Around the same time that we realized it was time to give our oldest son "The Talk", we received an invitation from Generations of Virtue to review material that supported the direction we wanted to go with that talk.
This is not a company, it is a "non-profit, volunteer-driven ministry that equips parents to empower their kids for purity in our world today. They work closely with parents and teens as they provide them with classic and cutting-edge resources to fight the battle for purity."
And these resources are incredible. We gave Ethan "Lintball Leo's not-s0 stupid Questions about your Body" by Dr. Walt Larimore, a humorous and candid discussion about what a boy's body goes through during the wild ride of puberty. The book covers everything a boy goes through from body odour to the "m" word, but does not share details on "the talk". It is assumed they know this before reading this book. Ethan did not, so we had to start with a different book.
The book we gave Ethan for the nitty-gritty was How You Are Changing. This is an incredibly well done series geared specifically toward girls or boys and toward specific age ranges. We gave Ethan the book written for boys ages 10-12. They are even written for very young children, and are very age-appropriate. I was very impressed with the tact yet frankness offered by these books. But they aren't offered on Generations of Virtue, so I'm getting off track.
Something that is offered at Generations of Virtue is a set called Teknon and the Champion Warriors. It begins with a riveting fiction story about a teenage boy who accompanies his father on a dangerous mission. While on the journey, Teknon is trained by his father to become a Champion Warrior. The mission is exciting and exactly the kind of story my boys love to read, but the lessons from Teknon's father and mentors is what makes this books special. They are lessons in manhood and integrity. Purity is part of some of these lessons. Pornography is mentioned (though not by name) and was handled so delicately I wanted to applaud after reading it. Here is a brief portion: "As they entered the club, Teknon noticed various images surrounding him. They were scenes of women doing things he knew he should not see. Teknon tried to leave, but Eros tightened his grip, pulling the youth further into the maze of video screens and imaging rooms. Teknon was temporarily distracted by the birght lights and silhouettes of bodies beginning to materialize in front of him. When the images came into focus, he immediately turned his gaze away and wrenched his arm from Eros. Then he rushed out the door."
The situation is discussed, but not in any way that would be embarrassing to the reader or intriguing either. It is not a subject I want to inspire too much curiosity with.
I mentioned that Teknon is part of a set. The set is optional, but the Teknon novel has a companion workbook available for the readers and a companion Father's Guide as well. The student guide is amazing. It is a serious bible study, challenging readers to apply the lessons in very real ways. The Father's Guide has been such a blessing to us. Chris has been able to keep up with Ethan and be ready for weekly breakfast dates to discuss what Ethan is learning. The book gives plenty of prompts and suggestions. It can be done quickly or slowly, deeply or simply, according to your preference. Chris has been on a very tight schedule and it was difficult to make time for these breakfasts; impossible to find time for the extra reading. It was a priority for us and the Father's Guide made it possible.
I covered the boy books, but we also enjoyed girls' books, as well. The girls' favorite has been A True Princess by Angela Elwell Hunt. It is a beautiful story about the true nature of a Princess. There are just too many excellent books to tell you about all of them, though we've read several now, so you just need to browse their amazing selections. They are organized so well, by gender and age, making it a pleasant browse.
More than selection, you need to know about this company and it's excellent purpose. It is not just about the sexual purity that we immediately think of when we hear the word "pure", but about "Purity of Heart, Purity of Mind, and Purity of Body." It's about God's value system and this company's goal is to equip parents and children.
Confession time: I had to ask for an extension on my review deadline because of my cheapskate tendencies. I hate to be late and this humiliated me. You see, I was given Teknon and Lintball Leo from Generations of Virtue, but after seeing the Teknon book, I decided I really wanted Ethan to have the full experience using the Son's Guide and the Father's Guide. Did I order through Generations of Virtue with very reasonable shipping and very efficient shipping times? Noooooooo....I had other books in my Amazon cart and the Teknon books bumped me up to free shipping status so I ordered through Amazon. Amazon boasted 3-5 day shipping, but took (I kid you not) a FULL MONTH to send my books. When it costs you time, it isn't free. I placed a separate order through Generations of Virtue, ordering books for the girls and my books arrived within a week. The prices are very comparable to Amazon and the shipping is far superior. Lesson learned.
Even if you aren't interested in buying, take a peek at this wonderful website. There are other helpful resources available on the site that I think you might enjoy. If you do opt to buy, I know it will bless your family as it has mine.
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