"R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Find out what it means to me"

Who thought I would be bombarded with female nudity when I went to see a Disney movie?? But it’s true. The other day I went to the movies to see Tron, a PG-rated movie. As I was sitting in that dim-lit theatre waiting for the previews to start, three teenaged boys (couldn’t have been more that 16) sat in front of me with a Droid phone flipping through pornographic images of women (I shouldn’t say women because as soon as they began viewing them in that way they turned them into mere objects). It disgusted me. What if it hadn’t been me sitting behind them with a front row view to their lustful behavior? What if it had been a little kid?? This is a Disney movie for crying out loud!

The twisted thing about this is that these boys saw this as “normal” behavior. They weren’t trying to hide it, they weren’t hunkered down in the back of the theatre talking in hushed tones. No, they were smack dab in the middle of the theatre openly pointing at and making crude comments about naked women.

Respect. There is obviously a great lack of it in our world.

We observe it not only in the way men act, but in the way they dress—and in the way women act and dress as well. Men wear t-shirts adorned with the ever classy bare-breasted woman in a suggestive pose, women strive for that image by dressing themselves with the least amount of material possible. Women strut around in bikinis, miniskirts, and low cut shirts causing men to drool lustfully over their bodies, then those guys turn unsatisfied to pornographic images and movies to fulfill theat urge. Women, feeling pressured by men to meet this certain image, then not only allow men to view the most intimate parts of their body, but allow men to touch them and use them to satisfy a craving. It’s a downward spiral, one that is quickly destroying respect, love, and each individual’s dignity.

We need to add respect back into the equation.

One thing we can do as women is to make an aggressive effort to cover ourselves up. If we are causing men to sin by what we wear, we are actively taking part in their sin. If we are the catalyst to lustful behavior, we are now “temptation”. Give me one good reason to wear a bikini to the beach. One good reason to publicly display for all to see part of us which should be reserved for only our husband. There is no good reason—there are only excuses. And those excuses were designed by a fallen society to bring us even further down. Are we really going to buy into these lies? I say we take a stand for respect.

And not just what we wear to the beach. Every day take a good look at what we put on to wear for the day and ask “Would my (future) husband appreciate that every other guy in the world is seeing me in this?”

Once we start treating ourselves with respect it is a lot easier for guys to look at us with respect as well. When the focus is taken away from a lustful portrayal of the body as an object, the focus can be applied to an appreciation and respect of women as human persons. This is the foundation of a good relationship.

What it all boils down to is that this is a two-way street. We can get infuriated that many guys look at porn and are opening disrespectful to women through crude jokes, explicit apparel, and the way they treat women in relationships. But if we don’t respect ourselves then how can we ask them to do the same? We can’t ask the men of the world to stop looking at and treating women degradingly if we’re not willing to make an effort ourselves. So, women, instead of being a catalyst for sin, let us be a catalyst for respect.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Butterflies

Can you believe Christmas is almost here?? As it quickly approaches we are overcome with anticipation, hope, excitement and the desire to make others happy. We make sacrifices of time and money in order to give our friends and family something that will bring a smile to their faces. We participate in Angel Tree or Adopt-a-Family in order to bring joy to those who may not be able to afford something special themselves. We walk around with an extra skip in our step because Christmas is almost here! Now imagine what the world would be like if we continued to live each day like that. If each day we sacrificed of ourselves to bring happiness to others. If each day we were extra bouncy, excited and joyful with anticipation of something absolutely amazing just around the corner. And why shouldn’t we live like that? At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus—the coming of Christ into this world. During Advent we’re preparing for this, anticipating it. But if we put so much preparation and joy into celebrating something that happened so long ago, then we should put so much more into the preparation for the second coming of Christ; we should constantly be self-sacrificing and radiating with the joy of Advent while we wait to be reunited with our Creator. Because that is something we have to look forward to right now. Imagine the joy of being engaged to the love of your life, planning your wedding, excited about spending the rest of your lives together. You have that feeling of butterflies in your stomach and your heart beats a little faster every time you think about the day you will be united with your husband. That’s what it should be like each day while we anticipate being united with Christ. We should have BUTTERFLIES IN OUR STOMACHS, a tingling from our head to our toes, from just the thought of spending eternity with the greatest Love of our lives. And we should constantly be preparing our mind, body and soul for Christ, so that when the day comes and He takes our hand, we can say “I do”.

As we near the end of December, let us really make an effort to carry Advent into the rest of the year. Jesus is alive and He wants US to spend eternity with Him. BE EXCITED!! :)

Just A Little Inspiration

‎"Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions." -1Corinthians 16:13
Do not let the world compromise your faith or let ignorance blur the Truth. It's compromise that pulls us away from the will of God, and ignorance that deafens our ears to His Word.

Nobody ever won a race by stopping at every obstacle in their path. We must face each challenge head on with pure determination, and faith that we can clear every hurdle. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one recieves the prize? So run that you may obtain it!"

