Cover Up!!....and Look Good!

1 Timothy 2:9
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel...."

Summer is right around the corner! That means no school, plenty of sunshine, fun, excitement, pool parties and beach parties....and swimsuits. With that in mind, I figured it was time for a blog post on a certain subject: MODESTY.

I will admit, nowadays, when you hear the word "modest," most cringe or run away screaming. Sadly, the word "modesty" is thought of as boring, draby, and plain. Well, I beg to differ. :)

My sisters and I are big advocates of modesty. And we have discovered that you can dress attractively and modern while still honoring Christ with your clothing. As our culture promotes clothing that draws eyes to curves and skin, God, however, commands His people to dress in a way that draws attention to HIM. Showing lots of skin and wearing jeans, skirts, dresses, or blouses that are tight, short, or revealing will eventually cause others to lust after us, thus committing mental adultery with us. (Matthew 5:28) That's serious!!

Back when I was just entering my teenage years and wanting to dress modern and appealing, I struggled with the boundary of "what's okay" and "what's not okay" when buying clothes. I remember a conversation I had with my dad. After showing him an outfit he gently dismissed, I frustratingly said, "Dad, how do I KNOW if something is modest or not? How can I dress modestly and still look pretty and modern?" He said something then that changed my life. He looked at me and said, "Modesty isn't solely about length of dress or how high the neckline is. I'll just say this: if you try, you will. If you try to dress to draw eyes to your body and show off your beauty, then you most definitely will. But if you try to dress modestly and glorifying to the Lord....you will succeed." I have learned that this is true. Modesty is more of a heart and mind issue. If you desire to lead others to HIM, instead of yourself, then you will discover that you will want to dress accordingly. And as you draw nearer to the heart of God, then you will want to cover up. I once heard a wise father say, "Do not give men a preview of what only your husband is meant to see." That goes for the men too!

My sisters and I have learned a fun way to dress cute, fun and attractive while still being modest. We call it "the layering method." When we are given a peice of clothing that is too short or too low, we layer it! We wear tights under it, a shirt over it, a blouse behind it or in front it, and we cover ourselves while still looking fun and modern.

So we encourage you - COVER UP!! Honor our King with your clothes. Cultivate dignity and nobility while leading others to His light - in every way. You can dress attractively without dressing to attract. You can be modest...and still look good!


** Below are some websites where you can buy modest (yet modern!) clothing at reasonable prices!

http://www.purefashion.com/
http://www.diviinemodestee.com/
http://sierrabrooke.com/

Here are three brand new websites that offers tasteful and modest swimsuit apparel:
http://www.shadeclothing.com/
http://www.limericki.com/
http://www.hydrochic.com/

