Modesty is everyone’s issue

Tags

1 Corinthians 6:20, apparel, Christ, Christians, Clothing, Colossians 3: 12, John 14: 15, Lord, Luke 17: 1-2, Luke 6:46, lust, modesty

Luke 6: 46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

John 14: 15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

What do you think of when you hear the word modesty? Most likely it’s rules about dressing that comes to mind: how short, how low, how tight, how sheer. But modesty is more than just our choices of clothing. Modesty is about living in a way that Christ is magnified and we aren’t.

Whether in apparel, in word, in attitude, or anything else, immodesty reigns. We love to draw attention to ourselves, flaunt our bodies, flaunt our money, and flaunt our style. Those actions are just as immodest as dressing in tight, see-through, or low-cut clothing. Modesty, in all areas of our lives, has fallen out of style because the church is nearly indistinguishable from the world. Even among so-called Christians, being like our friends is often more important to us than what our Lord commands. Modesty is a commandment but how many of us care?

If we want to be pleasing to the Lord, we must begin to care. If our lives center on Him, our choices will too. One of the areas that many of us need to work on is dressing in a way that pleases the Lord–without falling into the trap of legalism. I’ve heard young women say that if they were wearing a bikini and a guy lusted after them, it was his problem and his alone. Yes, men have to take responsibility for their actions and if they give into lust, God holds them accountable. However, if a woman has dressed in such a way as to cause a man to lust, God will hold her accountable, also. The same, however, is also true of men. Some guys go around with their shirt open down to there or with no shirt on or in tight pants. For some women, these are stumbling blocks just as much as a woman’s immodest apparel is a stumbling block to men. Other men might flaunt their wealth, or dress in a way that he knows is attractive to women in order to draw attention to himself–even if he is fully covered, these actions are still proof of an immodest heart. It matters not if we are covered, if our desire is to draw attention to ourselves rather than to our Lord, we are immodest–and we are sinning.

Lust isn’t just a guy’s issue. Modesty isn’t just a woman’s issue. Guys can be just as immodest as girls and women can lust just as much as a man. Because men are visual and their minds complete the pattern their eyes see, immodesty among women is, overall, a greater stumbling block to a male than a guy’s immodesty is to women. That’s overall. But I’ve known women who lusted greatly and boasted greatly about their lust. Both are wrong to lust, and both are wrong to dress in a way that leads others to lust.

Luke 17: 1- 2, “Then he said unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than he should offend one of these little ones.” .

I Corinthians 6: 20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

We do not belong to ourselves, we belong to God. It is God alone that we must please. Everything about our lives should glorify our Savior. If we either dress in an immodest fashion or allow our children to, the witness that we are giving to the lost says, “My God doesn’t have any standards. Just come to Him and you can do what you want.” God has standards so high that, were it not for the blood of Christ and the grace of God none of us would be able to stand before Him. When we ignore His commands in order to do what we want, we are sinning.

Modesty begins in the heart. A modest man or woman will exhibit qualities such as gentleness and humility (Colossians 3: 12).They will not strive to be “front and center” and gather attention for themselves. Their clothing, like everything about them, will point to God.

This message could have been for me about 30 years ago. No one told me I was being immodest in my choices of clothing or in my attitudes. It took the grace of God in opening my eyes for me to realize it. I don’t say what I’ve said out of malice or a holier-than-thou attitude. I wish someone had told me what I’m telling you. May God be glorified by our desire to honor Him in every single aspect of our lives.

Soli Deo gloria!

Thanksgiving Yummies

Tags

breakfast, cranberry pie, Thanksgiving

Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Pie

This is our annual Thanksgiving breakfast treat. Often we serve sausage links along side of it. Delicious with coffee!! This is easily doubled and you can leave the walnuts out if someone doesn’t like them. Just add a few more cranberries to the mix. We always make one pie with walnuts and one without so everyone is satisfied. Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving!!

(Preheat oven to 350 degrees)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cup cranberries

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (can use vanilla if out of almond)

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add nuts and cranberries and mix well. Mix the beaten eggs, melted butter and extract together and then add into flour mixture. Stir well. Spread into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Spiced Corn Muffins

If you want something other than a traditional roll for Thanksgiving, these are very good. Of course, you could do both! Be a bit careful with these, as they are tender. Do not use low-fat items.

(Preheat oven to 350 degrees)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup biscuit mix

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons cornmeal

6 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a bowl, stir together the melted butter or margarine, sour cream, milk and egg. Blend well. Add the biscuit mix, baking soda, cornmeal, sugar and spice. Stir until blended. Scoop into greased muffin tin (or use liners). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Wishing you God’s greatest blessings,

Until next time,

‘bye, ya’ll!

Anna

Aaahhh, Thanksgiving

Tags

praising God, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving parade, Thanksgiving traditions, turkey

Aaahhh, Thanksgiving…my favorite holiday without a doubt. As much as I love Christmas (and I love it bunches and bunches), Thanksgiving wins out as my very favorite holiday because it lacks the commercialism associated with Christmas. Stores do try to sell you fake turkeys and pilgrims of all kinds but besides that there’s not much more that they can do except sell you groceries (if there is, they haven’t thought of it yet!). Thanksgiving is for thanking God for His bountiful blessings and gathering with family and friends to enjoy a meal together.

As soon as payday rolls around, we’re going to start looking for a turkey. We’ve got lots of children, so we need (want) a big one. I’m talking BIG, 24-26 pounds big. Good news is, you get more bang for your buck once your turkey is over 12 pounds. Over that, you’re pretty much paying for the turkey rather than the bones. And there’s so much you can do with turkey. Our favorites are turkey pot pie, creamed turkey, turkey sandwiches and turkey Tetrazzini. I never really cared for turkey soup though I know lots of folks who love it.

