Yet another use for plain ole' vinegar!

It seems as though vinegar is becoming my new best friend!

Most of us know of the common uses for vinegar - loads of cleaning recipes for the kitchen and bathrooms, it's a great fabric softener, great laundry stain remover and countless other uses that we use vinegar for.

BUT, did you know that vinegar is absolutely the go-to thing for a sting or bite (bee/wasp/ant, etc.)?

How do I know this you might ask?..... Well, I have a 2 year old and we have lots of wasps!

We have guniea wasps (a/k/a paper wasps). I usually don't worry too much about them - they have their hives in the cracks of our retaining wall in between each of the stones (because the stones aren't square it leaves a triangular space in between the stones) and paper wasps are the least aggressive kind. Pretty much, as long as you aren't bothering their hive, they don't sting. Michael has been so busy that he hasn't had time to 'take care of them' yet, but because they aren't typically aggressive, I usually don't worry about the kids getting stung. Until......

The boys were outside playing with their water table a few weeks ago and all of a sudden Eli was screaming. He ran over to me and said something about an owie on his finger and I asked him what happened and he said "lady bug bite me." (Lady bug is his description for all bugs right now!) I knew that the wasps like to hang out around the water table, but usually they fly off when the kids are playing there, so I kept asking him what happened and he kept saying the same thing.... He wasn't screaming that blood curdling, think he's dying kind of scream so I just held him for a few minutes and kept inspecting his finger and in a little while he calmed down and was ready to play again. I really didn't think he had been stung (maybe he pinched it somehow or something) because of how quickly he calmed down so I didn't think much else about it.

Fast forward about a week. I was sitting out on the patio while they were playing and Eli looked at me kind of strangely, then grabbed his thigh and started screaming. This time I KNEW he had been stung. He was playing out by the retaining wall and was swinging his plastic golf clubs around and just the way he looked at me and then grabbed the area where it hurt told me he'd been stung. He then ran over to me and I could see the sting mark, so we went inside and I immediately called my mom because I remembered being stung by a wasp when I was little and she put something on it that took the pain away. She said to soak a paper towel in plain vinegar and apply to the area. The next thing that happened shocked me...

Eli stopped crying in less than a minute - while I was still on the phone with her - and was ready to go back outside to play!!

I am so thankful for a mom that remembers home remedies that her parents and grandma used when she was growing up!

I know this isn't a true kitchen tip, but because this is a common kitchen ingredient I thought it would be good to post on Kitchen Tip Tuesday and maybe someone else will find it helpful.

Menu plan Monday - 8/25

I hope everyone had a wonderful weeked!

I have to say that I'm glad I wrote out my menu plan a few hours ago because I have a terrible headache and Michael had to go back to work this evening - it's end of year crunch (end of fiscal year for the military) and he's (along with everyone else) putting in lots of extra hours, thankfully he doesn't usually put in his extra hours until the late evening, but he will go in most nights from around 8-11 for the next several weeks..... It seems like I never see that man! But I'm planning on him being home for dinner every night, so I'm planning regular meals (at least for this week!).

* Monday: Spaghetti with yeast rolls

* Tuesday: Crockpot whole chicken with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes - I'll freeze the extra chicken and we should get at least 2 more meals out of it

* Wednesday: Breakfast burritos (scrambled eggs, salsa, jalapenos, tomatoes and cheese) for the adults and pancakes for the kids

- Take meat out to thaw for Thursday

* Thursday: Meatloaf with green beans and leftover mashed potatoes

* Friday: Homemade pizza night (philly cheesesteak!!)

- Take meat out to thaw for Saturday

* Saturday: Sloppy joes

* Sunday: Zucchini parmesean (carry over from last week)

Must go now, the headache is getting the better of me and the kids still have 20 minutes before bedtime...

Be sure to check out Laura's site for more wonderful menus for the coming week.

Walgreens money maker!

Last night I was in Walgreens getting my weekly deals and I found a money maker I hadn't noticed before!!

Here's how it worked for me:
- Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber starter kit = $5.79 regular price (I thought this came from All You but it doesn't look like it - maybe it came from the paper.... sorry, wish I could tell you)
- I had a FREE mail-in-rebate form up to $5.69 on one starter kit
- I also had a $1 Q from the recent Right @ Home mailer
- AND Walgreens has an Easy Saver rebate of $1.50 on this product until August 30.

