super bowl...glory?

So, yeah.

I have to say that I was one of those people who didn't watch the entire Super Bowl.

*Ahem* 

I did watch the second half of the third quarter and the whole fourth quarter...and LOVED it.

Impressed? Yeah, I thought so.



via

Great job Ravens. I really thought the 49ers were going to come back and get ya. 

You pulled it out well: 

Final Score Ravens-34  49ers-31 

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Whew, we have all of that behind us....

now for the tough subject at hand.

The half-time show.

This has been weighing heavily on my heart ever since I saw the big hype about it on Instagram.

I. was. speechless.

Knowing that guys and girls all across the world watched that kind of trash broke my heart--

and people were saying how great it was???

I'm going to share my thoughts and then leave it with you to think about...

Before the super bowl I had never heard of Beyonce. Never.

And the way I'm feeling, I kind of wish I had never seen those pictures on Instagram.

I want to ask: 

"How in the world could a guy watch that and NOT have lustful thoughts?"

"How in the world could a Christian watch that without having feelings of guilt after watching it?"

"Would you have watched that with Jesus sitting beside you?"

You may say: "Awwwh, Marli. Of course I wouldn't have....Jesus isn't even here."

I don't know about you, but Jesus is with me everywhere I go.

To the guys:

I am so sorry that you had to view that kind of trash Sunday night.

I know in today's society it is so hard to keep your heart and mind filled with pure thoughts.

It makes me so sad to know what you guys have to go through in everyday life.

Especially during a harmless football game.

I don't see why they had to hire 3 girls who moved their bodies around, with barely enough clothes on to be considered underwear, to the beat of trashy music-- 

especially for a sport that mainly you guys watch. 

I pray for the guys in my life daily. 

I pray that you'll have the courage to have power over the remote and turn off the TV or computer.

 I pray that you won't click that mouse when the temptation is there.

I pray that you won't fall into that dangerous pit of sin.

I pray that you'll keep your life pure.

I want to thank you ahead of time for the effort you make to maintain the pure thoughts.

The effort you put forth to filling your mind with His Word. 

For walking away.

Keep it up, guys.

To the girls:

We would never dress like Beyonce in public (...right??).

If we only knew how our guy friends view a body like Beyonce and could see her through his eyes.

Young ladies, we have an honor and a privilege of dressing modestly for our guy friends. 

They don't have to lust after our bodies.

Matthew 5:27 and 28 says:

"You have heard that it is was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Ladies, do you realize what this is saying?

If a young man looks at a young lady and lusts,

(definition of lust-coveting through the influence of impure desire.)

he has sinned and commits adultery in his heart.

Ladies, to put it plainly, if we dress immodestly and they look at us with lustful longing, 

we have made our brothers in Christ sin.

I don't know about you, but that makes me quake in my boots.

I pray and hope that you'll have the courage and the strength to dress modestly.

Cover up.

Spend more time and money if needs be for that modest shirt.

Believe me, whether they say it or not,

they appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Believe me.

I have an older brother and a daddy.

I'm having to shop longer and harder for my clothes too.

You can do it, girl.

"For a man's ways are before the Lord, and He ponders all his paths."

Prov. 5:21

How, after watching a half-time show like that, can we go into church and feel comfortable singing:

 "Create in me a pure heart, O God..."

or

"Closer to Thee, near to Thy side, Closer dear Lord,

I would abide; Hold me in Thy embrace, 'Neath every

smile of grace, Grant me, Thy child, a place closer to Thee..."

Do we really desire pure hearts in worship every Sunday and Wednesday night?

Are we "closer to God" during the week? Or just on church days?

Are we able to partake of the Lord's supper every Sunday or pray to our Heavenly Father with pure thoughts after watching something similar to the Super Bowl?

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As for the commercials...

Don't even get me started--that's another topic for another day.

Although, I am thankful for people who care and would create this one. 

My favorite.

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Also, please go and read L's thoughts on the Super Bowl.

Pretty amazing.

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Note:

I really do say these words in love.

It's just something that I have been thinking about and had to scribble (or should I say type? ;) down on paper (oh no, wait. ...down on the screen...).

Thanks for listening to my heart. <3

it was a girls weekend.

This past weekend, my sister and I were honored to be able to go to Georgia to speak at a Girls Purity Day. We had so much fun and learned a ton. We loved being able to spend time with other like-minded young ladies--all having the same goal...Heaven.

The topics were modesty and keeping yourself pure. One lady from Faulkner also taught on Happiness. This one really hit home for me. She pointed out that no matter how our day is going, we need to keep a smile on our face.
Which would you choose? A smile or a frown?

