• October 18, 2007
Proverbs 31- Modern-day rarities!
Goodness. You never know what’s going to happen. I had written all my Proverbs 31 entry outlines in my quiet time journal, and then I lost it before I could write another entry. (Thank goodness my prayer journal didn’t get lost too!) Turns out, it was providence. When I had originally sketched out the focus of each entry, I knew something was missing. It wasn’t until I lost my journal that I figured out what I’d left out. The only problem was, even if I have a new topic I want to cover, I still need an inspiration to make an entry come to life. That came on Monday night when I was talking to my best friend. He didn’t know it, but he filled in the piece that was missing in my puzzling predicament! I know that some of the stuff in this entry I have probably covered before, but it's still very important, so I don't mind repeating myself. This entry isn’t necessarily entirely about Proverbs 31, but I’m including it as part of that series. Consequentially, this series is going to run a little longer than planned. It’s going to take more than 31 days. :)
It is important that we understand how to apply Proverbs 31 to our everyday life. As girls, as friends, as girlfriends, as daughters, and as sisters, we have an important role in the lives of many people, and we can also influence them greatly! It is up to you to decide whether you will make that a good influence or a bad one.
There are a few things that we need to keep in mind when we read Proverbs 31. Some of the stuff seems a little… dated. There is always great stuff in all the verses, but I can’t remember the last time my “hands grasped the spindle”. The chapter is about finding an excellent wife, and the description of that woman. Although we will eventually marry, most likely, right now it doesn’t always seem to have an application for us. We can prepare ourselves to be Proverbs 31 women, but what about now? What do we do in the meantime while we are waiting for our princes to sweep us off our pedicured feet? That is exactly what I’m planning to tell you, so hold on to your tiaras, girls! This is going to be quite a ride.
First things first. You need to realize what TRUE beauty is! It bothers me when girls I know say, “I just feel so fat all the time,” or “I never can find the right clothes,” or “my hair looks awful,” or “my makeup doesn’t even help today!”
1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.”
It doesn't matter if you shop at Hollister or Goodwill, it’s the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that should define you. You can be "ugly" by the world’s standards, but absolutely drop-dead gorgeous on the inside! Doesn’t that make you feel better? You don’t have to worry about your appearance, or what you wear. When your heart’s right, all the rest will fall into place. I know that most of you care about what the guys think about you, so since most of my audience happens to be largely composed of teen girls, I understand that this is not going to change your grooming habits. It’s not going to change mine either! Just think about this the next time you look in the mirror… do you base all of your beauty in material things?
Your attitude is also very important. Good attitudes are radiantly infectious, and bad attitudes are horribly contagious. There’s a fabulous Relient K song I love, called Mood Rings. The lead singer, a guy, talks about how he wishes all emotional girls would wear mood rings so guys could easily tell, at a glance, what a girl is thinking. He says girls change their mind and mood quickly and sometimes unexpectedly. Although this isn’t necessarily true of all girls, some girls tend to get rather… well… moody. Girls, face it, guys aren’t moody. Is it any wonder that they tend to enjoy spending time with each other? We need to cultivate a welcoming, positive outlook/attitude. There is so much we can gain from friendships when we don’t let our bad attitudes get in the way. Mood swings are not beneficial to your emotional health! Try to keep things in perspective. For example, bad hair days don’t seem so bad when you think about those dying of cancer… people who have lost all their hair.
On a side note, I want to mention that good friends (a) listen to their friends, (b) ask them questions, (c) remember their answers, (d) pray for their friends, (e) ask them about the things they talked about last time. Superficial friendships drive me crazy. By superficial, I mean friendships based on using the other person, money, popularity, etc. I didn’t intend to include that in this entry, so this is just a bonus. You lucky people! (hehe...)
Girls, we need to dress modestly! I know that you are probably sick of hearing this, but I have to say it again. Modesty is a big deal for me, and it’s the reason I originally chose guardedmodesty as my username. Modesty does not mean dress Amish-ly, it means chose your clothes with a pure heart and a clear motive. We shouldn’t dress to catch guys! I see this happen ALL the time!! Our apparel should communicate reserve, class, and this doesn’t exclude a good dose of the current fashion. I’ve seen some girls that do amazingly well with this. It’s a constant struggle between pride and humility, and it’s something that used to really trouble me. I’ve finally found a healthy balance, although my struggle was not with immodesty; I was somewhere between Amish and “normal”, but probably closer to Amish. I’ve changed a lot in just the past year and a half, and I have my friends to thank for that. They helped me “see the light”. I do know that those of you who struggle with immodesty have it a lot harder than I did. Just keep trying, and if you have questions or need advice, please message me. I answered many questions that way during the modesty series, and would be happy to continue that. As always, your parents can help you with knowing how to dress, so don’t be afraid to ask them as well.