I start cooking a day or two before Thanksgiving. It’s just easier that way. On the morning of, we get up and I make cranberry walnut pie and little sausages (that’s why my children call ’em) and we watch the parade together. You never watched the parade? Pity. Yes, there’s too many songs, too much talking, and not enough of the floats, marching bands and balloons but it’s tradition! So tradition wins out and we watch it over breakfast and the little ones keep on watching it as I head back to the kitchen to cook And they always enjoy it. 🙂

I like to make several different side dishes. Always dressing (we’re Southerners so it’s dressing, not stuffing), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, a relish tray, rolls and gravy. There’s always a couple of pies or three. Besides that, it depends on money, time and what we want. There might be corn in some form on the table (corn pudding, jalapeno corn pudding, corn on the cob), maybe green bean casserole (which, though I love green beans, I don’t care for the casserole but the others like it), maybe a salad, ambrosia, macaroni and cheese, or some other vegetable dependent upon what sounds good and what we can do. It sounds like a lot (though I never make everything I’ve mentioned) but the meal and leftovers, including left over turkey and the possibilities it presents, takes care of our family for days and days. Sort of a mega-Thanksgiving cooking spree.

Yes, I love Thanksgiving but I love my God and my family more. Far more than the food or the parade, praising Him and being with them is what makes Thanksgiving special. I’m looking forward to it.

What special traditions or foods does your family enjoy on Thanksgiving?

 

 

Taking a Stand for Modesty

Tags

J.D. Greear, modest clothing, modesty

“yes, girls, it’s our fault if we strike the match to ignite our thoughts with lust, but you don’t have to pile up twigs at our feet and douse them in gasoline.” J. D. Greear 

Modesty is an attitude of the heart. When a woman loves the Lord most of all, she will rejoice in her ability to serve her brothers in the church by clothing herself in ways that don’t lay a stumbling block at their feet. When a woman loves herself most of all, she won’t.

There are times that a woman may want to serve the Lord but still fail to dress modestly. Perhaps she wasn’t ever taught how visual guys are, maybe she doesn’t think of herself as having any physical assets, maybe she is still growing spiritually. If her heart is right, she can be taught. She’ll welcome the teaching.

It’s an uncomfortable subject. Most preachers don’t want to get up in the pulpit and address modesty. I can understand why they don’t but I also think they ought to reconsider. Teaching on modesty can be done gently while still honoring the Lord’s truth. Many ladies no longer try to be an example to the younger women and girls and/or don’t think they have it in them to be a Titus 2 woman. If you are one who haven’t wanted to be an example, please examine your own heart. Is your heart right with God? Are your own clothes modest? If not, talk to the Lord about it, please. If they are, are you too busy? Too tired? Were you untaught yourself? If you are a godly lady, you’ve got something to teach and there are younger women who desperately need and even want your guidance. I was one who desperately sought for guidance when I was younger. No one ever stepped up to the plate though I did hear every single excuse imaginable why they didn’t have the time to invest in me. Don’t be one who does that to someone else.

Modesty needs to be addressed in our churches. For far too long, those in leadership in our churches have either ignored the subject of modesty or been legalistic about it. Both are extremes. Both are wrong. Let’s start with you and with me. Let’s examine our own hearts, minds and motives. Do we love the Lord? Do we really really love Him or are we loving ourselves more? Do our clothes reflect our love of Him? (Guys, this is for you too. Men can be immodest just as easily as the ladies can.) Are our clothes too costly? Flashy? Tight? Sheer? Too short or low cut? Are we trying to draw attention to ourselves? Are our main efforts on improving ourselves focused inward or outward? Let’s examine ourselves in light of Scripture and make sure we’re right. Then let’s step up and honor the Lord by taking a stand for modesty.

 

 

On Christian Modesty

Tags

Christian modesty, modest, modest clothing, modesty

I wasn’t raised to be modest. Growing up, I regularly wore short-shorts, tube tops and revealing swimsuits. So did the other girls that I went to church with. Those were modern times and old-fashioned rules just didn’t apply. Or so I was told.

I grew up, married and had children. I dressed my little girl in shorts and halter tops and swimsuits, nothing as revealing as my clothing had been but still more-so than I now believe is appropriate. As she approached her teen years I grew uncomfortable with the idea of her dressing as I had once dressed. And, by that time, I had two other young girls, impressionable and with ever-lasting souls and the way they would be dressed as they grew up was also weighing on my mind. I started researching this modesty issue.

No matter what we’re talking about (music, clothes, habits), there’s a danger of swinging too far to the right thinking that if we do more than is required, we’ll be even more pleasing to the Lord and that’s what I did when I became more aware of the need to be more modest. But God tells us in His Word that we are to be temperate, showing moderation in all that we do. In other words, neither going too far this way nor that. Growing up, my home tended towards being legalistic. Immodesty was allowed but many other things weren’t. They weren’t disallowed because God said it but simply because the church thought it. In other words, they were Pharisees, adding rules in order to keep rules. This was the tendency in my family as well as the church that I grew up in (considering the times, that is). As I studied what the Bible said rather than church doctrine, my beliefs changed. I changed. So how we dressed changed.

We have an obligation to the Lord to do all that we do for Him. He is God, we aren’t, and it is He that we are to obey. It’s oh-so easy to add rules upon God’s Word in order to make extra-sure that we are pleasing Him. On the other side of the coin, it’s so easy to excuse our behavior by saying “Everyone’s doing it” or “Times are different” or “That’s old-fashioned”. Neither is right. Neither pleases Him.

