Modest Monday

The Art of the Tank-Top! 

I know that teenagers and young adults today love tank-tops. I am a super fan of them! They help cover any unwanted cleavage and when bending over they can make sure your moon doesn’t appear! 

My favorite tank-top I have found is from Target. They have Mossimo tanks in great neutral colors. The tanks stay up in front and are long enough in the back for me! 

Find Tank HERE

Colors: White, Black, Grey! (my personal favorite)

The trick is to buy a large size that way it will be long enough.

If you aren’t a fan of shelf bra tank-tops, Walmart has a selection of single layered tanks. 

I wear a tank-top everyday just for personal comfort and coverage. I would suggest wearing a tank with button up shirts, sheer tops, short tops, comfy sweaters, sweater dreses, and even low cut sun-dresses. There are plenty of tanks that have lacy tops and bottoms on them to make them appropriate with every kind of outfit. In the summer I think a spaghetti strap tank looks super cute with a chunky strap tank! Also a tank always looks adorable under summer sun dresses, if you have the right style to match the dress! If all else fails go for neutral colors! Remember if the tank comes with a shelf bra you still need to wear a real bra (straps or no straps)! Staying modest in the summer is a must, but being confidence in who you are is always the best accessory! 

Five Free Father/Daughter Date Ideas For the Winter!

Moms, Dads, Do you ever think about taking your children on dates? Well if you have, GREAT, but if you haven't let me introduce you to the idea a minute. Children naturally long for their parents attention. I know I did, and they are eager to please. I know the concept of "Dating your child" might be a bit foreign, but once you start I don't think you will ever want to stop. A man dates a woman by listening and getting to know her, showing her stability, and developing trust all while panning for her heart and character.  I am a strong believer that parents should do this same thing with their children. Daughters need to know their daddy's are cherishing who they are, and son's need to know that they are respected by their mothers. Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons have unique relationships because a daughter will normally marry a man who resembles her father and a son will look for a woman who is similar to his mother. The responsibility of giving sons and daughters high expectations falls on the parents. 

In saying all this I listed below my top favorite free(ish) dates for fathers and daughters this winter season! 

Modesty... What?

Yes, you did read the blog title correctly! Modesty! I have come to the realization that modesty has grown to have some negative connotations in our ever changing society. If you are like me, and grew up in an extremely conservative home, then you would be familiar with being modest. However, I realize that many people didn’t grow up like I did and might not understand the relevance of modesty. I have observed that most younger girls these days don’t even think of modesty in any area of their lives. Of course this is not their faults! Modesty has a lot more to do with living than just clothes. It has to do with being a daughter of God, obeying parental guidance, and living in such a way that we are an influence and represent our King Jesus. 

My goal these next few months is to introduce to you some ideas of modesty and how to apply it to everyday life. 

I attended a private Christian school from Preschool until the end of 3rd grade. Then my parents decided to homeschool my brother and me. I was completely thrilled! I have no idea what drew me to being home-schooled, but ever since I started 4th grade at home I adored being home-schooled. I also intend to homeschool my own children when the time comes. I adapted to being home-schooled flawlessly. Not to say that my mother and I never disagreed about school or chores, but I loved the way home-schoolers lived! I wanted to wear the long skirts, and braid my hair, and bake delicious homemade goodies, and craft to my hearts content! This was the life for me! So almost without my parents to guide me, I developed a heart of modestly. I was somewhat ridiculed for my choice of clothing and my excessive crocheting at the age of 14. Somehow I just didn’t care! They were still my friends whether I wore long skirts and sweaters or not and I think secretly they were just jealous! 

I just adore the concept of being modest. I also believe that it is a part of our mandate as a Princess of the KING! In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 

I know this text is controversial because of the fact that we know God doesn’t mind if we wear expensive things or adorn shiny objects on our ears. Paul wrote this letter to the church of Ephesus. Scholars believe that He wrote such strict instructions to the women because they had a problem with worrying too much about their beauty and status in the church than worshiping God. That is where modesty comes in. It is to show God that we care about our bodies and are respectful not to show them off for everyone to see. 

So I want to make a list of some things that I think can help. Starting from head to toe:

1. Cleavage - It is always best if there is none showing. Try getting some extra long tank tops to wear under tops to give some added coverage, also having a correct fitting bra can help tremendously.
2. Bellies - I know at certain times showing off a belly is okay. For instance, age 0-4, and perhaps when pregnant. (Bathing suits are not included right now.) When trying on an adorable top at the store, lift arms to the ceiling to see how far the top rides up. 
3. Butts - Please no plumbers! Cheeks are only cute when you’re smiling! A good rule of thumb is to always bend over and touch your hands to the floor when trying on new pants. A belt is always welcome as well! 
4. Legs - This one has mixed opinions, I know. Mine is that anything above finger tip length is a bit too short for naked legs. This means when trying on shorts, skirts, or dresses relax arms at sides and see where your fingers touch. If you still want that short skirt style just add a cute printed tight or sheer panty hoes. 

