Young, Female and Taking a Stand Against Provocative Fashion

Found this article from the Washington Post tonight, and it went with the link i'd posted earlier:

Young, Female and Taking a Stand Against Provocative Fashion
"Why am I not accepted by you?" I recall asking the beautiful, blonde future cheerleader as we walked toward our rural-suburban sixth-grade classroom in 1997.
"You don't wear the right clothes, hang out with the right people, wear makeup or have a boyfriend," I remember her responding thoughtfully.
At that moment, I faced a dilemma that would affect the rest of my life: Would I choose to abandon my friends and clothing and acquire a boyfriend and makeup skills to become popular, or would I stay on the course I was on?
My feminine heart longed to be accepted, to be considered pretty and fashionable. But what was I willing to sacrifice to obtain it? Even at 12, I sensed that if I took the advice implied by my classmate's answer I would be allowing my identity to be dictated by others from then on. Everything within me rebelled at saying goodbye to who I was. So I made my choice: I wouldn't pursue the criteria that would open the doors of popularity.
For the next seven years, until I graduated from high school, I watched as friends and classmates grew more obsessed with becoming what in the 1920s was called the "It" girl. We all knew -- from magazines, TV and societal mores -- that to be accepted one had to be hot. This meant wearing the latest fashions, designed for model-thin people and showcasing as many curves as possible. It meant going to parties where one rebelled, along with everyone else, against adult restrictions and where one hoped to be recognized by the girls as having "it" together and by the guys as being sexy. To attain this status, girls did the usual: starved themselves, dressed "fashionably" and gossiped incessantly to establish themselves and, with calculated innocence, to rip other girls to shreds.
I was reminded of all of this by an article in The Post's Health section last month, "Goodbye to Girlhood; As Pop Culture Targets Ever Younger Girls, Psychologists Worry About a Premature Focus on Sex and Appearance."
It is incredibly difficult for any girl or young woman to withstand the continual onslaught. I know it was for me. In the end, I was able not only to survive but to thrive in this environment because of my parents, my faith and my life experiences.
My parents' love and support were unfailing. They were there when I came home in tears because the pressures of being a teenage girl were too much; they were there when I needed to share news of something wonderful.
My faith enabled me to ground my self-worth in who I was as a person, not in what I could do or become.
And I was fortunate to learn from several guys' own lips that they valued modesty in women and admired those who had interior as well as exterior beauty. It took years, but eventually I internalized the reality that women's clothes send a message to the world and that if we want to be treated as people and not as objects, our clothes and body language must project true beauty -- dignity and quiet confidence accented, of course, by the latest clothing and accessories.
Now, as a twentysomething grad student at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at Catholic University, I still grapple with the issues raised by that childhood conversation, albeit with a more academic approach. Such studies have allowed me to realize how similar my experiences have been to those of many other women.
As a result, I have gotten involved with Pure Fashion DC, a nonprofit model-training program that seeks to inspire high-school-age girls to be role models as well as fashion models. We regularly meet with our 46 models, who hail from all over the Washington area, to discuss inner beauty (on, say, getaway weekend) and outer beauty (on salon day). Our time together will culminate in a three-hour fashion show April 29 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Washington, where our models will showcase this year's fashions with grace and modesty.
Whether it's over coffee, at a Pure Fashion DC event, in a conference room or at a pajama party, I share my experiences with young women and girls to encourage them to send a message of true beauty with their bodies and their clothing.

I wanna be a supermodel...

Who's to say that a model can't also be an amazing role model worth following after? What do you look for when you're picking a look? Pure Fashion Looks like a super program... I'm going to be looking into what has to be done to get this program into the area.  Any takers?

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerindex?id=9180369

Our new Blog!

Hello Ladies!!  I a couple of our recent discussion topics under here as a reminder ofthe old blog, but I think this one will be easier to maintain.  Hope you keep tuned in!  I'll post a topic for this week tomorrow!  Hugs!

Invitation to a Princess Party!!

