Sunday Scripture...

  ^{As we approach 2014 - let us recall the words of Jesus...}

What a comfort... and what a challenge.  

God is with me!  I want to represent Him in all that I do.

True Freedom...

I found this article today from a women who veils her head daily.  

She gives her biblical reasons for covering and offers some 

simple answers to common arguments against covering.  

There are excellent points regarding 'when' we should cover 

and 'how much' we should cover.  She also addresses what 

contemporary Christianity has done to this teaching with our 

misapplication of 'freedom in Christ'.  

I love this statement that she makes...

 I feel sure that God doesn't feel any more kindly to 

our lack of obedience than we do as parents

 when our children disobey us.  

Ephesians 5:6 speaks very strongly about disobedience. 

Thank you Kendra of Living In the Shoe!

Modesty and Gift Giving...

I may stretch some of you with this post - not sure... (hopefully I don't lose any of you.)  

 Have you discovered 'boyfriend pants' - as they're called 

at some stores?  These are often embellished with 

vintage-look school-type graphics.  Basically -

 they are 'sweat pants'.  They have a fuller more modest 

cut than much of what's out there in young women's fashion.  

If you have someone on your gift list that needs some 

modesty encouragement - - these may be helpful...

Source

Yes - I'm a skirt and dress girl.  But for the times 

when something else is required - these are a decent solution. 
They look like they'd be super cozy for house lounging!

Wise Men...

Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, 

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

 For we have seen His star in the East 
and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew 2:1b-2

What a beautiful example these wise men left for us... 

They sought Jesus - the One they knew to be King.  

May we too seek Him and allow Him to Rule

over every area our lives.

My Go-To Winter Modesty Essential...

I stepped into my local Kmart this week for a quick purchase.  

As I sped by the footwear section - I did a double take.  

They have an amazing selection of cute ladies' right now.  

And in our store at least - they have a BOGO going on.  

So you could get 2 pair for about $40.  Not bad!!  

Sadly - I don't need any...
(nope - not being paid - just spreading the word!)

Tall boots and knee hi's are my thang for winter skirts.

  (Sometimes I layer tights or leggings too!)
Linking to Modest Monday

Do You Stand Alone?....

Do you find that as you journey in this life - upholding a 

standard of modesty that others may mock....

 or wearing a headcovering in obedience to I Cor. 11... 

that it is a lonely journey at times?  

Free image from The Graphics Fairy

Are you discouraged when friends and family -

 especially those who proclaim Jesus as Savior - 

believe it is foolishness to practice such things - 

proclaiming freedom in Christ and living 'under grace not law'?  

(and I do want to speak to these things at some point)...

Dear friend... stand strong!  I was encouraged

 by this reading today found here....

maybe it will bless you as well.

 

Standing Alone

IT IS HUMAN to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone. It is man-like to follow the people, to drift with the tide; it is God-like to follow a principle, to stem the tide.

It is natural to compromise conscience and follow the social and religious fashion for the sake of gain or pleasure; it is divine to sacrifice both on the altar of truth and duty.

"No man stood with me, but all men forsook me" (2 Timothy 4:16) wrote the battle-scarred apostle in describing his appearance before a civil court to answer for his life of believing and teaching contrary to the Roman world.

God's absolute, revealed Truth has been out of fashion since man changed his robe of fadeless light for a garment of faded leaves.

Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness and perished in style.

Abraham wandered and worshipped alone. Sodomites smiled at the simple shepherd, followed the world's fashion, and fed the flames.

Daniel dined and prayed alone. Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone. Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone. Jesus loved and died alone.

And of the lonely way His disciples should walk, He said, "Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14.

Of their treatment by the many who walk in the broad way, He said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, . . . therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19.

The redeemed children of Israel in the wilderness praised Abraham and persecuted Moses. The people of God in the days of the kings praised Moses and persecuted the prophets. The court of Caiphas, the high priest, praised the prophets and persecuted Jesus. The church of the popes praised the Saviour and persecuted the saints.

And multitudes now, both in the church and the world, applaud the courage and fortitude of the patriarchs and prophets, the apostles and martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness or foolishness the same faithfulness in standing for truth today.

Wanted, today, men and women, young and old, who will obey their convictions of truth and duty at the cost of fortune and friends and life itself.

Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. Hebrews 13,:12,13.

Scripture Sunday...

(Quilted Nest Antiques is my other blog)

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted 

and become as little children, you will by no means 

enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3 

How precious is childhood...a time when not everything

has to make sense or follow logical rules of explanation.  

