Andy Naselli

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Carolyn Mahaney on Biblical Womanhood (by Jenni Naselli)

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Jenni

[This is a guest post by my wife, Jenni. She has benefited immensely from Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters on biblical womanhood, and at my request she graciously agreed to summarize her experience for the benefit of others. –ADN]

Last year a close friend began telling me about Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney (wife of C. J. Mahaney) and Nicole (Mahaney) Whitacre.

Girl Talk

My friend had recently given birth to her first child, a baby girl, and was thoroughly enjoying the book’s emphasis on teaching daughters about biblical womanhood. I soon began devouring it! Then I discovered the Girl Talk Blog, MP3’s by Carolyn Mahaney, and two other books written by Carolyn Mahaney:

Feminine Appeal Shopping for Time

I began spending hours each day listening to Carolyn on my MP3 player while working in the home. I even bought the three books above and gave them as Christmas presents to my Mom, sister, mother-in-law, and three sisters-in-law!

Mahaney girls

Throughout these past few months, Carolyn has mentored me in the disciplines of biblical womanhood.

  • Her Titus 2 series (free as MP3 downloads) has challenged me to think seriously about my role as a believing wife and mother.
  • Her emphasis on “discovering the idols of your heart” in your motivations has convicted me to examine my own life and discern what motivates my decisions.
  • Her practice of encouraging others for God’s grace at work in their lives has challenged me to be more intentional about edifying others this way.
  • Her seriousness about confessing and dealing with sin has sobered me to examine and deal with the sin in my own heart.
  • Her teaching on motherhood has meant the most to me since our own baby girl, Kara Marie, is on the way! May God give me the grace to be half as intentional in teaching baby Kara about the disciplines of biblical womanhood as Carolyn was with her daughters.

Mahaney girls2

I am so grateful for Carolyn’s mentoring over the last several months. I am thankful that rather than giving fluffy women’s talks, she applies the gospel to all of life—especially to our roles as wives and mothers for the glory of God.

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Comments

  2. I am over 50, and work full time as a single mom to care for my children including one special needs child. I take evening courses to upgrade my training. I am financially responsible for my family. I do all my own house maintenance.

    How is what I do different from the way men provide for and protect their families? Why is male leadership in the home reflected in the church leadership and females doing exactly the same thing is disregarded?

    Certainly my situation is not ideal. However, men sometimes do die before their wives, leaving the wives responsible for their family.

    Maybe older single women should not draw attention to themselves and just allow the church to pretend that we do not exist.

  3. Thanks, Wendy, for your comment on my wife’s post. I’m familiar with home situations that are less than ideal, as John Piper notes:

    “A profound covenant relationship between one man and one woman—a cleaving to each other alone, in a one-flesh union—is God’s idea of the heart of the family. When this is broken by a tragic death or a tragic divorce, there may have to be single parent families. And God has been faithful to millions of mothers and fathers who have had to raise children alone. But God’s original purpose for the heart of the family was one man and one woman cleaving to each other as husband and wife and becoming one flesh in fruitful sexual union. In that way he meant to fill the earth with humans who image-forth his glory, and with couples whose covenant-relationship shows the world the way that God relates to his covenant people in love and faithfulness.”

    Piper and Grudem’s definition of manhood and womanhood embraces both married and singled people: see pp. 28ff. here, esp. this bit on p. 30:

    “Someone might ask: So is a woman masculine if she is a single parent and provides these same things for her children? Are these only for men to do? I would answer: A woman is not unduly masculine in performing these things for her children if she has the sense that this would be properly done by her husband if she had one, and if she performs them with a uniquely feminine demeanor.

    “However, if a woman undertakes to give this kind of leadership toward her husband she would not be acting in a properly feminine way, but would be taking up the masculine calling in that relationship. If the husband is there but neglects his responsibility and does not provide leadership for the children, then the mature, feminine mother will make every effort to do so, yet in a way that says to the husband, ‘I do not defy you, I love you and long with all my heart that you were with me in this spiritual and moral commitment, leading me and the family to God.'”

  4. Thanks, Jenni, for this article. I also have been greatly encouraged and stimulated by the ministry of Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters. I am waiting for the day when these books are translated into Spanish. Keep pressing on in your calling as wife and mother.

  5. Thanks for taking time to write this article. I am looking forward to listening to the MP3’s and hopefully to reading the books very soon! What a blessing to have these types of resources in an era when Titus 2 women are a rarity.

  6. Thanks, Jenni. I have read the same books and listened to several sessions by Carolyn Mahaney (Titus 2) and her family. They have been a wonderful means of grace in my life, convicting and encouraging! I recommend them to others myself. Carolyn has also been my “mentor.” Praise the Lord for her teaching from God’s Word!