Daddy to Caleb: Do you know what a gentleman is?

Caleb: “No.”

Daddy: It is a gentle man, otherwise they would have called it a meanman.

He got the point… And is now drifting off to sleep, as Daddy hums Amazing Grace, Calebs favourite song….

Proverbs 13:1
A son who heeds his father’s discipline is wise, but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.

I am blessed~

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Originally posted at Growing in Grace Magazine

July 1, 2008

Ever wondered how your letters and packages get around the world so fast? It usually takes just two days to send a letter from the East to the West, and it’s all because the United States Postal Service workers work hard everyday to transport your mail. You may think that your mail is only transported on week days from 7am to 5pm. That’s when most Post Offices close, right? Not exactly…The mail is always on the move. It’s always being transported, scanned, and processed somewhere.

It completely boggles my mind how the USPS does it. It is very complex, but all so organized. There are thousands and thousands of letters and packages that goes through the Post Offices everyday. I got to see for myself how a “house-to-house” mail carrier sorts the mail, loads up the mail, and delivers it right to your door last year when I went to help my dad collect canned-food. My Dad has been working for the USPS for over two years now, and it’s been very interesting hearing how everything works. When he started off he wasn’t a mail carrier, instead he worked from 2am to ??? collecting and transporting the mail from city to city, on a split shift.

The US Post Office has been around almost as long as the Pilgrims. The first Post Service was established in February, 1692 by King William and Queen Mary, who charged the task to Thomas Neale. However on July 26, 1776 Benjamin Franklin built the first ever United States Post Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because the post clause in Article One of the US Constitution the Congress was able to “To establish post offices and post roads”, and it became the Postal Department in 1792. However, it was recognized as an independent agency and changed it’s name to Postal Service. Because the mail had to get around things like the building of the federal railway across the entire country were set in motion. The Railway Mail Service was then created on the side just for the mail. The Mail Railway Service was a big deal to people, and those who delivered it were considered famous. There were even mail competitions to see who could deliver their mail the fastest.

As the USPS grew and gained respect and money, more political issues were involved. In the 1890s Anthony Comstock, working with New York Society for Suppression of Vice, made it illegal to mail anything obscene, indecent or involving abortion, alcohol, or contraception.

The sign of the USPS as not always been the Eagle’s head. At first it was the Roman god Mercury but was replaced in 1837 with a running pony and after that the had a flying eagle. In the 1990s the eagle was redesigned again to just the eagle head.

In 1845 it would have cost you no more than 14.5 cents to send something through the general USPS and only 5 cents through a private USPS. Today the price of one letter to stamp is 42 cents. That may seem like nothing but when you add it up to as many letters as you’re sending to grandparents it gets pretty pricey. Within the past few years the stamp as been raised several cents, but everyone still uses the mail and they always will.

The Postal Reorganization Act signed by President Richard Nixon on August 12, 1970, replaced the cabinet-level Post Office Department with the independent United States Postal Service. July 1, 1971 is the day the Act took effect and it’s also National Postal Workers Day. The USPS does a lot of work to get those special letters, cards, and packages to your door.

This year, thank them.

*This post originally contained The Letter From A Christian Guy About Modesty. I posted the Letter separately, because it may not be appropriate for all eyes, ears or hearts. Guarding our children’s thought lives is important to me, so I wanted to make it one step harder for them to stumble upon it*

Ask my girls and you will find out that the topic of modesty is not just a fly-by-night issue with my heart, but it is near and dear. I was a very provocative teenager. I intended to be. Many girls -and women, for that matter, do intend to be – provocative.

Some young ladies who claim to be committed to the LORD intend to be noticed, and express it by their immodesty. The letter, Modesty: A letter from True Christian Guys is written with all of the reasons women need to understand about their indulgences in immodest clothing from a man’s point of view.
However, as very important as that is… we need to understand that, if this is so spiritually repulsive to men, then God ~ Jesus, well, need I say more? Do you want to have your Holy Saviour say the same words to you as this young man is? I don’t.