We must examine our heart. Why do we desire to dress (or do anything) as we do? What motivates us? Is it fear of man? Long-standing rules? The desire to abolish long-standing rules? Pride in our own spirituality? Or is it what Scripture refers to as “fear of the Lord”?

Proverbs 1: 7 says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If we’re ever going to be pleasing to the Lord, we must start here. He is God and we are not. He has all power and, in the end, we have none–none to save ourselves, none to change the future, honestly none at all. God is Sovereign and we can’t always even open a bag of cereal without ripping the bag and spilling it. Wrapping our mind around Who God is goes a long way towards developing the right kind of fear of Him. That’s when we start developing wisdom. The wisdom that guides us as we delve into an understanding of modesty–or anything else.

So after running the gamut for a couple of years, going too far this way or that, I grew in my understanding of what it really means to be modest and was able to teach my daughters better than I had been taught. My oldest daughter is now grown and gone. My two younger daughters and I have long settled into an understanding of what it means for us to dress with modesty–and why. We still have rules but they are based in a desire to honor the Lord rather than in Pharisaical rules or modernism. My daughters are allowed to make many of their own choices as long as they are seeking to please the Lord. One daughter loves jeans. Another is pure vintage. Both love the Lord and His truth. Both are feminine. Both are modest. And both are pleasing the Lord with their desire to please Him because both of them know Him and fear Him. And that’s where a desire to be modest must begin.

Open Letter to Single Mamas

Tags

Christ, motherhood, single Moms, single mothers

 

Dear Single Mama,

I am so proud of you. You are doing such a difficult job with such wonderful grace. Instead of giving up your child for adoption, instead of having an abortion, instead of focusing on what you wanted rather than what she needed, you are here, loving her, pouring out your life for her, giving her your all.

Or maybe circumstances were such that you couldn’t. You couldn’t keep him but you still did your best. You didn’t destroy him, you let him live. Out of love for your child, you broke your own heart in order to give him up to another family who could love him and provide for him when you were sure you couldn’t. How amazingly unselfish. You are so worthy of praise!

O sweet Mama, you probably never expected to be in this situation. After all, what little girl dreams of growing up and becoming a single Mom? None that I know of, yet so many end up being just that. You might be like my Mom, running from a dangerous man, trying to make a new, safer, life for herself and her little girl. You might be like the daughter of my best friend who found herself in a difficult situation but who chose to rise to the occasion with every ounce of courage she had. You might be like a new friend of mine, a single Mama of two amazing children, working, homeschooling and raising them all alone after her ex- decided he wanted to be just that: her -ex. Whatever your situation is, I applaud you for handling it with grace. So many balk at being a mother yet you’ve willingly taken on one of the most difficult jobs in the whole world and you’ve done it alone.

Being a mother is a hard job but it’s also the world’s most rewarding job. To feel those little arms around your neck or those sweet lips kissing your cheek, there’s just nothing like it. You hold your child’s heart in your hand. You are the molder of their future. Your little guy needs you to be strong and faithful. You little girl needs you to be the kind of Mom she will want to grow up to be. Your little ones, and your big ones, need you to point them to Christ every single day. Just remember you must lean on Christ. Follow Him. Obey Him. Trust Him. When you are weak, He will be your Strength. When you are overwhelmed, He will be your Rock.

Being a Christian single Mom is all about Christ. It’s about seeking Him, believing Him, obeying Him and trusting Him to carry you through. By His strength, you can do it. You can run the race. One day your children will praise you.

One day, if you are faithful to Him, Christ will praise you also.

Meanwhile be on your knees in prayer. Stay in His Word. Pour out your needs to the Lord. Follow Him every day. Pour out your life to your children. Love them every day. You will be greatly rewarded.

With much love and admiration,

a grateful sister in Christ

 

 

Photo via http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/flickrCC/index.php?terms=mother&edit=yes&page=1

Places to Purchase Modest Swimwear Online

Tags

modest swimsuits, modest swimwear, modesty

Do you want to maintain your modesty and still go swimming? That’s important to me. Some Christians feel comfortable undressing in public as long as its for swimming but I just can’t believe that that is honoring to our Lord. God doesn’t want us to be legalistic and follow some man-made list of rules. He does, however, care about our hearts. He does care whether we love Him enough to want to honor Him with our choice of clothing. I’ve gathered a list here of some great links to help you find a modest swimsuit for yourself,  your husband, your sons or daughters. Some of the sites offer patterns and/or fabric to make your own swimwear. Some offer suits for guys, suits, some for gals, some for children. Some even offer maternity or nursing swimsuits.

My boys have always worn tee shirts in the pool or at the beach. We’ve found swim shirts at thrift stores and most guy swim shorts are decent anyway. It’s usually the girls and women you’ve got to be concerned about. I’ve only actually ordered a modest swimsuit for my girls twice: once through Amazon (a rash guard suit) and once from one of the places listed below. Both were several years ago and both suits have held up well during the years. Besides that, we’ve “put together” suits for my girls through a bit of creativity and careful shopping. Once we put together a cute outfit using leotards and sports shorts. If you don’t have a lot of money, you might take some time, say a prayer, and get creative. If you’ve got some money to spend, you might want to check out some of these sites, maybe buy one, maybe find a pattern and make your own. Whatever you do, I hope you have fun.

If you have some questions about modesty or about the history of our modern swimsuit, you might want to read Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America by Jeff Pollard. Sermons by him, including ones on modesty, can be found on SermonAudio.

My apologies but some links simply aren’t clickable. They do work, however. Just copy and paste. Thanks!

