Pure Fashion: It’s Complicated

If you have read Wendy Shalit’s new book, Girls Gone Mild, you will know something about the national program, Pure Fashion. Some mothers got together several years ago to train their daughters in how to choose modest clothing and then put on a fashion show. It grew from there. The young ladies (high-school age) go through a 7 month program to learn all about being a (role) model.

Their modesty guidelines are quite extensive. Here is a sampling:

Pants

• should not be too tight, especially in the seat or the thigh area
• should fit well, but not be “skin-tight”, you should be able to pull them away from the leg
• shorts should be modest - no very short and/or tight shorts; if you put your arms down straight at the side, and the bottom of the shorts is higher than your longest finger, then the shorts are too short. (Remember, we will be on an elevated runway and everything will look a bit shorter to the audience.)
• make sure there are no “panty lines” on stage. If necessary, wear pantyhose or a “thigh shaper” to hold everything in and create a smooth appearance in your clothing.

Wow. How is one supposed to find a pair of pants that isn’t tight in the thigh or seat area? Of course, they cover how to choose skirts (must be no shorter than 4 finger widths above the knee) or sleeveless tops (3 finger widths across the shoulder) or necklines (again, no deeper than 4 finger widths below the collar bones). I think I need to lie down, my head is spinning!

There are much easier ways to set modesty standards. I think these rules are too complicated and too easy to fudge. What I would do is take these girls to a super Goodwill to get some really unique stuff! Knees covered from all angles, no booty showing, sleeves, no worries about counting finger widths.

What do you all think about the Pure Fashion concept? Is it really teaching Christian girls to be shame-faced, sober, gentle, and humble? Or is it showing girls they can be admired for their looks and feel goody-two-shoes about wearing a couple more inches of cloth?

[P.S.- Wendy has a new, new book coming out this summer: The Good Girl Revolution!]

Pray for the Suffering

The news from China today is so heart-wrenching for me. I have two sisters adopted from that country, though they are from a different province. I traveled around China for two weeks in 1999. The area that was affected from the earthquake may be poisoned for years because it is an industrial center with many chemical factories.

Pray for God’s mercy and that those who call on Jesus may have the opportunity to serve.

Thoughts on Monday

We had a beautiful weekend: fetching goat milk, visiting relatives, and went for a long walk in a park yesterday. There is a sun burn on my face (third time this year!) to prove it. I’ve got to remember a hat next time!

This story came to my attention this weekend. A young lady who has never cut her hair due to her Christian beliefs encounters a teacher with a long-hair hate and a pair of scissors. The result is a weird investigation.

In other news, mother’s day has come and gone. Notice I did not capitalize that. Its not that I wish the day never existed. I love my mom and sent her a card. I wished other mothers a happy day. I just do not like honoring it like a holy day during a church service. [Note: yesterday was the feast of Pentecost for the Western Christian calendar. Not a word mentioned about that significant event.]

The pastor starts off his sermon yesterday with, “Honoring mothers is an ancient practice…The Greeks started a spring celebration for the mother of the gods…” OH MY GOODNESS. Did he justify an American Holiday (and thereby, a church gathering) by citing pagan practices? Yep. I guess it was easy to be up front about it.

Why the Oklahoma Convention was So Important

I had not seen this video before going to the convention. It is a perfect illustration of just how important it was for us to drive to Tulsa last weekend! Imagine, James Dunn only won by 9 votes!

Introducing Walker Tracker

My new best friend speaks in click-clack…it is a Sportline 360 pedometer! I also have a new online hang-out at Walker Tracker. [My blog is here.] Now you all can see how many steps I take in 12-14 hours. Their membership is free. Of course, they offer a premium membership ‘Pro’ level where you can get extra bells and whistles.

My first month’s goal is 8,000 steps daily. This is just a notch above a normal office worker day for me. I have to conscientious enough to plan a 15 minute aerobic walk to reach the goal. So far, so good! The usual goal other people pick is 10,000 steps. In two months, I hope to reach that consistently.

If you are geeky and obsessive about tracking things, Walker Tracker might be for you! [Pedometers are relatively inexpensive - less than a month of gym membership!]

Jane Austen, ‘08!

If only she would run…

Hitting the Wall

Runners describe a metabolic occurrence as “hitting the wall”; their bodies use up vital stores of glycogen or quick burning sugars. The result is not what you might visualize as literally falling down in the middle of the road. Instead, the runner slows down, even though they may have been feeling just fine a minute before. They feel tired. Then they have to stop and eat or consume a sugary drink to restore the balance.