True love really does wait! Girls, I’m going to keep this short and sweet, but you need to save yourself for your future husband. I’m also talking about saving yourself emotionally. It’s better if you don’t fall in "love" with every handsome guy that crosses your path, even though it's temping. Save yourself for your husband. That doesn't mean that I'm never going to date... no way! I still have normal emotions running through my head, and that will come in time, it just hasn't happened... yet. What I mean is, though, is that if you give a piece of your heart to all the guys you know, even to ones that don't even know you (that's right, I'm talking about crushes!), by the time you give your heart to your husband, he won't have all of it. I hope that makes sense.
This has got to be one of the longest posts I’ve ever written! My hands are starting to hurt. It’s been a long day. I took the PSAT today, cleaned my room, talked to my best friend, talked to my cousins, spent time with my grandparents, and I’m about to fall asleep. It’s after midnight. I’ll probably have to post this in the morning. Moving on. Soooooo… I know that perfection is impossible to attain, but we need to at least set our sights on perfection, and know what perfection looks like. With that out of the way, I think I can finally move on to the rest of the chapter with a clear conscience. We haven’t even started talking about what a good wife looks like! Have a blessed day, everyone. If I know you personally, I hope I can talk to you sometime soon, but for all of my cyberpals, I know I’ll see you in heaven if you’re Christians, so that is super exciting!!!!
Your princess in disguise
Comments
• October 18, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by kittyqueen
Hi!, I know I haven't commented in a while either, but I have been reading!
I love your post, it basically restates all the things that I believe in!
RYC: I have been doing so much better! I really try to be modest all the time, in my attitude, and my actions. I remember one day about 3 months ago, I felt really pretty, I was wearing an immodest shirt, but when I look back over that day, I know that my actions weren't modest either, so that makes it worse. I really try to wear appropraite clothes, I always wear a short sleeve shirt under this one spagetti strap shirt, and I wear sweaters over others. I also have the 3-finger rule: if I put 3 fingers right below my collarbone and my shirt doesn't come up to it, it's too low. I feel I have been doing so much better in my modesty, inside and out.
Thanks for remembering me! Evne though I don't comment, know that I still read your posts!!
Luv,
Miss Kitty
• October 18, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by totustuus
Aww..thanks for your comment. Yes, we are all very excited!!
It was great to read your post!! I'm so glad that you share all these concerns...it's great to know other girls that take stuff like modesty, femininity, humility, and holiness really seriously. That is a real encouragement!!
Lately, what I wear has been a stumbling block for me. Yes, I am dressing modestly, but now I've come to the point where the outside modesty isn't an issue, it's the inside modesty that I have to work on.
I looked up the word "modest" in the dictionary, and this is what I got:
1. humble
unwilling to draw attention to your own achievements or abilities
4. simple
not showy, elaborate, or pretentious
I know this sounds weird, but I have actually been feeling prideful about my modesty. Is that an oxymoron or what?? I often feel like I'm better than all the other girls who are dressing to attract. In a way, I'm also dressing to attract. Guys are more attracted to modest girls, right? In other words, my motives are getting screwed up. That is something that I've really been struggling with. I don't want to have a "holier than thou" attitude. I want modesty/humility to be a heart issue, not just a clothes issue.
Well, there's my great confession...lol!! Keep up your great blogging. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this long series. ;-)
<33333
Sylvia
• October 20, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by PricelessPurity
Wow, your post is right on target! And thank you for your comment! We're glad you enjoyed it. It is so good to know that there are other girls out there with strong stands on this issue as well!
We didn't know that you had designed that banner - it's very well done! Thank you for adding us to your friend list!
God bless!!
~Rachel & Jillian~
• October 22, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by AmandaJoyful
Wow this is awsome! I luv Proverbs 31.... some of my favorite verses. My favorite is verse 30 "favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." great post! do you want to be friends?
• October 24, 2007
Hiya!
Posted by IcyBootWoot
Heeeyy!!! *waves*
I think I do remember you! I feel bad because I don't remember what we talked about, but Inkling filled me in and I am pretty sure I remember.
How are you? And thanks for reading my blog. I was...bored, lol.
Come Join Us!!