 

Modest Swimwear Patterns

Fresh Modesty http://freshmodesty.com/ (offers a 34 page swimwear e-book that teaches you how to design and sew modest swimwear, including options for maternity swimwear; also offers an e-book for sewing denim; good prices, worth looking into if you are a seamstress)

Patterns of Time offers old-fashioned (but cute) swimwear patterns from the Victorian/Edwardian/Titanic era with original instructions at these links: (for ladies) http://patternsoftime.com/proddetail.asp?prod=AG1415, http://patternsoftime.com/proddetail.asp?prod=AG1416, http://patternsoftime.com/proddetail.asp?prod=AG1426; (for girls) http://patternsoftime.com/proddetail.asp?prod=AG1427

Simply Modest http://www.simply-modest.com/posecom/categories.php?category=Sewing-Patterns (girls and ladies swimwear)

Modesty Matters http://www.modestymatters.net/clothing.html (offers pattern for swim dress)

Past Patterns http://www.pastpatterns.com/7696.html (pattern for one-piece bathing suit, circa 1922)

Quick Stitches http://www.quickstitches.com/home1.html (offers modest swimsuit patter for ladies as well as other patterns)

 

Modest Swimwear

LeeLach Israeli Women Designers http://www.leelach.com/ (some suits offer extensive cover; offers a variety of styles and colors for girls and women in a range of prices, sells clothing and head covers also)

UnderCover WaterWear http://www.undercoverwaterwear.com/ (some suits offer extensive cover; girls and women’s sizes including plus sizes, swim dresses and tops and bottoms, swim hats, variety of colors, variety of prices)

MarSea Modest Swimwear http://www.marseamodest.com/ (some suits offer extensive cover; offers a range of colors and styles in girls and women’s sizes, offers limited sale items, offers clothing for girls)

HydroChic http://hydrochic.com/ (some suits offer extensive cover; offers girls and women’s sizes including plus sizes and maternity, accessories offers sales, variety of styles, colors and prices)

Princess Modest Swimwear http://modestswimwear4u.com/ (some suits offer extensive cover; offers mens and women’s styles, variety of colors, some sales, swim caps)

AquaModesta http://aquamodesta.com/ (some suits offer extensive cover; offers women’s and girls sizes, variety of styles, good prices)

WholesomeWear http://www.wholesomewear.com/page-3.html  (some suits offers extensive cover; offers girls and women’s sizes, variety of styles)

Creations by Savannah https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreationsbySavannah (offers girls, women’s and maternity swimwear in a variety of colors and styles)

Modest Swimwear & Activewear by: Cori http://modestactivewear.blogspot.com/ (offers swimsuits, workout wear and snow ski wear

Meant to be Modest http://meanttobemodest.com/ (very modest; offers complete swimsuits or separates, offers maternity suits suitable for nursing, accepts checks and paypal)

Dressing for His Glory http://www.dressingforhisglory.com/ (offers girls and women’s swimwear and clothing, cut to order, offers school uniforms, has some ready made clothes on sale at reduced prices)

Swim Modest! http://www.swimmodest.com/ (offers boys and mens swim shirts, girls and women’s to size 20 one (sarong style) and two piece swimsuits in a range of colors, offers returns within 30 days if sanitary strip is still in place)

Simply Modest http://www.simply-modest.com/posecom/ (offers ladies and girls swimsuits, maternity swimwear, custom made and ready made; offers swimsuit fabric and patterns, some sewing notions)

Stitchin’ Times http://www.stitchintimes.com/ (offers girls, women’s and nursing swimsuits in a variety of colors, limited style options, also offers slips, good prices)

Modestly Yours Swimwear http://modestlyyoursswimwear.com/ (offers girls and sizes, made to order, variety of styles and colors, my two daughters favorite swimwear site)

Lilies of the Field http://www.liliesapparel.com/ (offers girls and ladies swimwear, offers head coverings, aprons and clothing, etc.)

KatieMellas http://katiemellas.com/ (offers modest swimwear for girls and women, maternity skirts and music lessons)

AnnieBlueStudio http://www.etsy.com/shop/AnnieBlueStudio?ref=ss_profile (girls modest swimwear, good prices)

C WEAR http://www.cwear.com.au/ (offers suits for men, women, plus sizes and children)

Coolibar http://www.coolibar.com/

SolarTex Sun Gear http://www.solartex.com/ (offers a wide variety of modest swimwear for men, women and children; offers special needs swimwear and accessories)

 

 

 

Womanhood: A High and Holy Calling

Tags

Anna Grace Wood, biblical womanhood, God, godly womanhood, lie, women

There is such emptiness in many women’s lives, a barrenness that speaks of losing her place, of misunderstanding her calling.

Christianity is not a cultural thing, bending to societies rules and blending in. It is the Truth that sets people free. It is the Truth that sets women free. There is a distinctiveness to manhood and womanhood and, understood, it is a beautiful thing.

This is a Truth that has been misrepresented, misinterpreted, misapplied for so very long now.

Much more is black or white than we have been told; indeed, more than we want to believe. The Truth of our identity as women, as well as the truth of all that is godly, has been twisted beyond recognition and then painted over and sold on the open market: “truth–mine, yours, theirs, ours; it’s all good: cheap.”

Long ago women stepped on board the “American Success ride” and lost ourselves. Amid the clamour, the sights and sounds, we lost our understanding of Truth, of reality, of womanhood, of God. We invited our mothers, our daughters, our sisters to come join us. Spinning round and round on the dizzying ride, as kaleidoscope colors flash in our brains, our uneasy minds are, for a time, put to rest by the sheer beauty, the excitement, the fulfillment, the fun, of it all.

“It is so beautiful, it must be right.” Adam and Eve thought so, too.