100 Random Things You May Not Know About Me

1. My life revolves around Christ and His ministry, my husband, my family, and my friends. In that order.
2. I drink water more than anything else.
3. I HATE cold weather. With a passion.
4. I dream in color and my dreams are realistic, but I usually forget them the moment I wake up.
5. I'm crazier than people think.
6. One crazy thing I can do pretty well is to "talk in circles" - ask Grant. Ask Melody.
7. My first word was "bear" and I have many of them.
8. I love foreign missions and I want to go to Africa, India, and the Orient sometime in my lifetime.
9. I am terrified of mice. Terrified, I say.
10. I was homeschooled.
11. From the time I was young, I've collected spoons from various states and countries.
12. I've been to Mexico twice and Brazil twice.
13. I've been to Israel.
14. When I was little, I wanted to be a fireman (firewoman?)
15. I decided against it because I'm not too fond of fire.
16. I can say all 66 books of the Bible in order and frequently race my Dad on who can say them the fastest. I still hold the record. :)
17. I'm not a morning person but my husband is currently converting me.
18. I graduated Lake Charles Bible College with a 4.0
19. My ancestry is Irish, French, and German.
20. I love jewelry.
21. I love playing Twister!
22. I absolutely adore my husband.
23. I really want to play the guitar, but I can't seem to make myself practice like I should. (plus, I like my nails)
24. I think Church Camp is the BOMB! Always has been. Some of the funniest memories I have are from late Church camp nights.
25. Regardless of where or what I want to eat, if I'm thirsty, Sonic is where I want to go. And I jump on people when they order a "plain dr pepper." When you're at Sonic, you have to put a flavor in the drink, otherwise, you should just go somewhere else.
26. I love quotes and I want to make a quote book.
27. I thoroughly enjoy movie nights.
28. I can't whistle.
29. I think it would be fun to be on Broadway.
30. There is always a song in my head.
31. My husband is the HOTTEST man alive. Don't argue with me.
32. Melody, Mercy and I quote random lines from random movies.
33. My sisters and I play "Name That Movie" and "Name That Song" and we can beat anyone, I know we can.
34. I LOVE hugs! Genuine ones.
35. I'm very nostaligic.
36. I love falling asleep to the sound of rain.
37. I'm a totally hopeless romantic.
38. I speak to young people a lot in our travels and I've been able to speak in dozens of schools.
39. My biggest platform is purity.
40. I saved my first kiss for my wedding day, and it....was.....WORTH IT!
41. I want 4 kids. 2 boys, 2 girls.
42. I'm secretly in love with chocolate covered strawberries (it's no secret now)
43. BOOKS!! Need I say more?
44. Pride and Prejudice is probably my favorite love story. 
45. I LOVE musicals!!!
46. I can sing and quote Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, State Fair, Oklahoma, Sound of Music, Singing in the Rain, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Meet Me in St. Louis, etc.
47. Since I've been married, I have enjoyed cooking more than I ever thought possible.
48. I like simple things.
49. I was born in Louisiana (Go Tigers!)
50. But I live in Arkansas (Go HOGS!)
51. Summer breezes make me smile.
52. I have over 200 CDs
52. I love picture frames and photo albums....and pictures. ;)
53. I like candles!
54. When strangers smile at me, I feel like bursting into "....What a Wonderful World!"
55. I wish there could be background music to our life.
56. I want to hold a baby tiger.
57. White tigers are one of my favorite animals.
58. I think deer are beautiful!
59. Larry's Pizza is my favorite pizza place.
60. I've sang in Branson, MO off and on since I was six.
61. My favorite show we had was the WWC show.
62. I can pinch, pick up things, and open doors with my feet.
63. God has blessed me with some amazing friends.
64. My Mom taughth me sign language and I now teach it. I love it!
65. I am still a little girl inside.
66. I still love to swing on swingsets.
67. I enjoy being a girly girl.
68. I LOVE flowers!! Oh my... *blissful smile*
69. Spring and Autumn are my favorite seasons.
70. I can spell antidisestablishmentarianism. See? :)
71. I love singing crazy songs really loud!
72. I love horseback riding on old country roads.
72. I love The Lonely Goatherd song from The Sound of Music.
73. I like bubbles.
74. When I was little (think 7 or 8) I once played Joshua in our Church's Children's play.
75. My Dad has written three Children's plays and we've performed two of them - I Went To Heaven and The Camping Trip. Fun!
76. My favorite hymns are Have Faith In God, To God Be The Glory, I Stand Amazed, Oh What A Savior, and Because He Lives.
77. I love Praise & Worship but, in my opinion, nothing will ever surpass the hymns.
78. I was saved when I was five years old but I wasn't baptized until I was six because I was afraid of the water.
79. I love cleaning. I have to have things clean. I'm not a neat freak, I just like things put up, not thrown everywhere.
80. I HATE doing dishes.
81. I used to love playing truth or dare...until I had to eat chalk. Ever since I've been more of a "truth" person.
82. Cajun fries are the reason I live down south! (or well, one of them)
83. I love wearing PJs!
84. I want to fall more in love with my husband and Jesus every day.
85. I have three books I am working on.
86. Have you tried Edy's fruit bars? On my! They are my favorite summer desert!
87. I hate toe socks.
88. I will come up with excuses to make a cake or brownies just so I can eat the batter. And I've been known to eat half of it, so the cakes sometimes are smaller and the brownies are very often FEWER.
89. Bugs Bunny was my favorite cartoon as a kid and I'll still sing "I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair."
90. One day, Lord willing, I'm going to sponser a child in another country.
91. I've superglued my fingers together more than once.
92. I've always wanted to be the voice of a character in a movie and I think being a veggie on Veggie Tales is ranked with winning an Oscar. :)
93. I enjoy packing ONLY when I'm excited about where I'm going.
94. I like making up words. Like...gorgabeautimatastic! (a combination of words meaning you're looking gorgeous, beautiful, marvellous and fantastic!)
95. I firmly believe that Heaven's angels are the ones who make Dove Chocolate. I have a theory about it that I'll gladly share if you ask me. :)
96. I used to have imaginary friends.
97. Other than my husband, my sisters are my best friends.
98. Sometimes I wish people spoke like William Shakespeare.
99. I have always wanted to go a whole day speaking into a British accent.
100. Life is a blessed gift! And I love living it!

