It's Been Too Long!

Okay, so once again, I have neglected posting. Sorry y'all, but, when life gets busy, internet is not exactly my top priority! It's been another crazy month. I keep wondering when life is going to settle down, but it looks like it just keep getting busier!

What I've been doing:
     ~Reading The Christian Counselor's Manual by Jay Adams and gaining invaluable insights about bringing people to hope and change through God's Word,
     ~Continuing to read Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (hoping to finish it by Christmas),     
     ~Preparing to play the epic song "Fantasie Impromptu" next month in my piano recital,
     ~Visiting my brothers and friends in Kentucky and enjoying Christian fellowship, lots of laughs and good talks, and helping my brother and his fiance prepare for their wedding
     ~Having six girls over for a Bible study/sleepover and doing WAY too much giggling and game playing ;)
     ~TRYING to finish my high school subjects - Spanish 3, History, Literature
     ~Staying busy with about a hundred and one other misc things that come up in life!

What I've been learning:
     ~Our pastor is teaching about Esther on Sundays and I'm learning about Esther's wisdom, courage, and faith in God. She used her winsome ways not to charm and manipulate, but to rescue a nation. Also, seeing the contrast between Mordecai's humble faithfulness and Haman's pride and ungratefulness.
     ~Reading in Joshua in my devotions is encouraging me to fight HARD against the "ites" (sin) in my life - even if it takes a long time and isn't a pretty battle, I must let NONE remain,
     ~God is really convicting me about how I treat my family. I am such a "servant" in public, but I'm not a true servant unless I'm willing to serve EVERYONE. Especially my family, since my duty is first to them.
     ~And another big things God's revealing is my critical spirit. Why is it that when I look at something, the first thing I see is what's wrong? I want to see through hopeful - not skeptical - eyes.

What I am excited about:
     ~My brother's wedding in less than 7 weeks!!
     ~The snowbanks in our yard are finally melted and it's warm enough for short sleeves :)
     ~My last recital ever is in 4 weeks. It will be a sad goodbye, but a wonderful finale.
     ~God is not letting go of me and never will. No matter how many times I fail Him, He continues to love, chasten, and sanctify me. He has plans for my life!

So that's my life. Happy Spring, everybody!

Less of me.

Lately God's been convicting me about how I'm full of me. I guess I knew, in theory, that all human being are prideful and thus I must have some pride issues, but I didn't see how self-focused I really am.

Here's an example: my resolution/goal for 2012 was to basically "discover myself." (Talk about psychology nonsense!) I was shy and insecure, and wanted to stop changing who I was based on who I was with. Well, it's true that we shouldn't fear man's opinion, but the cure is fearing God - not being more confident in ourselves. But my goal was to build SELF-confidence... and sadly, I did just that.

Another example: As of February 2012, the 5 words I wanted to describe me were: godly, beautiful, smart, lovable, and capable. I summed up of the attributes I should have been focusing on in just one spiritual-sounding word, and then listed the ones I was really after...  ones that built my image. Notice I didn't say I wanted to be loving, I wanted to be lovable. It was about me. 

Yeah.... ouch. So, why in the world am I admitting to all my readers how proud I am? Well, for one thing, it's good for me; for another, it helps keep me accountable and transparent with my brothers and sisters in Christ. And as for people reading this who don't really know me... well, maybe you'll leave encouraged somehow. 

So all that to say... I'm so sick of me. I need LESS of me. I need more of Jesus!! I am truly so grieved at how much I love me. And I have some different goals now. My number one goal this year: to make Jesus Christ shine building others up in Him. I want to accomplish that by being a listener, an encourager, a person who sees the inside of people and loves without partiality, and by not talking about and thinking about ME.

The 5 words I want to describe me: humble, loving (God and people), prayerful, servant, and (even though it's not one word) recklessly abandoned to Christ! So friends, encourage me and be the same to me! I'm so far from what I should be, but so encouraged to work towards the goal in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is so faithful!

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

John 3:30

Grow up!

This morning I went to a meeting at our church's biblical counseling center to begin to pursue becoming a certified IABC biblical counselor. This is something I really didn't expect to find myself doing a year or two ago... I was sure that when high school was done I would marry Prince Charming right away so I could raise my 20 children ASAP, or maybe head to a Bible college and then head off to be a bush-whacking single missionary to uncharted jungles and tribes.

But God had other plans.

