The Amazing Testimony of Former Atheist-turned-Christian Pastor, Howard Storm -- The Man Who Descended into Hell and Lived to Tell

Howard Storm's painting of the Cross. He 'died' as an atheist, and went back from Hell a renewed person and a Christian.

Sometimes the Lord allows me to undergo a series of similar experiences and then inspires me to write about them consecutively such as when I wrote my Christian Movie series --- 'Fireproof', 'Courageous' and 'Flywheel' --- earlier this year. 

After watching 'Heaven is For Real' and writing about it, the Lord inspired me to search more on Near Death Experiences, while also being wary to test the spirits, since NDE's do oftentimes go into anti-biblical, New Age territory. 

In my research, I chanced upon what was probably the most astounding and amazing Near Death Experience of a man who was an atheist who went to hell and back. His name is Howard Storm.

Before his near-death experience, Howard Storm at           www.howardstorm.com was a Professor of Art at Northern Kentucky University, and was not a very pleasant man by his own admission. He was an avowed atheist and was hostile to every form of religion and those who practiced it. He often would use rage to control everyone around him and he didn’t find joy in anything. Anything that wasn’t seen, touched or felt, he had no faith in. He knew with certainty that the material world was the full extent of everything that was. He considered all belief systems associated with religion to be fantasies for people to deceive themselves with. Beyond what science said, there was nothing else. But then on June 1, 1985, at the age of 38, Howard Storm had a near-death experience due to a perforation of the stomach and his life was since forever changed. His near-death experience is one of the most profound, if not the most profound, afterlife experience I have ever documented. His life was so immensely changed after his near-death experience, he resigned as a professor and devoted his time attending the United Theological Seminary to become a United Church of Christ minister. Today, Howard Storm is presently happily married to his wife Marcia and is Pastor of the Covington United Church of Christ in Covington, Ohio. - by Kevin Williams (Please read his astounding, awe-inspiring story here.)

* * * * * * * * * 

I would not go into full detail on his amazing journey from hell and back, but something struck me in his recollection of what had transpired to him there and his conversations with Jesus and the heavenly angels while he was in the place that he said was "between Heaven and Hell" (what we Catholics would call 'purgatory'.)

This is an excerpt from that heavenly conversation with 

the heavenly beings:

"Asking them how it would be possible to change the course of many people, I observed that it was difficult, if not impossible, to change anything on Earth. I expressed the opinion that it was a hopeless task to try.

My friends (the angels) explained, quite clearly, that all it takes to make a change was one person. One person, trying, and then because of that, another person changing for the better.

They said that the only way to change the world was to begin with one person. One will become two, which will become three, and so on. That's the only way to affect a major change. 

I inquired as to where the world would be going in an optimistic, future one where some of the changes they desired were to take place. The image of the future that they gave me then, and it was their image, not one that I created, surprised me. My image had previously been sort of like Star Wars, where everything was space age, plastics, and technology. 

Howard's vision of the future is NOT what is going to happen.

The future that they showed me was almost no technology at all. What everybody, absolutely everybody, in this euphoric future spent most of their time doing was raising children. The chief concern of people was children, and everybody considered children to be the most precious commodity in the world." 

                                                                                          Howard Storm painting 
 In the future, the most precious 'commodity' will be children and people will live in a very natural setting.

And when he talked to Jesus, this was what

 the Lord told him: 

Howard Storm's painting of Jesus

“When He [Jesus] told me that I had to come back to the world and I was trying to convince him not to send me back…, I asked Him what would I do if I came back… Before He had a chance to answer, I said, 'You know I am an artist and I would like to build a shrine for You… I would make this shrine so big and beautiful and bizarre that people would come from all over the world out of curiosity to see what it was about. And what they would find was it would be about You. And that would make them think about You. That’s what I would like to do if I came back'.

He said, "I would rather you didn’t do that".

