Modesty

The value of modesty has been on my mind lately. I feel like the world is spiraling downward at a fast rate in this category. It truly makes me sad. Modesty is not always "popular" and showing your body seems to be in style. Check Pinterest for example. Some of the things that are posted on there blow me away.

I believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We can stand up for what we know is right. We can dress in a way that shows that we respect ourselves. It is easy to dress immodestly and follow the crowd, but not everyone has the strength to stand out and be an "example of the believers" (1 Timothy 4:12). We can.

A friend of mine wrote an amazing post about modesty a few months ago. I highly recommend you read it. It was inspiring and it really made me think.

In the LDS "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet, it gives very good counsel on modesty. I believe that we all, no matter what our age, should follow the counsel in this amazing pamphlet. The following quote is from it.

"Prophets of God have continually counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act.

Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval.

Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change."   

The fashions in the world change, but the Lord's standards don't. I believe that. Let us stand together and be an example of the believers!

Christmas Break

I have officially finished my first semester of graduate school! I loved it. Social work is one of my passions. Jaren will finish up his semester this week and then it is Christmas break! We have all sorts of plans for Christmas break. Everything from a full day Harry Potter movie marathon to romantic dinner dates :) I also have a long list of things to do that I don't have time to do during school that I want to accomplish during the break. I love this time of year. Bring on the hot chocolate and candy canes!

I can't believe that Christmas is coming. Today at church we heard talks about Christmas. It got me thinking. How can I make this Christmas season more centered around Jesus Christ? It is so easy to focus on more trivial things (as seen in the above paragraph ;) so how can I focus more on what Christmas is really about? One thing that Jaren and I talked about is focusing on service during the break. Making a goal to do an act of service outside of the home each day of the break would help us, even if the act of service is something simple and small.

At this time of year, some people are hurting. A friend of mine lost her father a few weeks ago. It really put things into perspective for me. It made everything that I worry about seen so small and insignificant. I hope to make this Christmas season a time to help those who are lonely or overwhelmed with life. I think that that is how my Savior would be spending this holiday season if he were here.

Tis' the Season...

Christmas music was playing and the smell of homemade hot cocoa was in the air. Jaren and I were setting up our Christmas decorations. We had opened up our dusty boxes of Christmas decorations and were figuring out how we should set everything up. We needed to remove some of our day-to-day décor to made room for the red and white characters and twinkling lights. Our picture of the Savior was taken down to make room for cute Christmas snowmen (very ironic). A moment later, we realized what we had done. Our actions showed symbolism of what easily happens at Christmas time. With the hustle and bustle of the season, the true meaning can become more and more faded. After our realization, we decided to place our picture of the Savior as a central Christmas decoration in our living room. We want this to become a tradition.  

Tonight during the LDS Christmas Devotional, President Uchtdorf talked about the gift that we can give to our Savior. The only gift that can be given to Him is our hearts. He has given us everything: our families, immortality, eternal life. All that He wants in return is our hearts. President Thomas S. Monson said that "this is the time to rededicate ourselves."

May this Christmas season be a time of service and giving. May it be a time of pondering on the true meaning of Christmas. May it be a time of remembrance about what life is all about.