The Modesty Movement.

Modesty. This seems to be the dying trend in this generation. I'm really not even quite sure when it started. Maybe before I was even thought of being placed into existence and/or maybe it started in the 80's, when teased hair was deemed socially acceptable and mini-skirts and halter tops made their debuts. Whatever the time period was, I believe the time when this, um, "self-confidence" decided to become the new "in" thing, it took a whole new role in affecting those who have yet to hit puberty.

Anyone who passes a Hollister or Abercrombie and Fitch can see the latest ripped jeans, with holes that would make anyone wonder. One can also smell the latest "in" perfume or cologne within a ten foot radius of one of the stores. Both of these stores also provide any hormonal teen the great advantage of "washboard" abs and half nude girls on top of one another, or by themselves, on the side of their shopping bag. I mean, it's really no surprise that any ten year old child is not waiting until he or she is thirteen to figure out what sex is all about. These stores are the brainwashers of this generations youth, and, sadly, even to those mothers who truly believe they have missed out in high school and must relive those years in their forties, but that's a different blog entry on a later date. Given these stores and their purpose to promote teen sex and techno, I am brought to the conclusion that it's crucial to have a strong foundation of Christian friends, so they can serve as an accountability to even the smallest of things, like dressing with modesty.

Recently, the guys and gals from the youth group at my church went to Summer Camp and my friends Chelsea and Jessica taught the class on dressing with modesty. They went step-by-step with the girls and then with the boys. Chelsea shared a survey they had taken before on what exactly went through the mind of guys when they see a low cut shirt, girls with short shorts and even a girl in tight jeans. From what I heard, all the girls were taken back with the responses that guys gave. Talk about a light bulb. Then I heard that all the girls from youth went back to their rooms and, without crucial criticism, told one another that either a shirt was too low cut or a pair of shorts were just too short. It worked. Each one of those beautiful young girls had a complete change of mind. Sure, majority will still shop at Hollister and Abercrombie, but at least they're finally aware of the mindset of most guys, Christian or not, when it comes to their clothing and how they dress themselves.

Two of the girls from the youth group, Autumn and Brooke, have even started their own brand of shirts, pushing for a modesty movement.

"Ask me about my body... The media of today is sending out the wrong message. Girls are looked upon as sex symbols. Magazines are full of impure images of women that set a standard for the rest that is unrealistic. We are here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. Girls do not have to wear low-cut tops and mini skirts to get the attention of guys. You can still be beautiful and wear appropriate attire."

This is all coming from the hands and minds of 14 and 17 year old girls. Awesome, right?

While I know this entry will barely serve as a nudge in society, because most young and even older women crave that certain attention from the male species, but I felt like putting my two cents in. Honestly, that's just the way this generation seems to be going. Sex appeal is the new "in" thing, yet it's something I cannot quite comprehend, but, then again, I do not comprehend half of the things that the world accepts these days.

Whatever you take from this entry, just know that the image you portray does not have to have the scenery of V.I.P lounges, short skirts, low cut tops and some arm candy. Your image is more than these things. Respect yourself and show some modesty; otherwise, you are really just like every other girl or guy.

Tickle, tickle.

I've just stepped into my first class of the semester at PHCC, and I remember why it's so uncomfortable; not only are the classrooms a square inch too small, but the school seems to have the dilemma of too many people this year. My I-quit-smoking-and-I-gained-weight professor shared with our class that his classes have increased 30%. That means... if I have a bad day and I'm sweating my little pits off, surrounding others will know. I'm not so sure if I'm down with that.

Really, my best suggestion is just to not become lazy, as I proved my senior year of high school, and for those to actually apply themselves in applying to universities. Go away! Be free, little butterflies. Stop taking up my class space because I was too lazy to apply to universities. I want to be at PHCC with only 15 others in my class. It's the least I could ask for.