Seduced by the idea that God (and our husbands, society, our families) have withheld what is good from us, American women have plunged headlong into a boiling cauldron of excess: having more, we must have more yet. More success, more money, more beauty, more clothes, more excitement, more fulfilment, more, more, more….

As the character Sabrina in the movie of the same name said, “More isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s just more.”

Yet we strive on, content in our discontent. Something is missing but we don’t know it. If we can only do more, be more, then, one day we’ll find the elusive ‘it” that will, at last, bring our lives fulfilment. Our lives are exhausting, our hearts aching, our spirits empty, our prayers barren. Taking everything and focusing it on us only leads to emptiness. We’ve been lied to. Women are gullible: refusing guidance, we’ve believed the lie.

“What do I want? need? deserve? What is good for me?”

No talk of duty to parents, husband, children, the church, the lost. All that matters is me.

What happens when, in pursuit of me and what I want, I throw away everything that could have brought me true joy?

What happens when the maddening music stops and the rollercoaster ride of our lives comes to a screeching halt? When we look around us and realize that what had appeared so bright and shiny from our brief stop at the ascent now appears as it truly is: dull, tired, in need of new paint in order to continually keep up the façade?

What happens when the façade fades? When we look around us and all are strangers? When our husbands and children are walking away from us, indifferent to our pleas to come back and be with us for one more ride? A ride, we promise, that will somehow end differently…this time.

What happens when the lights go up and the show of our lives is over and we have nothing of true value to offer to God–what then?

We’ve lived the lie long enough. We’ve listened to the world even as we were drowning in nothingness.

There is a Way and most of us have missed it. The terrible price is the destruction of our lives, our families, our souls, our churches. Husbands dishonored and disrespected. Children not had or tossed aside. Our own femininity dried up like a rose in the desert. And us women: once secure in our cultural identities, now with nothing, no one, alone at last, reaping bountifully what we’ve sown so very, very well.

What now? What can we do when we’ve done all that we’ve been told to do and the result is nothing but carnage?

For so long we’ve interpreted our lives, our womanhood, by culture rather than by God’s Word. We must repent of lies told and believed. We must rise up, one woman at a time, and reclaim our calling, our womanly heritage, as women of the Word.

It isn’t easy. Most of what is right is not easy. But right is right even if everyone believes it is wrong. Just because our mothers believed it doesn’t make it true. Just because our pastors teach it, our denomination supports it, our culture demands it, doesn’t mean we have to blindly accept it.

Proverbs 14: 12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

We can search out Truth.

A lie believed out of ignorance is still a lie believed. We must seek God’s Word in order to seek Truth–in this or anything else. What we want, if it differs from Truth, doesn’t matter. What our church, our pastor, our denomination “allows” or teaches about our place as women, if it isn’t centered in God’s Word, doesn’t matter. What our culture has to say about womanhood certainly doesn’t matter. Jesus is Lord and as such He is the supreme ruler of us–even if we ignore it or don’t know it. The Bible isn’t subject to our culture or to our whims. It doesn’t matter what we have always been taught, what has always been done, what anyone wants–if it’s wrong, it’s sin.

Men are called by God to be men and to fill the role that God Himself has laid out for them. Women, likewise, are called by Him to be women and to fill the role that God Himself has laid out for women.  A woman’s place is a high and glorious calling but we’ve forgotten that. We’ve bought the lies, swallowed the poison and forgotten our place. Our place was, once, much more beautiful and holy than it is now. Like Esau of old, we women have sold our birthright. There is joy in true womanhood, in being a woman under authority (both God and her husband’s). Women have been honored by God Almighty in so many, many ways. We prostitute ourselves when we demean ourselves and sell out our calling to fulfill that of a man’s. A man’s place is wondrous and full of glory but not when it is filled by a woman.

When we find Truth we have an obligation to embrace it, obey it, teach it so that others may know. To loudly proclaim part of God’s Word (the parts we like) while ignoring the parts that are uncomfortable, or that will get us laughed at, cause us pain, persecution or death, is to sin. We must honor God by seeking to understand the full counsel of God. Anything less is dishonesty. Anything less is disobedience and not Christianity at all.

A partial lie is still a lie. A partial truth propagated as the whole Truth is as good as a lie.

True biblical womanhood is beautiful. It is a privilege given to us by God Himself. It is a high and holy calling.

Keep the faith, sisters!

Until next time may God make His face to shine upon you!

In Him,

Anna

Soli Deo gloria!

 

 

 

On Teaching Younger Women

Tags

cleaning, cooking, domestic, Older women, sewing, Titus 2, Titus 2 womanhood, Titus 2: 3-5

Titus 2, 3-5, The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

I think we’ve gotten our focus wrong. We’ve looked at Titus 2, broken it down, made a list and checked it off. Much like making a Christmas list. Following a list, even one taken out of Scripture, without the full context of Scripture to explain it, makes it easy to become legalistic and lose the reason for the things we are teaching.

If Christ is not the reason we teach what we teach to our daughters, we aren’t teaching anything that’s worthwhile. Simply teaching them a step-by-step program, to cook, to sew, to clean house, to raise children and so on, might make them a good housekeeper or a good nanny but it won’t make them a godly woman or wife.

Scripture must interpret Scripture for it to be understood correctly. We can’t divorce one part of it from another, as is so often done in proof-texting, without losing the real meaning. Without context, without an overall knowledge of God’s Word, we can’t know Christ nor can we serve Him worthily.

I applaud women who want to raise their daughters to be keepers at home. I want that for my daughters too. In a world gone mad, we need a few more good women who want to marry, have children and be at home with them. But if they are doing it because “this is what I was taught” or “to please my husband” or “because I want to”, they may make an impact on their family and even on others but they won’t be making an impact for eternity.