Here's the breakdown:
$6.22 = 5.79 + .43 tax
-$5.69 (MIR)
-$1.00 (Right @ Home Q)
-$1.50 (WG Easy Saver)
$1.97 PROFIT!!! Now that's what I call a good deal!

A little of this and that...

This post will be just totally random stuff that is happening in our lives or just going on in my brain...

* At my 35 week checkup this week Rachael's heart rate was 180..... the nurse said "woo, she's a bit active this morning, eh?" She was doing what felt like cartwheels at that moment!!

* Eli might actually be getting this potty thing afterall! My original goal back when we got pregnant was to have him completely potty trained before the baby arrived. I totally gave up on that after some serious 'unready-ness' on his part and we waited a while before we started trying again. We even bought him his own special little potty to sit on because it turns out he doesn't like the toilet. He likes the little one much more and I like that he can sit on it anywhere! He only wet 2 diapers yesterday and so far, only 1 today!! So, there is hope after all. If I can get him totally trained in the next 3 weeks I will be in heaven! Jacob was 100% daytime trained by 25 months, so I had high hopes early on with Eli, maybe I had my sights set too high.... oh well, this parenting thing is a learning process and every child is different. We were at Walmart this morning and I let him pick out a pack of undies for being such a 'big boy' - he chose Diego! We're going to give it a go after naptime.

* 3 weeks ago Jacob came down with what turned out to be some random virus. It started with a severe (almost debilitating) headache that lasted 3 days and could only be eased by ibuprofen and as soon as that wore off it came back. I ended up taking him to the dr. the 4th day because it's just not right for a 4 year old to have that bad of a headache with no trauma or anything. By the morning I took him in, he also had puffy circles under his eyes and a low grade fever. She diagnosed it as a virus and said he's probably get some other minor symptoms, but it would probably go away in a few days. He did get other symptoms. He got a scratchy throat and ended up almost losing his voice and a smidge of a cough. But, like she said, he was better in a few days.

Fast forward a few days after he was better..... Hubby woke up on a Sunday morning feeling icky with a bit of a sore throat and achy. I made him start guzzling liquid Vitamic C to try to stave it off - to no avail. He ended up sicker than I have ever (in almost 10 years) seen him. He didn't just get a scratchy throat - he got an on fire, swollen, red, inferno throat and also almost lost his voice - he also had horrible headaches, flu-like symptoms of fever, achy muscles, etc. (but it wasn't strep). He went to the Dr. Monday morning and was so bad they put him on quarters (for you non-military peeps, quarters is basically when you're ordered to stay home from work and they can't call you in or 'make' you come in). So, he took almost 2 full days off and slept THE ENTIRE TIME. Must be nice to actually have a day off AND get to sleep!!!

Michael was really sick for almost a week and during the end of it, Eli started getting it. However, I think he got it the easiest - he had a croupy cough for a few days (had to have some saline nebulizer treatments) and a scratchy throat and hoarse voice. He never complained of anything really though.... Eli has been better for about a week and I thought I was in the clear since they all got it so quickly to one another.

WRONG - I have had a scratchy throat since Tuesday with nothing else so I have been praying that would be the extent of it. However, I'm thinking it may not be. Since I got up this morning my throat has gotten progressively worse and now hurts and I can barely squeak out any words. I have no other symptoms though. So, in an attempt to pre-empt a raw and horribly sore throat, I've been drinking lots of hot tea and hot water with lemon and honey and even gargling with salty water - BLECK! I really don't want to be that sick at 35 weeks pregnant and with 2 very noisy kids at home with me. The only good thing to the timing is that it's almost the weekend and I can rest, since Michael will be home, if I do end up getting worse.

* My mother-in-law will be arriving from Oklahoma on September 10!!! Yipee! We haven't seen her since Feb. so the kids will enjoy some time with grandma and we'll enjoy having some extra help with the kids for 8 days. My c-section is scheduled for Sept. 12. It will be nice to have her here to help with looking after the boys while Michael and I get a little rest and I take care of myself and Rachael. She'll also get the added benefit of being at the hospital when Rachael is born (I've already arranged for the boys to be with a friend all day that day) and the first grandparent memeber to see and hold Rachael. The other grandparents all live in Florida or Australia.