Children simply believe... simply love - with their whole hearts.

  What inspiration for us as we enter this Christmas season.  

A season about a precious Child and the gift of

 eternal life that He offers us.

If we simply...

An Article About Wearing Skirts...

There are many articles and websites out there that address 

the topic of modesty in one form or another.

  (Headcovering too - but this post relates to modesty.)  

Rather than reinvent the wheel with each post - 

sometimes it's good to just share what's already been written.

Today I'm linking to an article by Stacy McDonald.  

The topic?  'Why We (mostly) Wear Skirts'.  

She also gives great 'heart tips' to help define modesty.  

I'm thinking we can all be challenged by what she writes.  

Thanks Stacy for communicating your heart so clearly.
  

Go read her blog post at 'Your Sacred Calling'.

Demons & Headcoverings...

In I Cor. 11:1-16 - there is a mystery verse - a verse that seems to be a bit unclear as to its meaning.  That verse? - verse 11...

   For this cause ought the woman to have power
                on her head because of the angels.

Often this verse is explained as 'there are heavenly angels present in our church services - and in respect to them (or something similar) - we need to have our heads covered so they can minister to us.'  Maybe...  But angels are present everywhere - not just in church services.  And then there are fallen angels... demons as we've come to call them.   And they are a very real entity too!

Source

May I suggest that wearing a headcovering somehow speaks to the angels in the spirit world - both heavenly and demonic.  (Keep in mind that angels are not omniscient!) I know of several real life instances where evil certainly seemed to be thwarted as a result of a woman wearing a head covering.  Here is one...

This story involves a native young lady in Costa Rica (shared by my brother who lives and ministers there.)  She was a new believer - struggling with her new way of  life and tempted by her old.  But she was wearing her head covering (yes, in daily life).  Her and a nonChristian friend were at odds over a boyfriend.  In a weak moment - she went to 'have it out' with her friend and things got ugly.  The other girl put up her fists with the intent of an all out girl 'cat fight'.  With her fists raised and ready to 'strike' - she screamed at the young believer to take off that 'rag on her head' (referring to her head covering) so that she could fight her.  Of course the young lady didn't - and the fist fight never ensued.  But interestingly - as the new believer retold the story - it was as though there was a physical force keeping that friend from delivering those blows.

Is there 'power' on our head when we wear a headcoving?  This one story would suggest 'yes'!

I'm sure this raises lots of questions and I'll try to share more tidbits on this topic in future posts... (trying to keep them short for you!)

Be Blessed in Jesus ~ Joyce

Sports Running Skirts and More...

I continue to be of the mind that if there is an activity 
that we can't do modestly - perhaps we should rethink 
if we really need to be doing that activity.   
The Christian life is, after all, a day-to-day dying to our own whims and desires.
   That said - I also believe there are many modest outfit 
options for seeing us through an assortment of sporting activities.  
Take a peek at this sport company's approach to modesty...

Source 
I'm thinking a full light knit skirt with leggings

 underneath should get us through most activities!  

And it's a cute look to boot!

Shipping to the USA is not a great-looking option - 

but this would not be a hard look to recreate.

Be encouraged!  ~Joyce

Linking to Modest Monday

Mending For Modesty & Putting Elastic in Sleeves...

Years ago - mending was more of a 'thing' than it seems 

to be today.  Thrift stores did not abound to keep our 

closets full of nice clothing at budget prices....

 so we mended what we had!  

Well recently - I did some mending of my own -

 but for a different reason.

I find modest and dressy shirts hard to find. 

I've had this white one a number of years and love it!  

The drawstring neck can be tied to a level I'm comfortable with.

  However, we have a new puppy who has some

 challenging behavior issues.  

We've learned she's very 'dominant' and training has been hard work - ahhhh!!!  

One of her issues is jumping and biting - at the same time!   

She 'play bites' (as they call it) hard and fast! 

(Picture bruised legs, arms and tattered clothing...a naughty puppy!)  

When she put a big tear in the sleeve of this shirt - 

I was determined it wasn't going in the trash.

Thankfully - she tore the sleeves near the bottom of their 

 original 3/4 length.  I cut that part off - 

and now the sleeves are a little shorter. 
The original shirt...(I like it with this vest apparently.)

To put elastic in sleeves... simply turn sleeves under and stitch a casing 

the width of your elastic.  Allow an opening and feed elastic through

 with a safety pin on the end...having measured the elastic to what is

 comfortable for your arm. 