Anyway, this weekend was off the chain -that's right, I just said that - but, don't tell my boyfriend I had an awesome weekend. He's easily bummed out when I pick up the phone and I'm out with our friends, but that's what he gets for being responsible and working in Miami for a week! From watching Garden State with Chelsea and Holly - "This is tickle." - to driving to Orlando with Chelsea, Natalie, Chris and Pat, singing Backstreet Boys... tell me why, ain't nothin' but a heartbreak... and, not to mention, my delirious moments (check in with my state of being after 11 o'clock, it's not a pretty thing) of truly believing a cockroach was on me. I really haven't laughed that much in quite sometime. I do wish Matt had been there, though. We all shared moments to rekindle the flame of his nonexistence.

Back to reality, though. The semester has begun and my life will be brought back to the 5mph it seems to stay at during school. My brain does the same thing, too. It's all a vicious cycle. Next class is to begin in t-minus 22 minutes. Help.

A Little More To Grasp.

It's been a while since anything of excitement has been in my life, but I finally have a great story to tell!

On Monday, Chelsea invited me to dinner with her and two young girls from Reformation, the youth ministry at our church. Sixty kids, and however many adult leaders, had just returned the Saturday before, including my boyfriend, and I was more than excited to hear all about it. My boyfriend shared in many details, but I only received his side: the setting up for the kids, the worship, the things he encountered with God, and all of these things still made the hairs on my tiny arm standup and made me feel tickled - but, what I really wanted to hear was the kids point-of-view's and now was my opportunity to hear it.

It wasn't until about two and a half hours later, after hearing every detail of Summer Camp with the water park and the classes they attended, did I finally get to ask to Kelsey and Malia:

"How did God move in each of your lives? What did you walk away with?"

Their responses brought a smile to my face. One was of how she was in a dry season, where it almost felt like there was nothing she could do or give to get back to where she was with God, but it finally came around. Through a word of encouragement from everyone around her and even God, just telling her to push through it. Then the other sweetie, who finally was able to let go of some things and was able to experience a new level with God. Their ages: 14 and 16. And that's how it was for the rest of the kids that were there. During worship one night, they were all piled into one living room, with some having to file into the kitchen, the worship band stopped playing and all they could hear were the screams and the singing from the kitchen.

After Monday night and after hours of conversation and, not to mention, three restaurants later, I drove home feeling filled with the Spirit. Like, those stories alone just helped me to grasp a little more of how amazing God truly is. He moved through 60 kids in that house. He moved through leaders and counselors. He lit the flame that had died out in people and even helped people to come together and to fellowship - without judgement and without fear. He helped by speaking into the leaders while they were teaching classes. My boyfriend said, as he was speaking to the Echelon tribe, he knew something came over him, because it wasn't him that was speaking; he was able to speak about things that he never thought he would. That's a mighty God.

I still feel goosebumps just thinking and talking about what happened over those five days at Summer Camp, and I wasn't even there. There are such amazing kids at Reformation and such amazing leaders. I really am blessed to attend and be with everyone single one of them every Thursday.

Reformation's Worship Band

How has God moved in your life lately?

Pandora's Mind-Box

My thoughts have been so mangled lately that it's almost overwhelming to write. When I want to write, it's almost as if I feel too overrun by the massive amount of thoughts, so when I sign into Blogger, I sit and stare at a blank page and let the cursor, um, curse me.

How funny. Maybe that is why it's called a cursor? It haunts any writers mind, like a ticking time bomb, that never explodes or implodes - it only clicks. Do you see how much my mind has been through? Maybe it's all the Sushi I've been eating.

This is me.

I feel like I'm stressing out over so many things, but I'm also hoarding these stresses away in my personal Pandora box - it sits cozily in the back of my mind, unopened until that precise moment the matter needs to be faced and beaten to death, or just taken care of.

