54 hours

In about 54 hours my amazing friends the Neffs will be here! Yup, that means around 2:00 AM Thursday :) My grandparents will also be arriving later that day for the big dinner and an evening together, and I am totally psyched. Today we did a lot of preparation and cleaning that's been needing to be done anyway.

So here are some things making me smile today:
~A clean house
~Cute name tags I made today for each place at the Thanksgiving table
~The expectation of lots of cooking the next few days
~Our table extended by seven - yes, seven! - leaves
~Anticipating our big house being filled with fourteen people - instead of four, which has become the norm
~Warm, sunny weather - an uncommon surprise in late November
~A whole week off of school
~Hoping for a sister-in-law sometime.... soon? Hehehe :)
~New (but second-hand) clothes that are perfect - modest, pretty, and so me
~Friends coming home from college that I miss a lot
~Good music - played loud, with the windows open, or soft by candlelight.
~Chores, especially when mom and I do them together

Yes, life is a wonderful thing. Hope you all have a lovely thanksgiving!

This "Modesty" Thing.

Modesty. It's a word we all know. But there are so many different opinions about what it means and what exactly we have to do to be modest.

What do you think of when you hear the word modesty? The first thing that comes to my mind is wearing clothing that covers you appropriately. But that, in fact, is not the true meaning of the word.

By modern definition, modesty means:

mod·es·ty/ˈmädəstē/

Noun:

The quality or state of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities. The quality of being relatively moderate, limited, or small in amount, rate, or level.

Basically then, it means not being proud and conceited. Also, it means using moderation in what you do.

I also really love the Webster's 1828 definition:

MOD'ESTY, n. [L. modestia.] That lowly temper which accompanies a moderate estimate of one's own worth and importance. This temper when natural, springs in some measure from timidity, and in young and inexperienced persons, is allied to bashfulness and diffidence. In persons who have seen the world, and lost their natural timidity, modesty springs no less from principle than from feeling, and is manifested by retiring, unobtrusive manners, assuming less to itself than others are willing to yield, and conceding to others all due honor and respect, or even more than they expect or require.

2. Modesty, as an act or series of acts, consists in humble, unobtrusive deportment, as opposed to extreme boldness, forwardness, arrogance, presumption, audacity or impudence. Thus we say, the petitioner urged his claims with modesty; the speaker addressed the audience with modesty.

3. Moderation; decency.

4. In females, modesty has the like character as in males; but the word is used also 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.

Wow, there's a lot there! From this definition we discover that modesty traditionally has meant (to sum up) humility and moderation. If that is the meaning, it applies to all of life - not just what we wear. We should be modest in our demeanor, and in the way we speak. Modesty is part of being a servant.

So how does this apply to our clothing? Well, if we have truly modest spirits, we will wear clothing that does not draw attention to us or our bodies. We will not wear a myriad of gaudy accessories, or flaunt of bodies with revealing clothing. We won't wear clothing that causes people to stop and stare. And, as the 1828 definition says, modesty also means chastity and purity of a woman. A modest woman won't wear - or do, or say, etc. - anything that is not chaste and pure, or that would compromise the purity of anyone else.

So now, what are some practical suggestions for how to do this? First of all, pray. Pray for God's help, pray that the Holy Spirit will teach you all things. (John 14:26) Only by Him is it possible to find out how we should live. (Eph. 5:9-10) Then, be willing to do what is best for others, not just what you (as a female who does not naturally know anything about the needs of men) think is right. If you have godly men in your family, ask them how you can dress in a way that would not cause men to stumble. Obey your parents. And if you don't have godly men to turn to, praise the Lord for the internet! =) We have some great online resources for finding out what is modest to men. Here is a link to a survey about modesty from over 1,600 Christian guys!

I hope this is helpful to you. Keep seeking God, and striving to serve Him and others in every way - including clothing!

Florida Photos - Part 1

 Well, I finally have pictures from my trip to Florida. It took me a while to get them on the computer, sort through all 8969875105 of them, and to all the adjustments necessary to make them presentable. I have so many wonderful pictures that I will have to do quite a series of posts to upload even a sufficient sample of them for you to see. :) So here are pictures from the first couple of days.

My first time flying! I know this isn't the most spectacular picture, but let me just say, it was BEAUTIFUL in person! I have often seen other people's airplane pictures and thought "Ehh, that's not so great, it's just the sky." But seeing the clouds and the brilliant blue from above for the very first time... breathtaking.