I guess that's all the rambling I'll be doing for now. I think I'm going to go be a vegetable since my house is fairly clean and I only have 54 minutes until Eli gets up from his nap.

A call to modesty - Part 2

If you missed my first post in this series, you can find it here.

This post is bound to cause some controversy because I will be discussing the very sensitive topic of what we should be wearing. My prayer is that you will be open to my views and read this post with an open heart and mind, you can disagree as much as you'd like. I will not judge anyone who doesn't see things as I do. Please keep in mind, much of this comes from my own personal conviction and God doing some works in me that require me to be completely obedient to His will in this area of my life before He can open the doors to the things I see coming!!

I will be discussing 2 things today:
* Adornment (jewelry, makeup, etc.)
* Clothing

Adornment:

This is a very difficult subject for most Christians (myself included). I definitely don't want to tell you something that isn't in alignment with God's word and I also don't want to be too careful to be 'politically correct' because following God's word and instruction isn't about pleasing the world (Romans 12:2), it's about being pleasing in God's eye. No one will stand in judgment for my life other than me and all I can do is strive to be what He calls me to be.

I'll try to tackle makeup first:

There aren't any specific references in the Bible where anyone is instructed to wear/not wear makeup. There are several references to painting of faces/eyes, etc. and the references lean to both good and bad.

The Bible does tell us:

3- Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4- You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

No where in that scripture does it give a specific command of do or don't, but it does say don't be concerned. One commentary I read in the Full Life Study Bible - KJV says that "gaudy, showy or expensive adornment is contrary to the spirit of modesty that God desires for the Christian wife." This doesn't mean that we are not to wear makeup at all, it simply says to me that we are to be cautious and not let the significance of looking a certain way overtake the true spirit God intends us to have - one of discretion and meekness.

A woman who is beautiful but lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout. Proverbs 11:22 NLT

And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself
with crimson, though deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest
thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will
despise thee, they will seek thy life. Jeremiah 4:30 KJV

These two passages speak to vain attempts to 'beautify' oneself. What we show on the outside is a direct reflection of what we are on the inside. The old adage 'don't judge a book by it's cover' really doesn't hold true for those of us professing to be believers in God's word because one should be able to tell just by looking at me that I'm different and if I'm modest on the outside, I'm most likely that way on the inside. Again, I have found no direct references to whether we should or should not 'paint our faces', but I have found numerous passages cautioning us to be careful not to do such things in vain attempts to beautify ourselves or our selfserving nature.

For me: I do wear makeup. I do not wear a lot of makeup. I've even cut out a couple of things that I was wearing - over the years I had let myself add too many 'enhancements' to my makeup routine. I personally wear foundation, blush, a tad bit of eyeshadow and mascara. Nothing dramatic.

Jewelry is next....

Again, I find lots of references in the Bible where jewelry is seen as a good thing and then references (usually to LOTS of jewels/pieces) where jewelry is seen as bad. I have the same thought on discretion and vanity as I do of makeup. What is our purpose for wearing jewelry? Obviously wedding bands and watches have a direct purpose, but I'm talking about necklaces, earrings, etc.

The following scriptures are examples of good adornment and examples of our husbands adorning us with whatever he sees fit for us to wear.

And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2 KJV

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my sould shall be joyful in my god; for
he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a
bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 KJV

And it came to pass, as teh camels had done drinking, that the man took a
golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold. . . Genesis 24:22 KJV

Ah, so you can see why this is such a conflicting area for most Christians. My prayer would be that you look inside yourself for the reasons why you wear the adornments you do. I cannot tell you personally if what you are doing is correct or pleasing to God because I do not know your heart. I can say for me that I was putting too much emphasis on my jewelry until recently and I now see that even though I wasn't wearing all that much it was definitely for the wrong reasons. Do I still wear jewelry other than my wedding band and watch? It's about 50/50 and really depends on if I think that extra piece of jewelry will call too much attention to me or not. Mostly these days any extra jewelry is a necklace - I haven't changed my earrings in ages and they are very simple small hoops, most days (if my hands aren't swollen - 3rd trimester...) I also wear a ring that was my mother's when she was younger on my right hand.