For one thing, He showed me that Prince Charming is not just waiting at my door to sweep me off my feet. He (if he does indeed exist for me) is off fighting the Lord's battles and becoming the Lord's man, while the Lord grows me up and teaches me to be a selfless woman who loves and serves the Lord and doesn't expect Prince Charming to be the answer to my problems in life. The Lord is showing me that a relationship isn't his plan yet - He has work for me here and now.

He also showed me that, as a woman, I should be embracing the protection and ministry of the home. I don't need to run off across the country to learn from people I've never met, and then venture alone into the darkness of the world, when I have a godly mother to learn from right here, and a local church that's full of ministry potential and teaching to edify my soul. Single women can fully recognize their role as women, just as much as married ones - the role of helping and serving, under protection and headship. My goal is to honor the authority and wisdom of my parents and serve my family, while I continue to grow spiritually and in every other way. (That's not to say college is wrong - it can be an excellent tool of the Lord! But it shouldn't just be what we default to because it's what everyone does.)

So here I am. When I went to the meeting this morning and learned the requirements of becoming a certified biblical counselor, it was a bit scary. It will demand maturity and commitment. I may have to sacrifice some care-free excursions with friends and some weekend lounging. I will have to work diligently to start something so big while still finishing my primary schooling. But I'm willing. I accept the challenge. It's time to grow up! In America, childhood is excused and continued into the 20's and 30's many times, under the excuse of adolescence. 

But here's what the Bible says: "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." (1 Cor. 13:11)

So friends, let's rise up. Let's reject the poison of our culture that tells us we have time to waste. No matter how scary it may seem, let's grow up. And lets' follow God's plans for our lives - not our own - as we grow up.

Rising Radiance

When morning gilds the skies, 

my heart awaking cries, 

"May Jesus Christ be praised!"

This past week I've really enjoyed getting back to school. Christmas break was wonderful and restful, and charged me up for the other half of my final year of homeschool. On Sunday, I sat down with mom and planned out a schedule (yes, another one - I love planning!) that works for both of us, and I have really enjoyed it. Each morning I get up at 6:30 and have my morning devotions. Oh, it is incredible to watch the sun rise through the leafless trees, splashing color across the sky! It's like a painting; it doesn't even seem real. It's as though the sky is a colorful piece of translucent stained glass and the sun is behind it, making it glow. And it encourages me, because it brings to mind all the verses in the Bible about the rising sun.

"For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, 

and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering.

 For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts." 

Malachi 1:11

"From the rising of the sun to its setting,

the name of the Lord is to be praised!"

Psalm 113:3

"The Mighty One, God the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God shines forth."

Psalm 50:1-2

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

his mercies never come to an end; 

 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness."

Lamentation 3:22-23

"For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning."

Psalm 30:5

Our sovereign, holy God is reigning, and deserving our praise - let us remember to worship Him with our lives every waking moment. Let's praise Him early - don't wait! Let the rising sun remind you of His attributes and cause your heart to reverence Him. May we be able to say with David,

"I will sing of your strength;

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning."

Psalm 59:16a

Resolution Vs. Goal

Last year I made a lot of resolutions. I was so sure that this would be the year that I would become, well, perfect. Part way through the year, though, when I was still doing very well at keeping my resolutions, I realized how petty they were. As if banning movies and facebook would make me a better person! As if meeting my personal standard is what makes me righteous! As if I could ever be good enough through my own actions! As if I could ever be perfect enough to meet even my own requirements, much less God's! I realized that I was setting myself up for failure.

So I made a new resolution. No, actually two.
1) Nullify all previous resolutions.
2) Never make another resolution.

Now you're saying "What is wrong with her? She's flown to the opposite extreme!" But really, I'm not. Bear with me. I'm definitely NOT saying that we shouldn't set goals to try and meet. Without goals to strive toward, we don't make progress. But there's a difference between a resolution and a goal. With a resolution, you either succeed or fail. There's no in between. Even if you almost succeed, it's no good - you still failed. With a goal, you work toward achieving a desired result. And, no matter, how slowly you achieve it, how many times you mess up and start again, or how far from perfect you are, it's still worth doing!

For example, one of my goals this year is to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism. If it's a resolution, it's only worth doing if I memorize it all. But as a goal, it will be valuable even if I only memorize a quarter of it.

I believe this is a biblical concept. It's in line with the biblical model of progressive sanctification, in which we never "arrive" but we are always moving forward. No matter how many times we sin, it's still worth it to strive for righteousness! And, Ecclesiastes 5 warns us against making resolutions we can't keep.