One of these things just happens to be the scholarship for Atlas Shrugged. I have to write an extremely long paper for the chance to be a winner of a grand $10,000. It just so happens to be one of my favorite books so far, so it should be fairly easy to spew the words. I wake up thinking of the book, so I write until my little mind is drained and do it all over again. It's a vicious cycle.

You better wish me some kind of luck, though. I take it in the form of kisses, hugs, gifts, money, etc. Then we can dance.

The conversation that needed coffee.

Last night was just the dose of good conversation that I needed. Holly and I went out to a hip hop dance class that's actually held in a very urbanized warehouse, where I sat and watched the class and was highly entertained. I put my Facebook status as: "Breanna Jones is forgetting about how chaotic and crazy today was at work and getting ready to join Holly for hibbity, hip, hip, hop class. And to answer your question - No, I am most certainly not dancing. I'm no Jenine." and my I received a text message within five minutes of posting from Tyler Wall, Travis Wall's younger brother, asking why I wasn't dancing. How embarrassing to text back the horror I would endure while attempting to pop and lock and get 'jiggity' with it. It just wasn't going to happen.

Anyway, after watching everyone learn the dance and get it all down, our drive home was filled with a flow of great conversation. We talked about everything from books to relationships to who we are as individuals. It felt so great to talk to someone who I could relate to and to even get advice that was needed. I realized a lot of things and put a new perspective into play for my life. See, Holly has so many great ideas and goals for her life and what I find most inspiring is that she takes the initiative to tackle the goal. She has realistic views, while most will list short-term goals, but those only prove to be unrealistic and far out of reach. Honestly, it's wonderful to have such encouraging people in life such as her. It was just one of those conversations that needed a cup of coffee.

What about fonder and hearts?

Does anyone realize what happens when they're terribly bored? Well, the past seems to come to light every time one looks around and realizes "Dang, my present holds nothing. I guess I'll take a shuttle to the past." and when my mind has a thought like that, old pictures, old notes and what not are discovered.

In my case, it was my old Xanga account - you know, that old type of blog you used in sixth grade. My discovery led me to all of my other accounts, where I soon realized that I was a total nut. I wrote everything that happened throughout my day, assuming people cared. The crazy thing is, is that people actually cared! I had actual comments, or "e-props", or "take backs", from friends or random people that read my blog. It almost freaked me about a bit, because I would literally write about nothing. Some days, my blog only consisted of one sentence. I also realized how angry I was. My words were written out of spite, formed to attack and stab. Also, I cursed like a sailor and now that I think about it, I also had friends that would show up to my doorstep on a daily basis, wanting to hang out. What the heck happened?

Well, moving to Florida probably had something to do with it. Actually, probably all of it. One thing is certain, I miss Virginia Beach terribly. My annual visit is long overdue, yet I suppose it's a good thing. My life is anew and to try and change that by warping myself back to the past won't help a thing. This sentence was contradicting.

Back to my present. My boyfriend leaves for a week tomorrow for our churches youth summer camp event, and I'm going to miss the bones out of that boy. Although, I tried to explain to the boy that it might be a good thing we're apart for a week and he immediately grew defensive and asked why. I then tried explaining the "Distance makes the heart grow fonder" saying and that proved futile. It only made me realize that yes, this little break will be great. We've been bickering so much lately that it's dried me out like a plant left without water and in too much sunlight. At least I know he's going to be a great leader for all of the kids. Our relationship plays no role in that and his time with God will, more than likely, reveal a lot of things. God's just that good.

I've been planning what I'll do within this week he will be out of town. Spending my quality time with God and even cleaning my car that may have infestations of some sort. It's disgusting, I know. I'll also be preparing for the Fall semester of school that's coming up quicker than a pimple, and even, hopefully, finishing Atlas Shrugged and starting the scholarship. But before this all begins, I'll be getting sushi at Kazu's with the boy.

But first I need to get off of work...

Boys; Filters.

Imagine this attached to a brain.

Now, imagine that brain is a guys brain.

They should be born with these.