be known, or be naught

Today there were multiples of tens of billions of women who chose to expose themselves for all the world to see, including myself.  Women with dresses so sheer that their underwear (where they were wearing underwear) was highly visible; not that it was so different from their breasts falling out of the top of their dress…  Others chose the short-shorts, the loose spaghetti-strap tops, the short skirts or impossibly revealing tight clothing.  This was all on display from the customers at work today (and on other days) where there is little choice but to constantly find interest in the floor or the walls, or become suddenly unavailable by helping the nearest clothed human being.

In a culture where women are increasingly worried about what a man wants from them as a result of the inundation of sexually suggestive or explicit imagery; combined with the abundance of pornography available to anyone anywhere at any time; it’s not a help to any man for women to continually run around in scant or practically non-existent clothing!  Whether you’re a woman worried about whether your date expects sex or a new wife worried about what your husband will demand of you in the bedroom because of all the pornography he’s taken in, the answer cannot, surely, be further immersion in a sexually-laden visual onslaught.  The results of all this exposure to the exposed female form in everyday living/socializing will lead to one or more of two leanings (in varying degrees):  either a man will objectify women and relegate sex and sexuality to a primarily self-satisfying role in his life, or he will become desensitized to it.  Neither is preferable for either of the sexes and, of course, is detrimental to male-female relationships.

Wearing an outfit or piece of clothing that compliments one’s features is understandable (though I would say unnecessary); however, I’ve known enough truly attractive women whose apparel has always, or almost always, been modest, that I can attest to and assert the fact that revealing or immodest clothing is never the better idea in a mixed social setting.

Really what I’m getting to is a plea:  As a man, and a Christian one, please help me out, ladies.  Help me to continue to appreciate the female form!  Help me not to become desensitized to sexuality or just as detrimentally, to become over-stimulated by the flood.   As a man, I am fragile in my own ways, just as you are in yours.  I have trouble discerning reality from fiction when sexuality is thrown around so flippantly.  My ability to appreciate your finer qualities and quirks diminishes in the wake of the stupefying effects of sexual over-stimulation and constant inundation.  Sex alone is a poor substitute for the whole beauty of women.  You have been made beautifully and wonderfully!  -Formed with care and purpose.  You are made to compliment a men in so many ways; not just in sexuality, but in encouragement, which is so badly needed!; and in gentleness, which tempers most men instantly in many respects; in affection (so necessary in a man having confidence, and an over-all encouragement in itself); in patience, because lets face it: men, most often, are kind of thick and need time to figure things out.  …even really obvious things; and in companionship, because we need someone to understand us and know us, and to take care of us when we are overcome.

Bachelorhood is wrought with strife for those men who would wish to stay pure; how impossible in today’s culture!  Please don’t make it that much harder.   Help us to persist in our efforts and in our hopes, even before any one, in particular, has committed to stay with you the rest of his life.  Give us cause to believe that women of real character and strength still exist and move through life.  Please, be yourself and show your personality for the vibrant person you are, or can be; it’s what we fall in love with.  Really, it is.  We can like what you do for us, we can enjoy your companionship, but we love who you are and it’s what makes us want to be around you more.

I’ll let this stand as one of many pleas:  Let there, please, be honest, caring, encouraging, patient, gentle, loving, vibrant women in the world.  As a man, speaking for men, we’re desperately in search of them.

If you aren’t one, then please aspire to be so.  If you feel you are these things but few really know it, then please be more outgoing!  It can be scary to be known, but it’s more than worth it.

the faithful

I think as a young Christian, the hardest thing to do is wait.  I could be wrong, but waiting always seems like the biggest challenge; it requires faithfulness and patience.

Wednesday will be interesting.  Wednesday the dentist will claim a tooth and earn a car payment or two in the process.

Thursday will also be interesting.  Thursday will be achy with a chance of ‘Gee-whiz, I wish I still had my tooth.’

Friday will be more normal.

stop-gap

Well, it’s been a while since the last post and much has happened, I suppose.  I’ll have to write more extensive posts later, but the short list is as follows:

1. Started a daily (turning out to be semi-daily) prayer list
2. Decided to stop taking classes for credit and get the same education for thousands less by sitting in on classes.   …and a little less than a week ago flipped that around and decided it’s best to go ahead and pursue a degree and go from there.
3. Not sure about when/if the wedding photography thing is going to happen/might have to work mostly for TSS again next fall.
4. Think I might need to go back to the Chiropractor again soon.
5. Probably going on a Colorado trip at the end of the summer.
6. Might have to push back the dreads to next summer.
7. Oranges are tasty.
8. Trying to start a multi-gen small group… need a little help, Jesus.