Romans 12:2 'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.'
Before we begin, I will assure you that I am not writing this from the perspective of someone who grew up in a culture of modesty. I did not care about it nor did I even have due respect for it. I would secretly and I am sure sometimes openly mock or judge women who clothed themselves not only in modest apparel, but in gentleness of spirit. The irony is, that I thought that they were bound and I was free, all while dragging the shackles the world had cunningly placed on me. So, not only do I understand the mindset of thinking that immodesty and seduction is empowering, but I was a chief of sinners.
In my early and mid twenties I was full swing in the fashion modeling industry and I became more and more desensitized to nakedness or having any discretion at all. To write this blog, I searched through old pictures so that I could give you some glimpse into my past. Most of the photos are so immodest that I do not even feel comfortable posting them to the page, but I found a couple that show the spirit behind where I was at the time, without showing all the unnecessary body parts. Everywhere from the runway to the grocery store, I dressed to be seen, to garnish attention, and hook the minds of men. I share this with you, not because I am in the least bit proud of it, but because it's a very real and pervasive spirit alive in the world today. I share it because I want you to avoid the unnecessary pain, regret, and emotional damage that I put myself through.

I didn't even fully realize it at the time, but I used seduction and immodesty as a tool of manipulation for self seeking measures. We are taught most of our lives by the screens around us that it is the women in the tight clothing with the plunging necklines and full red lip that get the most out of life. Now with the explosion of social media, we see the girls lining up for filler and bigger lips. The girls with OF accounts being showered with worldly goods, and not having to worry about next weeks grocery bill. They get the most money, attention, status, and fleeting admiration.
Starting in the 80s, the narrative about pornographic images changed from the former view of it being degrading to women, to a shift of being a source of our empowerment. We were now taking control of our sexuality, or so they told us. We had the flappers of the 20s, the bra burning free love movement of the 60s and 70s, feminism in its many waves of destruction, and then the porn is empowerment nonsense of the 80s. You don't have to look very far out into the horizon of modern society to see the fall out of where all of that has led to.

Modesty, though very much applicable to how we present ourselves outwardly, certainly doesn't begin there. Modesty applies to so many areas of our lives. My lack of modesty began in the very depths of my heart and my outward attitudes and apparel were merely a symptom of what was overflowing from my heart. You can be dressed in clothing that covers you head to toe and still walk around with an immodest spirit.
Over my years in the entertainment industry, any modesty I once had, any dignity and class my mother taught me, or worth my wonderful father instilled in me, slowly unraveled, and I thought of myself and my wants much more highly than I ought to. I learned in my first week in the fashion world in NYC, that all it takes to draw someone in with seduction is knowing what to do with your eyes. It's about knowing how to gaze, how to walk, how to move, how to speak, and how to think, in order to get someone to buy what you're selling. They instructed me to practice looking into the lens while thinking things that I will not even mention in this post. The goal was to invoke a spirit in myself and in the person looking at the photo; it's wicked and gross. When you are looking at these seductive ads in magazines, you are engaging in something that is darker than what you may have ever imagined. I used these techniques that I learned to my full advantage whenever the opportunity produced itself in work or in life. I think back sometimes with such grief and regret, but I have come to a place of rest, knowing that the Almighty truly remembers my sin no more. For once I was in darkness, but He has called me out into His marvelous light.
I am not against the modeling industry. I would not even be against doing 'mature' woman modeling someday in the future. I am however against children or young people going anywhere near the entertainment industry with a 10 foot pole. You need to go into those sorts of environments with a solid maturity and strong boundaries that are not tossed by every whisper of the wind.

