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Monday, June 30, 2014

Guard Your Petticoat

(another bit of etiquette from a Southern girl's point of view)

In the old days, southern young ladies were always well dressed, even to their “foundational” garments. There were chemises, corsets, bloomers, petticoats and crinolines and all served a purpose. A lady’s "delicates" were sacred; they were always to be worn and never to be displayed. Etiquette demanded that discretion be exercised even in the laundering process; a lady did not leave her under-things flapping in the breeze for all to see.

Today’s young women are liberated from such things, but maybe it’s not been to their benefit. It used to be common propriety for ladies to ensure they had a “smooth line,” and a young woman’s unmentionables lived up to their name – they did their job silently and discreetly. But times have changed. Young women today cannot feel the same sense of decorum; they have been raised in an era where there is nothing "unmentionable," an age of TMI (too much information), a culture where talk-shows divulge what should be private, where perfect strangers converse about intimate topics and where what Elisabeth Elliot calls "the inner sanctum" has been violated and desecrated.  

Walking into today’s shopping malls would give our grandmothers a coronary. Not only would they be shocked at the minuscule offerings in the lingerie department, they’d be speechless to see them inviting the gaze of anyone who passed by.

It’s true that our grandmothers’ lingerie served a different function than much of what is available today. Theirs was made for function rather than revelation. And there’s nothing wrong with wearing lace and satin instead of muslin.  

But, womanhood lost something when undergarments became a contest of daring shapes plastered on posters and hung shockingly in display windows. What was once a feminine secret is now old news; delicacy has been traded for brazenness. But the southern girl who’s in the know still guards her petticoat; after all, there are some things better left unmentioned. And there is beauty in the mystery. 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Not Alone


 I love history, and historical drama is even better. The plot of the story Alone, Yet Not Alone has all the good points - faith, sacrifice, action, courage, loyalty, endurance and best of all the message that God is our strong tower in the day of trouble. Not to mention that the theme song is sung by Joni Eareckson Tada, one of my personal heroines. 

Set in the 1700's against the backdrop of the French and Indian War in colonial Pennsylvania, this story (written by a descendant of the family who actually lived it) showcases God's strength and the validity of His promises in the lives of two young girls captured by the Delaware tribe. It is an amazing tale.

You and I may never face hostile warriors seeking revenge for their mistreatment at the hands of the settlers, but we will face other kinds of dangers. As our world increasingly turns against its biblical moorings, those of us who claim His name may stare into the realities of separation, imprisonment and even death. It could be just a matter of time, a mere change in the cultural breeze, a shrug in the shoulders of those who wield earthly power. 

Yet, like the Leininger family, we are not alone if He is our Father. No matter the terrors or the silence or the desolation of our surroundings, He will not leave us alone. He has promised His presence to the end of the world - whatever that may be for us individually. 

I do not like to dwell on themes of doom, but I can see the shift in the winds in our moral and political situation. And as I contemplate the uncertainty of the years to come for me and my children, I can give them what "Papa Leininger" gave his children - the message, the surety that God will always be with us and we can trust in His unfailing strength. 

Alone, yet not alone, because He is always there.

"For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"  (Hebrews 13"5b)

" . . . lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  (Matthew 28:20b)

The Story of Alone, Yet Not Alone

Author (Tracy Leininger Craven) Interview with Dr. James Dobson


Friday, June 13, 2014

A different kind of wedding story . . .



 A wedding gown, a revolver and an assignment that will change Angela's life forever . . read
Married to Mr. X and cast your vote.
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