Actually this is a 3 day event. Purim is March 20th, so actually will begin at Sundown on Saturday. Purim is the festival from the story of Esther the queen and it's the custom for the Jews to celebrate every year with the girls dressing up as princess brides. They also give gifts to the needy during this week. Our plan is to participate in our own way in this party week! Since the bible story says that Esther fasted and prayed for 3 days for the Jewish people to be spared from hanging death, we will also include a fast. The bible is so clear about praying for the health and peace and prosperity of Israel God's chosen people, so you can pick what you want to fast (food, daniel fast- fruit and veggies only, media, water only) and how long. whether 3 days or 1 meal we want you to set that time aside and ask God to bless Israel. Then we'll come together the 3rd day for a fun meal together, where we dress up like- you guessed it, princesses! Tiaras, crowns, crazy extravagant jewelry, we're going out for dinner! Also, since it's tradition to gather gifts for the poor we're asking everyone to bring together things for women who live in a shelter (toothpaste, brushes for teeth/hair,hair products, skincare stuff, wash cloths and hand towels, CHOCOLATE). We'll put them together in baskets or bags after the fact. If you aren't able to make the dinner, we still welcome to bring in things for the ladies. Please let me know who is able to come, we'll make our dinner reservation depending on number. Hope you can come! message in to let us know how you're able to participate!

Who you Are

Hey Ladies, I wanted to throw up here some verses that really spoke to my heart this weekend, speaking on the aspect of how powerful God sees us as his daughters. He designed us with a heart to make war, not the same way as men but still a heart dangerous for the kingdom of God where he's letting us sit together with Him in heavenly places. when we understand our identities as princesses, daughters of the Most High, the King... the authority we have to fight with is so incredible. God himself fights darkness but puts us directly beside him to put out of comission the very things that come up against us with the strength we're given. Check it out, see if you can relate: "now also many nations have gathered against you, who say, Let her be defiled and let our eyes gloat over Zion... but they do not know the thoughts of the Lord- they do not understand His plan. For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Arise and thresh O Daughter of Zion! For I will make your horn iron and your hooves bronze; you shall break into pieces many peoples. You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth." Anyone else have a picture of the sisters Susan and Lucy going into battle with Aslan in Narnia, Princess Guienevere from King Arthur or something like that? Anyone find this reminding them of a feeling they've felt rise up in them before to fight hard against the blackness trying to come against them in life whether by interecession, physically sharing God with someone who's hardset on not believing Him and believing lies instead, or just fighting against something that's tried to depress you, lie to you, make you worn out and confused... any thoughts on this? you're all amazing and this is what's inside of each and every one of you and what you're able to be- what you're made for. = )

Snow Day Blog

Coffee time topic of conversation- feel free to add in your thoughts. So the bible definitely says to the young generation “be an example of a believer in word and conduct…” and time and time again we see stories in the Word of young people who were looked on in awe for being “wiser than their years”. The queen who is teaching her son the kind of woman to look for to be a princess in Proverbs says “she speaks with wisdom”. There’s a defining level of wisdom that comes only from being with God and knowing Him so personally. So many times it’s the circumstances we go through in our lives that give us a new understanding of who He is, whether we mean Papa God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. I personally refer to this as the “glory to glory” we go from when there is another “shadow of turning” that lifts from His face as God reveals another part of his heart to us. Job went through so much and is such an example of this! At the end of his book, after looking back into everything he thought he knew of God he said, “surely I spoke of things I didn’t understand, things to wonderful for me to know… my ears had heard of You, but now, my eyes have seen You.” Earlier he had also said he felt that he couldn’t get as close to God as he wanted… or to wisdom. He says “ Where then does wisdom come from, where does understanding dwell? It’s hidden from the eyes of every living thing. God alone understands the way to it, and He alone knows where it dwells… how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power? As his life unfolds, Job gains wisdom for life and such an understanding of a very personal God who speaks to Him clearly and audibly. This is the only wisdom that astounds, what God speaks about His ways… now my question to you is this: is there anyone who can recall a specific time in your life that God showed up for you and gave light to something you’d never seen that way before and made you much wiser to handle your next circumstances? Feel free to share!!!! Happy Snow Day All!! : )

Let's get started:

For anyone who doesn't know who she is, Damaris is a person in the early church. She is only mentioned once in the bible, but God thought she was significant enough to mention her. This is what God liked about her-: you see, she was from Athens. In athens there was a place where people worshipped an "unknown God", somone they knew was "out there" but wasn't personal. After paul talked to them about Jesus, he said- "he's right out in front of you, making himself available in hopes that you would just reach out for him- though he isn't far from any one of you. Damaris stepped out on faith that day and reached for the unknown, and Jesus showed up just like he promised he would. This is a place to share encouragement in your walk through your everyday. Share life, share questions, share what God is saying and doing..."