My cup runneth over! That’s exactly how I feel today because not once, not twice, but three times in the past two weeks I’ve had the awesome privilege of witnessing moms and daughters embrace enthusiastically what the Bible says about true beauty – which also includes something I’m going to share with you today that I call “God’s Dress Code.”
But first, let me fill your cup by sharing my three filled-to-the-brim experiences with you:
My first experience was two weeks ago at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their Women’s Ministry AND Student’s Ministry co-sponsored a Mother-Daughter Conference and they invited me to be the speaker. And it. Was. A-ma-zing!
The conference was a kick-off for their Student and Women’s Ministry which will soon begin offering simultaneous studies of Beauty by The Book for Teens and Beauty by The Book. Just think about all of those Geyer Springs women, girls, moms and daughters studying God’s Word together, learning how to become biblical beauty Dos and not DON’Ts! Fills up your cup, doesn’t it?!
We had a packed house of women and girls at the Geyer Springs event, and I taught a 3-session overview of Beauty by The Book (which included “God’s Dress Code”). The icing on the conference cake was a smashing what-not-to-wear fashion show that emphasized how to dress fashionably and modestly.
I came home from that event filled-to-the-brim by all that God did that weekend. And now I’m praying more than ever before that many more churches will offer similar events to kick-off simultaneous Beauty by The Book for Teens/Beauty by The Book Bible studies with their Student and Women’s ministries – maybe even YOURS. So, would you put that on your prayer list, and pray with me about it? Bless you!
My second filled-to-the-brim experience arrived on my desk last week in this pretty, pink package:
Inside the package was a letter from Julie Perry. Last May, Julie and her precious, teenage daughter, Brooke, attended a Mother-Daughter Beauty by The Book event at Hill Country Fellowship in Burnet, TX (a wonderful church) where I was speaking.
At that event, God spoke to Julie’s heart and encouraged her to host a summer Beauty by The Book for Teens study in her home – even though Julie confessed (in her letter to me) that “teen-agers scare” her. 🙂 And I confess, they used to scare me, too, until I discovered how hungry they are for God’s Word and how grateful they are for older women who will lovingly teach it to them.
And may I just take this opportunity to tell YOU that pouring your life, your love, and God’s life-changing Word into a teenage girl’s heart is one life’s greatest, most fulfilling blessings? It is. It really, really is.
Just look at the faces of the girls in Julie’s group:
Aren’t they gorgeous!
But look what else was in the package: 
It’s a notebook, and it’s filled with thank-you notes and testimonies from the girls in Julie’s study. To God be the glory!
As if that wasn’t enough to fill my cup for months and months, look what else Julie included in that package: 
It’s a t-shirt one of the girls in their group created, and all of the attributes of biblical beauty are included in the graphic. Don’tcha love it!
Julie’s group concluded their summer study in the best way possible: with a slumber party! The cherry on top? Each girl received a t-shirt which they all wore to church the next morning.
With my cup overflowing, this is my prayer: Lord, please use Julie’s example to encourage many other moms – especially those who are scared of teen-agers – to start a Beauty by The Book for Teens study in their homes for their daughters and her friends.
And who knows? Maybe YOU are one of those moms.
My third and final filled-to-the-brim experience was this past weekend when I was blessed to participate in a sold-out Mother-Daughter Brunch at my all-time favorite place to speak: Sagemont Church in Houston, my home church.
Co-hosted by Sagemont’s new (and uber cool) Girls Minister, Holly Hastings, and Women’s Ministry Director extraordinaire, Lezli Busbee, the brunch included a fun photo booth for moms and daughters, a fabulous what-not-to-wear fashion show, and a talk I entitled, “Does God Care What You Wear?”
Several Sagemont moms posted sweet comments about the event on Facebook (thank y’all). And some of the girls even asked me to autograph their Beauty Teen workbooks (which this old woman is ALWAYS happy to do). 
Ever since then, my cup’s been running over at the beautiful way God is using Sagemont’s Girls and Women’s Ministry to reach the every woman, young and old, in our church and community for Christ. Glory!
Okay, now I want to ask YOU a question: Does God care what you wear?
You probably already know that He does. But today, as promised, I want to give you “God’s Dress Code.” It’s included in both Beauty by The Book studies, and I teach it at most Mother-Daughter events. But today, it’s YOUR turn. How I pray that it will bless and encourage you to become a biblically beautiful fashionista!
God’s Dress Code
First, please read the scriptural foundation:
1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NLT)
2:9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. 10 For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
1 Peter 3:3-4 (NLT)
3:3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
This, therefore, is God’s Dress Code:
1) Dress modestly. Not hot and sexy, but not plain and dowdy either. Yes, it may take more shop-til-you-drop time and effort, but you can find modest AND fashionable clothes. 1 Tim. 2:9a
2) Dress decently and appropriately. Not indecently or inappropriately – which, by the way, also includes dressing age-appropriately. An 11-year-old shouldn’t dress like a 21-year-old, nor should a 35-year-old dress like a 15-year-old. 1 Tim. 2:9b
3) Don’t attract the wrong kind of attention. Yes, your clothes, accessories, hair, and make-up can be cute, pretty, and fashionable. But they shouldn’t scream, “Look at me!” either. 1 Tim. 2:9c
4) Do dress to attract the right kind of attention. How? By making yourself “attractive by the good things” you do, and by “clothing yourself…with the beauty that comes from within” (and not a “Pink” or “Juicy” logo on your bottom). 1 Tim. 2:10, 1 Pet. 3:4
5) Make biblical beauty – not physical beauty – your primary goal. Yes, God wants you take care of your body and your appearance, but biblical beauty must always trump physical beauty. And because biblical beauty never fades, it is absolutely possible for you to be more beautiful at 70 than you ever were at 17. 1 Pet. 3:4
God cares what we wear, girls. So, won’t you join me in pursuing biblical beauty AND in reaching and teaching it to other women and girls – especially those “scary” teen-agers? Because if you do, you’ll not only glorify God and enable other women do the same, you’ll have a cup full and running over, too!
Your sister,