And, if I could add a few more thoughts, I would say to DADS – please do not say “I don’t care,” or “It’s none of my business what my daughter wears,” or “Oh, but isn’t she beautiful in that, though?” or “Well, she has to make those decisions herself now; she’s old enough.” OR-God forbid…”Her Mother will take care of that!”

Even if your daughter is old enough, she needs to know what you think – especially in the area of her Virtue. And, even if your wife doesn’t mind or even wants to take care of their modesty training, encourage them both anyway. Moms can talk all day about some things, and a lot of topics are well-received by daughters. I have found that, my daughters especially, as much as they try to receive the clothing issue in love from Mom, Dad has a grip on their hearts in this area that they want to be held by. I believe it is a man’s God-given authority and responsibility to help his daughter in this area, if it is an issue.

I have also found that clothing is an outward expression of the spirit. Is it an undeniable issue in today’s culture? yes. Is it a touchy issue? it can be. Is it a telling sign of rebellion or submission? I believe so. In boys or girls. This is why we must train our children from birth.
We must speak and act in a holy manner. Christians sometimes take liberties, because we do not look at them in a holy manner. We look at them through our own experiences and desires. Everything is a matter of worldliness and holiness. Everything.

Daughters… you should be willing to receive Dad’s and Mom’s instruction in every area of your life, whether it pertains to something personal or not. Just as the LORD’s ways are higher than ours, they have a larger understanding of the world and its insatiable desire to get you in its grips than you do.

Trust them; believe them; love God through them. Even if – or especially if- you think they are wrong. You need to make yourself do as they say, and do it with a love for God. The only way you can deny this rule is if they are causing you to sin. Having you wear clothing you don’t like (if you don’t like it) is not causing you to sin. Your reaction may be sinful, but that is your choice. Like I said: Trust them; believe them; love God through them.

You will be a better young lady for it, and you will thank them when you are married. You will rejoice and praise them when you stand before the throne of God.

Actually, the swimsuit question was rhetorical. I guessed that, after the Committed Christian Guy made several references to the effects of bare flesh on a male mind, it would mean that swimsuits, by nature, are immodest. And, I, personally, cannot understand the bare flesh leading to other thoughts to keep under subjection, because I have never really thought past the bare legs and chest associated with swimtrunks (though they leave little to wonder about!).

I do believe that modesty is not just being concerned with what someone else thinks. I believe God built each soul with a spirit that wants to be holy and flesh that wants to be, well, hellish. So, that is our decision… holy or hellish.

It’s funny that I just saw a program about this on PBS History Detectives last night after I had posted that entry. It spoke of how these little itty, bitty eyeglasses, with pictures on them, called stanhopes,coming out of Europe in the 1800’s with pictures of scantily-clad or nude women were banned in some countries. It brought up the subject of modesty and the question of why some nude pictures were immodest – or pornographic- and some were considered art. So, almost a century later, with the “free-to-be-me hippy era”, we had to make legislation for those who couldn’t discern it for themselves.

I think when morality and what is modest and what is not was actually legislated in the ’60’s or 70’s (which is not included in the program transcript for some reason), that was the point at which our (we, as a culture) idea of modesty changed. Even if it had changed before, we then had someone who had defined modesty for us, so, even if we felt that something was immodest, we had a law that said otherwise. The definition of modesty was, at that point, being legislated by men, instead of by convictions (from God or the Holy Spirit).

That is where the modest moral Christian today loses sight of what morality is – we let someone else define what modesty is or is not – usually culture, or Hollywood or our children’s friends… and we would rather go along for the ride, instead of thinking about it and seeking the Truth for ourselves (forget about taking a stand and establishing morality and holiness).

So, by definition of modesty… in the holy sense of the word, can a swimsuit, which bares all but… can it be modest? I don’t mean a comparatively modest swimsuit (one compared to the -I heard a description recently from a comic- 2 potato chips and a band-aid – swimsuits). After all, why compare an ideal like Holy Modesty with something of such a low standard on the modesty scale?

