A tankini covers the belly, but the bottom leaves more of the leg/hip/buttocks exposed, doesn't it? Is this a matter of the belly being sinful (to your old church culture) or is it a matter of minimizing bared skin? An argument could be made that if I wear swim shorts to mid thigh and a bikini top, I am baring no more skin than a tankini top and the smaller bottoms. In fact, I'd wager that a higher percentage of my body is covered. So is it a matter of "how much" skin is showing, the specific area of skin showing, or just a general idea that bikinis are implicitly immodest?

Good question! I think we are left to infer here, because Scripture doesn't tell us implicitly. Genesis is the book of beginnings, so at the very most, Adam and Eve were the beginning of the marriage relationship as we know it. Adam and Eve's situation is not repeatable, obviously, so as a Christian, I look the what is most clear and obvious in scripture, and work my way back to what is less clear and questionable. As the Bible progresses, topics become more and more clear as ideas and precepts build upon one another and as different Biblical accounts emphasize different concepts. As a Christian, I would first look at what the Word of God clearly states about marriage and such, and then work my way back to Adam and Eve, if I had time and inclination.

At a bare minimum, read Charlotte's Original Homeschoooling Volume 6. It is in modern language at ambleside online. It will be instructive as to the "why's" as well as the "how's" of the method. The best thing is to go straight to Miss Mason's own writings, rather than reading other's interpretations that can lean toward anything from unit studies to unschooling. Everything you need to know at this point is contained in Volume 6! If you go to the AO site, try printing out a chapter a day, reading and highlighting the important points. It's very do-able, and free!

And grace and peace on your day, Elizabeth. :grouphug::):thumbup:

Do you seriously want an answer, or are you just looking to make your point? The OP was posting for a Christian perspective, and not so much a secular one, as far as I can decipher. When someone is looking for a secular answer, I normally take a pass as I am VERY biased! Maybe it is OK to mix it up a little more, but I don't want to be rude or inappropriate. I admit that I have been multi-tasking this morning and may have missed something. :tongue_smilie:

No I would differ with you slightly, the Bible instructs the Jews in that time operating within the context of a Theocracy and within the Old Covenant. Different time, different nation and people, different covenant. It is instructive, not prescriptive. Also, there is no record of any parent ever following through with stoning their children, but I bet the threat kept the teens in line. :D

I agree with you on most of your points, and was wondering what Scripture you could point me to that instructs us that marriage equals sex. TIA!

You said that sex equals marriage, and so I was wondering how you felt about situations where sex is forced upon someone. I have read new articles about victims being forced to marry their rapists in the middle east, since some take the 'sex equals marriage' position. I believe that marriage is a covenant, and that covenant involves an agreement by both parties (legal documents, vows), witnesses to the covenant (signed witnesses, wedding guests, etc), a sign of the covenant that both parties made (usually a ring) and that the covenant is culminated by celebrating with a covenant meal between the covenant partners and other celebrants (usually a wedding reception). This pattern of covenant begins in the book of Genesis and is carried through to the New Testament. See Malachi 2 and notice that the wording is your wife by covenant. The word "covenant" is used 298 times in the Bible, and it typically means a compact, a testament. Covenant is an extremely serious and binding agreement, not entered into lightly. Mal 2 13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. Sorry if this is TMI, but I love hearing how others think and view things, so I hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts as well.

Are you saying that a rape victim is effectively married to her rapist? Just curious.

LOL! Having lost a lot of weight and having, err, reduced assets, I have found the bikini an ideal fit for my smaller figure. I was "swimming" in those swimsuit tops with the cups, and let me tell you there was way more cup than me. Now, THAT is uncomfortable. :D Frustrated, I tried on a bikini top for the first time, and I was hooked by how well it fit and supported. I'm a recent bikini convert! I'm very comfortable in a bikini top and swim shorts or swim skirt now. I admire moms who stay fit -- in fact, if I saw a mom in a bikini looking all toned and fit, I would go up to her and compliment her and ask her what her workout/diet regimen looks like! Honey, I'd be taking notes not griping!

In this day and age, you can find a "Christian" doctrinal position for anything. See 2 Timothy 4: 3-4 "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." The Bible affirms the boundaries for sexual expression over and over again from Genesis to Revelation. I would ask, "What is God's purpose for sexuality?" Is it for fleeting pleasure only? Is it merely for procreation? Or, is there an even higher purpose? Check out some of the info HERE if you are interested.

Could you share more about your schedule strip? I've been considering the workbox idea for my rising 7th grader, but we don't do everything ever day, and I can't wrap my brain around the logistics. I'd really appreciate it!

OK - am I the only one who doesn't see that much difference between a 1-piece and a bikini? What's the difference - one features a bare and the other a covered belly? Yes, women have breasts, and any suit will reveal the inconvenient truth. If you're going to go modest, you should cover your arms, legs, and all of your chest! I mean really the nerve of these immodest people showing their knees in public! :tongue_smilie: I honestly have more important things to worry about. :)

No idea, but I always picture "end of the world" as a scary, apocolyptic Mad Max-ish type thing. :D I don't see "end of the world" that way. I think in terms of the King returning to rid the world of evil and to reign in righteousness. Think of the King returning in the story of Robin Hood and restoring his kingdom from the false king. Man has mucked it up pretty badly. To sum it up, paradise lost will be paradise restored. Think of the metaphor of the Garden of Eden, and this sums up what I believe will happen to the earth when the King returns.