Since being born again and cleansed through the precious blood and redemptive work of Christ, the Lord has shown me a lot about modesty and His heart behind it. I will tell you that the dismantling of deception and the growing pains in righteousness are not always easy. Growing pains hurt as they stretch you, and the refiners fire burns as it purifies. I am thankful for the spiritual and mental deliverance that I have received through the years of my walk with my King. The deliverance has brought much mental clarity and revelation of the Word, the world, and the Father's heart. I can promise you that I found nothing in the world that even comes close to the matchless love and wholeness that I have found in Yahweh my God.
2 Corinthians 3:18 'And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.'
Deliverance comes with humility and confession of our sin, a humble and broken heart over that sin before the Father, a desire to change our mind and do right according to the Lord's standard of righteousness, faith that He is able to deliver us from every working of darkness, and a genuine desire to be delivered. In my experience, sometimes much prayer and fasting is necessary.
I think some of the misunderstandings of modesty come from the images we have in our minds of what modesty has to look like. We have visions of documentaries of women in cults being forced into wearing the same dress everyday of their lives. We are not doing the concept of modesty any favors, when we begin heaping our own interpretations and standards of modesty onto others as though we are speaking for God. We can ignorantly create a sense of burden around the art of modesty, when in reality, modesty is about freedom. Modesty is not about covering in shame, but about revealing our dignity to others; the heart of modesty is LOVE. We are free to have our own unique style and enjoy colors and live joyfully in our femininity. Modesty is not about hiding your womanhood, but rather, revealing it in it's most beautiful form.

The Who, What, Where, and Why of Modesty:
The Who - Who am I glorifying when I dress or behave this way? Am I bringing glory to myself, my flesh, or am I bringing glory to God and His saving work in me?
Is my main concern myself, someone else, or God?
The What - What is the intent and purpose in what I am doing? What goal does my behavior and choices fulfill?
The Where - Where am I drawing my inspiration and information from? Do I look to Godly women and or do I cave to the pressures of the world?
The Why - Why am I doing what I am doing? Intention. Lord, search my heart, and see If there be any wicked way in me.
The How - How are my decisions affecting those around me? Is this loving my neighbor as myself? How am I representing and reflecting Christ and His redemptive work in me?
I can not answer any of these questions for you, but I can tell you that if you humbly and earnestly seek the Lord , and ask Him to search your heart and convict you in any of these areas, He is faithful in these things. When we welcome His correction and change accordingly, He will continue to speak to us. He will refine us until we come forth as pure gold.
1 Peter 1:7 'So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.'
Sending all my deepest love and a warm hug,
Lea
God has brought me to your channel of that I have no doubt. I am a whole food plant based eater. I don't eat animals oils, salt or sugar or any processed foods, so some of your recipes I will omit those things. I am 72 years old and got very sick 5 years ago with autoimmune disease, was in very bad health and on many Rx. Changed to WFPB and off all Rx . I love your channel and your Christian values and homemaking. You are my inspiration!
What you write is so beautiful becaide it’s truth. I am looking forward to reading more. I love your little videos . I am vegan , not to follow the culture trends but out of personal choice , ( as a child in Italy I watched a pig being slaughtered and it has caused some trauma ) so some of your recipes may not be for me but I totally love your way of life centred on the Lord and his word. Thank you so much for being such an inspiration.❤️
Hello,
YHWH has brought me to your channel! When he knows our hearts he does direct us🧡
I feel that we being humble and walk our walk the children will follow . Sometimes it is a hard walk. I know with our daughters.. sometimes cruel!! But, slowly deliberately moving forward WE are the light!! And yes Lord 1 st, fam2nd. Thank you again!! Still learning ! Love and Shalom too all !
Hi lea, would you mind sharing some places where you buy your clothes?
I just came across your YouTube and blog. Spoken eloquently from truth and experience. I am a 72 yr old Great Grandmother and Grandmother and it saddens my heart to see my Granddaughters and how they dress and pose. No they are not models but they could be. There is no modesty in their posing or their clothing. The only thing I can do since I do not live close to them is pray that they will quickly have a deep heart change and Adoni is the only one that can do that. Keep up showing your slow living ..... we all need it.