Matt loves to go to waterparks. I hate it. He loves the fun of the rides. I hate seeing it all. I hate my children seeing it all. My 14 year old daughter. My 11 year old son. My 8 year old daughter. Amanda, at 18, and Jocelyn, at 17, already have their minds set on the matter, and the thought of going to a flesh-fest just makes them cringe. Me too. In addition to the fact that I don’t want the Littles to grow up insensitive to it.

It is a balancing act in this world. We rarely take our children to the grocery store anymore in the summer for this very reason. Eric constantly averts his eyes to mine whenever someone with it all hanging out walks towards us. It is just the way it is, but do we have to partake of it? The balancing: we cannot step away from the world and people who need the Lord either. We cannot be prejudiced against them. We cannot feel superior to them. I am talking about protecting our children from sin. I am also talking about Mrs. So-n-so who wears a mini-skirt and low-cut blouse and sits in the front pew at church or teaches our children’s Sunday school class…

Lots to think about. Lots to consider. Lots to pray about. Tomorrow is June 1st!

blessings!

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This article originally Posted HERE. Read the comments.

PLEASE ask your parents if you are not sure you should be reading this!

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A letter from True Christian Guys……

Girls,

Could we talk to you right out of our hearts for a few minutes?
It is awkward for us to talk about something of this nature, in person, so we thought we would write our feelings. We are young men who have been saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. We desperately want to live for Christ and not follow the ways of the world. Since we are indwelt with the “Holy” Spirit, we feel in our hearts that we should live “holy” lives. After all, our bodies are the temple, the sanctuary, the
place where the “Holy” Spirit lives and makes His home.

We know that guys and girls are affected differently, so since we desperately want to follow hard after God, could we kindly and respectfully ask you to help us with a few things?

We realize that girls are primarily stimulated or turned on by “touch.” But did you know that guys are turned on by “sight?” So when you are “aroused” (sexually awakened) by a guy’s “touch,” we are in the same way aroused by mere “sight.” Let us explain. When we see girls who are dressed in a suggestive, revealing, provocative, teasing, tantalizing manner, our sexual desires are aroused. Our bodies are then affected.

To be absolutely candid, let us give you some examples of what we are referring to:

If you are wearing a blouse that barely meets the waist of your slacks and some of your skin shows while you are moving around, or simply while you are walking, sitting, or kneeling, our minds are geared to wonder what more of your body would look like further up….This causes our bodies to respond biologically, and suddenly we are fighting a war in our minds and bodies. And that war of lust is continuing often long, even hours, after you are gone.

We (as christian men, who are trying to live a holy life) hate this, because our “righteous man” wants to think pure thoughts….

When you wear low-cut tops which are in any degree revealing, or when you bend over, and they are revealing, this again causes us big problems in the flesh. Or if the back is out of your top, we automatically think that you do not have the undergarment on, and the Spirit and the flesh begin to fight again. Or when we see any glimpse of your undergarments, such as straps and the like, we have trouble.What we are trying to say is this: If it is not for sale, don’t advertise it. We really feel that the still small voice of the Holy Spirit speaks to you and nudges you when it is too tight, too short, too low, or too revealing. Will you listen to that voice? For the Scripture says, “Quench not the Spirit.” (1 Thess. 5:19).

Girls, do you know what we would really like? We would like to come among our Christian sisters and not have to fight and struggle in the flesh. We do not need to have to wrestle in the flesh at church or at church activities. We men, whether young, old, single or married, are faced with this every day among girls of the “world.” But we would like to have rest in our Spirit man when we come among Christian girls. After all, doesn’t the Scripture tell us to “come out from among the world and be you separate, saith the Lord.” (2 Cor. 6:17) It also tells us that “all that is in the world, the lust of the eye, and the lust of the flesh, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15) We are the church, not the world.