Clothing

This has actually been a very simple concept for me to grasp. To some it will seem not-so-simple and maybe there are others of you that will come to the same conclusion I have. God convicted me in this area before any of the others and when I started researching everything (to make sure it really was God's will for my life and not the enemy trying to pull me into some trap) it almost seemed like a no brainer for me.

In my last post I discussed what modesty really is and how it pertains to every area of our life. I also discussed some specifics, such as what should be covered, but I didn't really go much further than that.

In my research, I've come to realize that women in "Bible days" wore robes that were long and flowing and were very different from the garments men wore. Here's some research I found on that subject and the difference between the garments men and women wore. It's worth reading the entire post, but if you just want the specifics on the type of garments worn, you'll need to scroll down to the 12th section (they're not numbered, so you'll just have to count them off!!).

From reading the section in the link above you've discovered how different the apparel for men and women was and it's only evolved to what it currently is in the last 60 or so years. Before that, most women would never have dreamed of wearing 'crotched garments' such as shorts or pants because they would be looked at as being in men's clothing.

The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a
man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for all that do so are an
abomination unto the Lord thy God. Deuteronomy 22:5 KJV

In my opinion (and for my personal life) that sums it up pretty well for me. Crotched garments (pants, shorts, etc.) are not to be worn by women and this is most likely because they actually show the countours of our body (legs, bottom, crotch area, etc.). It doesn't stop at just wearing a skirt ladies, skirts can be inappropriate also. Remember in my last post where I quoted Matthew 5:28 where it says that any man who looks at a woman lustfully has already comitted adultery.... well, skirts and shirts that are too tight, shirts that are low cut or see through/thin are also out because they give a man ample opportunity to look at you in that lustful way (and only my husband should EVER be privy to those seeing those parts of my body exposed by inappropriate clothing).

My opinion about skirts is that they should be at least knee length and here's why:

2- Take the millstones, and grind meal; uncover thy locks,
make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 3-Thy nakedness
shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I
will not meet thee as a man. Isaiah 47:2-3 KJV

The thigh being uncovered is likened to nakedness.

Here's the actual definition of the term 'thigh' from http://www.dictionary.com/:
1. the part of the lower limb in humans between the hip and the knee.

To me that explains pretty simply that the thigh extends all the way to the knee and all of it should be covered.

Here's my one dilemma in all of this...

I am currently VERY pregnant and expecting #3 in just over 3 weeks. I own a grand total of 4 skirts that I can wear at this point. One of them is completely casual and mid-calf length and I love it, however, I cannot wear it every day - it does need to be washed occasionally! The other skirts I own are a lot more dressy and come just below my knee cap - still appropriate, only I don't feel comfortable 'dressing up' every day to play around the house with my kids. I would really hate for one of them to get torn or a stain and then be unwearable. And there is absolutely no point in buying any more maternity clothing this late in the game - that would be unwise use of our money because I may never wear them again after this pregnancy (because we do not know yet if it is God's will for us to have any more children).

I have spent much time in prayer over this and feel like God is directing me (at least until I can get back into my regular clothes - of which I have plenty of knee length or longer skirts to choose from) that no matter what, I am NOT to expose anything above the knee and the more 'flowy' (ie. not fitted or exposing countours) the better. I have a couple of pairs of capris and 2 pairs of very skirt-like gaucho pants that I've been wearing until this baby arrives.

Whew...

Ok, I'm going to leave you now with some other resources that I've found - please note that I may not agree with everything in each of these articles/posts but have found them very informative and they have lots of great research in them.

* The Bible's Dress Code

* Modest Dress of Christian Females

* Modesty, A Matter of Heart (there is a box on this page with the links to the actual articles)

* Biblical Modesty

* Jewelry, does the Bible say it's a sin?

* The Christian's Dress and Adornment

Menu Plan Monday - August 17

Ahh, I think I might see the light at the end of my tunnel of life overwhelming me! Since Michael only has softball now (he's taking this term off school since we're having a baby in under 4 weeks!) I feel a smidge better about being able to get myself back to normal - just read the post linked above and you'll understand!


