My blog has had a lot to do with modesty in some of the recent posts. From me talking about prom dresses to wearing modest bathing suits. Then you see me post my own two younger daughters in bright orange bikinis.
What's up with that?
To be honest, I didn't think much of it. I just think that their baby chub and cute little buddah bellies are adorable. I think of them as babies and that it's no different than them running around in a diaper.
I'm sorry but I can't get enough of their cute roly poly thighs...and soon they will be gone (or come back to them when they are older and not be so cute like their mama's)
My 8 year old on the other hand doesn't wear bikinis anymore. She doesn't want to anyway. She's very modest, and I love that about her. Problem solved...for now.
So the question is, should we teach our girls to be modest from the get go, or is wearing a bikini at toddler age ok?
Many of you sent me emails and or comments on this and it got me thinking???
I want to raise modest girls!
I would love to hear thoughts on this.
This past weekend I got to be a part of "Heart Of A Princess."My friend
Leah who was putting the event together asked me a couple months ago if I would like to be interviewed and share a little bit about my testimony.
My first thought was NO WAY!
I am not a public speaker! Who am I to speak? I will make a complete fool of myself up there.
I know I'll completely freeze up in front of a big crowd.
Then....
I prayed about it and soon got over myself.
It wasn't about me....
Even though I was nervous, shaking, teeth chattering......I believe God's word was planted deeply in many young Jr. High and High School girls. I know many of them were encouraged to draw closer to Jesus.
So I was just a messed up nervous vessel....and I'm glad he could use me.
I was also asked to be on the panel at the end of the night. Where girls would ask questions and we would answer them.
One of the questions was, "Are tattoo's a sin?"
I remembered
Bianca's vlog post on this and that helped me in answering that question. As to the other questions I would just look at Leah like ,
you wanna get this one..haha!
No really, my heart is for young girls!
This event was amazing and I wished I would of attended something
like this when I was at that age.
I talked a lot on compromise and how I lived a life of compromise in High School. How it can have dangerous consequences. I wanted so bad to fit in and just have a little bit of Jesus on the side. I wanted one foot following Jesus and one foot in the world. I let them know it does NOT work that way...I encouraged the girls to have both feet following Jesus. You can't claim to follow Christ and call yourself a Christian while still catering to the world.
I talked about how little compromises can lead to big ones. That there's an enemy out there that is trying to destroy them. He hates them! He uses their dreams and desires and promises to fulfill them if they will just reject God and his word.
But he's very good and sneaky at what he does.
He convinces you that doing something once or something that isn't that bad won't really hurt anything.
The problem is you are opening yourself up to sin and giving the enemy a foothold.
And before you know it he's got a strong hold of you...it reminds me of that song by Casting Crowns Slow Fade.
I really stressed the one area where I believe there is no room for compromise...
Boys!
and dating.....Satan is seeking to rob these young girls of a future filled with joy, peace and most importantly to glorify God with their life!
Girls marry a Godly man!
I remember in high school thinking but he's cute....I'll take him to church and witness to him.
Ummm huh sure.....
What I was doing was planting seeds of compromise not seeds of purity and faith.
Sad to say but sooner or later emotions get involved (even when your a strong girl like I was) and you just might make a decision you never dreamed you would make.
I told them that if they compromise now, they will be far more likely to compromise when they are ready for marriage.
I thank God for his grace and that my husband ended up being a man of God.
It's taken time and heartache.
It wasn't easy and it doesn't usually happen.
The Lord ended up turning our story around for His glory...
The Lord used the pain to soften both our hearts and return to full devotion to God.
I also shared at when I became a Christian...
You see I always thought I was a Christian...again I believe the lies that Satan fed me!
I go to church
I grew up in the church
I even went down forward at a Harvest Crusade
My mom said I asked Jesus into my heart when I was 3
and the list goes on.....
But was I really a Christian?
God has given us standards to judge ourselves by...
Are we truly saved? Or do we just say we are?
If we are truly saved we will:
Keep His commandments
Act like Jesus
Won't hold grudges
Be not concerned with the cares of this world...
God says, "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
You won't wander from your faith
And most important you will have evidence that you are.
I asked the girls, if I was to pop onto their facebook page would it reflect what they claim to be? A Christian?
I find it disturbing that so many "Christians" will post how great church was on Sunday and then the very next thing they post will be pictures of them taking shots. Or of them wearing skimpy bikini's at the river with a beer in their hand.
So, I guess you can say, I knew what the word of God said. I was raised to know. But it wasn't enough just to know it.
I needed to obey it.
I needed to surrender to it. I needed to be willing to change my way of thinking and change my lifestyle!
And be willing to let God work on me:)
Trust me he's still working!
I shared a little on purity too....
As some girls asked, "how far is too far?"
I'll write about that in another post:)
Oh and before I forget, if you have won any giveaways or have made orders and haven't received them (usually takes a couple weeks) please email me and let me know.
Carlsbadryan@aol.comI just run the giveaways, the companies are the ones that ship them out.
I just want to make sure you get them:)
More fun giveaways coming soon......
but we celebrated over the weekend! We will be back on the road for their birthdays so....
We invited the whole family down to help us celebrate!
The kids didn't mind sharing a party. They just asked that they get their own presents and own cake:) 
Austin the 
Slowwwwww down.......
It was a bit breezy down by the water, so we couldn't light the candles on the cake...
Look at me Mommy!
Uncle Johnny and the boys at the Luau... 
Landen getting a ride from Uncle Joe...
Farrah getting a ride from Aunt Cheryl...
Enough to give his mom a heart attack...
Dancing in his New Iron Man gear from 
Then it was Men against.....
Women... 
Then it was Men against.....
Women...
