Biblical Femininity: Conduct

Conduct is defined as "personal behavior; way of acting".

As I stated in my first post in this series, modesty is a crucial aspect of biblical femininity; but what is the point of dressing modestly if your conduct does not match your dress?

Let's say there's a girl.
Let's call her 'Olga'.

Ok, so Olga concludes that she doesn't want to offend anyone by dressing provocatively. She also wants to bring glory to God in what she wears and she desires to set an example to non-believers,

Yet what is the use of going to all that trouble if your behavior does not also reflect Christ?
Sure, she can cover everything that needs to be covered with her clothes and truly desire to please the Lord, but what kind of example is that if she does not couple it with godly behavior?

What if Olga was wearing a long skirt and a modest blouse to the grocery store but then yelled at the cashier because her coffee didn't ring up as Buy One, Get One Free?
Confusion would ensue.
Te cashier would most likely wonder what strange religion she was a part of that promoted modest dress but had no limits on conduct.
Our behavior should serve as a testimony of our faith.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 (KJV)

So what exactly is godly behavior?

In 1 Timothy 5:13, we see an example of a woman with ungodly and unfeminine characteristics.

"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."

Ideleness, gossip, tattle tales, snoops, and those who do not think before they speak- the essence of the women we should avoid becoming and also avoid forming close friendships with.

Jezebel is a crystal clear example of the corrupting women.

Her complete disregard of the Lord and her display of evil behavior caused her to influence the others around her in the worst way possible.
She caused her husband, King Ahab, and much of the kingdom to fall to pagan worship and wicked ways, by acting in ungodly conduct.

So know we know what a woman of ungodly behavior consists of.... but what defines a godly woman who fears the Lord?

Titus 2:3-5 says,"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

A girl may be beautiful on the outside, but if her true desire is not to please the Lord but to please the world, when someone sees her true self, those who desire to please the Lord will flee at the grotesqueness of her heart.

In summary,
Ladies your conduct defines you!

 It doesn't matter what you look like or if you're wearing the latest fashion. As long as you act rude, loud, or gossipy, you will come across as someone who isn't worth associating with.

What kind of example is that to non-believers you come in contact with every day?

Our conduct should be pleasing to the Lord.

Your conduct also determine who you attract.

If you are a obnoxious flirt, than be prepared to have the wrong kind of guys after you.
"Why do I always grab the attention of the weirdos?" I've had girls ask me.
Try examining your own behavior before excusing the men of doing all the wrong.

Conduct is the essence of a human being. How you act is what is truly in your heart.
Our behavior should reflect the Savior
Never forget that.

Patience Is A Virtue

It's about time I write, again.
This hiatus has been far too long.
I must say, I missed this little blog, whether anyone reads it or not. I had decided the best place to start would be to continue my biblical femininity series. (A few months ago I wrote my first post in the series about modesty.)
But, sometimes the Lord has other plans.
I felt prompted to share something that I am struggling with personally.
Who knows? Someone could be reading this and be going through the same issue. If you are, I pray I will be an encouragement to you!

Right now is a time in my life where I feel like I have hit a dead end. Sure, I'm doing new things... going to college, meeting new people, writing my first novel. But I still am wrestling with a feeling of complete impatience.
I'm going to get real, here.
I'm 17 years old. That "in-between age" where you're so close to being a 'legal adult', yet so far away. That age where I know I'm too young to begin a relationship, yet still wishing it could happen.

"Well why don't you go ahead and date, then?" You ask.
To which I respond, "What's the point of dating, if I'm not ready for marriage?"
"True. But why all the complaining, Savannah?"
To put it plainly... I'm sick of waiting.
I feel like my life can't begin until I'm 18. It sounds crazy, I know.

The Solution: I need to get a grip and focus on the present!

I need to get busy, stay active, and do something productive with this time I have now!
I need to take advantage of the fact that I don't have a boyfriend or a husband to consume my hours or children to keep an eye on 24/7 or bills that need to be paid by the end of the month.

This is an opportunity for me to branch out and try new things. Complete tasks that I have already begun. Focus on school and building godly friendships. Work on finishing my first novel.

Of course while doing all of this, I still have to deal with guys and my relationships with them.
The best thing you can do at this age is maintain healthy friendships with the guys you know. Get to know them and their beliefs.
Are they a Christian? What are their character flaws? Do we share the same standards and convictions? Could I consider them as a future spouse?

There are many things to take into consideration at this stage of "observation" as my Pastor dubs it.

While there are many ways you can get to know someone of the opposite gender while in a group, there is one problem I have with it...

