A Matter of the Heart

I was asked by someone to write another blog post on modesty. I am so glad that they asked because I was thinking about it myself. Modesty is a difficult topic for me to post about. There are so many different views on the subject. I could go to one extreme and say, "I don't think it matters how I dress, I mean God see's my heart. If a guy looks at me, thats his problem." Then I could go way over to the other side and say, "We all need to wear long skirts all the time without any bright colors, with high colars and long sleeves. I think it is wrong to try and make myself attractive." Both extremes are deffinantly wrong. We do need to dress modestly but, that doesn't mean we have to be strict and never wear anything that shows skin, never wear pants, etc.!

Modesty can be a difficult concept to grasp in our day and age. When so many young women in our culture have thrown out the concepts of modesty, purity, and chastity and turned toward a more provocative form of dress and behavior. A great many questions may float around in our minds: How can I dress modestly while still dressing attractively? How to embrace the femininity God has given us without enhancing it in a sensual fashion? How to be attractive without attracting the wrong attention? Etc. I mean, there really are no set rules! Just saying “dress modestly” doesn’t cover how snug, how short, how long, how loose, how bold, how plain (and the list goes on) our clothes need to be.

But when I think about it, I am reminded that the quest to dress modestly should never start with a rulebook… it should begin with the heart. To be modest really just means showing humility, not having or expressing a high opinion of your own achievements or abilities, not showy, elaborate, or pretentious. That seems to have more to do with the character of person than the dress of a person. Two different passages that concur on this subject are
1 Timothy 2:9-10:
likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
And 1 Peter 3:3-4:
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

The start of true feminine attractiveness cannot be found in a set of rules and regulations; the foundation of true feminine attractiveness is the heart. As soon as we realize that our inward beauty will spread through into every area of our lives… and dress will be no exception.

I am not saying that we will automatically know when something is immodest and we will never need to ask advice, as sinners we will always second-guess ourselves! What I am trying to say is if you make your wardrobe choices based on a true love for Christ, a heart submitted to His will and to the encouragement of other believers, a heart passionate about the gospel, then you have begun a very firm and reliable foundation.

Modesty starts in the heart. Let the Lord lead your heart.

~Ashlin

Lord, Give Me Love Like This

Many crowd the Savior's Kingdom,

Few receive His Cross,

Many seek His consolation,

Few will suffer loss

For the dear sake of the Master,

Counting all but dross.

Many sit at Jesus' table,

Few will fast with Him

When the sorrow-cup of anguish

Trembles to the brim.

Few watch with Him in the garden

Who have sung the hymn.

Many will confess His wisdom.

Few embrace his shame,

Many, should He smile upon them,

Will His praise proclaim;

Then, if for a while He leave them,

They desert his Name.

But the souls who love Him truly

In woe or in sweet bliss,

These will count their truest heart's blood

Not their own, but His;

Savior, Thou Who thus hast loved me,

Give me love like this.

-Amy Carmichael

Nice, Even 10!

Hey Readers,
I have posted 10 times (excluding this one)!

Would believe me if I said I were stumped? 

I'm sure all of you, Wonderful Followers, have many wonderful ideas! You wouldn't want to keep them to yourselves, why don't you share them with me!

Well, sorry about that! I will have something tommorow.

♥Ashlin!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, Its about learning to dance in the rain!

Matthew 5:11-12 says, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." It says when the persecute you not if they persecute you. We were called to suffer. Something about suffering helps us to draw nearer to God. Suffering makes us realize we need Him. James 1:2-4 tells us, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Again it says when the trials come not if.

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.-A Chinese Proverb

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5) In all of these passages God shows us the end result of our sufferings: “great is your reward in heaven”, “that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”, “tribulation produces…hope”.

Although it may seem like these times when we suffer last forever, remember what the Lord says "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

Everyone will have suffering in their life. Suffering brings growth. It truly is a blessing in disguise. But how often does one find themselves praying for hard times. I believe that when you pray and ask God for trials (and His strength to get through them), we are asking for a very good thing. After all, long suffering is a fruit of the Spirit . Galatians 5:22 lists it as number four on a list of 10! Long suffering is a part of God’s character, a part of His image and a part of His nature. The Bible tells us He has “great kindness” and that “His mercy endures forever”.

We need to strive to be like Him, we need to add to our character patience. Long suffering is joy that endures in all circumstances. In 1 Timothy 1:16, Paul says, “However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all long suffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” We need Jesus to live through us so that He may “show all longsuffering” through us.

Long suffering is always associated with hope and mercy. Psalms 62:1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.

“If you have great challenges, have greater faith”. Leinani Kamaka

1 Thessalonians 1:3 “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” What will you be remembered for?

My Hiding Place

Psalms 32:7 You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalms 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.


Psalms 94:22 But the LORD has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.

Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.

Psalms 71:3 Be my strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 61:3 For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.

Psalms 143:9b
In You I take shelter.

2 Samuel 22:47 “The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The Rock of my salvation!

Psalms 30:4-5

"...every night, however long and difficult, ends in a dawn of gold." -Amy Carmichael

How Can These Verses Be Applied To Us?

When I as a single young person look at commands in the Bible for a wife (or husband), I ( and others) sometimes think , this is not for me. As I was reading Proverbs 31 in my devotions this morning and the Lord showed me this verse;



"She will do him good and not
evil all the days of her life."
Proverbs 31:12


It does not say, when she was married, but all the days of her life. That means, that we should be preparing ourselves for and waiting for that one person that God has for us every day.



When I see this verse (and verses like it), it can remind me that pure love waits. But how do I apply it in all of the days of my life? How do I apply those "Honor Marriage" passages to me and to my relationship with God? The Bible gives us Jesus' relationship with the church ( all believers), as an example on how we are to treat our spouse?


"Submitting yourselves one to
another in the fear of God.
Wives submit yourselves unto
your own husbands, as unto
the Lord. For the husband is
the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives even as
Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it; That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of the water by the word.
That he might present it to himself
a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without
blemish." Ephesians 5:21-27


Wow! What an example we have to follow!


I think we can reverse it and think "if our reationship with Christ is like marrige, passages about marrige can be applied with our relationship to Jesus."

I can serve the Lord the way the Bible commands us to serve our spouse.


May God bless each and everyone of us to be pure and blameless before Him!

September

It is the very first day of September. I know that means it will begin to get cooler, the leaves will start changing color, my brother will have another birthday, etc. Life is alway chang and the days seems to just fly by!


I may not be a very faithful poster and hope you will forgive me.


I was deciding what to post and I thought how about a poem! I hope you are blessed by:


Flame of God

by Amy Carmichael
(I epsecially love the last paragraph. I know it by heart)




From prayer that asks that I may be
Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee,
From fearing when I should aspire,
From faltering when I should climb higher
From silken self, O Captain, free
Thy soldier who would follow Thee.




From subtle love of softening things,
From easy choices, weakenings,
(Not thus are spirits fortified,
Not this way went the Crucified)
From all that dims Thy Calvary
O Lamb of God, deliver me.




Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire;
Let me not sink to be a clod;
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God




Happy September! ; )