Stitch the elastic closed - then finish stitching the casing closed.  

It it easy!

All for Jesus ~Joyce

Scripture Sunday...

Photo taken while walking past an amazing horse farm in our area.

Dear Christian sisters...
 as we read through scripture and perhaps newly consider our wardrobe choices and roles as women...
let's allow the God of the universe - who led the 
Israelites straight through a deep sea on dry ground...
let's trust him to lead and guide us in these areas as well.  
What joy to walk the path He has for us... and not our own.

Enjoy this Lord's Day with Jesus ~ Joyce

Sweet Singing - In God Honoring Attire...

Sometimes you just need to 'see it' to be newly 

challenged to follow the Lord in every area.

Enjoy this singing video by a family that practices 

both headcovering and modesty.  And the songs? 

Precious songs of total surrender to the Lord and His Ways!!

Were you encouraged or newly resolved today?

Bless you!  ~Joyce

Scripture Sunday...

  ...The dome of our state capitol building in Harrisburg, PA.  

How I pray each of us would allow God's will to be done 

in our own lives. Changing hearts is how we change nations.

Kathy's Headcovering Testimony...

Today I'm sharing yet another testimony from a gal who is practicing the 

biblical mandate of headcovering.   I met Kathy on facebook and requested 

her permission to share it with you.  Her story begins with a question from her young daughter!   

Today - Kathy is joyfully obeying the scriptures in this area - 

even though she is 'alone' in her church.  Enjoy and be encouraged...

Three years ago, my then 11 year old daughter asked our pastor's wife about what Paul meant about modest dressing, roles of women and head covering. She told my daughter and I that these were "cultural" in nature and not a value for today. Both my daughter and I felt that this was a rather lame answer to a heart felt question on my daughter's part. My daughter and I talked about these issues together and decided that this could not possibly be truth. How can we decide what is "cultural" and what is not. What about order in the family, honoring parents, teachings on homosexuality, obedience to God etc. If modesty and head coverings were "cultural" then why are these other issues not "cultural". 

...After this I was perplexed and disturbed by the answer we got from said pastor's wife. We attend a charismatic non denominational church in rural mid west Minnesota.... I began to study the scripture for answers and asked the Holy Spirit to direct my path and give me direction as to dress, and head coverings. God had already dealt with me regarding obedience to Him in areas that are difficult, ie husband as head of family. My obedience in the home has been a blessing and God has honored my obedience. I was ready to take the next step. The Holy Spirit kept taking me to 1 Corinthians 11. I said "No not that" But God was not going to let me go that easily. He nipped at my heels until I was convinced that He was directing my path in this. I said "Ok' and my husband did not care one way or the other. 

I ordered a simple black snood and started wearing it about the house. It was January when I started and wearing a simple indoor crocheted hat indoors and at church was not a far stretch for me. As it is I am already kind of "weird' at church wearing mostly longer flowing skirts. People probably just thought it was another "Kathy oddity" . Wearing my scarf or wide head band etc began to feel so freeing and normal. I felt that the Angels were honoring me, I slept better, felt my prayers were more earnest and felt a peace about my life. I shared only with a couple people about my decision, they thought I was cracked although they did admit that it was a command in the bible. A command that was "cultural in nature". No one has asked me about it in 2 years!

I felt that if I started telling people they would think I was being too conservative, or pious, or weirder then usual. So, I just did not say anything and no one has asked. I am the ONLY one in church who wears dresses 90 % of the time and the only one who wears a head covering. I feel a freedom in Christ and am at the age that I really do not care what people think of me. The only one I need to honor is God then my husband....  Those of us ladies who have been called to obedience in head coverings need the encouragement of fellow sisters. We are bucking the trend not only in society but in our fellowships as well. Rejoice dear sisters you are not alone, we have God and the Angels on our side!!!

God bless you Kathy!  Thanks for allowing me to share your story.

Friends - following Jesus can be lonely - but this life is but a vapor.

 And we are not truly alone at all.  ~Joyce

Scripture Sunday....

Do you feel alone in your Christian walk and beliefs?  Sometimes we need 

to remind ourselves that no matter how lonely it feels - Jesus has promised 

to always be with us.  Cry out to Him!  Trust and know that He is with you and beside you. 

 Bask in His presence and experience His Peace - even amidst many tears.  

We are never alone or left on our own!

Spending time with Jesus always gives strength for the journey.

My love to you this day ~ Joyce

Riding Bicycle in a Skirt...