In the end, the eternal value of being a godly woman, wife and mother far outweighs getting down any list. It’s good to know how to cook, clean, sew, garden, and raise children. It’s good to strive to honor our husbands, love our children and pass down domestic skills. I believe it honors God for women to use their talents to bless their families and others. I believe that it pleases God when a godly wife sees her home and her family as her first line of duty. But if in doing so or if in teaching our daughters such, we aren’t first and foremost teaching them the why behind it, we’ve failed and we’ve ensured their failure.

Jesus is the reason for everything. He’s the reason we live, breathe and have our being. He’s also the reason we are to teach our daughters holiness, to be keepers at home, to be pure and to love their families. If we don’t remember that, we have failed.

Frugal Foodstuff

Tags

cheap food, cooking on a budget, frugal cooking

I love to cook. Cooking to me is part adventure, part pleasure and part art. It is wholly about being a good steward of what God has blessed us with and doing good towards my family. We’ve never had a lot; this past eight years there’s been times we’ve had practically nothing. Because money is so tight I have been forced to learn to cook very frugally. I admitted in a previous post that I get frustrated by what some writers insist on calling “frugal” meals. What to them is frugal is to my family and many others the stuff that dreams are made of. Fancy foods, out of season foods and specialty foods just aren’t frugal, no matter how one slices it.

I have several favorite sites where I often check for frugal recipes. Here are the links to some of my favorite recipe blogs and websites:  http://allrecipes.com/ , http://www.thecountrycook.net/ and http://www.justapinch.com/.

When I find a new recipe that I want to try, I write it down or bookmark it or, if it’s a professional site, I save it to my “recipe box”. Sometimes I’ll pin it on Pinterest. I look for recipes that are inexpensive to make but I also sometimes save recipes that are for fancier occasions. I make sure I go back and revisit the ideas from time to time in order to keep them fresh in my mind. I do the same with cookbooks. If a “waiting to be tried” recipe is one of my cookbooks, I might mark it with a paperclip. New favorites often join old favorites into “my” cookbook: a heavy spiral bound journal I started years ago in which I write or paste our favorite recipes. It’s nearly full now so I’ve recently started a new personal cookbook. I know a lot of folks struggle like we do. Some struggle even more. I’m sure some of my readers could teach me a thing or two and if you have advice or recipes to share, we’d all appreciate it. For now I’m going to share some things that help us to make do with joy in the kitchen.

First, since I cook based on sales, I never cook the same menu two months running. Never. I cook almost all of our meals from scratch. And I hardly ever serve meat by itself. Instead I include meat in a soup, casserole, sandwiches or the such. We can’t afford to serve it as the entrée unless it’s a very special occasion (such as Thanksgiving). If we’ve found marked down ground beef, I might make chili, spaghetti, hamburger scramble, hamburger soup or a casserole. If I find chicken on clearance, I might serve BBQ chicken sandwiches, cheesy chicken sandwiches, chicken soup or a casserole. With pork, we might have BBQ pork sandwiches. I rarely serve fish as we’re not in a position for my guys to fish and it’s too expensive at the store. I also have several inexpensive recipes that rely on eggs or cheese (omelets, cheese pizza, and the such). I find that including bread of some kind at a meal both makes it stretch and fancies it up a bit. We regularly make biscuits, cornbread, rolls, bread sticks and popovers to accompany a meal. There are times that we include side dishes and there are times we don’t. Often our meals are one-pot dinners.

Second, we don’t shop at one store. Some stores are good for general items, some have great sales and some mark down produce, meat or dairy items on a regular basis. We also regularly go by Dollar stores and general item stores. You have to be careful to watch the prices at the Dollar type of stores. Some things there are a great value and some things aren’t.

Third, (though previously stated) we shop sales for as many items as is possible to find. We purschase milk marked down and, if it is whole milk, I split it 2/3 milk to 1/3 water to make it stretch. We look for scratch and dent items. We buy discounted meat and veggies and fruits on clearance. We also shop loss leaders and look for weekly sales items. We don’t go on one shopping trip; to do so would defeat our purpose. We shop all during the month, spending just a bit here and a bit there. Usually, to save gas, my husband does the shopping on his way home from work. I myself only usually do it once or twice a month. He goes and looks and if he finds a great sale, he calls and asks if it is something I can use for a meal.

Fourth, I aim to spend around $10.00 to $12.00 for a supper and $3.00 to $4.00 for breakfast. That’s for the nine of us currently at home. Hard to do? Sometimes. Impossible? No. The other night I made pizza cups for supper. The grand total cost? Around $6.00. Lunch is usually leftovers or sandwiches.

Fifth, and this should probably be first, I pray for God’s guidance in my meal planning, to help us find good sales, to know how to manage our food and the food budget. He always answers.

Sixth, if I can afford to I will make a fancier meal once or twice a month. It’s good for morale and, since we don’t go out to eat, this is our special treat. Even then I plan them around items bought on sale so, though it’s more expensive than my usual meals, it’s still quite reasonable. I also try to make a fun meal for Friday nights which are our family nights. The fun meal might be pizza, spaghetti or some other meal that is especially child friendly while also being budget friendly.

Seventh, I use seasonal fruits and vegetables and canned or frozen vegetables. Speciality items are a no-no.

Eight, spices make the meal. Seriously. Even our dogs enjoy the foods that we’ve spiced up, no matter how simple they are. Whether it’s spaghetti, jambalaya, dirty rice, homemade beef rice-a-roni, or some other meal, spices can make a meal seem more special even if the ingredients are humble ones.