"Don't sit around and let life pass you by...be aggressive, take control, and always move forward. Make life be the one who has to catch up to you."

"If our beliefs are sound and firmly planted in Truth, the hands of compassion and persistence will push us into action. If we lack action to uphold our beliefs, we do not believe in it strongly enough. For if our beliefs truly are the Truth, then we should be in constant movement to share it with the whole world."

"Without passion, our faith is empty, our lives dull, and our spirits weak. With passion, our hearts are strengthened to endure the battle for truth, love, and human dignity."

"Reach out with open arms and give yourself up to be transformed by Christ's love. It is that sacrificial love that helps us endure suffering for the glory of God; it is that selfless, giving love that unifies us in the Church; it is that endless love that brings us closer to an eternity in the Beatific Vision."

Take Up Arms

Thousands of men and women choose to join the armed forces to serve our country. They fight for freedom, justice and liberty. Each day they risk their lives and throw themselves in harms way to defend this country of ours. Battlefields, guns, bullets, war, pain, death. All of this they endure.

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 2Tim 2:3

Imagine what would happen if we were as passionate about our faith as soldiers are for their country. If men and women are willing to sacrifice everything for their country, why can't we do the same for our God? There is a spiritual war taking place, and as Christians we are called to take up arms and fight. Fight for the souls of those fallen into sin. Get angry at sin! Get riled up and fight for Truth! Defend the name of our God amongst those who degrade it! This is our GOD, our CREATOR. As His followers and believers, we are called to fight, with Him--the Almighty--leading the way.

Whether we like it or not, we are living in a war zone. And we must choose a side to stand on. We cannot afford to be wishy-washy and stand in the middle--the crossfire will surely bring us down. We must choose a side. We already know that God trumps sin, so isn't the wise choice to stick with Him? There will be pain, there will be suffering, and eventually there will be death. But if we fight with God, after death there will also be life. That is something the other side cannot offer.

Sin is our enemy. Selfishness, vanity, lack of charity, abortion, immodesty, idolatry, impurity, lies, adultery--all of these are our enemies. We must combat sin with steadfast faith and acts of love. If we are truly living Christian lives we should be sacrificing everything for our God, and we should have a burning desire within our hearts to protect all that is good, and triumph over all that is evil.

Once your life on this earth has ended and God asks "How did you live your life for Me? Did you live your faith to the fullest?" What will your response be? Will it be "I sacrificed everything for You, Lord. I suffered so that others may know you, and that Truth and Love may prevail." Or will it be "Well, I kinda just went with the flow of things. I had faith and recognized You and Your will, but only when it was convenient and easy for me."

Be passionate and take action!

"The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him." 2Tim 2:11-12

Reflection

The value of life cannot be determined by outside situations or circumstances, but only by what lies within. Being that we are created in the Image and Likeness of God, our value and worth is infinite and immeasurable, and we must respect and cherish each life, born and preborn, as a blessing from God.

Run with Perseverance

So Mark and I were talking a little while ago about the sad state of the world we live in, and our place as Christians in it. How so many people walk through the streets of immorality every day but choose to ignore it rather than take a stand against it. They act as though it's no big deal---pretending it's not there. "As long as I'm not doing it, it's okay."

But the truth is, sin is like a dust.

Every day, we walk through it and every day this dust--this filth rises from the streets and clings to us. And sooner or later, it will begin clouding our vision. We'll stop distinguishing immoral behavior as sin and see it as "the norm". We won't be as affected by the dark consequences of sin because we see it and experience it every day. And if we aren't careful, the intense fire we should be carrying bearing the love and example of Christ will shrink to a wavering flicker. That's exactly what's been happening in our society.

In Mark's words, "People have become numb."

People have become numb and desensitized to immoral, worldly behavior. Chastity, modesty, and respect for human dignity have become optional. Instead of setting their standards to those of Christ's, people now stretch their standards in order to "fit in" with society.

If we take a step back and look at how worldly standards have affected our own, we see that there is a great need for call to action. We can no longer trudge through life and pretend the filth of sin doesn't cloud our judgement. We can no longer remain idle in a world that desperately needs a good example.

We need to step outside our comfort zone and take a stand.

How many of you have gone to March for Life, wearing your pro-life t-shirts proudly in a group of tens of thousands? How many of you attend Praise and Worship sessions and Bible studies at your church? How many of you choose a modest outfit to wear to Youth Group activities?

Now, how many of you wear your pro-life shirts when hanging out with your "secular" friends, or by yourself to a bar or restaurant where you know you'll be judged? How many of you take what you learn from those Bible studies and go out and "make disciples of all men"? How many of you choose to wear longer shorts, a higher top, or a swimsuit which offers more covering when "everyone else" isn't? How many of you decide that your Christian values do not change dependent upon the crowd that you're with?