 M and my dear mother on the plane. We were so excited about what adventures the week would hold! Or at least I was. She was was much more peaceful. :)

 Zach and I! Since Cody and Erik are gone now we have bonded more than ever. Spending the whole week together, we learned a lot about each other and had lots of fun. And btw, don't I look tan in this picture? I came to FL with a tan and went back to NY without one. Since when does that happen?! :P

 I tried to read but discovered that airplanes do not make ideal reading nooks at all. So, I just let myself get lost in all of my thoughts - deep ones, hopeful ones,  random ones, and all sorts of other miscellaneous ones and pointless ones. <3

 Grandma's mobile home, which was home sweet home for the next week. It was actually quite nice. It had a screened-in porch, which was fabulous for enjoying the cool evenings. The indoors was neat and nicely decorated, with all the comforts of home. 

I don't know what these flowers were called, but they smelled SOOO good! And I just loved the way they seem to cheerfully overwhelm the fence as they burst through every gap.

 I had never seen Spanish moss before, so i was quite fascinated by it. In the end I decided that I think it is very ugly, but it was a cool part of the Florida experience. :P

Palm trees!! Since I have heard so much about the tropical look of Florida, I couldn't wait to see all the palm trees. And, as you see, I was not disappointed. :)

 Strange spiky bush in the garden... very different from northern plants, to be sure!

Oh, and orange trees! It was neat to see groves of orange trees overflowing with fresh oranges. I never did get to eat one straight from the tree though. I don't know why... I totally should have! 

 And I suppose I will end this post with a picture of my adorable new bathing suit! We had it custom ordered and it turned out quite nicely. I had actually hoped for it to be a tab bit longer, but that's okay. And what's really neat about it is that it has shorts attached under the skirt! Very handy indeed. :) I totally love the colors. And, although you can't see it, my sunglasses have little jewels that match my suit. Sweetness! We really enjoyed having a pool to swim in whenever we wanted to. Swimming is SO fun! 

I guess that concludes the fist part of my Florida posting. Hope you enjoy the pictures - have a lovely day everyone. :)

Some thoughts on God's love and my life :)

Hello all! God has been SO good to me lately. This week I have been growing so much in Him. I've been learning about just how much he loves us.

I think that too often we get into a mindset of thinking, "Okay, if I can just do this right... if I can just do the right thing, obey God... THEN God will love me and be pleased with me." That is just not the case! God loves us SO, SO much!! His love is not dependent on our works! Song of Solomon describes God's perfect love for us... "You have ravished my heart, My sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart With one look of your eyes, With one link of your necklace." (Song of Solomon 4:9) Put into modern terms, God says "You make my heart beat faster... I LOVE it when you look to me!" WOW!! Do you get what that's saying? God doesn't just think, "Well, yes, I guess I'll forgive you... I'll be good to you and answer your prayers just because I'm good, even though you're a loser, even though you stink, and even though I can't stand you..." Not at all! He is in love with us. Take a look at a newly married couple... they can't get enough of each other! They are obsessed with each other, really! They love to make each other happy! That is how God feels about us! Isn't that amazing?! We can't comprehend how much God loves us. It is SO wonderful! We don't have to be discouraged by our sins, or by how difficult life is, because God will always be faithful, and will always do us good!

On a somewhat different note, let me tell you what I've been up to lately! I have been really busy with school. I start at about 8:30 in the morning, take an hour for lunch, and get done around 4:30 most days. Some days though, like today and yesterday, are much busier! Yesterday I got to go shopping! I went to Salvation Army and Second Impressions - two second hand stores. :) Salvation army is a donation store, so it has lots of junk mixed in with a few nice items. But, if you look hard enough, you can get some great clothing for hardly any cost at all! I got lots of nice skirts and shirts there. Second Impressions is a consignment shop, so the prices are a little higher but the clothes of beautiful! I got a pair of nice, modest pants for $9 in excellent condition! Today has been busy also. I had a full school day, plus piano and voice lessons. It has been a wonderful day - I am so thankful that I get to have music lessons! It's getting late though, and I still have some school to do, so I'd better get off! ;) Thanks for taking the time to read! :)

Oh, what fun summer is!

Hey all! Sorry I never posted an outfit from day 6. I have to have my brother to help me get it, and we've both been so busy that I never did! Well, I made a collage of days 1-5, so that you can see all the outfits at once. It's small, but kinda cute :)

So, I have not posted a *real* blog post this whole week! It's been a good week. I thought it would be a really boring week, but it turned out to be very fun and eventful!

On Tuesday a friend (and mentor!) of mine, Sarah, called me up and asked if I would like to go to the mall with her. Of course, I was thrilled! It was a lot of fun. She was able to find a modest bathing suit, and I got some very nice smelling body spray from Bath and Body Works - on sale, btw, for only $3!

On Wednesday I got to go over to my friend Kyla's house for a few hours while my mom was at a ladies' Bible study. We were peeling potatoes in the kitchen, when the stove started shaking like crazy! It was odd, because nothing else seemed to be shaking. It stopped after a few moments, and we thought nothing more of it until our mothers got back and told us there had been an earthquake!! People felt it from Toronto all the way to the border of Pennsylvania, and it was rated a 5 - 5.5, so apparently it was quite a big deal! Thankfully, no damage was done as far as I know.