Those of us who must work outside the home “hit the wall” frequently, in our minds, hearts, and bodies. We forget (or fail to plan or just do not have time) to eat properly. We are thinking about home when at work. When at home, we think of work. At least nine hours of our day, plus commute, is eaten up in earning cash. Exercise, what is that? Errands get done during lunch hours or on the weekends. Some of us must travel for our business, away from home, state, and even country.

This is not some giant pity party I am staging; these are the honest realities we face in the corporate-military-industrial-government complex. Our masters are much harsher than the feminists claim our husbands and fathers ever were. The powers-that-are pay us just enough to keep coming back, grant us enough health coverage to keep us alive, and enough time off to barely sleep and eat. Our relationships, our bodies, our families, our communities, and -dare I say it- our world suffers for it.

Some of us working women, like runners, have a blessed finish line to the rat race. My line is nearing, though I do not know the exact location, I can hear the cheering crowds. Only…I am tired. My body is starting to refuse to wake up, which is traumatizing to an early bird. Every little unexpected thing sends me to the verge of tears. I dread work; I dread coming home to a mess. Neither is really cared for well.

Opportunities are opening for my husband’s future. We heard of a good position just yesterday. I am exceedingly grateful, like the marathoner who is handed a sports drink. Just two miles, just two months. I can make it.

Poem: Adorn the Soul

Adorn the Soul

by Anna

Eyes dart in my direction.

Twice, thrice.

My white cap and long dress

Flutter past their combat boots

And camouflaged hearts.

Who are you?

What are you?

Veiled from their view,

Is a land mine

Of intentions on display.

I wear badges

They dare not read.

Who are you?

What are you?

They begin to ask

The questions of

Themselves, hoping

This woman will hear

Their callous voices.

Who are you?

What are you?

Strip one uniform

And sew another.

Pin on ribbons

of a gentle spirit.

Adorn the soul.

Happy

see more dog pictures

Just Happy, that is all.

Oklahoma State Republican Convention Recap

[In case of any visitors arriving from link-ins, this is not intended to be a definitive source of what happened at the Convention. My husband and I are just regular "boots on the ground" reporters for the cause of liberty.]

The bags under my eyes attest to the whirlwind, late nights adventure of our weekend in Political Phunville, otherwise known as the Oklahoma Republican Convention. We made the final decision to attend on Thursday evening, which left me Friday during the day to pack and then drive up to Tulsa (opposite corner of the state) that night. Thanks to the generosity of friends and a hotel over-booking snafu, we got a free suite. We only had to pay for the convention fees, food and gasoline and the ubiquitous trip to the Super Target.

Not to blow our cover, I will not describe what we did on Friday night. It was truly exciting…and I had no idea you could fit that many human beings into one hotel room! Some folks paid up to attend a dinner with the Vice President. We were not so financially blessed and also not inclined for such an event. Ahem.

The real deal began before dawn on Saturday morning. We stopped for Krispy Kreme donuts, coffee and milk before arriving at the Convention site at 6:20 am. The credentials check was supposed to start at 6:30am. Well, it didn’t go so smoothly the entire day. We had paid online. They couldn’t find our badges. This was repeated dozens of frustrated delegates over. In the end, many delegates gave up waiting in line and went home. Some were cut out from registering because the convention just had to start.

The rest of the day was a blur, with lots of shouting “Point of Order!!”, “Motion!”, and “Second!” There were cheap stunts of putting negative non-endorsed fliers onto our chairs. [I promise I will scan a couple for RP folks to see.] The chair allowed campaign signs in the convention hall for Senator Inhofe, even though the rules stated that such specific materials were banned. The speeches were typical campaign speeches, trashing democrats. What a waste of our time!

Another detail is that many, many delegates did not see the small green 3×5 card with the size 8 font list of the official slate of national delegates. NO ONE handed us this card. It was not on our chairs. We did not even know of this card until near the end. How were we supposed to vote on a slate of delegates to the National Convention if we did not know who they were? Why weren’t their names printed in bright, large letters and handed to every delegate when they registered? [These delegates were chosen by the state committee, not by a consensual vote.]

I will also add that one of the Republican National Delegates from Oklahoma served on the board of Planned Parenthood of Oklahoma. Several of the delegates have either backed pro-choice candidates or have made sizable donated to questionable organizations. Now you know why we did what we did!

You can read more about the specific treachery and accomplishments here.

I am happy we went, but I am highly disgusted with the mindset of the majority who attended. They only wanted nice meals, a perfunctory vote and be out in time to see the Kentucky Derby. They seemed to think that the Convention is a formality instead of a place of participation. Think again, dear friends!