Modesty, Among Other Things...

I've seen quite a lot of somethings lately in the blogging world that has caught my eye...

One is modesty. 

The other is a little harder to define because it seems to just be the idea that either girls/women need to pick up their game to help guys be better.

I believe that each post is written with complete sincerity and an intention only to display their opinion with words. I'm always interested to see what other people will say about posts like this, so I scroll through the comments section and skim the many different opinions displayed there.

Inevitably, people get uptight and assume that the writer thinks that men are incompetent beasts of nature who cannot control themselves so women must step in and dress modestly and be more conservative so as to "help" the men. If this was honestly the intent and opinion of the writer, the commentators would have true cause for concern, but I don't think that that is the case.

Either way, the argument wages on about whether it is a girls job to dress modestly to help the boys keep their minds clean, or whether it is a boys job to learn to control his thoughts and actions. There are good points on both sides.

I have always been a strong believer in modesty, and these debates intrigue me. But it's like people imagine that dressing modestly is solely for the purpose of keeping a moral thought process. However, I'd like to suggest that this argument should not be about who's responsibility it is but WHY it is everybody's responsibility: girls and boys, men and women.

Women may say that they dress immodestly because that's what gets them attention from men. That may be true, but does a girl really want the kind of attention that comes from a "man" like that? They are personally responsible for acting and dressing in a way that will attract the kind of man they want to, whether that means modest or otherwise.

Men may say that it's hard for them to pay attention to modestly dressed women when their more "scantily clad" counterparts are around. That may also be true, but a man should learn to have control over his thoughts and actions and seek after the kind of woman they want to, whether they are modest or otherwise.

Now that I've put my two cents in, I must admit that I believe there is more to this debate than even this. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm more interested in WHY than WHO or HOW. You see, as I've thought more and more about this, I've come to a single conclusion:

We are not SUPPOSED to dress modestly to help keep anyone's mind clean. We are COMMANDED to dress modestly because we are created in God's image: 

Genesis 1:27

 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

and because he has said that our bodies are holy and we are to treat them like temples:

1 Corinthians 6:19

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

Heavenly Father has given us everything we have, including our bodies, and modesty in dress, attitude, and company is not truly for anyone but Him. Our bodies are incredible, beautiful, and sacred creations that we have been commanded to take care of.

So although people somehow always find something to argue with, in my eyes at least, there really isn't a debate to be had at all. The word and commandments of God are not open for debate or vote or subjective to majority rulings. Heavenly Father has asked us to dress modestly, so that is what we're supposed to do AND why we do it.

xoxo CPTVPT

2013

Exactly a year ago, when the clock turned from 11:59 PM to 12:00 AM and the New Year began, I had absolutely NO idea what 2013 would bring. I look back and can hardly believe that it has only been a year.

A year of endings:

Gradutation

Last club tournament. (Florida)

End-of-year Party (MVP)

Last social of Seminary Council

and beginnings:

Signing on to Utah State volleyball!

Signing on to Utah State volleyball!

College bed

A year of creations:

This:

became this:

and this:

became this: 

This:

 became this:

A year of some scary days:

and some sad days:

 and LOTS of happy days:

Camping

Missy and I on the last day of school.

Two "selfies" 

A year of beautiful sunsets and scenery:

A year comprised of:

12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours, 525600 minutes, 31536000 seconds of my life spent sleeping, eating, playing volleyball, graduating, moving out, starting college, learning, loving, crying, laughing, praying, sewing, baking, camping, daydreaming, planning, a million other things plus two, and I'm grateful for every minute of it.

Here's to the 365 days of 2014 and many years to come!

xoxo CPTVPT