I'm never fully myself in groups.

For me, personally, I feel out of place in a circle of three or more people. It can get overwhelming and I feel like I have to be less talkative just in case I say something stupid.
Call me sensitive, but it's reality.

Another reason I believe it isn't the best idea to "get to know someone" in a large group is I almost never have the courage to talk to someone I might be observing specifically.
Sure, we might be friends and talk other times, but when there are more than just a few of our peers around, I get intimidated and chicken out.
I feel like if I talk to someone I have feelings for then the people with us will be watching and assume I like so and so. I've been the victim of gossip in this area so many times before that I am overly cautious that it doesn't happen again.
Therefore in groups I can't always comfortably communicate with someone I would like to "get to know" before we pursue a romantic relationship.

By "getting to know", I mean observing the said person by learning their standards, beliefs, likes, dislikes; how do they respond in certain situations? How are they handling their finances? Do they have a steady income? How do they treat their parents? So on and so forth.

It is, in other words, becoming good friends with someone of the opposite gender and in the process finding out if they would possibly make a suitable mate, if our friendship ever lead to that.

In conclusion, if you feel yourself becoming sort of antsy with your current situation, learn to take advantage of your time as a single young person.
Be productive and don't just sit around at home waiting for a tall, dark, handsome stranger to come knocking on your door.
Don't be pining away for a certain someone counting down the days until you reach the "golden age of courtship", whatever that may be.
Pray for wisdom and patience. Remember that although the waiting seems difficult, now, it will all be worth it in the end!

I should probably wrap this post up as I'm noticing that I'm going off in a hundred different rabbit trails. I promise next time my thoughts will be more organized! Maybe I will even write the next article in my Femininity Series.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day. :-)

Don't forget to comment down below and let me know if this post helped you in any way! (hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge)

Biblical Femininity: Modesty

Noah Webster's 1828 America Dictionary of the English Language defines modesty as "...synonymous with chastity, or purity of manners. In this sense, modesty results from purity of mind, or from the fear of disgrace and ignominy fortified by education and principle. Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor."

What a beautiful saying! 

Ladies, the way we dress displays our true inner mindset. If we dress in such a way to turn the heads of men, our hearts can be in no way pure or chaste. 

As a Child of God, I want to dress in a way that reflects Him through me!

Before putting on an outfit, I always ask myself a few simple questions:

1. Is it so flamboyant and bright that I draw unnecessary attention to myself? In other words, is it excessive or gaudy?

2. Is it fitting enough to reveal that I'm a woman yet loose enough so I am not tempting men to lust?

3. Would I be embarrassed to wear this in front of my future husband, grandparents, or church family?

4. Is it flattering and stylish enough to where I don't give the appearance of a wandering hobo?

5. Is it high enough at the top and long enough at the bottom to where I don't show too much skin?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, that outfit, no matter how cute or attractive it is, goes out the door.

Before I go any further in this post, I want to make one thing crystal clear: Dressing modestly does not mean you have to cover yourself from head to toe or wear clothes that hang on you like a paper bag! 

You don't have to borrow clothes from your grandma's closet to be modest!

Of course, everyone has different convictions about modesty, and if you feel the Lord desires for you to wear only skirts and dresses, than go for it! 

I am not writing this to judge those who have controversial thoughts or to preach at you to never leave the house without an ankle-length skirt and turtleneck blouse on. I am merely voicing my personal opinion and convictions.

As I stated previously, modesty does not mean you have to wear something like this:

Of course there is nothing wrong if you do wear ankle-length jean jumpers all the time! Just making a point, my friends...

Many clothes I see out and about have a fairly acceptable selection of modest clothing. Where I live, Ross is a good store to find adorable blouses and skirts with modest lengths! (Thank the Lord for the new maxi-skirt trend!)

Thrift stores are also great resources! 

Another point of why modesty is the way to go, is that while girls who dress like prostitutes and flaunt their bodies on a daily basis are more prone to popularity and attracting men, the young women who dress like ladies, demand more respect from the male population (and sometimes even other women, as well!), attract attention from the right kind of men (a.k.a. godly gentlemen who strive the please the Lord in all they do and say), and remain pure for their husbands.

"Wait a sec, Savannah! What do you mean by that? I mean, I'm not married, yet... how can I be pure for my husband when I don't even know who he is?!"

Purity is not just refraining from physical intimacy until your wedding night- it is also the way you think, dress, and speak.

When you think inappropriate lustful thoughts, you're compromising your purity. 

When you dress to get attention from guys and show off your body, you're compromising your purity. 