So friends, let's be careful not to make rash vows this year. Only God can make a promise and be sure to keep it! We're not perfect. We simply cannot guarantee to anyone, even ourselves, that we will certainly do or not do anything. Rather, let us make goals, and move on to godliness!

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!

Faith of our Mothers

There are many things I could say about Mothers' Day. 

I think the first thing I want to do is praise my own mother, who has been an example of a godly woman, wife, and mother to me. Throughout the years, her testimony has shown brightly before me. I have memories from very early years of her talking and praying with me every night before bed - we would talk for nearly half an hour, and it was never enough. She chose to stand firm and raise her children, dedicating her life to them, amidst a culture that scorns motherhood. She stood firm even when all of her support from crumbled away beside her, in a way that few Christian women ever face.

Mom and I at the Creation Museum for the first time - '09

Our family went through some trying years when I was reaching my teen years, and I chose to rebel in spite of her godly example. She had little help in guarding me from the path I was headed on. I'll put in plainly for you: I was considering ending my own life. God never let go of me, though - I couldn't have escaped His love if I tried. It was through the influence of my mother that my heart was brought to salvation and a path of submission to Christ. In the past three years or so I have discovered and keep on discovering in deeper ways what it means to walk with Christ. Not a day goes by without my mom and I having at least one big conversation about Christ and what it looks like to follow Him. She gives me counsel. She has been the one who has protected my heart and my path. She sets an example for me in every way...  how she has given her life to stay at home raising my brothers and I, given us all of our education herself, and led us spiritually. How she now teaches and counsels other women. How she loves and serves her husband. Most of all, she has prayed faithfully for me. 

Enjoying Christmastime - 2008

I have the blessing of regularly hearing my mother praised by other people - every woman in her life has been blessed by her friendship, counsel, and example. She's the kind of woman that young mothers aspire to be like. She sets an example to girls who come from a worldly youth by how she has excelled in becoming a godly woman even though she had no example. She is a first generation Christian who has lived with a multi-generational goal of raising up children for the Lord. I can't express how much I have been blessed and influenced by her.

Buying a Christmas tree for Christmas 2008

Also, on Mothers' Day, I think of my dreams of being a mother someday. To all of you girls reading this - you are the future mothers of the world! As I listened to the sermon this morning in church, I could hardly contain my excitement. Oh, how I long to be a virtuous woman! May we, the future mothers of the world, start preparing now. And I'm not just talking about learning to cook, take care of children, and keep a home, although those things are important. The most important thing we can do to prepare for marriage and motherhood is learn to be a humble servant of Christ. Our hearts are what need work. We need to become loving and patient, submissive and supportive to our authorities, and quick to serve. Slow to speak, slow to get angry. Praying always. Teachable. Humble. Sacrificial. This is what it takes to be a godly wife and mother.

At Letchworth State Park - December 2011

And lastly, my heart goes out to everyone who does not have a mother in their life, or who has a painful relationship with their mother. Not everyone has two parents in their lives, and not everyone has two godly parents in their lives. I just want to encourage you to trust in the Lord who is faithful, no matter what.

If you have time, you may like to read through the lyrics to the hymn, "Faith of our Mothers," sung to the tune of "Faith of our Fathers." It was a blessing to me as I considered all the ways mothers affect the lives of their children, inspiring them to never forsake the faith.

Just got our hair done - Fall 2010

Faith of our mothers, living still
In cradle song and bedtime prayer;
In nursery lore and fireside love,
Thy presence still pervades the air:
Faith of our mothers, living faith!
We will be true to thee to death.

Faith of our mothers, loving faith,
Fount of our childhood's trust and grace,
Oh, may thy consecration prove
Source of a finer, nobler race:
Faith of our mothers, living faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
 
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith,
For youthful longing, youthful doubt,
How blurred our vision, blind our way,
Thy providential care without:
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith,
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our mothers, Christian faith,
Is truth beyond our stumbling creeds,
Still serve the home and save the Church,
And breathe thy spirit through our deeds:
Faith of our mothers, Christian faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Happy Mothers' Day everyone - now go and be a blessing to every mother you can!

