Doing time.

I'm never going to get out of purgatory!  Can I shorten my time there by praying for myself......NOW?  Sigh.
It's LENT, for Pete's sake!  Why do I have to be so judgemental of people all the time? 

For the love of all that holy......WHY OH WHY do people come to Mass half naked?  Why do these young girls find it necessary to wear "cocktail" dresses to a Confirmation?  What part of sleeveless, strapless, boobs hanging out, bare backs and short skirts up to your crotch, says "appropriate attire for Mass" to these kids?  Tell me, I seriously want to know!

I don't get it!  Why weren't they STOPPED at the door and asked to cover themselves up....or better yet.....GO HOME AND CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES!  Who are their parents?  I have to believe that the parents aren't around because I can't believe that any parent would let their daughters out of the house looking like that.....especially going to CHURCH!!  I don't even think it's appropriate attire for the BEACH!

OK...I'm done now.....maybe I've only added a couple of years to my time.

Sharing a post.

During my blog reading this week, I came across two posts that really touched my heart.  If you are a follower of Judy from benmakesten, then you've already read the posts and were probably just as touched as I was.  However, if you aren't one of Judy's followers....you really should be!  With Judy's permission, here are the links to those posts....

The first post is called Outward Appearances!  God Bless Judy for posting this!  I think every parent should read it!  Here is a portion of the post:

We are made in the image and likeness of God.  By virtue of the grace of our Baptism, we have HIS life in  us.  All that we think, say, and do is supposed to reflect His image and draw others nearer to Him.  All that we think, say, and do is to bring Him glory.  In the words of the great John, the Baptist, (whom Jesus said was the wisest man next to Solomon to ever have lived), "I must now decrease so that HE may increase".

The second post that I wanted to share is called "Virtues in Action".   Judy is a homeschooling mom and has figured out a great way to incorporate living the virtues in a very hands on way.  This is what she's doing:
 

 I decided to use a little classroom border decoration that we have as an activity on "virtues". Right above my computer area...we have a border that has pictures of kids holding signs with a single word on each one...the words are: Compassion, Perseverance, Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Fairness, Citizenship, Honesty, Self-Discipline, Respect, and Integrity. We are going to take one word at a time...make a larger sign and decorate it as the centerpiece for our dining table...and then spend the week, focused on that virtue...perhaps finding stories and articles which illustrate it...Scripture verses that refer to it...and discussion and activities that exemplify it  in our daily lives. With the LACK of these things that we have been experiencing in government, media, and at-large society...this just seemed like a good idea to me. Care to join us?

 

What is modesty?

I was catching up on Facebook this morning and I ran across this article from Johnette Benkovic's Blog.  It's actually dated June 9, 2009 but she recently re posted it to her Facebook account.

This is an excellent read!  I especially like this quote..."While most people often associate modesty with attire only, these definitions rightly locate modesty within the broader context of temperance and prudence toward all things and in all undertakings".

Wow!  Please click HERE to read the rest of the article.

Fashion Show

I was very impressed with the Pure Fashion show that I attended yesterday! I wasn't really sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised! My niece did an awesome job! I had no idea that she had spent the last 7 months with this program preparing for the show.

This program really stresses the idea that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and that we were created to glorify God in all things, even in the way we dress. It encourages these teen girls (ages 14-18) to live, behave and dress in accordance with their dignity as children of God...instead of falling prey to the unhealthy societal norms that we are all familiar with!

The whole movement really began with frustrated mothers (like you and me!). Their mantra has been "we want to be pretty, not provocative".

According to their program, Pure Fashion has evolved into a faith-based program guiding young women to become confident, competent leaders who live the virtues of modesty and purity in their schools and communities. The model training program, which spans the course of several months, includes an outreach project, classes on public speaking skills, manners and social graces, hair and makeup artistry, personal presentation and much more. The program is designed to help these teens develop a desire to love and serve others that combats society's "all about me" mentality. WOW! I love that!

Here are their CORE PRINCIPLES:

Purity: More than just modesty
Authenticity: Real models are role models
Generosity: In mind & heart with time & talent
Confidence: Standing on solid ground
Style: Fun, fresh & fashionable
Grace: The finishing touch

As Pure Fashion models, here's what they believe:

1. That our private parts should remain private.
2. That undergarments should not become outer-garments
3. That our bodies are holy and sacred and our clothing should not reveal what should be concealed.
4. That virtue is the most important "must have" for every season.
5. That being healthy, physically fit, clean and well groomed is always in style.
6. That we should support retailers, designers and magazines who support virtuous behavior.
7. That we can be pretty without being provocative.
8. A real model is a "role model".
9. That our clothing sends a message to those around us and it should reflect our dignity as children of God.
10. That we can begin to change the world by changing our hearts, our minds and our clothes.

I was truly impressed with all of these girls! If you have daughters, I would seriously consider getting involved with this organization!

I would have gotten better photos, but the lighting wasn't that great. The photo at the top of the page is my niece (A.M.). This is actually a picture taken of the large video screen that was on the wall of the auditorium.
Here is a short video:

Pure Fashion

Today, my niece is participating in the 2010 Jacksonville Pure Fashion Show! This is where Jacksonville area high school models will showcase the latest outfits that are currently "trendy" yet tasteful, modern and still modest. Apparently, it will feature the newest spring fashions, shopping techniques and they will even have music by top ten Christian recording artist Jonny Diaz! One of the sponsors of this event is our local Christian music station 88.1 The Promise.

If any of you have spent any time at a mall lately...you will notice that what gets placed in the windows or on the mannequins of the most popular stores is all about sex. It's all about showing off as much of your body as you can get away with possible! I am glad to see that there is a program out there for young girls and boys who can still be fashionable with their clothing...but still be modest.

I will share some pictures with you at a later time. I hope to be able to bring you some great ideas and ways that we can keep our children pure at heart. Honestly, I think this could benefits a lot of parents with teenagers too. After all, they are the ones that allow these kids out of the house looking the way they do!

Great Article!

This is a terrific article on modesty at mass! Click here to read it!!

h/t to Insidecatholic.com