I realize this post is old but I figured I would comment on it anyways. I think one of the biggest struggles for teens is to "fit in". We all want to belong and be a part of the crowd, at least for the most part. Today's culture is telling us sexy is in and modest is out.
All the movies and TV shows are showing women with their mid drifts showing and tight pants and shirts. It also shows guys not respecting women and their commitment to their spouse (Desperate Housewives, and other shows).
I think the stumbling block for women doesn't really have anything to do with how guys dress, but how they react. I don't know for sure, seeing how I'm male and not female, but it seems that girls would like the attention from the good looking guy in math class. One way to get that attention is by a combination of dress and attitude.
I think for a lot of guys our view of women is becoming jaded by "the media". Hugh Hefner has made a fortune exploiting women and turning them into objects rather than human equals. While Christian guys may not directly view women as such, their personal views are still challenged at school and elsewhere.
It seems the pressures of sex and sexiness are being sought after at a younger age. I think parents also play a big role in modesty. When children are young the parents are usually the ones that dress them. I'm seeing more little girls wearing two pieces and clothes with suggestive wording.
So, as a society we are causing some of the problem for the younger generations. We are telling the media that is okay to display women and men is a sexually charged situation (Bachelor, Big Brother, Sex and the City, and other shows). In fact some of these shows get such high ratings that the produces take the events even further.
If we aren't aware of what our children/teens are watching then we are contributing to their lack or reduction of modesty. I think one thing parents really need to do is not take anything for granted.
My kids can't use their cell phone for anything bad. Guess what, wrong. Almost every new phone comes with a camera. What happens when you get teens with hormones off the charts and a camera? You can get pictures that lead to embarrassment (sexting), plus criminal charges.
So I think the whole modesty issue has a lot more than just clothes. It includes our attitudes and reactions to the actions we get. For guys I would suggest reading the book Every Young Man's Battle, there is an updated version coming out on the 18th of August. For girls there is the book, Every Young Woman's Battle. The links are below, I also have a copy of the older version for men.
But again, modesty is more than just how we dress, it encompasses our entire being. It is our actions, our words, our dress, our reactions, our beliefs and a lot more.
This is a topic that we could spend a year covering. It has so much depth and different angles. Theresa I haven't been involved with youth group lately but have they covered this area much since February?
That is all for now, feel free to respond. The message board seems to be pretty empty, lot of topics, little discussion. Lets get talking.
http://www.amazon.com/Every-Young-Mans-Battle-Strategies/dp/0307457990/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249494823&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Every-Young-Womans-Battle-Sex-Saturated/dp/1578568560/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249494823&sr=8-4
Post from VSN Discussion about Modesty
Addiction to buying
Have you ever thought of yourself as addicted to buying things? Not just a pack of gum here, a new shirt there. But the desire to compile the latest technology, the latest style of clothing? I wouldn't classify myself as addicted to buying things, but rather lying to myself about simplicity.
I am constantly telling myself I could really use a flat screen LCD HDTV television because I could plug my computer into it and it would take up less space in our home. There is also the long lens I want for the camera, a new Mac that has the latest video editing equipment, a better video camera, another car, our own home, golf shoes, rechargeable battery pack for the X-box 360 controller, and the list goes on.
It doesn't help when the tv is littered with ads about what is new and what you need in your home. It is true that there are thousands of items that can make our lives easier, but do we need them? Probably not.
When Lizzy and I were first married we were within walking distance to Wal-Mart. We went there at least 2 or 3 times a week. Sometimes it was for food or a simple item. But almost every time we came home with something we didn't need. With every move into a new home, we have gotten further away from stores. Which is probably a good thing.
The accumulation of "stuff" just shows that we are gullible to the advertising, myself included. I think one of the exciting things about buying something is that you now have something new to use or look at. In our day and age we quickly become bored with stuff and need something new on a constant basis.
Lately I have been trying to sell the stuff I don't use and either save the money or put it towards something else. For instance I'm trying to sell one tv to get a better but smaller one. So in essence it's still something new, but I am trying to buy it with money from the old one.
Do we really need two TVs? Probably not, but by getting rid of one at a price I can save up for another instead of buying a new one then trying to sell the old one. In the Bible Jesus talks about how nothing we have here will go with us to heaven except our soul.
Your soul won't be able to carry your 52" HDTV with your surround sound system to heaven, even if it playing Billy Graham. I think we fail to remember that earth is our temporary home. We are essentially aliens, we do not belong here but are visiting.
I think the media puts pressure on us to buy things and our neighbors. We all look at each other and what each other has and either decides not for me, or I need to get one of those. More often than not it is probably "I need to get one of those."
For some people the addiction of buying things puts their family at risk. They max out multiple credit cards, lie to their spouse, and end up hurting the family. I encourage you to be aware of your spending, think about the need vs. the want. And if you really need to buy something new or want to, do your research. Find out where the best deal is.
