Bikini Body

As we observe the surrounding culture the hope of a modest movement in women's clothing (the swimsuit) seems dim. Should it have any hope? Who is to set the ethical standard for all?



Jessica Ray swimwear

Modesty is not denying your beauty,
its realizing what it is worth and holding it as treasure.

Within the world one person has a very small impact. Yet, is a major revival on any level not made of a group of individuals who independently made a choice to stand together? Do I see our culture completely renovated by modest swim suits, no. However, we can not decide our lifestyle by falling in line with the majority. Religious obligations aside, ask your self (girls), do you feel more comfortable with a 1 or 2 piece on? Why? Are you more judgmental of your body with a string bikini or more coverage? Why? Asking myself these questions and answering, the need for modesty appears innate. I pray a less reveling trend of swim wear floods fashion for the sake of a girl's own mental health. Culture drives us to sex appeal, comparison to others, power in appearance, and victory in winning male attention; the bikini is this icon.

Modest swimsuits do have a fighting chance. And those who know its benefits are obligated to share the truth through their lifestyle primarily and words if afforded the need to explain. Modest swimwear should have a chance, it protects the heart and mind of many.

As a believer, I do not think we are to set the ethical standard for all; we are to depict how to ruthlessly pursue the ethical standard found in the life of Christ.

 

Be Apart of the Movement

Taylor Swift

 

 

 

Love is a mystery, the power of its strength is in the hands of its beholder.

Love, Love is a choice.

 

"Brad Pitt about his wife:

My wife got sick. She was constantly nervous because of problems at work, personal life, her failures and children. She lost 30 pound...s and weighted about 90 pounds. She got very skinny and was constantly crying. She was not a happy woman. She had suffered from continuing headaches, heart pain and jammed nerves in her back and ribs. She did not sleep well, falling asleep only in the mornings and got tired very quickly during the day. Our relationship was on the verge of a break up. Her beauty was leaving her somewhere, she had bags under her eyes, she was poking her head, and stopped taking care of herself. She refused to shoot the films and rejected any role. I lost hope and thought that we’ll get divorced soon… But then I decided to act. After all I’ve got the most beautiful woman on earth. She is the idol of more than half of men and women on earth, and I was the one allowed to fall asleep next to her and to hug her. I began to shower her with flowers, kisses and compliments. I surprised and pleased her every minute. I gave her a lot of gifts and lived just for her. I spoke in public only about her. I incorporated all themes in her direction. I praised her in front of her own and our mutual friends. You won’t believe it, but she blossomed. She became better. She gained weight, was no longer nervous and loved me even more than ever. I had no clue that she CAN love that much.

And then I realized one thing: the woman is the reflection of her man.

If you love her to the point of madness, she will become it.

Brad Pitt" -posted from fb

It amazes me that even a couple who doesn't know or claim any part of Christianity realizes the need for love.. Did you know God is love? Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1John4:8).
Angelina was empty because we are all born into this world with an empty bucket. Though her husband was able to pull her up, what happens when he fails. After all, he is only human. Love never fails (1Cornthians 13:8). What we thirst for is something to fill our buckets to over flowing. I don't want to rely on anything that could drop the ball, that would drive me to depression too. Brad's love for his wife is beautiful but if he doesn't have a source to his love one day it will run dry.

John 4: Woman at the Well

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.^[a])
¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
²⁷ Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him

Tears

Tears are words from the heart that can't be said.

Let the rain fall down like tears from my face.

 

As they gather and pool I am reminded of grace.

Just like a full well, the water will rise.
more satisfying than the pain released from my eyes.

I am reminded by my tears of the water of life.
quenching parchment of pain a strife.

Let me drink, and have my fill.
tears rid me of my wants, water fill me with God's will.
Last night my heart was broken, not the first time and Im sure not the last. Yet in my pain there was not hopelessness. As a girl it seems heart break is around every darn corner, and I admit many times we bring it on ourselves. So why and how do we love like we have never been hurt? Take a chance like we have never been rejected? ... we learn from our mistakes and then forget them.

One of the biggest mistakes we have made in growing up is practicing how to remember but not how to forget. In the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis the reader witnesses a conversation between two demons, an uncle and his apprentice nephew. At one point the uncles instructs... either keep your victim in the past or future, never in the present. In the past God has already worked, in the future God's work is a mystery. But in the present is were God is.

We need something to sustain us every hour, every second. As I woke to rain this morning I thought, what a perfect reflection of my life, ha! But driving in my car a similar song came on the radio and simultaneously I saw a ray of light beaming to earth between the storm clouds. Now THIS is my life. In the storm God is my beam of light, He is my sustainer. He is near and hates pain in my life as much as I.

Am I doing what is right?

Life is not black and white. Even in the bible, despite its pages of wisdom and truth, it does not tell me exactly what to say when I have a loss of words or the perfect choice when I have to make a decision that will dictate the next 2years of my life!

Despite my ambition and love of life I easily find myself in a downward spiral mentally and emotionally. In this life I live am I not the dictator of my enjoyment, the beginning of my success, the pride of who I am, and the reason I live? Now, if your reading this and disagreeing, you are not in the wrong. In fact, I disagree with that mentality as well. But, although we know that is wrong, how often do we walk through out life living as if such attitudes are correct?

In the book of Daniel, God warns king Nebuchadnezzar to turn from his pride in a dream. God does not play games with us. Although we have to make decisions that can be a bit in the gray area, what is black and white is God's commandments (Exodus 20) and desired will for our BENEFIT and His glory (Jeremiah 29:11)... not saying everything will be easy, but neither is tying your shoes at first... and its still important to do for petes-sake!

Daniel 4:20  explains king Neb's dream, basically he is doomed and his glorious kingdom is about to kick him to the curb. The day this prophesy is fulfilled king Neb is arrogantly walking along his palace and says, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my might power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" and BAM, directly following he is driven from the city!

The Garden of Babylon is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is called the Hanging Gardens because the gardens were built high above the ground on multi-level stone terraces.  It was likely the most beautiful man-made gardens ever created.

Does king Neb's thought sound familiar? Every time in life I am feeling overwhelmed with decision or feeling left out or having a pathetic pity party my focus is ALWAYS on me. And just as God warned king Neb of the penalty of selfish thinking, it is a warning for us too.

Next time I am sulking around, I will remember:

• This life is NOT about me, people are starving, dieing, and crying.
• I will start to pray for OTHERS
• I will remember all I HAVE and be content

What can you remember? Post a comment and share! I would love to hear.

The First

The first time you walk, you are going to fall. The first time you talk, your going to babble. The first date, your going to ramble. The first jump, you will loose your breath. For every second there is a first and the first step is the end of the beginning and the start of something new. So what keeps us from that simple voyage that seems so scary? Let the unknown drive your ambitions, not strangle your experience.

This is my first Blog.

"You know why wildflowers are beautiful? Because they aren't forced; they accent creation. They are free." -Madeline Isa Chaney