Yes, it's great to be involved in church activities and have a solid church family. But that's just the foundation. Now we need to build upon that and be living, active witnesses in the world. We're called to live in the world but not of the world. Don't compromise our principles to fit "the norm" of a sinful society. Act to change "the norm" of society to imitate Christ. And in doing so, reignite that flame and be a witness. Set yourself on fire with passion for Christ.


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."
Hebrews 12:1-3

Beauty and Complexity of Life

Thought this was interesting and pretty informative...
A breakdown of Fetal Development (with pictures!):

http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/fetaldevelopment.html

So what gives people the right to end the life growing inside of them? It's such a beautiful miracle--I just can't understand how they can justify throwing it away like garbage. The world needs a change of heart so the value and dignity of human life becomes a priority--seems to me that it's seriously lacking.

Britney Thinks That Living in Sin is the New Thing...

Does it bother anyone else that the world seems to be pressuring its inhabitants to ignore morality, turn off their consciences, and live a life of sin? We're bombarded with messages that sex is just a game, people are nothing but objects to be manipulated for our own gain, women should dress like whores to be considered 'beautiful', and guys, if you're still a virgin by age 20 something must be wrong with you.

It's not hard to slip into this downward spiral of sin and lies. Why not live as if there are no consequences to our actions? There's no one to keep us in check. It's not like God's a factor anymore--He's been torn out of schools, ripped out of public places, and covered up so as not to 'offend' anyone. And with God out of the picture, it's a lot easier to believe that this world is the only one that matters.

But the truth is, God does exist no matter how hard some people try to wipe away all visible traces of Him. Our actions do have consequences--both here in this world and in the next. And while God may be getting pushed aside in public places for the sake of the 'politically correct', we must remember that as long as humanity exists, no one can fully erase the evidence of God's presence. We ourselves are examples of morality, modesty, and lives of virtue. Instead of flowing with the crowd and ignoring our consciences, fight against it. Be that person who attracts attention because you act with integrity, dress respectfully, and refuse to remove God from the equation. Be that person who makes other people question their own actions. Be that person who upholds and glorifies the manner in which we were created--in the image and likeness of God.

And through this, let's show Britney, and the rest of the world, that living in sin is not the new thing.

Resolution

In a time of New Year's resolutions, let's make one of our own...



1 Timothy 2:9 says "Women should adorn themselves with proper conduct, with modesty and self-control..."

Matthew 5:27-28 says "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Society says "Women, you must wear less clothing to be beautiful. Treat yourselves as objects of lust and immorality. Men, use women for self-satisfaction and treat them with disrespect."


And we wonder why there is so much impurity in the world. The pressures and messages of mainstream media, degrading music, and television shows that glorify bad decisions seem to be overshadowing the one message we should actually be listening to: the Word of God.

As winter turns to spring and spring to summer, the pressures become greater to dress a certain way. Women fall victim to the idea that in order to be noticed or valued they should wear the equivalent of a stripper's outfit. Men become desensitized to the sanctity of a woman's body as women run around half naked, not leaving much to the imagination. How sad is it that the guy who helped introduce the modern bikini had to hire a nude dancer to show off the design (he couldnt find a model who would do it), but now people have no problem wearing next to nothing for the whole world to see.

Does it strike odd to anyone else that we preach chastity and 'saving ourselves for marriage' yet modesty doesn't seem to be given a second glance? Modesty is a virtue of chastity and whether single or married we're all called to live chaste lives. We don't think it's right for a couple to see each other in their undergarments before marriage, yet it's "okay" to go to the beach together in swimsuits that actually cover less than the average underwear? Where is the logic in that?

The fact of the matter is, society has desensitized us all to immodesty. We aren't passionate enough about our own human dignity and something needs to change. We need to respect ourselves and respect each other. As Matthew wrote in the above verse, lusting after a woman is a grave sin. And likewise, being the object of temptation and dressing in a way to cause lust is also a sin. As women, we need to respect our men and look out for them. Don't dress in a way to cause them to sin. As men, we need to support our women to be beautiful women of God and treat them with respect.

This New Year I dare you to listen to the Word of God and not to the misleading messages of society. Women, we are daughters of the Lord and temples of the Holy Spirit. I dare you to rid your closets of immodest attire. Don't wear that string bikini to the beach this year knowing that it's no better than walking around in lingerie. Wear something that respects the fact that you're made in the image and likeness of God. Men, support your sisters in Christ by encouraging them to dress modestly. Affirm their decision by telling them that they really are more beautiful for doing so and you respect their efforts to place chastity above vanity and worldly pressure.

The only way we can be good witnesses in the world is to rid ourselves of worldly ideals for Christ-centered ones, and take action against the pitfalls of society. Hopefully in this way we can inspire others to realize their own dignity and promote self-respect and respect for others.



1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?...Therefore glorify God in your body."