                                                                        Howard Storm

And I said, "WHAT?!! People have been building shrines to You forever. There are lots of shrines. Why can’t I build a shrine? I would like to build a shrine."

He said "You spent so much of your life hiding out in the studio, avoiding people, I would prefer it if you didn’t avoid people by building this big shrine… I don’t really care about shrines. People like to build shrines. I understand that. It makes them feel good. It does absolutely nothing for me or for God. We don’t have any use for them whatsoever. If that’s what amuses you, I guess that’s what you gotta do. But don’t do it for me. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking it’s something I want or need, because I don’t".

I’m like, "OK, You shot down my idea, what’s Your idea of what would I do"?

“And He said, "Love the person that you’re with".

Howard Storm painting of a radiant Jesus

And I said, "OK, great, I’ll do that. No problem. What do You want me to do"?

He said, "I just told you what I want you to do: Love the person that you’re with".

And I said, "Yeah, but after I do that, what do You really want me to do"?

“No, that is what I want you to do: Love the person that you’re with".

I said well, that’s simple enough, that’s easy, I can do that.

And he said, "Oh really. Well, that’s what I want you to do. That’s enough".

And I said, "How is it enough"?

He said, "If you do that, you’ll change the world".

And I said, "Oh, You want me to change the world"?!

"Exactly, that’s why I put you in the world in the first place: to change the world... The way that I want you to change the world is by loving the person you are with".

“Wait a minute, that’s a contradiction. You want me to change the world but You just want me to love the person I’m with?

"Every Knee Shall Bow" painting by Howard Storm

“Yes, that’s the plan; that’s The Big Plan…If you love the person that you’re with, then they will go out and love the person that they’re with, and they will go out and love the person they’re with and it will be like a chain reaction and love will conquer the world and everyone will love one another. That’s God’s Big Plan."

_________________________________________________________________________________________

With his second wife, Marcia, together they serve God's Kingdom. 
His first wife, an atheist, left him after he emerged a (new) believer 
of God, following his spiritual experience with the Divine.

"Double-atheist" Howard Storm quit his high-salaried and prominent job as an art professor in the university he was working for, and then went into the seminary to become a minister after his faith experience. Skeptics and cynics alike can raise eyebrows on a LOT of what he's said, but for me, the proof is in the pudding.

Nothing witnesses more greatly than a life totally TRANSFORMED in obedience to the commandments of our Lord; and Reverend Howard Storm's life now as a Christian is so full of love and compassion, (which he admitted he had none of before when he had his career and himself as god) that it cannot be attributed to anyone other than to God Himself.

* * * * * * * * *

The Lord singled out some messages for me, from Howard's testimony. (I have been reading almost all of the pages in Google on Howard Storm, for the past two days.) And this is what I felt led to write about today, and which touched me greatly from having researched on his supernatural, extraordinary spiritual experience:

        CHILDREN and LOVE.

The Lord changed me and made me into a new person on September 1, 2013. I didn't have a near-death experience like Howard Storm, but I did experience a string of highly stressful events that shook me to my very core. I was so broken during that time, and I asked the Lord to help me. In my despair, He saved me, the Spirit convicted me of my many sins, I repented; and life has never been the same! Since that time, I have totally let go and let God. I fully submitted to the Lord and after that, I submitted also to my earthly authority, my husband Dong.

Isaiah 66:2

My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.

Since that time too, I have been taking seriously, my roles as a wife and mother, and find inspiration and direction too from these Bible verses:

Titus 2:4-5 part

"....to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

How wonderful to know a future wherein the people's major assets are children!!! :) In these modern evil times where children are viewed as a hassle, a burden and a chore; the Lord wants to remind us that children are His most precious treasures; and that in the far-off, highly spiritually evolved and better future, they will be considered as such.

Psalm 127:3-5(NIV)

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,

    offspring a reward from him.

4  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

    are children born in one’s youth.

 

5 Blessed is the man

    whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

    when they contend with their opponents in court.