Golden Handcuffs

Hebrews 13:3

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them;
and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

 
Recently (like in the past week) I have heard many stories from young women and girls that has broken my heart. For the past several years, I have had a burden for the girls and young women of my generation as well as the generation coming up behind me. But lately, I have been nearly bombarded by heartwrenching, true-life stories from all over this country that has reminded me of the great need all around us. Last week, I literally sat on my couch in tears after hearing of girls trapped in prostitution, some even being forced by their own parents to pursue such a dark and horrific lifestyle. I heard of girls as young as 13 engaging in premartital sex and trying (yes, trying) to get pregnant, and my heart has broken over and over again seeing the hopelessness and the helplessness of some, and then the total blindness of others.

What do you say to girls like this?

What do you say at all?

How are we supposed to feel when we look into the eyes of a young 15 year old girl who justifies all her choices in life because she "just wants to be happy." What are we to think? How are we to help?

To begin, I think that it is time to wake up! It's time to open our eyes and see what is going on in the world of young girls and women today. It's time to see the recklessness, the waste, the depravity, the loss and, above all, the lack of Jesus Christ - and then DO something about it!

Hearing stories of young women who are trapped in prostitution, wanting to get out, but being afraid for their life to do so should break our hearts and give us a burden to reach out and rescue them from the world they are forced to live in. Hearing stories of young teenage girls, barely old enough to get a learner's permit, getting drunk and getting pregnant should shake us to our core and fuel a desire to extend a hand and help them. They are bound by what I call "golden handcuffs." They are in prison, but their chains look dazzling. So they stay. They are bound, but their bonds are gold....so they remain bound by their own free will. However, there will come a time in every complacent prisoner's life when they awake to the realization that they are actually in torment; that their life is empty. And most, when they see their life for what it is and has become, are so deep in their pit that they don't even try to get out. So they spend their life, remaining in chains...convinced that their life could never be fulfilling; convinced that they have lost all hope of happiness.

They need to be reached!

They need to be helped!

Please pray with me for the countless girls and young women who are lost, lonely, and in need of an advocate; in need of hope; in need of Jesus. And if we are the body of Christ....then don't you think we need to be demonstrating His love and rescuing power?


Matthew 10:6a
But go rather to the lost sheep...

Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

2 Corinthians 4:3
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

PRAY! - as said by E.M. Bounds

What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use -- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men -- men of prayer. - E. M. Bounds

It is only when the whole heart is gripped with the passion of prayer that the life-giving fire descends, for none but the earnest man gets access to the ear of God. - E. M. Bounds

Preaching is not the performance of an hour. It is the outflow of a life. It takes twenty years to make a sermon, because it takes twenty years to make the man. The true sermon is a thing of life. The sermon grows because the man grows. The sermon is forceful because the man is forceful. The sermon is holy because the man is holy. The sermon is full of the divine unction because the man is full of the divine unction. - E. M. Bounds

The goal of prayer is the ear of God, a goal that can only be reached by patient and continued and continuous waiting upon Him, pouring out our heart to Him and permitting Him to speak to us. Only by so doing can we expect to know Him, and as we come to know Him better we shall spend more time in His presence and find that presence a constant and ever-increasing delight. - E. M. Bounds