We made a trek to Sodom and Gomorrah the big city last Friday. Knoxville. It was heart breaking. We went for a good reason. Jeremy has worked hard for many months and saved all most of his money. He bought an Apple Macbook. We have used Apple computers since 1988...my first apple was an Apple II GS. I used it for 10 years. It did everything but the dishes.
We arrived early...the deal was to purchase a computer and get a free iPod Touch. This is essentially the iPhone without the phone part - it is like a PDA. Just think "very tiny computer I can keep in my pocket." We knew the lines might be long...plus it was tax-free days in Tennessee. Jeremy would be saving $300 (cost of the iPod Touch) plus another $150 in tax. It was worth the trip.
The Apple store is in the mall. What did I see? Skin...lots and lots of skin. Lots of very short skirts (how do they sneeze?), low pants, (zippers only 1 inch in length!), embarrassingly low tops (and they were with their mamas!), short tops...displaying all from the midriff down, disgusting logos written across bottoms and tops!....TONS of makeup - so much so that these girls don't even look real anymore...they look like robots or dolls done in bad taste. See through tops and bottoms....
*NOTE* truthfully girls/women we DON'T want to see your undergarments...
These people didn't even look happy. I saw few smiles. I saw nothing wholesome, pure, clean ...everything/everyone looked well used and worn out...from people to clothing. It was a depressing sight.
I saw little girls looking for love in all the wrong ways...where are their Daddy's who should be fulfilling that role? I saw lost people who were striving for those things and those ways of life that the enemy whispers are so important. I saw people who are desperately loved by our Father...and aren't even aware that He exists. How His heart must break...
I walked by store window after store window with no desire to enter the stores. (I confess.... I went into a kitchen store...I compared prices with Pampered Chef....Pampered Chef won!). I saw lots of "restaurants" serving fake food/fast food. No temptation there
I was happy to get the computer and leave. Jeremy was happy to get the computer and leave. I think we all were...although Elijah would have liked to visit the Marble Slab Creamery. However, I just don't want to be served my ice cream while having 4 inches of cleavage shoved in my face (or my boys faces!).
We ran a few other short errands. Traffic was awful. The roads are under construction - at least the main roads were. Detours were plentiful.
I was full of praise and gratitude..."Thank you Father that I don't have to do this everyday...that I don't have to drive here...live here...be here. Thank you Father for green fields, blue skies, rolling hills, song birds, horses hooves pounding, the lowing of cattle...good food, real food, gardens, real people, modest people...thank you for YOU...for loving me....for being who You are...Pure... Undefiled ...Holy".
We headed home....I just wanted to take a shower.
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My eighteen year old son attended the 4-H fair recently and came home saying he was shocked by how much skin was showing there. I mean, really, THE 4-H FAIR? These are mostly farm girls.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't be surprised when I see the clothing sold to preschoolers these days.
*shiver*
ReplyDeleteWe find it so shocking whenever we go to town. My little ones say in very loud voices "Momma- she/he's naked!!!!" Or one of the older ones will catch a too short pair of shorts that say "spank me", and they will want to know why on Earth that person would want that?? I echo the thanksgiving to the Lord for the privilege of raising children without all of that in our faces all of the time.
At least here in the north it gets cold pretty soon. They have to start wearing clothes again! I said the last time we "went to town" that I wasn't going back to the weather got colder.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately that's not for months here!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping for an early fall!
Blessings,
Cheri
I just HAD to respond to this post! Just a couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to the mall here in Atlanta GA. I was blown away by all the skin, the dress, the gays that were openly showing off their life choices..I stood on the escalator and tears came to my eyes, looking over the sea of people who have turned their backs on Christ. I wanted to shout "The End is Near, Turn from your ways and repent!" Then the next thought was, come back Lord, I'm ready.
ReplyDeleteI'm letting this sad visit push me to be absolutely certain I train my children in the way they should go. DILIGENTLY - no more missed opportunities.
Christina
Hi Christina,
ReplyDeleteIt broke my heart also...to know how the Father longs to have a relationship with them...and how oblivious they are....
Blessings,
Cheri
Hi, This is my first visit to your site. You said, "At least here in the north it gets cold pretty soon. They have to start wearing clothes again" I live in Oregon. It gets cold here too. Unfortunately that does not mean they will put more clothes on. Maybe a small wrap of some kind that will be removed once inside a building, but that is about it.
ReplyDeleteYou are very blessed to be able to live on a farm and not have to go to the store for food etc. Even so come quickly Lord Jesus.
I have a question. I noticed that on the right side of the screen it said you had a book called "The Complete Jewish Bible". Is it written in English, and do you know where I might be able to find one?
Thanks,
Edie
Edie,
ReplyDeleteThe Complete Jewish Bible is written in English. If you click on the link to Amazon in my side bar and then search the title it will pop up and you can even look inside the book.
By using the link, it won't cost you anymore but it will help us :) We'd appreciate it if you decide to buy from them.
Blessings,
Cheri
Hi -
ReplyDeleteI grew up in east Tennessee, I am from Kingsport to be exact. We moved here to the Knoxville area for work. Not everyone at the mall is like what you have written and there are plenty of our families here that do not believe in showing skin and cleavage, etc. I am sorry that you didn't seem to come across any as we are here and we are out and about and we do go to the mall on occasion. When my kids rode the bus to school in Kingsport (city schools) some of the girls would change their clothes on the bus into outfits that there mothers had no idea that they even owned. Then the girls would change their clothes back again before arriving home after school! I just felt like all of us in the Knoxville area were painted with a broad, and negative, brush and I wanted to set the record straight to a certain extent. I hope your son enjoys his new computer!!
Hi Vanessa,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry....of course there were other people there not dressed indecently and I should have pointed that out. I think we were just struck by the amount of skin and under dressed people and that is what stuck in our minds.
I am also sure this is not a "Knoxville" thing. I believe, especially from the responses, that this is just a sign of our culture....Knoxville just happened to by my destination that day.
I also think that, typically, we are more likely to find this in larger cities...not sure why. Although we do see some of this in the small towns close to us, it doesn't appear to be as common as it is in the "big city".
Thanks for pointing out my brush strokes...I'll try to be more careful!
Blessings,
Cheri
This is definitly not a "Knoxville" thing.
ReplyDeleteIt is everywhere even in churches.
I try not to take my children up town much anymore b/c everywhere we go skin.
When we are in the check out counter the magazines are almost pornographic.
So it is everywhere we can't get away from it.
Blessings,
Melanie
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteI agree. Sadly, even in churches!
Cheri