Modesty and decorum have gone out the window.
Modesty is not only not valued, it is simply not thought of or taught. Living in FL in the hot months is a veritable onslaught to the eyes. For some reason women do not care anymore what they wear or how they are viewed by others. I guess we can thank Hollywood and supposedly the ‘rich and famous’ for the general attitudes.
*I counted no less than three pregnant women in bikinis. First of all, why do they think they have the right to put their ‘comfortable with their bodies’ attitude on display at a public venue and force families with small children and boys and men of all ages to ‘deal with it’? Every parent has the right to decide what TV and movies their children see, what books they read, yet these women think they have the right to force the same parents to deal with information about motherhood because they want to make a statement. This is wrong on so many levels. Secondly, when did the beauty and sacredness of becoming a mother become a public side-show? I will not deal with photo shops in the mall that place expectant mothers revealing photos on display. I am appalled at Godly women even having them made. That is a special time in their lives, so why have they reduced it to worldly standards and display. I know of women who work with young girls and try to convince them to maintain modesty yet, they display photos of their pregnant stomach. What a mixed message they are sending. Think about how God feels about such displays; He who valued Mary’s womanhood so much that He chose her as the mother of Jesus, and cautioned Joseph about protecting her reputation by not putting her away.
*Bikinis – My girls and I always have covered ourselves in tankini’s that meet in the middle and/or one piece swimsuits. From an early age I taught them their modesty was a gift and that I gift wrapped them at birth with no peeking under the papers until their wedding night. Were they dressed dowdy? No, they wore one piece swimsuits, no crop tops, plunging necklines or booty shorts. They did not wear words blazed on their backside inviting people’s attention to that part of their body. Were they fashionable? Yes. It is possible to be in the world and not of the world. In fact it is your responsibility to raise them that way according to scripture. John 17 tells us we are to be IN the world not OF the world.
* There is a running joke in FL about 2 piece swimsuits should not be larger than a size 2. Unfortunately, women of all sizes, 30#’s, 50#’s, and sometimes even 100#’s over weight, are cramming themselves in a bikini for public display. It is sickening that we are glorifying unhealthy bodies. Fat is NOT beautiful, it is unhealthy. I am overweight and I fight it daily. I do not accept it and put myself on display. It is not a joke, it is not funny and it certainly is not pretty. I am amazed that on the flip side, guys are wearing more clothes than ever. Their swim-trunks are usually below their knees with big baggy shirts. Their shorts are big, baggy and dragging in the rear. They look very much like a toddler’s full diaper.
GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995) I Timothy 2:9
“I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do, not by their hair styles or the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear”
Tiny and bright white, they go unnoticed by the casual beach comber. Yet God detailed them perfectly with their spiral and twisting form. When people see them on my necklace they find them beautiful like pearls. Yet most people ignore their beauty as they walk on them at the beach.
A similar find is the Angel Wings which are bivalve mollusc similar to a clam. Occasionally washed ashore, they are usually found while digging and can be as much as 3 feet deep in mud and clay. They are very fragile, yet with correct handling are a true treasure.
Lights in the Storm 