A few words to describe the weekend....
picking Mrs. Melanie up and getting a box of doughnuts from Mr. Billy, getting lost using our Mapquest directions, lunch at the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House, studying God's Word on the way up, finally making it to the camp with a dirty back window, meeting new friends and getting acquainted with old ones, making our beds in the cabin and settling in for the night, a light bulb that would not work, conquering my fears of grandaddy-long-legs, butterflies in the tummy and a prayer circle, the amazing fire pit, young ladies lifting their voices up in song and getting goose bumps because it was so beautiful, a new blue T-shirt, finding out that there is over 2400 calories in one Krispy Kreme doughnut and that all the "stuff" that is in them stays in your body for seven months, losing my phone and panicking and mom finding it, eating dinner at Zaxby's, getting stuck in traffic in Atlanta, having to yell out the window to a worker for directions, cuddling up to watch Pride and Prejudice on the laptop with the sister, arriving at the Bush's house but playing a trick on the guys by passing the house, arriving home, setting our clocks back with that wonderful feeling of another hour to sleep....

"Where's the podium?" ;)

Mrs. Melanie (friend who came with us), Memory, and Mom

After the general assembly, we all divided up into four groups and went to four classes.
This was sweet Joanna's class.

Not only did the men cook and prepare the yummy tacos for lunch,
they decorated these adorable little daisy cupcakes. :)

The Stumbling Block illustration

With two of the greatest women on earth....Miranda (left) and DeAnne (right).
These were the women who organized the Purity Day and made it all happen. :)
Note: That is the immodest mannequin in the background.
We also had a modest dressed one on the other side of the stage to show the difference of dressing modestly and immodestly.

Me, Memory (my sister), Krista, Joanna, and Kristen
These were the young ladies from Faulkner University that taught the classes.
They all did a fabulous job and meeting them was such a joy.

What a wonderful weekend.

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Here are two truly amazing videos that were shown at the Purity Day.

I was definitely touched and moved by them.

Young ladies, what are our clothes saying?

Are we dressing the way that would lead a guy to Heaven?

Or are we dressing in a way that would make him lust and sin?

What will you choose?



What about that bikini?

A dear friend of mine shared this video with me the other day and I could not agree with it more. I wish every single young lady in the universe could watch this short 4 minute video.

Believe it or not, ladies, it is possible to find modest swimwear. You may have to spend a little bit more denero for it, but believe me, it is definitely worth it. :) There is a link on the left sidebar of my blog (it is kind of toward the bottom :) to a modest swimwear website. Or, you could use the handy dandy search engine Google and find boocoodles of sites. ;)

Just a thought before you watch this amazing video...(and I say this with love) Wouldn't you rather help your fellow Christian brothers get to heaven rather than making them sin by lusting after your body?

I pray that you will be able to make the right choice on this issue of modesty.....the choice that God would want you to make....I love you dearly and pray for the best for you....

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with Jason? Why or why not?

some "dressing modestly" words ;)

"God had not formed woman out of the head, lest she should become proud; nor out of the eye, lest she should lust; nor out of the ear, lest she should be curious; nor out of the heart, lest she should be jealous; nor out of the hand, lest she should be covetous; nor out of the foot, lest she be a busy body; but out of the rib, which was always covered",

indicating that women should dress modest.

-Ancient Jewish Rabbis

This is a picture I found online.
Doesn't she look so fashionable and lady-like?

the modesty survey

A few years ago, I conducted a modesty survey by asking a few of my guy friends to answer some "modesty questions." Some of the answers were baffling....those questions we never really think about.

I hope this helps you to want to dress (as it did me) in a way that would not be a "stumbling block" to our Christian brothers. =)

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one. Wearing pants with words across the backside is a stumbling block. 

Agree- 42.2%
Strongly Agree- 42.1% = 84.3%

two. It is immodest for a girl to expose her legs up to mid-thigh.
Agree- 39.5%
Strongly Agree- 28.6% = 68.1%

three. Low-riding pants are a stumbling block.
Agree- 41.9%
Strongly Agree- 30.7% = 72.6%

four. Skin-tight jeans are a stumbling block.
Agree- 40.2%
Strongly Agree- 36% = 76.2%

five. Pants that follow a girl's curves are modest as long as they aren't skin tight.
Agree- 49.5%
Neutral- 21.8%

six. Any shorts that are shorter than mid-thigh are immodest.
Agree- 41.9%
Strongly Agree- 41.9% = 83.8%


seven. Miniskirts, long shirts, or short dresses over leggings are a stumbling block.
Agree- 38.5%
Strongly Agree- 26.4% = 64.9%

eight. The way a girl walks can be a stumbling block.
Agree- 50%
Strongly Agree- 24.9% = 74.9%

nine. A girl bending over and exposing her lower back is a stumbling block.
Agree- 46.3%
Strongly Agree- 17.3% = 63.6%

ten. It is okay to show cleavage when wearing a swimsuit.
Disagree- 34.6%
Strongly Disagree- 35.7% = 70.3%


eleven. Bikini swimsuits are immodest.
Agree- 25%
Strongly Agree- 59.3% = 84.3%

twelve. The lines of undergarments, visible under clothing, cause guys to stumble.
Agree- 46.3%
Strongly Agree- 25.3% = 71.6%

thirteen. A camisole is immodest if worn alone.
Agree- 41.8%
Strongly Agree- 25.7% = 67.5%

fourteen. Strapless dresses are immodest.
Agree- 36.4%
Strongly Agree- 29.5% = 65.9%


