On Modesty

Modesty is a must, everywhere and for everyone but perhaps never more so than in our increasingly proud and licentious society. How does this practically work out in the family? In your family?

Fathers are responsible for what goes on in their home and family; this includes the clothes your daughters wear! My daughter is not yet old enough to need rules and guidelines but I've already tried to think through some, mostly on behalf of the families in our congregation. It's actually a very difficult thing to do. So I appreciate the wisdom of these four guidelines from Michael Hyatt, who's the CEO at Thomas Nelson [of course, I don't endorse much of anything that Thomas Nelson publishes]. But first, a friend sent me a good preamble to keep us from diving off the other side:

Recognizing that God has designed women with beautiful features that should not be covered like the muslim women, consider these guidelines...

1. If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest.
   
   
2. If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest.
   
   
3. If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest.
   
   
4. If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest.

A couple thoughts: this list smells like Biblical wisdom to me and I appreciate that it doesn't claim a proof text for each rule, which is a dead giveaway for legalism. If you (ladies) or your wives/daughters (men) don't like it, I'd be interested in hearing why not and what guidelines you use toward modesty.

Finally, it's worth remembering that modesty isn't for women only. Anytime we pridefully draw attention to ourselves-whether it sexual or otherwise, whether it's tight clothes or prominent piercings-we are being immodest. So let's not forget to teach our sons about modesty, too.

Now for something lighter

Down in my heart

#1: We're going to go to heaven when we die, aren't we?

Me: Yup. 'Cause we belong to God and trust in Jesus.

#1: We're all going to die, aren't we?

Me: Yup.

#1: But I won't die, because I've got lots of schoolwork to do. In my heart.

God 1, Jared 0

Everyone, say hello

Here is John Ambrose Olivetti, who made his entrance and began breathing air Monday night, a tad before eight o'clock. God is good and great. My wife is my hero. Big brothers and sister are appropriately tickled pink.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. 1 John 3:1

Cute, too

Though not as cute as the girl, our #1 can still hold his own (the second song he sings is sort of a "best of" collection):

Cuter than me

This is a cell phone video on purpose because if I posted a high quality video, your head would burst with the cuteness.

Extra points if you can actually tell what she's saying.



[Here's what she's saying: "John 5:24 - Truly, truly I say to you: whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24" ...she certainly has a unique way of talking.]

Just a little more

A couple wise friends have noted, in relation to Carl Trueman's essay ("here we go", below), that we need to be wise and Biblically balanced in discussing women's vocations, especially when it includes homeschooling. I believe their notes are helpful, so I want to put them before you as we continue our conversation.

Jeff rightly noted that it's not a sin for women to work hard and be tired. In fact, if a mother of young children or homeschooled children isn't a little tuckered out at bedtime, one would wonder how well she is fulfilling her calling. We must be careful not to drive our wives to "haggardness" by demanding more than they are capable of - but all of us are called to work six days a week. All of us should know that specific weariness at the very end of a day of Christ-honoring work. That's a good - nay, great - weariness. I hope the distinction is clear.

Another friend pointed out that women, especially women in the congregation I serve, may be wondering, "Does he think I'm haggard and way in over my head?" Let me say that, although I believe this is a problem in the reformed world and one I have observed in the past in local congregations, the women at Immanuel RPC are doing a bang-up job glorifying Christ in their various vocations. If it were not so, it would be the job of the husband and elders to find a way to help her out. I think we can expect the situation Trueman speaks of (a wife unfairly overworked) to surface every now and then. When it does, the church must help - beginning with her husband. But please know that my post was not done with any of the ladies at IRPC in mind.

Finally, the same friend pointed out that God has a pattern of leading men and women through times of stress and incredibly hard work. We are indeed jars of clay and sometimes we are pressed more than at other times. Being "haggard" doesn't necessarily mean something's off; when there are medical problems at home, when God brings a family or individual to a time of concerted effort for the kingdom (starting a church?), when God is dealing with big sin in the family...these can be times of God-ordained "haggardness." But let it be from God and not from insensitive husbands and inattentive churches.

In Living Color

#3 in the flesh. Sometimes he looks like a cross between a great little baby and an old man.






We're still trying to figure out what color his eyes are. They look like they have some gray in them. But then again, I'm colorblind, so what do I know?







And here's the other two, just to prove they're still cute.

I love the way their breath smells

The newest Olivetti made the switch from the life inside to life on land Sunday morning (like all good preacher's kids). Elias Martyr Olivetti (hereafter known as #3 in this blog) was born at 6:13, weighing in at 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 21 inches long. My beautiful wife, who ought to have her own comic book, is doing very well and we've decided to keep him. #1 and #2 find him pretty kissable and are all-too ready to give him jelly beans as a sign of their undying love.

I'll post some pictures soon.

God is very good! Infants are proof, I tell you. I do love the way their breath smells. And how well they sleep for a few days, just to give you that faint hope that they won't wake up screaming in the night later on. But they will. And it'll be okay.

p.s. - Elias is the Greek form of Elijah and Martyr means (or meant) "witness"...plus, there's a couple heroes of church history to share his second name.