Being goofy with Cody - 2008

I'm not cool, but that's okay :)

Wow. I just thought I'd tell you all that I had an AMAZING weekend. Some friends of mine invited me to an event called Youth Ablaze, which I had never heard of before. It sounded pretty cool, and I thought it would be a spectacular opportunity since I had been wanting to see them again, anyway. When we got there, I was kind of intimidated. It was huge! I had never been to anything like it before. During the second sermon, I broke down crying and was extremely encouraged and challenged. Later on, at supper, I pretty much spilled my whole life story and told my friends everything I've been going struggling with. They were so supportive and welcoming - I loved it so much.

This weekend has taught me one basic thing: be different. I need to be unafraid of being totally and completely different from our culture - no matter what anyone says or thinks about me. It sounds like a scary concept, really - being brave enough to do things (or not do things) that may cause me to be despised or mocked. But in truth, it's freedom. While most people are stuck wearing, watching, saying, and doing only what the culture tells them is acceptable, I can choose ANYTHING that pleases God! If you think that God is a harsh taskmaster, you should try obeying trends and culture. Christ does have expectations about what we do, say, think, wear, etc. But His expectations are freeing, not confining. I can be a total freak to the world, and still please Christ! It's pretty cool when you think about it. :)

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:30

Here's a link to an awesome song that goes along with this:

I'm Not Cool - Scott Krippayne

That's all for now, folks!

Purpose.

   I thought I'd share some inspiring photos I found online (on Pinterest, to be specific.) 

~ Family ~

 

 

~ Home ~

~ Purity ~

~ Uniqueness ~

~ Quotes, Thoughts, Scripture ~

 

~ Missions ~

 We can't live without dreams, goals, and purpose. We may not have all of our dreams come true, but we still have to dream. We may not accomplish all of our goals, but we still need to set them. But here's the thing...

We CAN fulfill our purpose.

 And what is our purpose? As it has been correctly summed up: 

"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

We can fulfill that purpose every day. 

Serve God.

Serve others.

Die to self.

Be diligent.

Love.

Forgive.

Be humble.

Strive for excellence.

Cherish God's Word.

Pray.

I have many dreams for my life. I pray that God would make me a useful, godly woman that is a warrior for His kingdom - wherever life takes me.

Beauty Secrets

Every girl wants to be beautiful. It's a natural desire. So, I thought I'd share a few secrets to being beautiful that I have discovered.

~Beautiful Hands~
To have the most lovely hands, wash dishes and scrub toilets often,
hold onto other people's hands,
avoid letting them sit idly for long periods of time
and always extend your hand to someone who needs one.

The most beautiful hands are hands that serve.
"She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy."
Proverbs 31:19-20

~Beautiful Face~
Make sure your lips are always turned upward,
and your eyes are brightened by joy and cheerfulness.
Apply generous amounts of compassion and peace to your expression,
and never wear anger, sullenness, or worry

"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance:
but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."
Proverbs 15:13
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking,
be put away from you, with all malice:"
Ephesians 4:31

~Beautiful Hair~
Apply humility, style reasonably.
Wear your hair to the delight and service of the Savior
He made it, so He deserves to get glory and delight from it!

"In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,"
1 Timothy 2:9 (Braided hair was showy in that culture)
"Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus,
and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil."
John 12:3

That's all I have for now... happy "beautifying!"
:)

Restored dreams

Lately I have been thinking thoughts that I haven't thought in a while. Somehow, as a teenager in our modern culture, I've lost the vision I used to have for my life. When I was a little girl, all I wanted out of life was to be a godly wife and mother, and to have a simple, loving home. But, of course, ideas like that are "out-of-date" and repugnant to us these days. After all, isn't it absolutely vital for women to go to college and have a thriving career? She could get married later on if she really wanted to, and maybe have a baby... but only as a supplement to a successful career. Being a homemaker is demeaning to women. Equality of the sexes! Women's rights! Our culture flaunt feminism, instead of femininity.

The Bible, however, has a different approach. Titus 2:4-5 says, "...admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." Also, 1 Timothy 5:14, which encourages, "Therefore I desire that the younger women marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully,"

This is what we were created for. This is the pattern of scripture. From the very beginning mankind was told, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh," and, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over... the earth." (Genesis 2:24 and 1:28) And, this is a beautiful thing!

Often it's easy to be repulsed by the idea of submission, or "gentleness and quietness of spirit" because it's easy to misunderstand these concepts. Submission does not mean being beneath or lower in value. Jesus Christ is in submission to God the Father! It's a joyful position that has blessing and value equal to the position of leadership. Gentleness and quietness does not mean somber, oppressed silence. To be gentle is to not be harsh, to be considerate and kind. Even men are commanded to be gentle. (1 Timothy 6:11) In order to have a quiet spirit, we must quell the clamor in our hearts. Vanquishing all fear, anxiety, hurry, stress, and worry will cause our spirit to finally be quiet enough for us to hear God's still, small voice. I don't know about you, but I think that sounds wonderful, not oppressive!

