Modesty

I feel like as Christians it's important to be modest in the way we dress because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost and we should respect Him and ourselves.

As christian women we should not want to reveal our body to anyone except our husbands. Men and women are made differently, in that, men struggle with lust on a regular basis and women cannot understand that. We shouldn't tempt our fellow christian brothers in Christ by revealing our body to them. It's important to cover your thighs as the Bible refers to the thigh as "nakedness".

Exodus 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

And I beleive women should wear dresses or skirts below the knee because it is less revealing of your figure than pants. I want my body to be for my husband and noone else. I don't wish to draw attention to myself. Here is the Bible verse for this personal conviction.

Deuteronomy 22:5 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 abomination unto the LORD thy God.
I don't want to be a stumbling block for those around me.  Tempting men to look at my body is wrong and causing them to have lustful thoughts. Especially in God's house we need to remember the reason we go to church and be very careful how much skin is revealed. It can be difficult to focus on Him if your showing cleavage or your skirt is too short.

Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

And because we have 4 boys we are more aware than ever of how important modesty can be. We don't want our boys growing up seeing half naked women and girls walking around. We want to guard their hearts as long as possible and try to keep their minds pure and free of impure thoughts. It might sound impossible but we believe it can be done by keeping them in church at teaching them the importance of keeping their bodies sacred and pure for their spouse.

I know it won't be easy and some critics may say we're crazy for "sheltering" them but we are doing our best to "train them up in the way they should go."

Being Submissive

Being a submissive wife doesn't mean you should be mistreated in any way. There is a difference between being submissive and being controlled. We should love them despite their flaws and try to be helpful instead of critical. We need to be respectful of each others ideas and decisions and that will be easier when you really love each other. He is to be the head of the home and we should never make major decisions without discussing them first with each other. We are to serve him which simply means to "render assistance". Being submissive doesn't mean you are dumb. A great marraige requires a lot of work but if you're both fighting for the head of house than be prepared for war.

I love my husband and I love the Lord and I want to please them both. In order to do that I need to be submissive to my husband and let him be the leader in our home. He doesn't mistreat me or talk to me like I am any less. He just lets the Lord guide him so he can guide us.

The F-word

Forgiveness is what I am talking about. Do you have trouble forgiving others when they hurt you? I haven't always been able to forgive. It doesn't come natural. I remember as a child when my mother told me to say sorry I had the hardest time getting those words "I'm sorry" to come out of my mouth. 

When someone does something to hurt me I have learned that the best way to get past it and feel better is to forgive and forget. It's easier said than done but it is the best thing to do. 

The Bible says in  Matthew 6:14-15  "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

So as Christians we have to learn that forgiving each other is the only way we can stay right with God.

  Ephesians 4:32   And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

And while raising these boys, forgiveness is a daily lesson here at our house. They are in "training" and it seems as though I am too. I am learning patience and they are learning obedience and forgiveness.

It's a big job raising these handsome boys....it's not easy but it's worth it! They were given a Wii and then we bought Mario Kart with wheels for the controllers. So now they are learning to drive! At the early ages of 9, 7 & 4 they can drive! Almost. Learning to share and taking turns is a constant battle but we are working on it daily.

There are only a few things in this house that we don't share. One very important one is toothbrushes. Justus wants to use everyone's toothbrush. Now that he has learned to climb and if he can't reach something he'll get a stool. So recently when I bought My Way Crest Spin brushes toothbrushes for the 3 big boys he really wanted to play with them. They were able to decorate their own with lots of stickers that were included and used the letters to put their names on them. Now if I can just teach them to close the bathroom door when they go out it would help. Until he learns to open doorknobs!!!

Learning to forgive is hard but when you can put the past behind you and realize that we all make mistakes it is easier to be happy and your relationships will get stronger with family, friends and God.

Funny Boys