Our children are our greatest treasure. :) - the Alejars Aug 2013

Even before my conversion, I have always professed that: "My religion is LOVE". I long for Christ's united Church of believers one day, wherein all true followers of our Lord and Savior will worship Him together, minus the nasty and rabid accusations and slandering that "Christians" usually hurl at each other. Though we differ in dogma, we all do worship and love God, so what's the problem? I find it such a turn-off when people claim to be the "true Christians" while judging and condemning others who may not hold their same beliefs or doctrines. Nothing is more un-Christian than unloving, judgmental, Pharisaic people. Those who do not know Christ will not find Him in those people with that kind of behavior. :(

Wasn't it Mahatma Gandhi who said, "I like your Christ. 

I don't like your Christians."? 

                                                                                          Howard Storm painting
Jesus died for ALL of us, not just one denomination or race.

I was blessed by this atheist-turned-Christian pastor's testimony. I pray that we do not wait for us to be near death before we realize that there really is a God, a very loving God Who is just there waiting for us to believe in Him and to love Him. Whether we believe it or not, God loves us. Whether we accept it or not, Jesus had already died for us. We are all God's Children. I pray that we respond to our Heavenly Father's call to accept His Son NOW. Not tomorrow, not when we get old and wrinkled, not when we are nearing death... but N-O-W.

Howard Storm's portrayal of the Holy Trinity

Hebrews 3:15

Scripture says, "If you hear God speak today, don't be stubborn.

Don't be stubborn like those who rebelled."

* * * * * * *

Borrowing from Howard Storm's words as taken from Jesus, 

"Let us love the person we are with, 

and help change the world one person at a time."

                                   (Peacefulwife Philippines note: Beginning with our husbands! :) 

May we all be richly blessed! :)

P.S. I write this while the ongoing monstrosity is happening at Iraq. Join me in prayer for our Christian brothers and sisters being persecuted and killed by the ISIS. Let's pray too that the Lord will turn their persecutors' hardened hearts into hearts of flesh. Lord, nothing is impossible with you o Lord. Have mercy on us. We pray for Peace. Amen.

Little Miracles

Nikka and Dong - Before going to mass Feb 2, 2014

The three-part series on my depression, oppression, possession, salvation and redemption in 2003 was quite heavy. So was the four-part series on my spiritual bondages with beauty, Papa, control, and how God destroyed all the devil's strongholds in 2013. Hooooh! That was migraine-inducing!

It made me recall how hellish that time was, how loving Dong was, and how good God was.

It also made me reflect some more on how blessed I am at this very moment. Right here. Right now.  As we speak, little miracles are happening to me and to us daily. :)

It was my husband who asked that I blog about my journey as a "peaceful wife" back in September 2013, a few short weeks after I let go of all my desires to control him and our lives, and when I let God rule in every area of my life, including and most especially, our marriage.

But, Dong does not read my blog. :)

He trusts that I will write what the Lord wants me to write in order to touch other wives' hearts, without the need to edit my posts or check for errors in consistency, relevance, or whatever.




He also doesn't like "peeking" so to speak in my personal life via this blog. As he said at the start of my submission journey when I asked him to read the Peaceful Wife's husband, Greg's 'The Respected Husband's' blog, that he would rather not read it because he didn't want our experience to be the same as somebody else's. He did not want to pattern our lives after another couple's life. And he did not want to diminish the merits of my changes in character to my being obedient to somebody's steps in becoming a submissive wife. In short, he wanted to be surprised or just enjoy my submissive spirit, one day at a time. He said reading about it would make my change of heart and change in actions seem "fake."




So, I am sort of "writing behind his back" hehe, although he gave me the go-signal to write. Suffice to say, none of the things I write are fake. Everything is genuine. :)


I will write today about the little miracles that I see are happening every day to our marriage and our family, since I submitted to my husband's leadership. :)


       1. We are going to church together again! :)

It used to be that it was only I who would attend or 'represent' us. (Note: I do not like forcing people to go to church because I believe one should attend not because it is an "obligation" or because one is afraid of "committing a mortal sin" (as what the Catholic church preaches) but because one loves God and wants to spend time with Him by communing with other believers.)