Since our lives have been totally chaotic and Michael was only eating at home a few nights a week, I was just making quick meals for the kids and I so now I'm getting back to making regular meals so he can have leftovers for work rather than scrounging around for something each morning..... I know, I'm a slacker!


Tonight we had navy bean soup (I would have made cornbread to go with it but Michael doesn't eat it....) We've had much cooler weather the last few days (in the 60's) and I thought a nice hearty soup would be just the ticket. And oh my, how wonderful this was! It was incredibly yummy and sooooo easy. I didn't have an onion, so I just added extra carrot and celery, and it was very tasty!! I had enough left to freeze some for when the baby arrives and one lunch for Michael and one lunch for me.

*Monday - Baked tilapia with rice and yeast rolls. I'm also going to try out this recipe for homemade soft pretzels.
*Tuesday - Salad (lettuce, tomatoes and jalapeno's from our garden and whatever other veggies I have on hand to add in) topped with baked chicken
*Wednesday - Zucchini parmesean (if I can get some nice zucchini at the Farmer's Market on Tuesday evening)
*Thursday - I won't be home, so Michael and the kids will have leftovers or something dad-friendly to prepare
*Friday - Shrimp pasta (this is a prepackaged thing, I know - shoot me now!)
* Saturday - Bean and cheese nachos over yellow corn tortilla chips - served with tomatoes/salsa and jalapeno's
* Sunday - More salad, maybe with tuna or more baked chicken


Lunches will be leftovers for Michael, and there's enough navy bean soup to provide one lunch for me, as well. We'll fill in the rest of the days with grilled cheese sandwiches, salad, eggs and turkey sandwiches.

Super Sample Sunday - 8/17

Pretty slow week again this week.

* Cosmopolitan mag
* Domino mag with a free copy of Fashion included
* Playtex Sport tampons
* Gillette body wash

As a side note - I've been saving all my free magazines for several weeks now so I'll have something to read while I'm in the hospital all by myself after having Rachael. I'm sure I'll have a few visitors and either Michael or his mom will be with me most of the time - but I'm sure I'll have some down time, too (and may not always want to sleep.....though I'm sure I'll do a lot of that as well!).

Overwhelmed

I know I have been missing from the blogosphere lately and I'm going to tell you why.

I am totally and utterly overwhelmed with life at this point in time.

* Hubby has been taking two classes each week (thankfully they ended on Wednesday) leaving him home only long enough to change out of his uniform and grab a bite to eat and not returning home until after I'm asleep, typically. These 2 classes (since they are short terms 5 weeks) have required LOTS of homework consisting of reading, writing papers and participating in message boards online - leaving very little time for much else on the evenings he's actually at home.
* Jacob was sick last week, hubby has been VERY sick this week and Eli now has it, too!
* Hubby has also been playing softball one evening each week, which puts him away from home most of the evening and this won't be over for several more weeks. Even though I typically take the kids to the games, it requires much extra work on my part to make sure they are playing safely and don't run out in the road or onto the field.
* Hubby has also hit end of year crunch (end of fiscal year for the military) and has started getting overloaded at work and working extra to try to keep up.
* I am 34 weeks pregnant and my brain has turned to mush....

Needless to say, I am READY to have my husband back. I don't think we've had a meaningful conversation in WEEKS and most of our conversations are either by email or text..... UGH.

Since my brain has turned to mush and being overwhelmed leaves me not really wanting to do anything (and being this far along in pregnancy tends to make me feel lazy, too), I am so far behind on things around the house that it's truly sad. Here's what has happened:

* No homeschooling for several weeks
* I vacuumed yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks
* I have been feeding my family much more processed food than I consider acceptable
* Jacob ran completely out of shorts to wear a few days ago because I was slacking on laundry. (needless to say, ALL laundry is caught up after that because it made me feel horrible to put him in a pair of shorts that didn't fit)
* My series on modesty is on the back burner because that requires A LOT of brain power and reasearch and the ability to put coherent thoughts together.
* My grass hasn't been cut in nearly 3 weeks (it's up to Eli's knees) because Michael was sick this week and I have been asked not to cut the grass at this late stage of pregnancy - oh, and it's raining today, so it won't happen today either.
* I have one diaper that still needs to be sewn and 3 that need snaps
* I got behind with my work and am just getting caught up this weekend.
* My kids attitudes are reflecting my current attitude and I don't like it at all.

