Almost weekly, people ask me if I only wear skirts and why. I wish it was a cut and dry answer, but it really isn't…I mean it's a decision I made when I was 15 years old, so I'll try to the best of my ability, to explain why I PERSONALLY made the decision to only wear skirts. The reason I stress the word PERSONALLY is because, my reason is not going to be the same as anyone else's reason that they wear skirts. God speaks to everyone's heart in a different way. Some people may not think the same way I do…But everyone should have modesty standards. The standard I use is to look in a mirror and ask myself, "Would I wear this in front of Jesus?" We may have different personal preferences, but that does't make you wrong, and it doesn't make me wrong. We will all have to answer to God for our actions, and I want to glorify God in EVERYthing I do, even my dress…So here it goes...
When I was 15 years old, I doubted my salvation, so one night, by my bed side on June 23, 2005, I nailed it down. It was so refreshing to actually know 100% I was going to Heaven. I can honestly say ever since that day I have NEVER been the same. Soon after that, my youth pastor gave me a book on dating and purity, and there was a section on modesty in it. I read that book, and when I read it, modesty clicked in my brain and heart. God had been working on my heart in the area of dress for a while, and I finally surrendered my wants to His. I was a public school cheerleader up until my Sophomore year, so you can imagine how IMMODEST I was… (yes, I wore those short skirts, shorts, and tight everything!) I wore tight pants, mini-skirts, revealing tops, etc…Pretty much anything that drew attention to ME and MY body. When I started researching what the Bible said about modesty, it was the COMPLETE opposite of how I was dressing. Modesty means to be free of vanity or conceit. But, I was dressing to impress guys and to get attention. Another definition for the word modesty in the Webster's Dictionary is, That lowly temper which accompanies a moderate estimate of one's own worth and importance." My favorite Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 6:20,"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." When I read that verse, I see that Jesus paid the price of sin for me, and the least thing I can do to repay Him is to glorify Him in my body and in my spirit, which are His anyways! If every Christian lady really knew her worth and that her body is the temple of God, I don't think there would be such a negative connotation of the word modesty.
John MacArthur says, "How does a woman discern the sometimes fine line between proper dress and dressing to be the center of attention? The answer starts in the intent of the heart. A woman should examine her motives and goals for the way she dresses. Is her intent to show the grace and beauty of womanhood? Is it to reveal a humble heart devoted to worshipping God? Or, is it to call attention to herself and flaunt her beauty, or worse to attempt to lure men sexually? A woman who focuses on worshipping God will consider carefully how she is dressed, because her heart will dictate her wardrobe and her appearance.”
When I decided to live for God, everything just made sense to me. It's extremely hard to explain why God laid on my heart to wear skirts, but all I can say is, I personally feel convicted if I wear pants. Now, that doesn't mean that all women who wear pants are sinning…unless they know in their heart God has told them to dress otherwise. For me, I love femininity, I love being a lady, I love dressing up, I love dressing fashionably, yet modest.
I believe you can dress modestly (and cute) for ALL situations and activities. For example, even running or working out, you can be modest. No, wearing a normal skirt to workout in is NOT modest, showing your undergarments is highly frowned upon in my book! :) But, they do make running skirts with leggings underneath them! I actually just got a new pair in the mail from Kosher Casual! You can get the same running skirt I'm wearing by clicking the link below. I am coaching cheerleading, and these are great to move and jump around in!
Please don't look at my hair or face, this was taken after school & cheerleading practice!
This picture really shows my personality…haha, but I just had to show you how cool the leggings are underneath!
Today, three years ago, I married the man of my dreams. When I say that, I'm not being facetious…he truly is the man of my dreams. When I was 15, I started a journal to my future husband. I wrote to him about my dreams, my hard times, my commitment to purity, and how much I couldn't wait to serve God with him. When I was a freshman in Bible college, I met Stephen on my bus route in Chicago. Boy, was I head over heels for this 6'4" blond haired, green eyed, Spanish speaking cutie pie! But, he was very shy, didn't really talk much to me…So, I just kept my secret crush to myself! Finally, after two years of working on the bus route together, he FINALLY asked me on a date! From that date, we both knew we were going to get married. It was so right, and so easy! That is exactly how God intended dating to be! We dated for two years, and got married December 4, 2010! It was truly the best day of my life, after my salvation! I can't wait to raise kids with him, grow old with him, and just love him for the rest of my life! Sorry, for the mushiness, I just love my husband a lot!! :)
We looked like kids!
Here's a couple of pictures we got done in Florida over Thanksgiving, and some of my outfit that day, too!
Man, do I wish I had these Deborah & Co. Fleece Lined Leggings when I was in college in Chicago where it was freezing 8 months out of the year! These are the warmest leggings I've ever worn! For skirt wearers in the winter, these will be a life saver! There's nothing worse than having goosebumps on your legs every time you walk outside! These are seriously SUPER warm and comfortable!
My favorite thing about leggings/tights is that if you have a dress that's a tad too short, leggings hide your knees, so it gives an illusion that it's long enough. I don't wear skirts/dresses above the knee, and I found this darling dress at Maurice's for $13.99, and it was about an inch shorter than I feel comfortable wearing, but with these leggings underneath it, I felt perfectly comfortable in it!
Another awesome feature about these leggings is that they are able to be pulled over your foot (to give the look of tights), so I did that today and paired my leggings with some black booties.
These leggings come in 3 different colors and are currently on sale for Cyber Monday! If you are in need of some fleece lined leggings, be sure to head over to Deborah & Co. to get some on sale!
Deborah & Co. is owned by a sweet mother of 5, who also runs The Modest Mom Blog as well. I love to support Christian Modest stores!