This woman is an inspiration. Jackie Francois is a speaker and traveling Catholic enthusiasist. She is a singer as well. She is so inspiring and her talk with her boyfriend Bobby last night at Phil's BBQ for San Diego's Theology on Tap Series- topic: Love, Dating, and Relationships was one of the best talks I have ever been to! She was also a Sociology major, she loves to sing, and she is so funny, smart, beautiful, and faith-filled.
Check out her site, and her music!
She has so many valid points about the church's views in contrast to our society's views on love and how young women and men are innundated with the media's messages of love. Not only, are we taught to use each other and our bodies but how many times are we told that sex is bad? Sex is not bad. It is a beautiful act of love that is meant to be shared between a husband and wife.
She even brought up scientific research on the chemicals that are released in a female's body 8 times stronger than in a man's body when sexual innercourse occurs.
I do not bring this topic up to tell people they need to be chaste or change your views on sex, as mine have been altered, but I want to share this woman with all of you because she is exactly what I have become passionate about. Ever since I took Women and Men in the Workplace in college, I knew that I had a call to help young girls. In today's world, it becomes increasingly harder for young girls and women to really listen to their inner voice, to be proud of their bodies, to love themselves, to not be influenced by the saturating and persuasive media and images that surround us every single day. When we listen to Rihanna and Britney Spears, as I totally have and still will, how are we helping oursleves? The message we get from Rihanna's S&M lyrics, movies like Magic Mike, 50 shades of Grey, even 7th Heaven, Friends, Sex and the City, and soooo many magazines are to get a boyfriend, make love, and it is totally fine to get drunk, expose yourself, be free, and try new things. You will never know until you try right?
One in every four college-aged
women will be the victim of a rape or attempted rape.
women will be the victim of a rape or attempted rape.
And so many more women are victims of sexual assault. If 1 in 4 college aged women are victims of rape, and girls keep maturing and are exposed at a younger and younger age to the world- as they are! :-) Rape and sexual assault is only going to increase at a faster rate and to younger girls. We need to make a change. I am proud to say I was able to expose knowledge about these types of issues at Santa Clara University through Vagina Monoloues and "Every 2 Minutes" but we need to keep spreading the message of love, and what true love is.
I am not trying to say that all these songs and movies will lead to rape...I know that is a big jump but what I'm saying is : It is wonderful that women like Jackie and others are such a blessing in this world because young girls need to realize how WORTHY they are.
We all deserve true love and real love that stems from loving yourself and being patient with God. We do not need to go out and call guys, and text guys. If God wants you to find a man he will bring that man to you when the time is right. In the meantime, grow in yourself, in God, and work on your virtues. Find your passions, and motivations in life. Strive to experience real love, God will provide that. He may even bring a holy virtuous man into your life someday and call you to marriage when the time is right.
If you are interested in learning more about Jackie Francois check out her media outlets:
spiritandsong.com
twitter.com/jackiefrancois
Info on Sexual Assault and Rape:
On a lighter note, she has an amazing sense of humor!!!
And she links some utube videos on her site mocking "words of Catholic girls"
There is hope and I want to help spread that hope and knowledge of real love and women's empowerment at the same time. Being a Catholic feminist to me is showing how you can support women's rights by also learning that we are worthy of true love and that does not stem from casual sex or flaunting our bodies and approaching our feelings casually and without regard for how that puts a lack of respect and use between us and a man.