Thursday night, I went to the home of some family friends. They had a Bible study for college-age young adults, so Erik, my oldest brother, went to that while I hung out with the rest of the kids. They have 2 teenage boys, an 11-year-old daughter, and some little boys (besides 2 college-age kids who were in the Bible study), so altogether we had a blast. Hopefully I will post a few pictures up soon!

On Friday I went to a 19th-Century Dance at the home of some friends. It was SO fun! There were no indecent moves, and the most physical contact there was was holding hands an arms length away from your partner. It was really, really fun, and also great exercise!! I was glad to be able to enjoy dancing that actually was pleasing to the Lord!

Saturday-Sunday I traveled to see relatives and go to a graduation party to for Cody and Zach, two of my brothers, as well as a few other relatives. On the long drive home I prayed and listened to Christian music on my iPod, and basically had a heart to heart with God! It was SO wonderful.

So that was my week! I'm guessing most people will get bored after reading the first paragraph or so, but that's okay, I enjoyed writing it and it's there for those who want to read it! God Bless!

Day Five - "Brown and Purple Dressy"

Day Five: A theme? Hmm.... How about "Brown and Purple Dressy" sure, that works.

I loooove this outfit. It's so gorgeous! the pictures do NOT do it justice. But it was raining, so we had to take them inside where there was lousy lighting.

Anyway, Brown Slacks: Hand-me-down from Mrs. Reger, Brand: Haggar (that's... weird!)
Shirt: $2 at Salvation Army, Brand: Studio Y (also weird...)
Cami: Another gift from Katy, also another $5 Rainbow one
Shoes: Same as day 3, $1 at a garage sale

I am so glad today is not the last day! I'm having too much fun to stop!

Day 3 - A walk in the woods

Day Three - "A walk in the woods" :) I LOVE this outfit! It's so feminine and pretty! I have actually not worn this skirt more than a couple times before, because I didn't have anything to go with it. But then I got this shrug, and it's so perfect!
I also looove that I can go out into the beautiful woods to get the pictures! I love where we live!


Skirt: $1 at a garage sale, Brand: Sixty-Two East
White tank: On-sale at Sears, don't know how much it cost, Brand: Classic Elements
Shrug: Hand-me-down from Katy, Brand: Arizona
Shoes: $1 at a garage sale, Brand: MontegoBay Club
Purse: $.50 at a garage sale :)

P.S. -- Photo credit goes to Erik, my awesome 20-year-old brother *who works for Answers In Genesis, by the way!* Love him so much! :)

Vivid and Summery =)

Day two! I feel weird that I am wearing pants when almost every girl in this fashion thingy only wears skirts. But, I am definitely NOT a skirts-only girl, although I do love them. So I'm gonna be me anyway. I couldn't think f a good theme for this outfit... maybe "Vivid and Summery" How's that? :)Red button-up: Salvation Army - $.99, brand: No Boundaries (I guess it was originally from Walmart =P)
Black tank top: On sale at walmart, don't know the cost, brand: well, the tags ripped out, but obviously it's a walmart brand... haha :)
Capris: $3 at a garage sale and get this - they were brand new, still had the tags on them, but I got them for $3! Brand: Seven7 (I'm guessing Sears)
Studded belt (which you can't see): $1 at a garage sale
I'm barefoot, so... Feet: free!! :D

Day 1 - Casual Chic

Sorry I'm a day late... this is DAY 1 of the Thrifty Chic fashion week! And to start us off, my outfit is:
Casual Chic
Shirt: $1 at a yard sale, brand: New York & Company
Skirt: Salvation Army... probably around $3, brand: UnionBay
Flip Flops - On sale at Walmart, dunno the cost, brand: Uhh... some Walmart brand (duh =])

I'm also supposed to tell my favorite brands. I like American Eagle and Aeropostale. But I don't care too much as long as I like the clothing. I dislike Hollister and Abercrombie - they stand for many things I am very opposed to.

My favorite Thrift stores! Well, I am a huge garage sale junkie; I get most of my clothing at those. I also like Salvation Army. Amidst all the ugly and dumpy clothes there, you can find some cute stuff! We also have a thrift shop in town called Second Impressions. I like that too. There are other good ones, too, but those are the ones I tend to shop at because they're nearby.

That is all! Thanks for reading :)

"Thrifty Chic" Fashion week!

Hey everyone! I'm going to be participating in the "Thrifty Chic Fashion week" hosted by Luci at Virtuous Girlhood! If you want to see what it is and what it's about, click here. I am sooo excited! It starts June 20th, so check it out, and join! I'd love to see pictures of your outfits! To any of my friends who don't have a blog, just post the pictures on facebook. :)