Ninth, I serve water, homemade sweet tea or unsweetened tea or homemade lemonade for lunches and suppers.

Tenth, I almost always only serve dessert once a week and that’s on Family Night.

Eleventh, when time and money are short, I have some inexpensive store-bought meals that I fall back on. One such meal is ravioli and garlic bread. By buying two large cans (the ones equivalent to six regular size cans) and serving garlic bread with it, it meets our price range and it’s tasty too. Another such meal is canned tomato soup and pb&j sandwiches or grilled cheese sandwiches. A third would be frozen burritos.

Twelfth, I try to cook meals that I know my family enjoys. No matter how cheap a meal, it becomes expensive if no one eats it. I’m sensitive to the fact that one son hates beans and rice unless it’s in very specific meals (such as jambalaya, red beans and rice or chili). So if I cook beans or rice, I try to prepare something that I know he’ll enjoy (maybe homemade mac-n-cheese, an omelet or a sandwich).

And that’s about it for now. What are your best suggestions for saving money when shopping or your favorite frugal meal?

Womanhood: A High and Holy Calling

Tags

adam and eve, biblical womanhood, Christian women, godly womanhood, seeking truth, worldliness

There is such emptiness in many women’s lives, a barrenness that speaks of losing their place, of misunderstanding their calling. Such barrenness is present even in many of our churches.

Christianity is not a cultural thing, bending to societies rules and blending in. It is the truth that sets people free. It is also the truth that sets women free. There is distinctiveness to manhood and womanhood and, understood, it is a beautiful thing.

Sadly this truth has been misrepresented, misinterpreted, misapplied for many decades.

Much more is black or white in Christianity than we have been led to believe; indeed, more than we want to believe. The truth of our identity as women, as well as the truth of all that is godly, has been twisted beyond recognition and then painted over and sold on the open market:“truth–mine, yours, theirs, ours; it’s all good: cheap.”

Long ago women stepped on board the “American Success ride”; because of that we lost ourselves. Amid the clamour, the sights and sounds, we lost our understanding of truth, of reality, of womanhood, of God. We invited our mothers, our daughters, our sisters to come join us. Spinning round and round on the dizzying ride, as kaleidoscope colors flash in our brains, our uneasy minds are, for a time, put to rest by the sheer beauty, the excitement, the fulfillment, the fun, of it all.

“It is so beautiful, it must be right.” Well, Adam and Eve thought so, too.

Seduced by the idea that God (and our husbands, society, our families) have withheld what is good from us, American women have plunged headlong into a boiling cauldron of excess: having more, we must have more yet. More success, more money, more beauty, more clothes, more excitement, more fulfilment, more, more, more….

As the character Sabrina in the movie of the same name said,“More isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s just more.”

Yet we strive on, content in our discontent. Something is missing but we don’t know it. If we can only do more, be more, then, one day we’ll find the elusive ‘it” that will, at last, bring our lives fulfilment. Our lives are exhausting, our hearts aching, our spirits empty, our prayers barren. Taking everything and focusing it on us only leads to emptiness. We’ve been lied to. Women have been gullible: refusing knowledge, we’ve believed the lie.

“What do I want? need? deserve? What is good for me?”

No talk of duty to parents, husband, children, the church, the lost. All that matters is me.

What happens when, in pursuit of me and what I want, I throw away everything that could have brought me true joy?

What happens when the maddening music stops and the rollercoaster ride of our lives comes to a screeching halt? When we look around us and realize that what had appeared so bright and shiny from our brief stop at the ascent now appears as it truly is: dull, tired, in need of new paint in order to continually keep up the façade?

What happens when the façade fades? When we look around us and all are strangers? When our husbands and children are walking away from us, indifferent to our pleas to come back and be with us for one more ride? A ride, we promise, that will somehow end differently…this time.

What happens when the lights go up and the show of our lives is over and we have nothing of true value to offer to God–what then?

We’ve lived the lie long enough. We’ve listened to the world even as we were drowning in nothingness.

There is a Way and most of us have missed it. The terrible price is the destruction of our lives, our families, our souls, our churches. Husbands dishonored and disrespected. Children not had or tossed aside. Our own femininity dried up like a rose in the desert. And us women: once secure in our cultural identities, now with nothing, no one, alone at last, reaping bountifully what we’ve sown so very, very well.

What now? What can we do when we’ve done all that we’ve been told to do and the result is nothing but carnage?

For so long we’ve interpreted our lives, our womanhood, by culture rather than by God’s Word. We must repent of lies told and believed. We must rise up, one woman at a time, and reclaim our calling, our womanly heritage, as women of the Word.

It isn’t easy. Most of what is right is not easy. But right is right even if everyone believes it is wrong. Just because our mothers believed it doesn’t make it true. Just because our pastors teach it, our denomination supports it, our culture demands it, doesn’t mean we have to blindly accept it.

Proverbs 14: 12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

We can search out Truth.

A lie believed out of ignorance is still a lie believed. We must seek God’s Word in order to seek Truth–in this or anything else. What we want, if it differs from Truth, doesn’t matter. What our church, our pastor, our denomination “allows” or teaches about our place as women, if it isn’t centered in God’s Word, doesn’t matter. What our culture has to say about womanhood certainly doesn’t matter. Jesus is Lord and as such He is the supreme ruler of us–even if we ignore it or don’t know it. The Bible isn’t subject to our culture or to our whims. It doesn’t matter what we have always been taught, what has always been done, what anyone wants–if it’s wrong, it’s sin.