In my area - its not uncommon to see conservative Christian women  riding bicycle 

in a skirt.  But there are some challenges.  Namely - the skirt getting caught on 

bicycle parts when too long... or of course riding up as you move your legs.

But I'm encouraged to find this.... A company has come out with a 'bicycle skirt' 

that unzips for pedaling - and reveals not a slit (yeah!) - but more fabric!   
Altho - a fuller skirt to begin with would solve the problem. 
But at least this is a step in the right direction for mainstream society. 
And I love the charming photos! 

Source

And this dear blogger did a post on bicycling in skirts that I love as well.  

Her ideas?  Wear leggings underneath...

 Or maybe padded bike shorts which no one can even see!  By the way - 

you can do most anything in a fuller skirt that falls just below the knee.  

Plenty of room to move, full enough for layering, and isn't too long to be dangerous. 

Now - go bike your heart out and be modest too!

 

Source

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty... 2 Cor. 3:17 

- a freedom to please our Savior!

~Joyce

Distinctly Female - Does It Matter?

As a woman - how important is it to look like a woman?  Does God care about that?

  Let me offer some thoughts...

   

We have all grown quite accustomed to seeing women in pants.  

It has become a way of life.  But let me assure you when women first started 

wearing pants - it wasn't just the Christians who were in an up roar - 

it was seen as distinctly going into the male world. 

Now ladies - let me ask you - are you prepared to get accustomed to seeing men 

wear skirts?  When I see this (and I have!)- something within me cries 'no!' 

It's just 'wrong' and my spirit knows it.

  I don't want to get used to it!  And I pray you don't either.

Currently - our fashion industry is bringing feminine dress to the male population.  

These images are from a 2013 runway collection in London... 

(and yes - there is a decidedly homosexual emphasis here.)

Source for images

Are you surprised?  Satan loves to blur lines... to make things gray... 

to have us question 'hath God said?'.  Some refer to this as 'a slippery slope'.  

Trouble is - once you're headed down a slope - it's hard to stop - 

let alone turn around and go back up (think sledding down an icy hill!)  

Wouldn't it be better to not go down the hill to begin with?

I can assure you that in bible times - there was something very distinct about the 

female and male garments of that time -regardless of what teaching you may have heard.   

No Godly person would have tried to be gender confusing in their attire.  

After all - it was God who said  "A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth 

unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever 

doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God."  Deut. 22:5  

When our appearance is not clearly different from our male counterparts - we are on a slippery slope. 

 (Yes, I realize there may be times or activities that call for pants to be worn - but this can 

still be done in a distinctly modest and feminine way as I've posted about earlier.)  

 As women - we are designed and created by God to be drawn to the opposite sex - 

not our own. 

The first thing another notices about us is our appearance.  What do we want to portray? 

  Homosexuality is not a new thing by any stretch of the imagination - but it is a sin.  

(God said it - not me!)

 I want to stay far removed from it.  Wearing unisex or gender neutral clothing, 

blurring the lines of distinction or crossing the lines all are dangerous territory.  

Certainly - Satan is smiling to himself as we become more

 'progressive' in our attire and churches.  I don't want him to smile at me!
(and my apologies for a longer post than usual...)

A Headcovering Movement? Wow - An Answer to Prayer...

For years I have prayed and asked the Lord to help his church 
become convinced of the scriptural teaching of headcovering.  
If more pastors and lay persons would practice and teach 
this truth - what a blessing that would be to those who 
are trying to be obedient to His Word in this area.   
Not to mention the blessings of simple obedience!
 God is answering my prayer and I'm sure the prayer of untold others.  
Just yesterday I stumbled upon a website that has me so exited.  
Check out their introductory video...

Officially this site is teaching that headcovering 

is a practice for corporate worship - 

which it certainly is.  But I believe it is for more!

 The website also offers a free ebook by K. P. Yohannan.   
(It's small - great for printing & handing out!)

Within its pages, the author acknowledges that

headcovering extends beyond corporate worship. 

 There are also beautiful testimonies that give

 witness to covering beyond the church service.  

Praise be to Jesus for bringing this teaching to

 light to the church in these last days! 

I can't wait to see what happens next!  ~Joyce

Headcovering Testimony...

I love to share testimonies of dear ones who have been 

prompted by the Lord to take Him at His Word
 and have begun the journey of head covering.

  Jennifer is such a gal and I have recently

 been introduced to her and her blog...

I love this quote from her post where she explains 

her change in appearance to her blogging visitors...

