All Access

I’m sorry, but the only way I could ever imagine you bringing just a carry-on anywhere is if you layered your very body with various outfits so you’d have enough room for the shoes in your bag.

I can picture you waddling towards the terminal even now…

Unless you vacuum pack everything…. I don’t see it happening!

“Women are inundated with a culture that tells them they need to be alluring and appealing to the opposite sex. And for women who don’t know what it is to find your worth and value in Jesus Christ, it is easy to buy into that message. Instead of sitting back and judging someone by their wardrobe we need to love them where they are, show them the One they can find their value in, and let Him change their heart.”

Exactly. Been there, done that. It truly IS why they dress that way. Judgement and disapproving glares or catty statements about “hoochie mamas” from other Christian women only further push insecure women in the wrong direction.

Beth Moore’s studies went so much further in teaching me about love, and my value to Christ, than any well-intentioned lecture on modesty delivered by the pastors’ wife.

It’s best done through mentorship, through friendship, so the barriers can come down and trust can be developed.

Mel, I have a “travelling outfit” as comfy as my jammies for flying… as for makeup, I’ve found that sometimes its worth the effort at 4:30 so that for the rest of the day I don’t scare small children, or myself when I pass a mirror. :) That’s just me though. You’ve got lovely skin and a great smile.

Seriously Melanie, you so crack me up! Thanks for the tube top image. I’m dying to know if you actually make it with a carryon only…I’m sorry to doubt you, but I just don’t see it happening, but go ahead, prove me wrong. Prove P wrong. That would be fun now, wouldn’t it?

Let’s see… 36 hours = 6 outfits and 9 pairs of shoes… You may be able to stretch yourself to 4 outfits and 6 pairs of shoes, but even that will make it hard pressed for a carry-on.

Nope. You’re gonna have to take a bag because you won’t have room for clothes, shoes AND toiletries.

Can’t help you with the 4:30 AM deal. I would be in my element at that time, especially with a good cup of coffee.

If you roll everything up reeeaaaly tight you might be able to get in all in a carry on. Still, there are shoes. Curse the overhead bin regulations!

Oh, I wish I was going! (I’d wake you up before any of the LifeWay girls saw you. Pinky swear :-))

I am having the same struggle. I think I could manage it since the shoes are all sandals…but then again, what if I spill something on myself at breakfast on Saturday morning or decide I want to wear a different top? Do I take a huge bag half packed or squeeze into a small one and hope I can still carry on my laptop and purse? Decisions, decisions!

The tube top would certainly take up less space in your luggage. Maybe you should just take ALL TUBE TOPS to Deeper Still. :)

Ok Melanie. I’m driving in early tomorrow. My first stop? A couch in the lobby with hopes I can catch you snoozing on a sofa waiting on your room! It’d make a lovely Deeper Still highlight photo here on our All Access blog!

By the way, I’ll have my notebook computer on the concourse at the arena if you’d like to write a post from the LifeWay Women’s Booth!

Ladies coming to Deeper Still - make sure you drop by the LifeWay booth and say hello to Kris, Dawn, Paige and me. We’ll try to drag Mel and Sophie in there when they aren’t busy gathering fun stories from YOU for their posts!

See you in less than 24 hours ladies!

Seeing more than I ever wanted to….loved this serious post. My church is a mega church that reaches out to all areas of the community. I have mercy with the new people ocming in who are unchurched. But recently a lovely young woman signing to the deaf was scantily dressed.

I prayed and wrote a note commenting on her kindness, beauty and my concern of the message she was sending wearing her strapless top. I wrote that our culture could make one think such clothes were o.k.I told her I worried about the men in the audience who had unresolved sexual addiction, issues, etc.

I gave this note to the woman taking up visitor cards in an envelope addressed to deaf ministry signer. She gave it to the young woman and she looked surprised. In minutes she had on a friend’s sweater. To date she has never worn anything revealing again.

Our church is so large she doesn’t know me, but I was careful to be kind but warn her of the possible misunderstanding. I think we have to speak up and pray for ways to be heard.

Melanie, You crack me up!!! I can’t wait to hear about the goings on at D.S. from you and Sophie. You two need a reality t.v. show with Star somewhere in the title since Sophie loves reality t.v. , Design Star, Food Network Star,Nashville Star… I can totally see it!! Now, I am a woman who needs options and clearly pack to much BUT if I didn’t have the options I would be in a panic. Yes, I probably need therapy. You two have fun and give a shout out to all the Siestas!! Love, Patty

What an awesome sounding event! I hadn’t heard of it until last week when you two were talking about going. I am totally jealous. Have a great time. I’ll be checking back in. I might have to go to one of these one day.

After reading lots of blogs on this it seems we all can point to the “nedua,” mostly Hollywood. for making us feel we all need to be wearing ill fitting clothes that neither flatter or hide all of our imperfection. I wonder if we were to stop listening to their lies that most of us would do just fine on our own. That is not to say we should stay in the stone ages and wear what women were waring last century, ugh!! I even read on an AOL news article where some fashion expert said women over 50 should not ware capri’s, what is with that? Now maybe some women should not wear capri’s but that should not be based on on age but body forms.

Also~~I have had the hardest time finding pants that do not hit me at the waist, that are cute. I have been in all sorts of stores from Nordstroms to outlet malls w/discount clothes to Wallmart. So look how powerful this fashion media is. It is scarry.

I work in the medical field and one of the young women (a medical assistant in her early 20’s) had on a pair of scub pants that did not cover up her lower back side~~yikes! I was horrified to say the least so as delicatly as possible I said, Honey, your tush is showing. She was not bending she was sitting and she was not small. What bothered me the most about that was she did not seem to mind at all. WHAT IS WITH THAT ATTITUDE.

Lemme premise my comment by saying my husband and I do not have children so I do have a BIG disconnect with this generation. But I did not think it was that BIG. I can only think it is because I do not watch what they watch or am I not seeing what fashion guru they are listening too. I can only blame the media for affects of fashion weather it be in the form of TATOO’S or clothing it is having on young adults. To me it is a sad reflection of a direction of lower self esteem that our media is directing the kids of this great nation. .

I am greateful for this avenue to know that I am not the only one that sees this as bothersom, and a little horrifying.

Thanks for letting me “blog” I guess we need to get on our knees and pray that integrety would start to infiltrate this part of our life. In Chrits Love Barb Rutherford