Is the hope of raising children to be sexually pure, - to abstain from sex until marriage - an unrealistic goal held by Christians? Are we blinded to the reality of the world we live in?

Studies that report that at least 85% of all American teens have had sex by the age of 19, seem to support this view. When you add to that the high percentage of babies born to unmarried mothers and the increasing incidence of HIV infections and STD (sexually transmitted disease) among young people under the age of 25, it becomes a frightening outlook for parents wanting to raise healthy, happy children.
Simply raising children and hoping for the best is not an option. The goal of sexual purity requires a practical plan and tools for action.

Richard and Renee Durfield, in their book Raising Pure Kids in an Impure World, give you the plan. They also list practical steps and the tools to accomplish it, beginning with the "key talk" - a very special time and talk between parent and child where questions about dating, relationships and sex are brought out into the open and discussed. The time closes with a covenant and prayer of commitment that he or she will honor God with heart, mind and body. This commitment is made with the confidence that God honors His covenants and provides the grace and strength to see them through.

"The time to establish dating goals and guidelines is before a child begins dating, so that there is no question about what’s appropriate and what’s not." p.106

Even if your child is already dating, this book provides effective tools for discussing guidelines and boundaries. It also offers help for parents of children already dealing with the consequences of sexual sin.

From counseling their own children as well as others, the Durfields offer a section of some of the most commonly asked tough questions and suggested answers. After reading these, I realized my own ignorance and need for research. There is a list of recommended resources in the back of the book.

I’ve read books that give a list of "Thou shalt nots" and those that discuss the importance of establishing an inner standard of conduct - which is the basis for staying in God’s will - but this book goes on to give parents the steps to teaching their child the whys of sexual purity and the ways to stand up to a life of peer pressure.

I highly recommend "Raising Pure Kinds In An Impure World" for parents of young children or of teenagers and also for aunts, uncles and grandparents - anyone who has an emotional investment in the life of a child. I found it well organized, easy to read, and a book with so much useful information that many will want to read it more than once.
    

Raising Pure Kids In An Impure World Richard and Renee Durfield BethanyHouse Publishers

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