I am well aware of that, as I have lots of female friends and not naive. I am speaking in regards to porn, not to masturbation, just to clarify. Perhaps the porn leads to women being turned-off, which leads to more masturbation and more porn, which leads to women being turned off.... I don't know, I'm just sayin'!

:lol::lol::lol::iagree: There are lots of ways to have "fun" during those times. A gentleman can also wait a few days without their scrotum exploding! Or in a dating/courting relationship, months. I have not known a man with as little self-control as is described here. Well, perhaps I have known them briefly, but I kicked them to the curb and never entertained the thought of dating a man with that little self-control. What a complete turn-off. We all have wants and desires that we don't immediately satisfy at every whim. I'm pretty sure that's one thing that sets us above animals. I imagine this pattern of indulgent behavior shows itself early on, in the dating phase with the typical pleas and accompanying behaviors. In marriage, maybe it just presents differently? :D

I am of the opinion that many men are stimulating themselves right into impotence. The desensitization factor must be considered for the viewer, as well as the dehumanizing aspect of the women involved in the porn acting. My husband does not view porn and has never been to a strip club. We have a very.....err....active sex life. I have read that the Amish actually have some of the most satisfying sex lives. I can believe it! Why? All of our energy goes into each other, and me likes it that way. We believe in purity before marriage, and lots of sex after that! I love it this way, and can't imagine "sharing" my husband, even if just through porn. I cannot say what I would do if he viewed porn, as it has not happened. I think wives are instinctively hurt and jealous, but that they just try and get over it and cooly accept it, as it's just "what men do." There is a lot of pressure on wives to accept porn viewing these days. Well, not all men view porn, I can tell you!!! Men are not like dogs wagging around. They are fully capable of self-control, and don't let them convince you otherwise. If porn hurts a wife, it is unacceptable. If porn is more valuable than a wife's feelings, I would question the husband's integrity as partner. It seems to be somewhat addictive, so that may be going on as well. My heart goes out to those who are struggling.

In our church, women are called to lead and exercise their gifts in every capacity except head pastor. This includes teaching, missions, compassion ministries, the arts, and whatever else you can think of. It is a shame to not use the gifts that God has given you, isn't it? I especially enjoy the work of the artists, as they create works of art related to the Scripture series Pastor is teaching!

We are using the new Diana Waring curriculum for 7th grade history. I like the fact that we can listen to the cd's together in the car, or while doing lunch, and I love that this curriculum is well laid out, yet "outside the box." It definitely has the fun factor, as well as an emphasis on Christian discipleship, both of which gel with me. I think the CD's take some of the load off Mom's shoulders. The Student Book is written to the child, so that is nice as well. We are using "Ancient Civilizations and the Bible". Just to throw something else in the mix!

apple butter topped with sunflower seeds. Mmmm!

Dd alternates vacuuming the family room carpet with sweeping and wiping down the foyer, so this happens every other day during the week. I swish and swipe the bathroom every morning (toilet, vanity, floor) per Flylady. This takes less than 2 minutes and it works great! I sweep and spot-wipe the kitchen floor every day. Bedrooms and living room get vacuumed weekly. The rest of the cleaning is on the Flylady Zone system. I would vacuum much less if I didn't have a dog. :glare:

Just saw it yesterday - it was one of the best movies I've seen in a while. Nothing objectionable that I can think of, and very touching yet funny! I checked at Focus on the Family's "PluggedInOnline.com" and you can get a better breakdown there. Two thumbs up. For family movies, it doesn't get much better, imo!

If I want to lose weight, I do not keep cake or other junk food in the house. It's not good for dh, dd, or anybody else. I no longer see sugary items as "treats" but as detrimental to our health. Btw, I am a former junk food junkie, and one piece, bite, etc was never enough for me. I have found that the cravings go away whether I give into them or not. : D We are all doing this imperfectly though, and I just begin again tomorrow and assess whether it is supportive for your goals to have junk food in the house. It is merely a habit like any other, and you can be successful at breaking it. It is not a bad idea to make healthier alternatives such as carrot cake made with whole wheat, made without sugar, but sweetened with raisins/pineapple. That way, I can eat something sweet without tripping myself up. For some reason, the raw sugar and fruit doesn't trip my trigger the way the white sugar does. The white sugar/white flour lead me to SHARK-like feeding frenzy, where there is no satiety no matter how much I feed my face! Chin up, you can do it!

I wonder if it would be helpful to offer community-based cooking classes on how to eat healthy on a budget, how to menu plan, etc? We cannot afford to buy processed foods, prepared foods, either. If I want it, I have to cook it, since it is at least 50% cheaper and 100% healthier to make it from scratch. When I see food stamp recipients loaded up with expensive, prepackaged foods, it is really easy to get frustrated with their lack of "responsibility." I'm guessing that many of these that are on food stamps are in a single parent situation, dealing with exhaustion, possibly have not been dealt the best cards in Life. I'm guessing they have come from unloving home environments and do not care much about their bodies, their futures, or themselves. I read about people from the foster care system who are bounced around from home to home, never having a real family or making connections - so, that is what I think of when I see the food stamp recipients in the store. They would benefit from encouragment, education, and maybe a "Let's Dish" type of class where they could bring their own ingredients and go home with some freezer meals. Sometimes a little love and camaraderie makes all the difference. I think they put junk in their bodies because that's all they have the energy for, and because they don't believe they are worth anything more than that. I see it as a sign of hopelessness.