When you flirt, "date around", or act "hard to get", you're compromising your purity.

"Is it really that easy?"

Yes it is; and that is why it is so dangerous to fall into the trap of immodesty.

When you dress inappropriately, you are not only comprising your own purity, but you are also doing the same to men.

Do you really want to lead your fellow brothers in Christ astray? 

Do you really want to be the cause of their next sinful thought?

Then, Ladies: Put some clothes on!

Reflect Christ through what you wear.

Endeavor to please Him in all that you do! Including the next time you go shopping with a friend or pick out an outfit for an activity.

Never forget that what you wear is your billboard.

What are you advertising?

3 Day Juice Cleanse--- Day Three

As I'm writing, I am drinking my last juice for, today! :-)

I wish it was my last juice, ever, but unfortunately you have to go on a certain diet after the cleanse, so your body doesn't go all crazy.

Solid food right after a juice fast is forbidden...

My high hopes of being able to devour a delicious, fluffy omelet tomorrow morning slowly crumbled to the ground.

The only foods I'm allowed to eat for the next day or two are:

-fruit

-veggies

-and that's it, folks

Thankfully, I can have cabbage soup, since it is just herbs, cabbage, and broth, which warm foods are actually best to eat after a fast anyways.

As far as juices, today, I followed the same "menu" I had for yesterday, except I didn't drink my pre-dinner juice, because I wasn't very hungry. I substituted it for half a banana and a cup of peppermint tea.

I had no side effects whatsoever, today, but of course I was still tempted to sneak a few of my sister's soda crackers and peanut butter.

I didn't cheat! I swear!

I do feel more energized since I began the juice fast and my skin seems to be healthier. As far as weight loss goes, I have no clue yet how many pounds I lost (if any!). 

It's going to be rough sticking to just fruits and veggies even after the fast is over, but I made it this far.

No turning back.


UPDATE (5/25/14)--- So guys... I lost three pounds! Yay!

3 Day Juice Cleanse--- Day Two

Well, here I am- I survived the first day!!! :-D

I slept extremely well (about 9 hours!) and didn't wake up once during the night, which is definitely a first for me.

I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and energized and had my lemon/cayenne water before my workout, like yesterday.

My menu for the day went like so:

Breakfast: Jolt Juice-

 2 Granny Smith Apples

1 Orange (Peeled)

1 Whole Cucumber

1/4 Lemon (Peeled)

Big Handful of spinach or Kale

Lunch: Sun Kissed Juice-

1 beet (beetroot)
2 carrots
2 oranges
2-4 swiss chard leaves and stems (silverbeet)
1″ piece of ginger (optional)

Pre-Dinner: Mean Green Juice-

1 cucumber

4 celery stalks

2 apples

6-8 leaves kale (Australian tuscan cabbage)

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp ginger

Dinner: Sunset Blend Juice (see yesterday's post for ingredients)

Much to my surprise, every single one of the juices from today were actually good!

I didn't have any problems guzzling them down, and even the after taste was bearable.

Side Effects:

-Slight dizziness

-Extreme cravings

-Chilliness (not quite sure why...)

As you can, see the irritating effects of a cleanse weren't too bad for me, today. My body is getting used to this juicing regime, I suppose.

I snacked on half a banana about an hour or so after the pre-dinner juice, which is acceptable, thank goodness!

Of course my sister decided to have a huge potato with butter and all the works for lunch. That delicious smell remained all through the kitchen area and beyond for over an hour! Pure torture!

I am so impatient to go ahead and get the last day over with and be able to chew on actual, real food!

Bring on Day Three!!!

3 Day Juice Cleanse--- Day One

Hey guys!

So much to my own surprise, I decided to do a juice cleanse for 3 days and my mom decided to join me, so at least I have that extra motivational support!

We borrowed a juicer from one of my mom's friends and it took a little while for Mom to  finish frantically pushing random buttons to turn it off because juice and veggies were pouring out everywhere  get used to the machine.

I must admit that when I read the recipes I was somewhat excited! I mean, come on! Doesn't homemade carrot, ginger, and apple juice sound good?

Much to my disappointment the juice was certainly not as delicious and satisfying as I had hoped...

We are following the "Joe Cross' 3 Day Weekend Juice Cleanse" (see link below for further details on the benefits and cautions of a juice cleanse).

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/joe-cross-3-day-weekend-juice-cleanse

Despite my mother's many warnings, I did not do a pre-cleanse diet, a few days prior to juicing, such as staying away from meat, bread, dairy, caffeine, and sugar, and suffered rather severe side effects because of it.

May this be a lesson for juicing newbies who happened upon this humble little blog.