We know that people often use the verse, “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart,” (1 Sam. 16:7) to condone anything they wish to wear. This is one of the most misused/used out-of-context verses in the Bible. Conversely, the fact is, if your heart is pure, your outward appearance will be modest….

Girls can be fashionable and modest at the same time. To be honest, we respect you more when your appearance is modest, as the Scripture commands in 1 Timothy 2:9. We really do not want the kind of girl who dresses provocatively, for we know that if we marry her, she will still be that way in the presence of other men once we are married.

We know that we have Christian responsibilities toward girls, too. We must be careful to portray ourselves properly. We must treat you like ladies. If we are really committed Christian guys, we will strive to treat you like Jesus would. After all, you are daughters of God.

Thank you, dear Christian sisters, for hearing our hearts on this subject. Once we have conveyed the truth of the matter to you, you become responsible before God for what you do with the truth. We really are “our brother’s keeper.” (Genesis 4:9.) We know that there is a “cult of conformity” in our generation, but we as Christians “march to the beat of a different drummer.”

Please, girls, do not say, “I don’t care,” but help us in these last days to live as close to Jesus as we can.

Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
“Committed Christian Guys”
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blessings!

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 This post was originally posted HERE. Read the comments.

You can read my comments, as well as further discussion on Christian modesty: Summertime: Modesty and Swimsuits

It warmed up on Saturday – except the wind was still blowing – then, it was about 30 Sunday. Matt did get to throw the football around 2x this week with Eric and Isaac. They were so glad to get out there. I was happy to let all of the children play outside this past week! What wonderful weather for this time of the year!
We have been excited about our Ebay store and how well our new books are doing. We have been selling our Living Water Homeschool Books – and a few of the “garage sale ” items, too.

I did get time today to get a couple more cloth diapers made. Jocelyn made about 4 loaves of wheat bread this week, and she and Amanda made their cranberry-orange nut and banana nut breads, respectively. Amanda made a batch of whole wheat tortillas yesterday, and they ate them ALL! I did not even get 1! So, Rachel made another double batch tonight. We’ll see how long they last.

Jocelyn has been working on the editing-rewrite of her novel. It is a slow process, but it gives us a super, hands-on grammar, english, comp lesson!
A couple of weeks ago, Jocelyn made herself a ‘wrap-around’ blanket with some scraps from her quilt, and Hannah has been asking for one, too, now! She really has her heart set on it. So, today, I cut some of the material Debbie sent with Dad Tom last month, and I think she will like it. It will be fun to see her face, when she realizes I did it without her knowing.

We all got to sit together this afternoon and listen to Daddy read The Pilgrim’s Progress. Jocelyn and Rachel also got to read. If you have not had the opporunity to read this allegory – or see the video, it is time well-spent. We own 2 different videos; one is a cartoon. We love them both. There are a couple parts that you may have to discern if it would scare your little ones, as the devil is in the story. Then, Daddy got to watch the Nascar race. He hasn’t been able to do that for some time, due to his schedule.

Isaac is an excellent conversationalist. He lets you know something, and adds and “Alright?” on the end, to make sure. He comes up with nifty little sayings, like – “Mom, stop talking” if I am on the phone, and, he will say I love you, too. One of our favorites is “Mank you.” which he says most of the time. I think Daddy’s schedule changed just in time, as Isaac was having a hard time the past few weeks, starting to get frustrated- and now, he is getting back to his sweet old self! Praise the LORD!! It was just in time for Mommy, too!

Caleb is waving now. He also sings and will find whatever means necessary to get your attention if he wants you. He tries to clap if you do or if he thinks something is fun. He loves peek-a-boo, and also loves to kiss Isaac on the top of his head. We aren’t sure if it is a kiss or if Caleb is trying to eat his hair!
Well, I am sure I am forgetting some important tidbit, but the blog will still be here later, right?

Many Blessings to you this week! >>J