Hearing and Obeying God's Will

God brought me to the Christian t-shirt evangelism team nearly three years ago. As a financial consultant and business advisor, my husband spends a lot of time evaluating companies for purchase by his clients.  A colleague contacted him regarding a Christian t-shirt/apparel business he had for sale. He wanted to know if he might have an investor interested in purchasing it. Being Christian who believes there are no accidents, we followed God's direction.  And so the journey began. 

In the past two and a half years, I have been able to spend time learning more about God's word through the Christian t-shirts I sell. All of our designs are associated with scripture. Each sale/purchase is an opportunity to share Jesus' message of love, hope and salvation with those who may not know Him. It may also give someone who is a believer, the courage to become a Christian t-shirt evangelist. One Christian t-shirt can be seen (read) as many as 3000 times before it wears out. That's 3000 opportunities to reach someone for Christ! 

Through the blessing of Online Christian Shopper, I have met, prayed with and on behalf of many of my customers. Each of them with a different need or crisis. All of them a learning experience for me. God has an amazing way of putting us in the place we need to be, when we need to be there… closer to Him! Everyday brings a new challenge and with each challenge comes a new blessing. I am forever grateful for God's faithfulness. It is by His grace we are saved.

Trying to be A Christian Mom in a Media Centered Society

Being the mother of a sixth grade girl, I have come to know first hand the damage that our media centered society can do to a young girl's self esteem. Being a Christian mother is even more challenging. Trying to instill modesty, morals and values in our young daughter's when all they see is scantily clad women on TV, the Internet and in print, is difficult. It is not a job that can be accomplished alone. God's strength and wisdom is an invaluable tool in raising young girls in America.

During a recent presentation at our middle school, we were briefly introduced to a trailer for a documentary call Miss Representation. It is a documentary about the barrage of media images our daughter's see on a daily basis. I could not believe what I saw. I mean, I knew it wasn't good, but I was stunned! I cannot imagine what an 11 year old must think they have to do to be accepted. Devoid of ALL morals, these images are not only damaging to self esteem; they are offensive. And what are we teaching our young men? These images also affect they way they view our daughters.

Recently, my daughter came home from 5th grade (at the time) saying that one of her friends liked a little boy at school but he wasn't paying attention to her. She was determined to get his attention so the next day she came to school wearing a tight dress, high heels and lipstick (yes I said 5th grade!). My daughter asked her why she was dressed like that and she said she was trying to get the boy's attention. She told my daughter that her mom said it was okay to "dress" for a boy. WHAT?! Thank goodness my daughter asked me about this so we could have a conversation about what was appropriate. What God would think was appropriate. I explained to her that I thought if a boy didn't like you for the person you are, then he wasn't worth the time. If dressing differently (less modestly) was what it took, then he wasn't the type of person God would want her to give attention. Reminding her of Romans 12:2: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the retrieving of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will." or  of Galatians 1:10: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ"; helped her understand that what society deems acceptable is not at all what God sees as acceptable.

Using God's guide for life (otherwise known as the Bible) to help our daughter's understand and combat societal expectations could give them the tools they need to survive these formative years. Being engaged in their lives, listening to their concerns and answering their questions with honesty and God's guidance is what Christian moms were called to do. How we respond now, may shape them and the way they see themselves for years to come. If we stand together with our daughters, we may just be able to change it all!