"It is a gift and a treasure to be called one of the children of God and

 we should not be ashamed."  

In addition, below is her testimony in brief that she

 shared with some of her facebook friends... (used with permission)

I felt led to wear a head covering several years ago, but knew I had to wait for the Lord to work on my husband's heart as that is not something the modern christian world does, much less the secular world. Fast forward about 5 years, and my husband voiced his concern as to why we were not abiding in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. So we surrendered to the Lord's calling and I started wearing a head covering. Unfortunately, after 6 months I started having problems with the coverings fitting and hurting my head so I stopped wearing them. Six months later and under intense conviction from the Lord, I resolved my issues by designing and making my own. I wear my coverings from the moment I wake up until I go to bed, minus the shower. :) 

Her website, Mama Economics,  is all about living a biblical debt free life.

(But there are other great Christian topics too.)

Go meet her and be blessed!

Thanks Jennifer for sharing with us today ~Joyce

Great Signs Point the Way...

When I venture out to scavage at yard sales on the 

weekends (a favorite past time of mine!) - 

there's something I've found interesting.  

The yard sales that are the easiest to find are

 the ones that have great signs pointing the way...

 It's most helpful when the next sign - leading to the 

same sale - is similar in appearance or the same color...

If one of the signs happens to look completely different 

than the rest - I question whether it's for the same sale.  

It confuses me.  (and these signs occur way more than I'd like)

Now I realize no analogy is perfect - so I hope you can catch my heart...

I firmly believe the same is true of us.  Our message 

(that we love Jesus, have surrendered our whole lives to Him 

and want others to do the same!) 

is the least confusing when our appearance is consistent.  

Even though I believe we should not necessarily  

follow others - but rather Christ and His Word... 

the fact remains that others are watching and observing us.  

I think we'd be surprised what unbelievers notice in 

those proclaiming to be Christ followers.
We are each walking signs for Jesus - like it or not.

So whether we're at the beach, at a baseball game,

 shopping at the mall, hanging with gal pals, 

or in church - what a testimony to portray a modest 
appearance with a modest spirit in each situation.

And since I believe headcovering is a biblical
 teaching even for this modern day - I strive to
 be consistent in this area as well.
(After all - the angels are watching!)

Consistency is a beautiful thing!  ~Joyce

When Truth Becomes Popular...

I am so excited and thrilled to see more and more churches,

 Christians and ministries tackle biblical teachings that 

affect women.  I believe God is awakening us to His truths

 in these last days.  It's been awesome to see a resurgance

of teachings on modesty and headcovering in

 the past number of years.  Hallelujah!  

But with this awakening comes a great responsibility.   

When it comes to practical application - let us

 inquire of the Lord and search His Word

and not just blindly play 'follow the leader'.  

We do not  know someone's heart the way God does.  

The standard or model someone is currently practicing 

may not be the final standard God is calling them to.   

 Or that dear sister may still be battling the flesh and not 

be walking in total surrender when it comes to her wardrobe.

 
Satan has a way of tickling ears, being sneaky,

 making wrong appear right, and clouding our focus.   

Be careful of thoughts such as...

'surely God doesn't want me to appear different'...  or 

'but in today's culture...'

or 'but she's a great Christian and she...' and on and on.

If God desires us to abstain from the very appear-

ance of evil - (I Thess. 5:22)

what might He be asking in regard to our closet?

I found these verses sobering today...

God is speaking of cutting off people who...

 "have turned back from following the Lord,and have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him." 

(from Zeph. 1:6)

I want to be inquiring of Him - trusting you do too ~Joyce

 

Meghan's Testimony of Converting to Skirts...

There are so many wonderful stories of the

 Lord leading persons to dress more modestly.
  Today I'm sharing another one with you...

This sweet gal has been blogging her modesty testimony and con-

version to full-time skirt wearing on her blog First Comes Love. 

  With her permission - I invite you to go have a good read!  

She states that her journey "all really came from the Lord. 

There was no one particular friend, no blog, no church leader 

who sat (her) down and said that (she) should wear skirts 

all the time and then outlined all the reasons...

 It was the Lord, and ... (she) knew He was guiding (her)."  

I love that!

Meghan also has posts that share:

* The challenges of a husband on a different page as it relates to modesty

* The benefits of skirts

* Her personal standards of modesty

You'll love her spirit and the many tips and
 homemaking topics that abound on her blog.
  Thanks Meghan for sharing some of your story with us!

Praying for you this day ~Joyce