Nowadays, it is Dong who sometimes initiates. He is so supportive of my respect and submission journey and my new desire to read the Bible daily, that he even put an app on our computer for my daily Bible readings. :)

Accompanying Therese in her field trip - Jan 2014

2. We are talking about our faith and oppressions more these days! :)

There was actually never a time when we didn't talk about God. He is always our Favorite Topic and He is really alive in our conversations, even with the kids. It's always:

"God is so good, kids. He gave us money to buy you toys this week." or "The Lord will be sad with all your fighting, children. Be kind so God will be happy!"

But lately, and especially after my heartbreaking third interview with Dong, it seemed as though a huge load had been lifted off his shoulders and he feels like he could once again speak his heart out to me, including his fears.

He even asked that I pray for him because the enemy is oppressing him by paralyzing him in his plans for the family, by making him afraid of failure and scaring him of possible bad outcomes in his decisions.

That is but expected of the enemy because now that the Lord had already destroyed my bondages and I now want to follow Dong's leadership, the enemy will now work towards debilitating my husband by removing his faith in himself to lead. That way, even if I am already submissive to Dong, Dong will still be unable to move. I would then have nobody to follow. We are being played! Good thing we are aware of his evil schemes. We are praying for each other and not believing in his lies.



3. He craves for more intimacy these days too! ;)

I think this one is inevitable. ;) Minus all MY negativity, criticisms, worries and fears, all that is left are joy, acceptance, peace and love. Most husbands find those attractive in their wives! :)

I myself find my husband more handsome and charming these days.:) He has always been attractive in my eyes but during my most controlling years, I was too busy looking at his perceived flaws and failures that there was not much room to view his good qualities! :(


4. Our daughter Therese, a third grader, makes it to the TOP TEN of their class! :)

Our daughter barely speaks the native language, Filipino, having been brought up with

TOP TEN Therese! :)

English as her first language, so this is a BIG DEAL to us!!!:) Our daughter, whom at age 5 was told by her teachers to enroll at a language school because she could not speak clearly for her age, both in English and Filipino (which we refused because we believed that she would come out of her shell at her own pace) is now starting to BLOOM!

We feel so proud of her and we thank God for her! We are tickled pink by this development! :) Back when I was most busy with my career, I was so short-tempered with her when she would be unable to understand her lessons, and I was already too tired from working outside the home to wait for her to "get" the topic at hand. I would scream or flare up out of frustration, and she would cry out of fear of my reaction. :( After the Lord showed me my sins, I saw that this was an area of my life that I also needed to fix and repent for, among many, many others :(

Her success is my success too, because I tutor her now in all her lessons (now that I am a housewife and stay-at-home mom) with more patience, love, and understanding. :)

She also told me something a few months back, at the start of my submission journey. It made me teary-eyed. She said, "Mommy, I want to be a saint." I asked her, "What do you mean, my love?" She said, "Some people want to be scientists, or doctors or physicists... I want to be an expert on GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct). I want to be a saint." Sigh.

At Therese's First Holy Communion - Dec 2013

That's why I have started reading the Children's Bible to them and talking about Jesus and His Teachings. Therese is growing in her hunger for God at the young age of nine. She is well-behaved, demure, kind, and very wise for her age. I have no doubt that the Lord had to change her mother's heart (mine!) so that I could teach her to grow in the Lord's Ways. She is an answer to my prayer on our wedding night.

These are but some of the little miracles and happy developments in our lives, these days. My hunger for God's Word is growing too as the days pass... I consider myself a Catholic Christian or a Christian Catholic. :) Usually, Catholics (I know you'd agree with me!) are content with just going to church, reciting the rosary or doing novenas, but do not go out of their way to read God's Word or to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I still am a Catholic, but I now have added reading the Bible, to my daily prayer life. It is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, dear Catholic sisters in Christ!

