bicycle. But it doesn't follow that women don't need men.  Gloria Steinem clearly got it wrong. After all, women aren't fish, and men aren't bicycles.

What do you think?

How does an attitude of independence negatively impact male-female relationships?  Why do you think women fear losing their independence? How can Zithromax no prescription women avoid becoming dependent, co-dependent, and independent, and foster a healthy interdependence instead?

(This post was originally published on the Zithromax no prescription Girls Gone Wise blog at www.girlsgonewise.com.)

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[NOTE: John Piper published the Zithromax no prescription following post in 2008 on the Desiring God Blog.]


I took a few days recently to put my sermons on Ruth into a small book that may be called A Sweet and Bitter Providence. One of the Zithromax no prescription spillovers from that effort was a renewed sense of how much we need great stories that Zithromax no prescription embody great truths.

Ruth and Zithromax no prescription Boaz is a great love story. When a story is permeated with God and Zithromax no prescription his vision of life, we get to watch truth happen. The beauty of truth is Zithromax no prescription not explained to us. It is lived before us.

God's truth concerning manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood is beautiful. Most of us are so sinful that Zithromax no prescription we don't model it Zithromax no prescription well. So we need teaching and we need storytelling. And we need Christ to Zithromax no prescription forgive us and renew us and send us back again and Zithromax no prescription again into this truth. He is faithful. Ruth's story is Zithromax no prescription a special gift to us this Christmas. It has so many levels of meaning. Manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood is not the only one. But it is one.

The rest of this article is an excerpt from the conclusion of A Sweet and Bitter Providence.

The egalitarian impulses of the Zithromax no prescription last thirty years have not made us better men and women. In fact, they have Zithromax no prescription confused millions. What average man or woman today could answer a Zithromax no prescription little boy's question: "Daddy, what Zithromax no prescription does it mean to grow up and be a man and Zithromax no prescription not a woman?" Or a little girl's question: "Mommy, what Zithromax no prescription does it mean to grow up and be a woman and Zithromax no prescription not a man?"

Who could answer these questions without diminishing manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood into mere biological mechanisms? Who could articulate the Zithromax no prescription profound meanings of manhood and womanhood woven differently into a common personhood created differently and Zithromax no prescription equally in the image of God? James Dobson puts it like this: "At the heart . . . is the issue of what is a man? If you try to reduce that issue to just: what is a caring person, you Zithromax no prescription make a good point but miss a crucial created element called manhood that Zithromax no prescription is relevant."¹ Not asking the Zithromax no prescription question about the essence of male and female personhood confuses everyone-especially the Zithromax no prescription children.

And this Zithromax no prescription confusion hurts people. It is not a small thing. Its effects are Zithromax no prescription vast. I agree with Dobson when he says, "Feminist resistance to Zithromax no prescription making manhood and womanhood significant in behavior and role determination is Zithromax no prescription partner to some of the most painful social and spiritual issues of our day."²

When manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood are confused at home, the consequences are deeper than Zithromax no prescription may show up in a generation. There are dynamics in the Zithromax no prescription home that direct the sexual preferences of the children and Zithromax no prescription shape their concept of manhood and womanhood.  Especially crucial in the Zithromax no prescription matter of sexual preference is a father's firm and loving affirmation of a son's masculinity and a daughter's femininity.³ The father must be Zithromax no prescription a man. But how can this kind of manly affirmation be Zithromax no prescription cultivated in an atmosphere where role differences between masculinity and femininity are Zithromax no prescription constantly denied or diminished for the sake of gender-leveling and sex-blindness?

What we all need is Zithromax no prescription solid teaching from the Bible about the differences God intends between men and Zithromax no prescription women.^{4 buy Flomax online no prescription} But we also need stories. Great stories. We need to Zithromax no prescription see manhood and womanhood in action-in real life and fiction and Zithromax no prescription history. The story of Ruth and Boaz is the kind of story that Zithromax no prescription can awaken and feed the masculine and feminine soul in ways that Zithromax no prescription we cannot articulate.

I encourage you Zithromax no prescription to be like a dolphin in the sea of our egalitarian, gender-leveling culture. Don't be Zithromax no prescription like a jellyfish. The ocean of secularism that we swim in (including much of the church) drifts toward minimizing serious differences between manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood. The culture swings back and forth as to whether women are Zithromax no prescription mainly sex objects or senior vice presidents. But rarely does it Zithromax no prescription ponder the biblical vision that men are called to humbly lead and Zithromax no prescription protect and provide, and women are called to come in alongside with their unique gifts and Zithromax no prescription strengths and help the men carry through the vision.

I pray that Zithromax no prescription you will be stirred up by Ruth and Boaz to pursue mature manhood and Zithromax no prescription womanhood. More is at stake than we know. God has made marriage the Zithromax no prescription showcase of his covenant love where the husband models Christ and Zithromax no prescription the wife models the Church (Ephesians 5:21-33).

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May it Zithromax no prescription please God to edify our readers this weekend as believers across the Zithromax no prescription globe celebrate the good news of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Christ the Zithromax no prescription Lord is risen!



Who has believed what he has heard from us?
  And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
  and like a root out of dry ground;
 he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
  and no beauty that we should desire him.
 He was despised and rejected by men;
  a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
 and as one from whom men hide their faces
  he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
 Surely he has borne our griefs
  and carried our sorrows;
 yet we esteemed him stricken,
  smitten by God, and afflicted.
 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
  he was crushed for our iniquities;
 upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
  and with his wounds we are healed.
 All we like sheep have gone astray;
  we have turned-every one-to his own way;
 and the LORD has laid on him
  the iniquity of us all.
 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
  yet he opened not his mouth;
 like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
  and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
  so he opened not his mouth.
 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
  and as for his generation, who considered
 that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
  stricken for the transgression of my people?
 And they made his grave with the wicked
  and with a rich man in his death,
 although he had done no violence,
  and there was no deceit in his mouth.
 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
  he has put him to grief;
 when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
  he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
 the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
 by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
  make many to be accounted righteous,
  and he shall bear their iniquities.
 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
  and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
 because he poured out his soul to death
  and was numbered with the transgressors;
 yet he bore the sin of many,
  and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53 ESV)