It is never a good idea to buy without intention. What I mean by this is, if you walk into the store not planning to buy a tv and walk out of the store with a tv, you probably didn't need it and made a bad decision. If we only bought what we went to get we would probably save close to 1,000 dollars a year if not more. There are so many times we walk out of the store with a movie and something else we didn't need.
Spending isn't bad, just be wise about it and plan ahead.
SNL
So I've noticed lately that a lot of shows including SNL have incorporated sex/shock into their shows. Instead of being funny, they try to see how far they can push it before turning people off. I never really watched SNL before, however, we all know some of the great skits, Da Bears.
It seems lately, no one really talks about the show. Lizzy and I have turned it off multiple times due to either stupidity or too much sex themed skits. Writing a good skit isn't about pushing the limits but rather writing believable characters who people can relate too.
From the few skits I have seen, there are too many characters who are exactly the same. I'm not sure if it's the writers or the actors, but every actor's character seems to be the same from skit to skit. If I was in charge of SNL I would find multiple actors who are excellent at impromptu acting and who could feed off each other.
You want the skits where something goes unplanned and everyone cracks up. It doesn't seem like that's happening anymore. All the experienced talent left for other jobs. Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fay, Amy Poehler, etc.
I think it's either time to scrap SNL or take a break to bring in experience and variety.
Today
Why is it that we all struggle thinking about today? I think as a society we are so concerned with what will be happening tomorrow, or after we finish this. We are looking ahead so much that by the time we reach there we're no longer looking for it, but to the next ahead.
We are missing out on what is happening right now, today. I usually feel this way when I start counting down to something. I focus on that task that I often do see all that is happening around me. Take a birthday for example. Growing up kids count down the months, days, hours, and minutes until their birthday. It's usually because of presents or a party.
During their focus on their birthday they miss all the good things happening around them. This is true for adults as well. We become focused on task and miss out on ways to either help people or authentically enjoy them.
So I guess my challenge would be Matthew 6:34 New Living Translation.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."
Take each day as its own and conquer each day individually. Focus on the great things of each day and cherish each day.
Conclusion to our trip
So we've been home for a couple of days now, actually closer to a week. Our last three days in Orlando were filled with theme parks and Disney. On Monday we talked with a lady at the hotel about tickets for Disney World. She said we wouldn't find a better deal anywhere else. I wasn't convinced, so Lizzy and I headed to the convention center to check out the "Nazarene Special".
We talked to the guy and tried to decide what we wanted to do. He had 2 park hopper tickets left, so we decided to get those. A park hopper allows you to go to any Disney park on any day. You can also go to more than one in a day. We never did do that ( I got sick) but at least we had the option.
As we were leaving he caught up to us and asked what we were doing for the rest of the day. My response was nothing. We had no plans expect to sit the in the hotel room or go to the pool. He said here take these and handed us 2 tickets to Sea World.
So we headed back to the hotel and got ready to go and headed out to Sea World for the rest of the day.
In short the next two days were Animal Kingdom and Epcot. We met a really cool family from Minnesota on our way to Animal Kingdom and spent the day with them. It's amazing how you can make friends anywhere and from anywhere. I got sick right before getting on the bus after Animal Kingdom. I don't know if it was just a bug or something else. But the whole day I felt off and didn't feel totally better until after we got home. But we were still able to go out and have fun.
Anyway that is just a glimpse at our last couple of days in Orlando. I'll try to get Lizzy to add to it. Or at another time I'll add to it. But right now it's late and I have to work tomorrow. So until then.
NMI Thoughts
It was reported that Orlando has over 1,500 conventions every year! Can you imagine how busy that would make this city and how many different people they must see. The Nazarene church is participating in a service project called "One Heart, Many Hands." During this service project they find things to help with all over the city. They clean up trash, help with homes, and other places that need cleaning up or repair.
http://www.oneheartmanyhands.com/
It was reported on the news that no other organization has done this kind of work for the city of Orlando. I tried to find the video from the news but couldn't find it. Anyway the church of the Nazarene did make an impact and that was what I was hoping it would do.
Also later that night during the service I was able to share a smile with another lady. I'm not sure what country she is from but we communicated through that smile. It was about halfway through the service or so when a man a row ahead of me and a two chairs to her right started to snore. It woke him up and we both looked at each other and smiled. I thought it was pretty funny. We both had the same reaction and understood what we were sharing.
6/24/09 NMI Convention
A thought from the first day of convention.
So, I walked in and the first thing I saw was a huge open room. I didn't notice that to my right were already over 1,000 people sitting. I think mos of the people here are delegates or family.
It's going to be amazing when the whole place is filled. Without a doubt this place could hold 20,000+ people. and it's not just the United States. It's a collection of global faces.
A collection of global people separated by mountains, sea, valley, but connected through spirit. Here for one purpose.