My articles are featured at Mrs. Q

Four Articles on Modesty

You've all had ample opportunities to read my four articles on modest dressing before but right now the 4 articles are featured on:

http://blessedhomemaking.blogspot.com/

and they look very pretty due to the lovely art and other graphics that Mrs. Q. has supplied.

Perhaps you know someone who appreciates a pretty blog and would like to be linked to Mrs. Q. or perhaps one of your friends is newly interested in modesty.

Thank you and the Lord Jesus Bless YOU,
Clevsea
: )

Steadfast Prayer

Do Not Neglect Prayer

Being Christmas week I expect many of us to turn away from the keyboard and tend to home and hearth.

Go for it !!

But do try to be in the Word and don't skip prayer time-- ala this verse: "continuing steadfastly in prayer"

Here are some verses from Romans 12--read them, you'll be glad you did : )

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Details on Plainness

In some cases plainness is in the eye of the beholder.

The "Quaker plain" style in my city is hemp pants in solid colors and a plain T-shirt. Not dresses, not bonnets.

Plain among the Anabaptist's is often a cape dress and kapp.

Plain for some people means no make-up.

Plain for some is removing the collars and cuffs from their dress shirts.

Plain for the Old Order Mennonites and Old Order Amish is NO buttons. Old Order Mennonite Bishops used to spend entire sermons on the anti-button topic according to a book called "Mennonites then and now."

I read in a different book a Mennonite lady who was astonished that some women buy fabric at the store and cut it up to make a quilt. I am supposing that she only used scraps of used clothing. She said this..."cutting up perfectly good fabric into shapes and then sewing them together?!!! That's just fanciness!"

She was quite clear in her opinion ... yet many Anabaptists and other plain people buy fabric to make a quilt with.

Plainness is chock full of opinion and yes I have heard of plain pride. Now, I am not saying that plainness is bad, not at all. I'm pointing out that there is not 100% blanket agreement on what it is and what it looks like.

To further clarify, plainness and modesty are not synonyms. We know that already but I thought it was worth repeating.

I lean toward plainness but I am not 100% plain. Some plain people are so against any kind of lace they do not allow it at all. I do allow for trims and lace and crocheted edgings on my clothes.

Some plain people do not allow any jewelery at all, not even a simple wedding band. That's okay, that's their opinion. I went without my wedding ring for about 3 years and the result was my husband's sadness.

I explained to him that I am not clear on how to apply the TWO New Testament passages that seem to speak out against jewelry. This did not make him feel better. I slipped my wedding ring back on and he is happy. Perhaps if I bump into a Mennonite he or she will not be happy with me, I can't know, but I do know I'm not married to a Mennonite. My husband's opinion counts more than a stranger's split second reaction to my finger.

This path to modesty and/or plainness is a matter of prayer and following the Lord Jesus. It's not a game of copy-cat or people pleasing or some kind of competition.

Covering our bodies, the skin and the shape, for the Lord is a worthy goal. Please proceed with much grace and sanity.

Called to Modesty?

First of all I really love Quaker Jane.

She has written so many great things and among my favorites is how she detailed some different kinds of plain dressing or modest dressing.

At her site you'll find well written descriptions and good photographic evidence.

You'll see there the categories of:

Plain Dress
Modest Dress
Plain Modern

http://quakerjane.com/index.php?fuseaction=plain_dress.

This is very helpful because this kind of thinking can bring some clarity to what path one is on.

Jumping off of what Quaker Jane has shared let me ask some questions:


Are YOU called to plainness?

or.....

modesty?

A modern look? (Professionals for one example)

A Prairie look?

Dresses only? (no pants, not even when white water rafting)

Anabaptist? (Mennonite, Amish, Hutterite, Charity, etc.)

Victorian? (or the Civil War period for USA)

European Folk Peasant? (love that one personally)

Eastern European Orthodox?

Jewish modesty of the modern variety?

Jewish modesty of the ancient variety?

Quaker Plain?

Pilgrim? (or Puritan Era--early American colonists)

Islamic look -- yet Christian?

Jumpers?

Bloomers?

Aprons?

Uniform Religious? (certain cape dresses for community living)

The American "church-y" look?---(think Mormon or Bill Gothard)

Monk's Robes (another that I'm strongly drawn to but don't want to look like a satanist)

The Twelve Tribes (long modest skirts or huge pants w/tunics)

A combination of all of the above?

Does working outside the home influence the modesty choices we need to make? Or being a stay at home mother?

Do we know our calling in this area of modest dress?

Have we sought the Lord with all of our heart and strength for direction in this area?

Are we copying someone else instead of following our leadings from Jesus?

Are the clothing styles we were formerly drawn to influencing us to a huge degree or have we completely "dropped" all that we once thought attractive?

Do we consults our husbands? (if available)

All these questions about modest dressing and we haven't even touched head covering and all of its many varieties. Hanging veils, bonnets, prayer shawls, various scarves, chapel doilies, beanies, Kapps, etc.

I know some things for certain.

One of them is this: The Lord is the Good Shepherd.

I also (humbly) think that if we remember our simple place as His sheep then we may arrive at what our own calling is in every respect, even our clothing.

I know another thing. We are individuals. Judging one another's choices is not charitable. Our walk, our path, our relationship to Jesus and how that is expressed or ignored will be individual.

We ought not judge another's servant....

"3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind." Rom 14:3-5

And, as Paul pointed out with the example of keeping certain days, we ought to be fully convinced in our own minds on our "take" on modesty.

But let's not foist that "take" unto others.

Let's be loving and faithful to the Lord Jesus. Let's follow Him to the best of our ability.