The Bible doesn't encourage wimpy, whiny, helpless women(even though many people think it does). On the contrary, radiant and courageous femininity is commanded! Reading proverbs 31, you will find that the godly woman is diligent and strong, yet wonderfully selfless. She works hard and is strong for purpose of serving others, not for pursuing her own plans.

Before I end this post, I want to say that the Bible is not opposed to women having a job outside of the home. Deborah, for example, was a judge. (Judges 4) What I would like to do is dispel the false ideas that we as women often have towards scriptural instruction to us, and to point out that marriage is the norm in scripture, not career.

God has a specific, unique plan chosen for each of his daughters. He has restored my dreams of courageous femininity, and I hope He will give you that vision, as well.

Live Every Moment

Last night, at prayer meeting, Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 was preached on. What grabbed me the most out of this passage was verse 10: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

Recently I have been living in the future. Dreaming about something that will happen next week, next year, or far into the future, I tend to forget the life is composed of only one moment: right now. It will never be "tomorrow." Do you realize that? Wow! It will always be right now. When tomorrow comes, it will become right now. If I live in the future, I'm not really living at all. This is my only life; I want to live every minute of it to the fullest! I don't ever want to miss the opportunity of the present moment. I need to do everything with all of my might. Whether it's studying Biology, writing a blogpost, listening to a sermon, sorting laundry, or anything else, I want to delight in it and use it to serve the Lord. My life should be a continual offering.

Also, what if I don't live to see tomorrow? What would I do today if I knew I didn't have another day of life? I certainly wouldn't get caught up in my dreams of the future; I would take advantage of every single second. I wouldn't waste time doing selfish things, "vegging out," or complaining.

Life is short. Since we don't know if we have tomorrow, let's live like today is all we've got. We don't have to cling to right now or become desperate, either. We just need to trust in God's goodness, mercy, and grace, enjoy every blessing, and persevere through every trial. Live every moment!

"Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." (C.T. Studd - Missionary)

To tan or not to tan?

This summer I decided I was going to get a tan. Yup, that's right. Me, Christy - who is normally bleach white - decided to tan! So, I proceeded to lay out in the sun for a while every day. And sure enough, I got a tan! But then I decided to do some research because I wanted to know the truth about tanning.As you probably know, our culture is completely obsessed with physical beauty. We're the only ones, though - many other cultures have also done absurd things because they want to look attractive. Throughout history, people have: broken girls' feet to keep them small, stretched out women's necks with metal rings (to the pint that they can't even support their own heads), tied boards to their babies heads to make their skulls cone-shaped... the list could go on. When we observe those practices, we can see that they are clearly harmful and unnecessary. We would never do something like that in America! Or would we?

As a mater of fact, we have all sorts of harmful "beautifying" practices. Tanning is one of many. According to research, too much exposure to UV rays greatly increases your risk for skin cancer. Yikes! Why would I do that?!On the other hand, however, many people shun sunlight altogether for beauty purposes. Since pop culture glorifies youth, women often try to avoid sunlight to protect their skin from aging. Well, it's true that sunlight ages your skin. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, because sunlight is good for you, too! Sunlight is the #1 source of Vitamin D. Studies indicate that people who wear sunscreen every time they go outside in the summer are very likely to have vitamin D deficiencies. Vitamin D is incredibly necessary for your body in many ways. It helps prevent many types of cancer, it keeps your bones strong, and keeps your hormones in check. In other words, vitamin D deficiency is a very bad thing!So what am I saying? Sunshine causes skin cancer, but yet prevents cancer? It's good, and it's bad? What are we supposed to do?!

Well, my final conclusion is this: live your life! Don't worry too much about it. And don't try too hard to be "beautiful." Enjoy sunshine reasonably. If you're going to be in it for a long time, slap on some sunblock. In the end, you may not be very tan, and may get some wrinkles when you're older, but you'll be healthy! The Lord never tells us to stay young or to have perfectly bronzed skin tones, but He does tell us to be good stewards of what he gives us, and to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is our body. We don't have to harm ourselves to beautiful because He sees us as beautiful when we honor Him with our lives, through Jesus Christ. So live life, enjoy it, and strive only to please your Savior!