Whew - I pray that God will give me strength to make it through the next few weeks until this baby arrives. I can make it on a little sleep deprivation much easier than I can on a non-functioning brain. I know God can and will sustain me (and the rest of our family) through this time and am fully relying on Him to direct me. I also pray that my children will come out of this mommy-slump unscathed and getting them back on track will not be as difficult as I'm imagining it will be.

Any prayers you might think to offer up on behalf of our family would be greatly appreciated.

Super Sample Sunday - 8/10

I had a pretty good week this week. Here's what I got:

* Cosmopolitan Style magazine
* Baby Talk magazine
* Pullups coupon book
* Sunsilk samples with coupons
* Neutrogena moisturizer
* Oatmeal Crisp
* Uncles Ben's Ready Rice - Cajun Style

I haven't posted for the previous 2 weeks because all I received during that entire 2 weeks was a Huggies size 1 diaper and wipes and a Huggies newborn diaper.......

Oh how I love my little garden.....

The tomatoes are taking over!!! That's OK though, because they're producing wonderfully. There is a Roma behind these 2 massively, large plants that isn't fairing so well. I think it's about done.

Then there's the Cherry Tomato (the one nearest the fence) and it probably has 75 or more tomatoes on it right now and they're ripening quite nicely. I'm picking 4-5 about every other day!! They're soooooo yummy, too!

The other HUGE tomato plant is an Early Girl, it produces a medium size fruit. There are lots on this one too, but we haven't had any ripen yet, so I'm dying to taste these when they're finally ready.

The smaller tomato plant in the front (closer to the center) is one I transplanted from a pot that was apparently too small. I thought it was stunted, but since I put it in the ground 3 weeks ago, it's grown lots of new growth and even has some fruit that will be ripening soon!!

You can't really see because of the overgrown tomatoes, but there are 2 jalapeno plants in the row next to the tomatoes. They both currently have about 6-7 peppers each and 1 or 2 of them will be ready to pick within a week's time!

In the 3rd row all the way at the back is a green bell pepper. It has just recently started blooming, so we'll see if it produces anything.

And the lettuce...... need I say anything?! My neighbor has gotten lettuce at least twice a week for a few weeks (and she's also taken some for a friend) and we eat it several times a week and I'm just a tad overloaded! I went a little bit crazy with the seed when I was planting! Beginner's error! I definitely misjudged just how much lettuce would be produced by that one little packet of seed!

When I replant for fall lettuce, I'll definitely be more careful to make true rows and use the seed sparingly (like the package recommends!!).

I'm also getting ready to plant some carrots in that huge empty spot where I currently have the water hose.

I might even plant some winter squash (but I'm the only one who really eats it, so that might just be a waste).

Oh, and I have grand plans for next year's garden. There will be tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos, green bell peppers, cilantro and other herbs, carrots, cucumber, zucchini and beans!! Yum!

A call to modesty - Part 1

When you hear the word 'modest' what immediately comes to mind? I imagine most people (certainly not everyone) think of women and clothing. You probably think of clothing that doesn't show too much of this or that. Most people probably wouldn't go much further in their thinking.

God has been really dealing with me in this area lately. If you know me personally, you might be thinking there's nothing wrong with the way I dress and you are correct, in a sense, from a worldy standard, at least.

Let us examine the basic definition of the word modest from dictionary.com:

1. having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, importance,
etc.; free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions.
2. free from ostentation or showy extravagance: a modest house.
3. having or showing regard for the decencies of behavior, speech, dress, etc.; decent: a modest neckline on a dress.
4. limited or moderate in amount, extent, etc.: a modest increase in salary.

So, am I to take from this worldy definition that there are more areas to modesty, other than just our outward 'clothing' appearance?

Absolutely!

Today, however, I am going to focus only on the physical appearance factor.

The Bible teaches us the following about our appearance:

A woman must not wear men's clothing, and a man must not wear women's clothing. The Lord your God detests people who do this. Deuteronomy 22:5 NLT

9- And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. 10- For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 NLT

These are just a couple of the many references to how we should be concerned about our outward appearance. God gives us more confirmation of these standards when teaching us that we are to be covered or modest in our appearance because of the man's wandering eye.