There are so many ways to wear what is in style and still be modest! I hope these simple steps can help! Let me know what you think about modesty! Did you grow up learning about modesty? Let me know how you feel about modesty in our society.

Blessings :)

Passion

The Passion 2013 Tour is going on right now! Here you can watch the morning session streamed online! Go Check it out cause it will encourage and equip you! 

These are the sessions that are still online! 

JAN

02

9:00a // Community Groups 
10:45a // Main Session 
1:30p // Main Session 
7:30p // Main Session 
10:30p // Community Groups

JAN

03

9:00a // Community Groups 
10:45a // Main Session 
1:30p // Main Session 
7:30p // Main Session 
10:30p // Community Groups

JAN

04

9:00a // Community Groups 
10:45a // Main Session 
1:45p // Dismiss

Everlasting Father

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

So, to be honest it is really hard to comprehend that God is everlasting. We are finite people and it is so hard for us to understand and infinite God. 

David the Psalmist praised:

1 Chronicles 29:10
"David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our fatherIsrael, from everlasting to everlasting."

Jesus is the beginning, middle, and end of our whole existence. He is always with us and always for us. He is a father when we have no father. We are his children and he wants what is best for us even in a hard situation. God is always teaching and training us for His purposes. We have such and awesome God!! I pray today that He will help you understand his everlastingness. 

How have you seen the Everlasting Father show off in your life?

Blessings! 

The First Day of Advent!

Christmas is often a whirlwind of decorations, presents, and food! All of which I am totally okay with, but this season I am trying to devote myself to remembering the season for what it is. I grew up Pentecostal Holiness and never really celebrated Advent as apart of Christmas. My brothers and I always knew there was no such thing as fat man who came down our chimney to leave us presents under the tree, but we did believe and honor St. Nick of long ago. I was never scared or injured in anyway by not believing in Santa Clause. I simply had a respect for the man he was. We also got to play along just like everyone else that some presents were from “Santa.” 

I would like to take a moment and share what Advent is really and why I would like to celebrate it more during the Christmas season. The word Advent means simply coming, or arrive. So the season of advent is all about celebrating the coming of our savior 2000 years ago and waiting for His soon coming return. As a Christian it is so exciting to wait for the return of the Almighty! I think it is extremely important to teach children about the celebration of the advent season. I am gathering all sorts of cute ideas for one day when I have children to teach it to! 

Everyday this month I intend to post something knew about the advent season in hopes of helping you find the peace and joy in the real reason for the season. I am doing this for myself as well, in means of teaching myself to step back and really celebrate the Saviors return and not worry about money or school. I need to be reminded of the real reason for the season everyday and especially this month of December. I pray this month that you may be encouraged by my blog and be in awe of the Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 9:6 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Family River Ride

We had an absolute perfect day on the river! It had been so long since I had been on water and it was so nice! Perfect family time! Let summer begin!! 

Blessings

MOVEMBER

Thats right I am sure you have heard of "No Shave November" but now the growth of fall facial hair is at it's peak! Movember is a organization to help raise money for men's health awareness. During the month of November, Movember participants are shaving all but their manly mustache's! 

 Since I can't really grow a mustache I am making these crocheted mustache's for the cause! 

The pattern I used for them is here by a lovely Mo sista! 

To help with Movember go to there website here and sign up to help raise awareness for men's health! 

Men Get Your Heath On!!!! 

Lonely One

When I think of the word “lonely” I think of not having anyone around, a state of quietness, or deserted. So, what happens if that is not how life is and there are people around who love and care for you, yet the feeling of loneliness remains inside? What is there to do about this deep feeling of being alone? 

For the past few weeks, since I have been at school, I have felt like this so much! I believe that my homesickness and frustration in being at school has increased much more this year than my first year here at school, when I was new and had no one I knew. At school I am five hours away from my home and family, so there is no just dropping everything and running home. I have to wait it out for certain weekends, or plan much in advance to get to my family and loved ones.

