I first saw this book on the Vision Forum website and thought it might be interesting soI borrowed it from the library and never got around to reading it.....sound familiar? A few weeks ago, we received the latest catalog from Christianbook.com. We enjoy getting these because our daughter finds great reading material from these catalogs. She reads at an adult level and it is impossible to stay one step ahead of her while safeguarding her and what she reads. We look a lot to Vision Forum and a few other sources to give us a good foundation in what we choose to allow her to read. This summer, she has entered two different reading programs and spends all of her extra time reading. Upon getting this Christianbook catalog, she quickly began to make her list for us to look at on which books she would like to get.
When I saw that she had asked for this one, I wasn't sure she was old enough to read it. Sure she is plenty capable of
reading it, but it is written by two teenage boys and I wasn't sure if the content was appropriate for her. I'd like to report that after I read the first few chapters on "The Myth of Adolescence", I was SO excited to have her read it. I haven't gotten through all of it yet due to all of the chores here on the homestead, but each time I read a chapter, she gets to read it and we will get through it soon and I'm excited about sharing it with everyone I know!
This book is an incredible tool for seeing what society has turned our "teens" into and where it came from and why. These boys have a lot of insight that they are sharing with us and their peers around the world are joining them in celebrating this concept of setting high expectations.
Here is an excerpt from their website, www.therebelution.com on this book.
The next generation stands on the brink of a "rebelution."
With over 35 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to "do hard things" for the glory of God.
Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins' revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential.
Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.
Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.
It is interesting what set these boys in motion with this project and where God has led them on this journey. Their website has an excellent Modesty Survey that is taken by boys of all ages and you will find it extremely interesting and inspiring that so many young men are taking this seriously.
I highly recommend this book to all parents no matter what age your children are. Yes it is written for teens, but if you are a parent, it will bring to light so many things about your own childhood and will give you some powerful tools for bringing up your children.
One thing I never realized is there is no such thing as adolescence in the Scriptures. You are either a child or an adult.
1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." In their book, they quote this passage and then go on to say...'Notice Paul didn't say, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But then I became a teenager and I looked like an adult, I sounded like an adult, but I still acted like a child." I love this! They go on to point out that God does not have two standards, one for adults and one for young adults....He has high expectations for both.
One more paragraph....
So whose expectations are we living by? The Bible says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world" (Romans 12:2 NIV). When we let cultural expectations become our standard, we allow ourselves to be squeezed into a mold, with little room for Christlike character or competence.
I could go on and on with great insight fro this book, but I will simply encourage you to get it and read it yourself. This is one to buy and keep in your home to share with your children when you feel they are able to comprehend the meaning and to share with other families.
These boys are also doing conferences to spread the word and it is exciting to see how they are leading a new revolution against rebellion.....putting it in their own words....The Rebelution!
I'm including a link so it will be easy for you to find whenever you need to refer back to it. Currently it is above this post, but will be moved below the posts at some point.
Here is what the Harris boys have to say about the survey....
TheRebelution.com has launched the results of their massive Modesty Survey! Over 1,600 Christian guys have answered questions on everything from glitter lotion and lip gloss to swimsuits and skirt slits! It's everything girls have ever wanted to ask guys about modesty, but were afraid to ask! For guys, it's really interesting to see what other Christian guys think!
Most importantly, the survey is presented as a resource to help Christian girls (and guys), not a list of legalistic rules, and it is accompanied by the Modesty Survey Petition (which tons of guys have signed) which encourage young women to focus on the heart, not the hemline, to honor their parents, etc.
The results were released on St. Valentine's Day as a gift from 1,600 Christian guys to all Christian girls -- and I can't think of a better one! Now the survey is being endorsed by people like Shaunti Feldhahn ("For Women Only") Nancy Leigh DeMoss (Revive Our Hearts), CJ Mahaney (Sovereign Grace Ministries) and Shannon Ethridge ("Every Woman's Battle")!
Go check it out: www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey
But also make sure you spread the word to all your friends. We want as many Christian girls (and guys) as possible to see this, so forward this email on!
P.S. Guys, they are still accepting signatures for the Modesty Survey Petition, so this is an opportunity for you to still share your voice on the topic of modesty!
THE MODESTY SURVEY
www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey
I borrowed this book from my nephew to read. I thought it was really well written for young men. But I did think it emphasized pushing young women into the world to do their own "Hard Things". So I was disappointed in that aspect of the message.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you 100%. I think there is a lot of information in this book for daughters to know regarding where the "teenager" concept came from so that they can see it for what it is. However, beyond that, daughters need to understand that this is written for young men, not young ladies. If a daughter is easily influenced, this book may not be the best selection for them, but it is still a good read for parents in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing this out for me!