I often find myself steaming mulling over the frustration of the flesh-loving society in which we live.  How do I know our society loves flesh?  Because it’s everywhere!  The word modesty is so foreign in our culture it should be said with an accent.  Lack of modesty used to be restricted to the world, for the most part.  However, the thing that grieves my heart today is that the church has also been  infiltrated with immodesty.  Plunging necklines, tight skirts, and short hem lengths are as common as robed choir members used to be. 

“What’s the big deal with modesty?” you may be asking. When women choose to dress in a way that reveals cleavage, or their thigh, they are putting the men around them in a position of temptation.  We can’t flippantly say, “That’s their problem!  They have to deal with it!” Paul said, All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.  Just because I have the freedom to wear whatever I want, doesn’t mean I can choose anything I want to wear.  If we understand that God made men to be visual, we will be discreet in our choices of clothes so as not to cause them to have to look away to keep from sinning.

“It’s impossible to find modest clothes!” some may say.  I agree that it can be difficult, but there are options.  Altering clothing is one choice.  Take the neckline up. Lengthen the skirt.  Another thought is layering.  Wear an appropriate cami underneath, or wear a scarf that will cover you.

It’s not just young women that are dressing inappropriately; many older women are letting their guards down and exposing what should be covered.  Perhaps they feel they’re not a threat, but if for nothing else, we should be leading the guard as an example for the young women. 

Can I encourage you – look in the mirror carefully before you step out, and ask yourself if there is anything immodest about your apparel.  Bend over to ensure that nothing is revealed just by your movement.  Using a mirror, take a look at the back of your outfit as well.  We may think we look good – even if it is a little immodest, but here’s what the Word of God says about a woman who has no discretion:

Monday found me and “the parson” – not in the parsonage, but out roaming some of our favorite roads.  They are mountain roads, back roads, roads that lead to other adventures like lakes, waterfalls and quiet places.  Here is a sampling of what we saw…

After a busy ministry weekend, the rest we found in these places, as well as in our own car with just the two of us, was so refreshing!  The joy of praying together in one of these quiet places reminded us of God’s presence, as well as His ability to move in on the situations for which we were praying.  It was a blessed afternoon outside the parsonage.

What do you like to do after things have been busy?

From the parsonage windows,



From Family fun – Sandwich cookies turned into flip flops!  How cute!

I still laugh when I remember the very frustrated mother I saw at the amusement park some years ago.  She was hot, exhausted, and at her wits end as she said to her children in a very loud voice, “We came here to have a good time, and we are going to have a good time!” 

It’s every mom’s desire for her kids to enjoy the summer months, but there are days when you get tired and have come to the end of your idea list.  So, how’s your summer going?  Are you needing a few ideas to fill these next four weeks with fun things for your children?  I have seen some really adorable ideas online recently.  It makes me wish I had little ones at home so I could do some of these fun things!

In case you’re needing a few creative activities, I thought I’d share a few I’ve found:

Potted Chocolate Mint Puddings from Martha Stewart

• How Does she? has a list of 100 cheap or free summer activities. 
• From making slime to homemade paints and hot air balloons, Lil’ Luna has some really creative ideas here that were shared from many of her readers. 
• Martha Stewart has a list of 60 ideas including crafts, foods and backyard activities.
• Crystal & Co. has a list of 80 simple and very do-able activities that every child needs to do!!!!
• Here’s another list from The Chirping Moms.  There might be a few that are repeated from another site, but each list has some unique activities no other place has.
• Here’s a Pinterest page of 100 ideas! 

Wow!  Wish I was a kid again!

Who will you do these activities with?  If, like me, you don’t have little ones, perhaps we can adopt some one’s child for an afternoon and have some fun with them, and give their mommy a break!

What’s your favorite summer memory as a child?

Enjoying summer,

Sometimes all it takes is just a little organization to simplify life!  I have an upright freezer in my basement…way in the back of the basement.  I keep all my meats, ice cream, and extra baked goods in there.  When I purchase packages of chicken, I re-package it into smaller bags, and I mark everything with a permanent Sharpie Pen.  But even still, it’s easy to overlook a package of chicken, or forget that you had stocked up on English muffins or pork chops because it was hidden behind the ice cream!  Running downstairs to hunt for things can be frustrating.

A couple weeks ago, my sweet and proficient daughter, Whitney, emailed me a Freezer organization list that she created, and that has really been a blessing!  I keep the list up in my kitchen so I know what I have both downstairs and up in the refrigerator freezer.  When I go shopping and purchase chicken breasts on sale, I package them, mark them, then add it to the Freezer list, marking which freezer it is stored in.  I now know what is stored and where it is.  After I use a piece of meat, I mark it off the list.  No more digging in the arctic tundra trying to find that steak, or wondering if I have enough hamburger for dinner tomorrow night.  Now I just whip out the list and take a look!

Ah!  I feel refreshed!  You can too.  The freezer organization list can be downloaded here.  If the list contains items you don’t buy, you can white out that item and write in what you purchase.  Or, you can email me and I can send you a list that can be edited before you print it. 

Just wait until you see how this organization tool will refresh your life!

See you in church Sunday!

Be refreshed,

People problems.  We face them every day.  I heard a preacher once say,  “The ministry would be great if it weren’t for people!”  The comic strip, Peanuts shows Linus saying, I love mankind; it’s just people I can’t stand!”  That’s ridiculous, of course, because mankind is people.  Ministry is people.  Your job is people.  Your family is people, as well as your neighborhood, and so on.  So, if we all live with people, and people can be frustrating (the person in the mirror is frustrating to others too!), the best thing to do is learn to deal with them biblically! 

Ever have someone tell a lie about you?  It stings, and you feel as helpless to get the truth known as a chicken on its way to the slaughtering house.  Yesterday I was reminded in Proverbs’ simplicity that the truth will always prevail. 

Years ago we had someone tell some horrendous lies about our family.  Our initial response was to shout the truth everywhere we went, but the Lord stopped us from doing so.  We knew these things weren’t true, and the Lord reminded us that He would allow the truth to prevail in His time.  It was hard to wait, but we did.  Eighteen years later the one who had spread the lies, made a long distance trip to see us and ask our forgiveness.  Though that may seem like a very long time to wait, in comparison to eternity, it really isn’t.  Quite frankly, it was worth the wait!  It was a sweet reunion as restitution was made and hugs of forgiveness were exchanged.

Yes, the just are delivered.  Even if it doesn’t happen until eternity, the truth will always prevail.

If you’ve fallen prey to someone’s lies, remind yourself of what God’s Word says about it, and allow the One who is Truth, to bring it into the full light at just the right time.  Let Him be your Deliverer.

With love,