Men are called by God to be men and to fill the role that God Himself has laid out for them. Women, likewise, are called by Him to be women and to fill the role that God Himself has laid out for women.  A woman’s place is a high and glorious calling but we’ve forgotten that. We’ve bought the lies, swallowed the poison and forgotten our place. Our place was, once, much more beautiful and holy than it is now. Like Esau of old, we women have sold our birthright. There is joy in true womanhood, in being a woman under authority (both God and her husband’s). Women have been honored by God Almighty in so many, many ways. We prostitute ourselves when we demean ourselves and sell out our calling to fulfill that of a man’s. A man’s place is wondrous and full of glory but not when it is filled by a woman.

When we find Truth we have an obligation to embrace it, obey it, teach it so that others may know. To loudly proclaim part of God’s Word (the parts we like) while ignoring the parts that are uncomfortable, or that will get us laughed at, cause us pain, persecution or death, is to sin. We must honor God by seeking to understand the full counsel of God. Anything less is dishonesty. Anything less is disobedience and not Christianity at all.

A partial lie is still a lie. A partial truth propagated as the whole Truth is as good as a lie.

True biblical womanhood is beautiful. It is a privilege given to us by God Himself. It is a high and holy calling.

On the Derth of Godly Womanhood

Tags

biblical womanhood, biblical women, Christ, christian womanhood, church, Complementarianism vs. egalitarianism, godly womanhood, Jesus, male leadership, Scripture, theology

A truly godly woman leaves off pursuit of the world’s definition of beauty and charm, casts aside the longing for wealth and fame, refuses to deal in self-comfort and pleasure, ignores the decay that this broken world offers and without waiver follows only Christ. It is His Word alone that matters. His glory alone that she seeks. It’s not a comfortable position, it’s one without personal honor and glory. One that will get her laughed at and ignored. That’s why there are so very few truly biblical women. And that’s why there are so few worthy teachers of biblical womanhood. Christian womanhood, as promoted by many churches today, is anything but truly Christian. We’ve so obviously lost our way. Of course, it isn’t just the women to blame but we’re more to blame than most of us want to acknowledge. “If only the men would lead…” we say, more than willing to pass the blame to our brothers, “then…”.

Then what? I’d like to ask. Then we think we’d follow? We’d listen? We’d be more than we are? Maybe. Certainly some Christ-exalting male leadership would be a welcomed change in most churches and in many of our homes. Still we can’t blame the situation entirely on our brothers. We’ve failed also.

We’ve failed to seek Christ as our all-in-all and only. So very few of us have been or are willing to lay aside worldly pursuits for the pursuit of the only One Who is truly worthy of our time and efforts. Blindly we pursue work, fame, fortune, comfort and acceptance thinking it will fulfill us, never realizing just how badly we are missing the mark. In our Christian lives (because we often separate the one from the other) we embrace any and every new supposedly Christian trend, every new teacher, that comes along and rarely do we take the time or make the effort to search the Scriptures for ourselves to see if what is being dished up is in accordance to the Word and will of God. That’s why there are so many teachers of the likes of Sarah Young, Ann Voskamp, Beth Moore or Rachel Held Evans. Publishers blindly print their teachings. Readers blindly read them. And believe them. Almost no one is willing take enough time in prayer and in God’s Holy Word, to determine “What does the Lord have to say? What does He desire? What honors Him?”

So how did this come to be? We lost our first love and, in the process, invited the world to come into our homes, our churches, and get comfortable. Because of that we now face a distressing situation where extremely few Christians are concerned only for the glory of Christ. Christianity then becomes what we make it, not what God says (for, as so many will say, who can really understand the Bible, anyway?; or, it’s just all so old-fashioned, you know?).Thus real biblical womanhood is more often than not a thing of the past. What is left of biblical womanhood often gets so confused with following rules and regulations that it gels into legalism. Or we throw it into a horrifying mix along with each and every new Christian trend that comes along until we have something more worthy of the devil than of God.

Thus I find only a smattering of women who are actually prepared to lead their sisters into a knowledge of  the Holy things of God. Only a few who actually care about Truth. Instead I see lists, plans, groups and goals. Books, articles and speeches on sex, egalitarianism (and why the term biblical woman is passe), organizing, money, setting goals, depression, happiness and everything else under the sun (and not all of these are wrong to write about…it’s just that they are pretty much all that’s getting written about and, without Christ, they are nothing). Teachings on almost everything, in fact, except Christ Himself. I see far too many women (one would be too many) who claim to write and teach about the things of God all the while admitting that they “don’t know the Bible very well” or “have trouble maintaining a consistent prayer life”. I see teachers, writers, speakers and bloggers who are more than willing to lay out what they “think”, “believe” or “hope for” for themselves and for their sisters in Christ all the while basing their teachings on popular trends or what they think their readers want to hear. Rarely are their teachings resting securely upon the foundation of the Bible itself. Truly the landscape for biblical womanhood, and its teachers, is bleak and depressing.

Sisters, if we aren’t pursuing God as the One pursuit worth our time, our devotion, our effort and our love, we’ve got nothing. We’re achieving nothing. Our lives are worth less-than-nothing. And we have nothing worthy of being taught. Nothing worthy of being listened to.

Titus 2 womanhood, biblical womanhood, Christian womanhood or whatever description we wish to use must be firmly grounded in a knowledge of our Savior, a steady unyielding faith built upon an ever deepening knowledge of the Word and a prayer life that is so much of a part of us that we pray as naturally as we breath. In other words, true Titus 2 woman is borne of complete, unyielding, devotion to Christ in each and every aspect of our lives. Without that we’ve got nothing.

Without that we are nothing.

With it, we’ve got everything worth having. If more women would spend their lives in the pursuit of the only One Who matters, we’d have more godly women. More Titus 2 women who are able to teach the next generation. Saner families and better churches. It takes one to start. Will that one be you?