August 7, 2011 – Write From Karen

So this ad from Land’s End apparently has some mothers up-in-arms:

They say it’s too suggestive and provocative – the way the girls are standing, the way the boys are looking at each other as if to say, “hubba hubba.”

And I’m having a hard time … seeing it. Maybe I’m missing something, but other than the lollipop (which could be construed as suggestive given how the girl has it in her mouth, which, okay, I can buy that, I guess), what’s the big deal?

I have a bigger problem with the girls’ clothing more than the way they are standing. Do girls that age really need to wear clothing that short? (Don’t even get me started on shortie-shorts and mini-skirts that hardly cover the pubic bone). And given the way the girls are standing, doesn’t that length just make it look even more inappropriate?

But as far as the poses, I really don’t have a problem with it. It just looks to me like the girls are being sassy (actually, the girls look like they are giving each other fake “I’m being nice, only I’m not” smiles) and the boys look mischievous – like they’re plotting, telepathically, to take away their backpacks or something.

In other words, the boys are getting ready to torment the girls because they think they’re cute and that’s how boys show girls they like them at that age and the girls are trying to pretend they don’t notice the boys but are very aware of their presence, hence the flirty, cutesy poses.

Normal girl-boy interaction, in my opinion.

I just don’t see anything that outrageous about this picture that warrants contacting Land’s End and making a huge fuss about it.

Though after this mother (and perhaps others, I don’t know), complained, Land’s End did take the lollipop away and post this picture instead:

(That wasn’t good enough, I guess, because they’re still complaining).

Maybe I would think differently if I hadn’t just read about the sexualization of THIS 10-year old girl.

Now THAT, my friends, is clearly wrong. Making our children look like grown-ups and posing in revealing clothing and in provocative poses all to sell a magazine is CLEARLY wrong. When you compare the pictures from this article with the picture above, well, there’s really no comparison.

(Or maybe I’ve gotten so desensitized that I don’t even see it anymore. Lord, I hope not).

But I understand being sensitive to this issue because I completely agree, that as a whole, the fashion industry has been steadily working toward making it seem like it’s normal for kids to act more like adults, and to wear more revealing clothes at a younger age which is CLEARLY NOT ACCEPTABLE, on any level. And I agree, we need to stamp out this “trend” immediately. Our kids grow up way too fast today as it is, we certainly don’t need companies helping to speed up the process. (And that’s not even touching on how that affects our children when it comes to body issues, etc).

Then again, parents need to stop buying too-short-revealing-inappropriate clothing for their tweens, too. If no one buys the product, then they naturally go away. That’s how it works in business – no profits, no products.

Of course, it’s easy for me to say that because I don’t have girls and I have never had to deal with the whole trying to buy appropriate clothing for girls issue – maybe finding appropriate clothing for girls is harder than I think it is?

But that’s just my two cents, for what it’s worth.

What do you think?

Are people being too sensitive about this ad? Am I missing something?

Every Sunday I provide videos and valuable links to the Truth or Tradition teachings. We’ve been following the Truth or Tradition teachings for many years now and they have truly blessed our family. We have found peace and happiness through our beliefs and we walk confidently for God. My hope, by passing on this information to you, is that what you find here, or on the Truth or Tradition website, will guide you to a better, more blessed and abundant life.

If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.

Let’s get started:

The other day I was talking with a good friend when he said, “I have to confess, I guess I’m a homeboy.” I was a little confused, not really knowing what he meant. I knew that “Homeboy” is a slang term sometimes used by the younger generation when they refer to their good friends. The problem was that I am in my mid-fifties and so is my friend, and I am not really used to hearing one of my friends use that term. Then it hit me—he was referring to his affection and fondness for our local home church, meaning that he really prefers the intimate home setting instead of the traditional church.

His comment sunk in deeply and caused me to reflect on my fifty-plus years of Christian experience. I was raised in a large denominational setting with an emphasis on ceremony and tradition, and I admit that I still have a fondness for stained-glass windows, incense, and Gregorian chanting. I left that system more than three decades ago and have since experienced a wide range of meeting, preaching, and praise and worship styles, which I love. Given my exposure to such great diversity, I must confess that, like my friend, I am a homeboy at heart. So what exactly is it that I find so attractive about a home fellowship?

A few years ago we decided to start Sunday morning church services at our Camp Vision. Like most traditional churches, we have incorporated congregational praise, worship, prayer, a teaching/preaching from the Scriptures, plus other customary practices. Our attendance does not vary much, but does include occasional visitors. For a while I have felt that something is missing, and have been searching my heart to see if there is something I should be doing differently, but I couldn’t put my finger on what I was feeling.

One evening I called to check on someone who had stopped coming to church about a month earlier. He confided that he was feeling isolated and alone, and that church was not working for him. He said he “needed to feel a greater connection to others.” I knew instantly that he was expressing the exact same thing I was longing for.

I know there is a time and a place for large congregational meetings. Large meetings can serve a godly purpose, but there is also a need for smaller gatherings. The answer was not to shrink our Sunday church services into a home, but to add some weekly home meetings. We knew we needed to provide lots of time and space for heart connection, so we decided to start each night with a community meal, a “communion” if you will. Lori and I launched our Wednesday night home church with Jesus’ promise that “…where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20).

Knowing that the Lord Jesus has given spiritual gifts to each person who has made him Lord, we decided to focus on the uniqueness of everyone in the fellowship by emphasizing our individual gifts. In fact, we tell everyone to come prepared to participate with a gift, which can be a psalm, a sharing, a blessing, a prayer, or an act of service. It is great to see how the Lord works through each person in his or her own special way. He is the center of our meeting, and the Word of God is always our rule for faith and practice.

Last week one person opened by sharing how he/she was hurting about the recent death of a young person he/she knew. Another spoke up and admitted that he/she too knew the deceased but had never seized the opportunity to lead him to Christ. That led to our praying for comfort followed by a discussion on the Hope. Someone else shared about receiving the financial answer to a long season of prayer. Lori and I shared that we have recently had some family setbacks that require us to provide additional help with three of our grandchildren (ages 2, 3, and 4). Another said she had been praying for part-time work, and it turned out that she was an answer to our prayer for help with the grandkids. I have always said the Lord specializes in making one move that answers multiple calls, somewhat like tossing up one stone and hitting ten birds. I reminded everyone of Nehemiah’s words, “…Don’t be afraid…Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome…”(Neh. 4:14). Then, knowing some of the deep needs of everyone, we had reason to unite in prayer, praise and worship, song and encouragement.

Our home church is an ongoing experiment of living out the love of Christ. We do not follow a set program, or have a teaching, but something is always taught. We focus on whatever we perceive the need to be, and allow everyone time to present the gift of themselves. It may be an evening of prayer, song, or healing, but our home church is always a time of togetherness and heart connection. I believe I have found what my heart was missing. Like my friend, I too must confess, I really am a “homeboy.”

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about God’s wonderful message, please visit the Truth or Tradition website. You can also keep track of the ministry through their Facebook page, their YouTube Channel, or follow them on Twitter.

Thanks for reading.

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