The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband also gives authority over his body to his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:4 NLT

This to me means that there is NO ONE else intended to see certain parts of my body. There are many references in the body to what are acceptable parts to be shown, etc. Here is just one of my findings:

2- Take the millstones, and grind meal; uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 3-Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. Isaiah 47:2-3 KJV

This happens during the fall of Babylon. The verses following that passage describe that God is sending judgment for the culture being pagan, self-centered and proud and for living in sensual pleasure and not trusting in God's wisdom. He is telling the daughter of Babylon to expose herself in the manner described and she will be naked. I take from this and other research I've read that God doesn't want us exposing our thigh. But, in Genesis 3:21 after Adam and Eve sinned and realized their nakedness, God made them "coats" of skins to cover themselves. Notice it doesn't say that he just covered the chest of the woman (bra) and genetalia of both (underwear), he gave them a coat to wear, meaning it covered from shoulder to probably past the knee (since in Isaiah it says even the thigh is considered unmodest and I personally believe the thigh to go all the way to the knee).

What are we doing (other than disobeying God and shaming ourselves) when we dress inappropriately? Are we allowing others to look at us in an unGodly way?

But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28 NLT

Are we helping men to sin? And what is the sacrifice on our part for encouraging men to look at us in this way? Are we shaming our husbands by drawing this attention to ourselves? What husband do you know who wants someone lusting after his wife in that way? Isn't wearing a short skirt, tight or lowcut shirt just inviting a man to look at you in the wrong way?

But there is one thing I want you to know: A man is responsible to Christ, a woman is responsible to her husband, and Christ is responsible to God. 1 Corinthians 11:3 NLT

Is that to say it is dishonoring and disrespectful to my husband for me to expose something private to any other person? Absolutely.

Have you ever noticed that when there is a reference to a prostitute in the Bible, it usually comes along with a description of what she was wearing? Let me give you a few examples:

10- The woman approached him, dressed seductively and sly of heart. 11- She was the brash, rebellious type who never stays at home. 12- She is often seen in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. Proverbs 7:10-12 NLT

16- Next the Lord will judge the women of Jerusalem, who walk around with their noses in the air, with tinkling ornaments on their ankles. Their eyes rove among the crowds, flirting with the men. 17- The Lord will send a plague of scabs to ornament their heads. Yes, the Lord will make them bald for all to see. 18- The Lord will strip away their artful beauty, their ornaments, headbands, and crescent necklaces; 19-
their earrings, bracelets and veils of shimmering gauze. 20- Gone will be their scarves, ankle chains, sashes, perfumes, and charms; 21- their rings, jewels, 22- party clothes, gowns, capes and purses; 23- their mirrors, linen garments, head ornaments and shawls. 24- Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, they will stink. They will wear ropes for sashes, and their well-set hair will fall out. They will wear rough sackcloth instead of rich robes. Their beauty will be gone. Only shame will be left to them. Isaiah 3:16-24 NLT

The Great Prostitute
The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immoraility. Revelation 17:4 NLT

For me it is very easy to say that I definitely do not want to come close to being viewed by God (or the world) as a prostitute or someone desiring lustful things. Instead, I want to be pleasing to God in my appearance (and in the rest of my life).

Is it not true that God's followers should be set apart from the world and not blend in to the culture, society, etc. of what the world holds?

The word commands us:

1- And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is it too much to ask? 2- Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is. Romans 12:1-2 NLT

So, I leave you with those thoughts for today....
Future installments will cover the following:
* What we should wear (according to my own personal convictions and research I've done)
* Having a spirit/mind/attitude that is modest
* Modesty in our marriage relationship (leadership/headship issues)

We have a winner!

The winner of the bracelet giveaway is:

Number 15 - FireMom

I have sent her an email and she will have until Sunday at 9pm mountain time to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen!

Thank you all for participating and I hope you'll come back to visit me again soon.

Oh, and remember, I still have free shipping available in my Etsy shop until Sunday at 9pm mountain time.


Here are your random numbers:
15
Timestamp: 2008-08-01 04:22:02 UTC