Well, I looked up the meaning for the word lonely and I was given generic descriptions such as: (without companions, solitary) and for a place (unfrequented and remote). I found the definitions of this word to be bare and hopeless. So as I turn to the bible to look up some encouragement apart from the desolate word, I discovered that David, the writer of Psalms felt just as I do right now. Psalms 25:16 says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” I read those words and prayed an imitative prayer to God, but I think to myself, “how did David, a man after God’s own heart, get to a place of loneliness and torment?” I scrolled up to the beginning of chapter 25 and read verses 1 and 2 which say, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” How can this be the same chapter that I am reading? In verse 1 David is putting his trust in God and believing in the Lord to not let anything harm him. Reading down David asks God to show him the ways of the Lord, to guide him, and to teach him, while all of David’s hope is in God. 

As I try and imagine how David can be so lonely, as shown in vv.16, when he is so close to God; I find a footnote in my NIV study Bible, which says that David was the target of his enemy’s words. In a sense, David was mostly dealing with spiritual warfare to not let his spirit take in all the nastiness that was being said to him. 

I find it so encouraging that David has gone through this situation, because in our world today there are so many “bullies” that come against us. Satan tries to tell us “you are all alone” or “you are worthless”, but through this cry of David we continue down to see that in verses 19-21 David says to God, “See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May my integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” David is completely trusting in God! David knows that God is holding him through the hard times no matter what, because David does not let anything askew his faith, trust, and hope in God! 

As I feel hopeless and lonely in my dorm room praying the same prayer as David did; I am encouraged to know that I am not alone! God is with me, and I know that He is holding on to me because I remain faithful to Him. Loneliness is not supposed to be a lesson of selfishness, but a lesson of giving. Give yourself to God today and let Him use you in this trial season of your life. Choose not to let your heart be troubled but to speak in faith as David has shown us how to do. 

A few more encouragement verses to look up are:

• Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst?”
• Psalms 119:116 “Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” 
• Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:16 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,”
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

New Dorm!!

This year my college opened a new dorm and I was one of the extremely blessed students to be able to live in this new dorm! Plus I got a wonderful roommate this year! So now the only problem with this year is that my boyfriend and I (Tony) are doing the long distance thing. This is our first week of school so the "missing you" emotions haven't been to terribly but I still don't feel right with him being so far away from me.

Anyway, I have been so proud of myself thus far in the school year because I have been so productive this week! Plus a majority of my homework is done so I have my weekend pretty much free!

Well, below I have some pictures of my new dorm room! I am trying to figure out the best way to decorate and stay organized, so there is still much to do but I am loving all the space we have this year and that my roomie and are the only one's sharing our bathroom!

My cute little desk!

My closet, I am going to get a curtain to put up (thus the shower rod) to hide all my stuff.

The sink in our bathroom, (that I only share with my roomie)!!!! I can't get over this huge bathroom!!

Yes, that is a tub/shower!!

Our attempt in being organized.

Our bunk beds and my roomie! Ps. it is so hard to make a top bunk bed!!

Well if anyone has some cute and easy tips for glaming up a dorm room I would be SO appreciative!

LOVE

Falcon Youth Camp 2011

I can not believe that camp is over for this year! It feels like it just started and now I have to wait a whole year for camp to come again! God has been working so much in me lately and has shown me so much during camp! The first week I was there I had two girls accept Jesus for the first time and about 5 who rededicated! We serve a mighty and holy God!

My heart is on fire for the future generation right now! We live in such a corrupt and sinful world and everyone seems to be okay with the way that we are living. But It is not okay!!!! As Christians we are called to live above what the world says is fine and live according to what the bible tells us to do! I know that I am guilty of living a life below the standards of God but I am so thankful that we all have a God who can and does forgive! No matter what we have done or what we will do God is always willing to forgive if we have a heart that is sincerely sorry.

We need to not be okay with a “little white lie” or watching TV that has sex, alcohol, cursing, and drugs. We need to think twice before we listen to another song that is on the Top 100 list. We need to not make Idols of the celebrities today because they will be gone tomorrow.

Our children are growing up thinking that it is “normal” to cheat on a test or to bully someone. Its normal for kids to experiment with drugs, alcohol and homosexuality. That Sex is what everyone is doing, and that talking back to parents and authorities are how a normal conversation is to occur.

I don’t know about you but the current stat in which this generation is in breaks my heart! Our world may seem fine to everyone but let me tell you, it is ripping at the seems! I know that we are in moral chaos.

The only answer for what is coming and what is happening now is Prayer. Parents, teachers, leaders, please, please pray for our young people!

It is not to late because I have seen teenagers lives changed with prayer. The youth of this generation are crying out for answers and hope!

We have an obligation and it is not optional.