Don't say I didn't warn you!




For those of you who are interested, here was my "food" schedule for the day:

Pre-Breakfast: Lemon and Cayenne Pepper in warm water (Lemon has amazing acidic properties aiding in kick starting your digestive system, while cayenne pepper helps with regulating blood sugar, kick-starts your metabolism, and yes, aids with weight loss! It also boosts my energy and prepares my body for the day.)

*I did my workout before my breakfast juice, which apparently is when you're supposed to do it while juicing. You're technically not supposed to be working out at all during a juice cleanse, but my body is so used to a daily workout now that I don't want to stop... so I'm just doing a lighter routine that I typically do.

Breakfast: Carrot Apple Ginger Juice- 3 carrots, 2 apples, 1 inch piece of ginger root

Lunch: Gazpacho Juice- 4 tomatoes, 1 lg cucumber, 2 celery stalks, 1 red bell pepper, 1/4 cup red onion, 2 cups parsley, 1 lime

Afternoon Snack: Citrus Inspired Green Juice- 6-8 leaves kale, 8 leaves swiss chard, 1 cucumber, 6 clementines, (or a few oranges)

Dinner: Sunset Blend Juice- 1 sweet potato, 1 carrot, 1 red bell pepper, 2 red beets, 2 apples, 1 orange (optional)

So ya... that's what I "ate" today. The juices weren't actually that bad... the after taste was worse than the actual drinking part. The lunch juice (Gazpacho) was an exception- my mom and I absolutely could not stand it! I was gagging about 3 sips into it, it was so awful. Maybe because it was all veggies and didn't have that sweet, tangy flavor the fruit gives. But whatever the reason, it was horrible.

I drank about 8-9 glasses of water, today, to stay hydrated and to ward off annoying hunger pains.

Side Effects:

-Headache
-Tiredness/grogginess
-Irritability
-Hunger Pangs (obviously)
-Slight nausea

I am hoping (and praying) that tomorrow will be much better as far as side effects. I've read that the second day is when you start feeling more refreshed and energized although the hunger pangs will worsen (yay...). I honestly don't see how they could get any worse, though! Almost all of today, I was craving a Whopper from Burger King, which is not normal coming from me.

Looking forward to a nice warm cup of peppermint tea before bed is what kept me going all day! Thank goodness drinking herbal tea at night is allowed! I can't wait to drink it! (My goodness I never thought I would be this excited over hot tea.)

I will update ya'll tomorrow and maybe this will encourage those interested in doing a juice cleanse... that is, if I survive.

Introducing Biblical Femininity Series

I'm extremely excited to announce the arrival of a new blog post "series" I'm going to be publishing over the next few weeks!
The subject is "Biblical Femininity or Godly Womanhood" and I will be writing posts, voicing my humble opinions and thoughts on particular topics related to the subject.

I will be addressing the controversial issues of:

--Modesty
--Character
--Conduct
--Speech
--Self-worth


Now, before I begin this series, let me define my terms.

By "Femininity", I am in no way referring to the feminist movement made so popular by social media and films (among other resources).

"Femininity at its core is not about a personality.  A woman can love sports, hunting, fishing, and cars, and be just as feminine as the woman who loves interior design, shopping, and shoes.  Both personalities can fall within the vast spectrum of femininity.  Femininity is rooted in who God has created a woman to be through biological composition and inward spirit.  It is not dependent on interests, hobbies, or personality.  The main components of biblical femininity as I understand them are being relational, nurturing, vulnerable, possessing a desire to be found beautiful, and being responsive." (Quote from www.livehope.org)

What a lovely definition! 
The values, character, and conduct of a biblically feminine lady are similar to the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31.




Women, nowadays, wonder why they are receiving less respect from men than ever before. My answer to them is, if you want respect from a man, you're behavior and dress must be respectful in return.

You simply cannot dress provocatively and expect a true gentlemen to treat you like a princess.

Most times, the outward appearance is a reflection of the heart.

If you truly desire to please the Lord with your body, mind, and soul, then would you really be wearing that mini-skirt or that skin-tight blouse?

(But... more on that in a few days.) :-)

The women of today ask, "Where have all the good men gone?".
They wonder where society went wrong.
They tell themselves that men are toads and treat women like objects.
Yet they are clueless to the fact that our culture messed up when women stopped being ladies and became flirtatious, crude, cling-ons with no respect for others or themselves.

We, as Christians, must be an example.

We need to start a revolution- begining with our own hearts.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Are you ready to be different?

Are you ready to accept a life-style of Godly Womanhood?