Here are some of the things that the guys said:

“You’ve never been a guy.  You don’t know what’s it like to be a guy and you never will.  That being said, according to 1 Cor. 8 (mainly verse 12 but it’s necessary to read the whole chapter to get the context) if you cause someone to fall, you have sinned against Christ.  Why would you want to risk that?  It’s like going hunting blindfolded and if you miss or don’t kill whatever you’re hunting you die.  But you can take the blindfold off and play it safe.”

Jon

“Please consider your Christian brothers and don’t do anything to make them stumble in their Christian life.”

Joseph

“Always be Modest.”

William

“The real reason for dressing modestly is not only because it makes the guys stumble or it causes someone to sin or it is what our parents say or any of those types of reasons, while those are all good, there is an even more important reason; that is because God has commanded it.  We have to disregard customs, traditions, fads, the newest styles. etc…. if it is not allowing us to dress in a modest and Godly way.  This applies to men as well as women.”                  

Nathan

“The Lord commands women to have a dress becoming of one who seek holiness, as a woman of the Most High God you must keep that command. Two reason I believe that a woman must dress modest is because of who she represents and who is influences in her daily life. I know it is very difficult for a woman to shop today because of the sinful clothes that are in our shops, but you must learn to adore yourselves in modest dress so that you can be a example to other women and your body is much too precious to show every man your business!”

J.T.

“Modest is hottest!”

Tim

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Don't forget about the giveaway over at Lindsey's place!

What's the Big Deal With the Way I Dress?

Imagine that a young woman walks into a funeral wearing a flashy hot pink dress. Or a man arrives for his wedding sporting an old sweat-stained T-shirt and torn jeans.

Do you find either of these scenes disturbing? If you answered, "Yes," then you agree  that what we wear matters. Ladies, would you care if it was your wedding and the man was you fiance? What impression would you get of the young woman at the funeral? Like it or not, people make assumptions about you based on what you wear. Your clothing tells a story about you before you ever open your mouth.

Galatians 3:27 reminds us, "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Would others get the impression that you are a follower of Christ, leading a life of holiness, by your appearance? You may say, "But God sees what's in my heart." Of course He does! but what we do and say is a mirror into our hearts, revealing our attitudes and deepest desires. The Bible also warns that "people look at the outward appearance" (1 Samuel 16:7). Try sharing Jesus with someone while wearing a shirt with a beer logo on it. Or imagine dressing in a mini-skirt, stiletto heels and low-cut top on a mission trip. What message would you be sending?

Not only does clothing shape our reputations, it also has the power to build up or destroy. Guys, you can inspire others through T-shirts with spiritual messages, or you can pollute people's minds by displaying ungodly images and profanity. Ladies, you can reveal your pure beauty through modest attire, or you can become stumbling blocks, filling men's hearts with lust by donning the latest mini's and halter tops. Jesus taught that the second greatest commandment is to "Love you neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). We will all stand before God one day to answer for our choices, even our choices in clothing. It's time we put others over fashion!

Who doesn't want to look nice? Unfortunately, fashion often goes beyond looking clean and well-kempt. 1 Corinthians 10:31 is clear: "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." When you get dressed in the morning, whom  are you trying to please? If pleasing yourself, your friends and "looking cute" in the world's eyes is placed above honoring Jesus, then it's time for an attitude (and maybe wardrobe) change!

1 Timothy 2:9 teaches, "I also want the women to dress modestly." The Creator knows how He designed men. He also has the advantage of seeing the unseen--watching the enemy as he seeks to devour each of us (1 Peter 5:8). As commander-in-chief in the spiritual war against evil, He has blessed us with all we need to combat Satan. Modesty is one of our weapons.

Ladies, when we deny the visual way men were created (or even abuse it) and selfishly insist on cladding ourselves in the latest itsy-bitsy styles, we are not only rebelling against God but also putting ourselves in danger. Rapists often admit that pornography drove them to act on their desires. Modesty is a safeguard for those who wisely heed it.

1 Timothy 4:12 wisely advises, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity." Present yourself in a way that will win you the respect and admiration of older Christians, and who knows?

You may win souls as well.


Taken from an article in Kaio Magazine.