Note: All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics. Actually, not all Catholics and Christians are 'Christians'  in that, just because you are born of a certain faith, you are not immediately 'assured' of salvation. One may just be a 'cultural Catholic' or a 'cultural Christian', without really knowing Christ. You really have to be Christ's follower and obey His Teachings, and believe that He is the Way, The Truth and The Life in order to be called a real Christian and in order to be truly "saved". Jesus died for us, yes, but we still have to accept Him into our lives as our Lord and Savior, and obey His Commandments. If we don't, our being 'Christian' is just in name and not in deed. There's a term for that -- nominal Catholics or nominal Christians.  

                                                  John 14:21

"Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them."

Our family at Isabelle Veronica's Baptism with Uncle Toby - Dec 29, 2013

However, I also would like to point out that I do not like labeling myself as 'Catholic'. The same way, I do not like it when Christians (Protestants or born-agains or other denominations) feel elitist over their being 'Christians'.

I do not enjoy debating on my faith or other people's faith.  

I feel that it is a waste of time, is full of self-love and pride, and only grieves God's Heart. Only He can see our hearts. Only He can judge our true motives. We have no right to judge other people's faith and relationship with God...  With all eyes directed towards our Creator, I believe that one day, someday, if we have really died to ourselves and followed in Jesus' Footsteps, we will all see each other again, this time, as ONE BODY in Christ.

                                         Ephesians 4:3-6

3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I am not a theologian, so this is but my simple understanding of what God would like from us, His Children. :) 

                                            Matthew 18:3

"Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."

Mr. and Mrs. Dong Alejar with the little miracles, our 4 children -- September 2013 :)

May we all be richly blessed! :)

                                             

Confessions of a Mini-Skirt Addict -- My Wonderful Discovery of Modesty in Clothing

Modest and Feminine Christian Dressing :) - 2012

I love being a woman! :)

I love dressing up femininely. 

I love making myself look pretty.

I love pink.

I love flowers.

I love having womanly curves.

I thank God He made me a woman (and not a man)! :D

Early Courtship - 1998 (Same dress as the one below!)

"Scary Spice" mini skirt -1997

When Dong and I were just starting as boyfriend-girlfriend, he would always tell me that I would look very good in long skirts, and that he would prefer if I wore those instead of my well-loved mini-skirts. He also said I'd look nicer if I did not wear too-tight tops or too-high heels.

At that time, I was just 21, and The Spice Girls were en vogue, and I was so used to wearing very tight-fitting clothes and teeny-weeny skirts and very high heels, so I found his comment weird and him, old (He was 28). That was so not how I dressed! In my mind, I thought: "That is so manang (like an old lady)! I am just 21 for heaven's sake!"

Basketball muse -2000

My wardrobe as a young adult basically consisted of very short skirts and very tight tops or very tight dresses, which I found sexy. Those were my normal outfits. I wore them like 'uniforms'.

It validated me to be thought of as "sexy". I didn't mind and I reveled at male strangers' or male co-workers' ogles and stares. I think I even found it flattering when they said really bastos (lewd) comments regarding how I looked. Back then, I took in those nearly, if not actually sexually harassing comments as compliments! I felt so happy! Yikes!!!

 Skirt alert girl at left!!! With my good friends during a night out -1997

                     




I think my equation back then was :

That's me at the left in a High School play - 1995

I AM BEING DESIRED LUSTFULLY = I AM BEAUTIFUL.


I think this twisted view of how I regarded myself started as early as high school. I felt that the more I showed skin, the more desirable I was. It didn't help that my own mother never stopped me from going out of the house in those clothes. She even bought me those clothes herself. (I wonder what Mama was thinking back then!)

Mama and I going to a taping for Pen Pen De Sarapen - 1994

I held on to this mentality for a LONG TIME. You can even say, I was in bondage of wanting to be overtly sexy and of craving for the ungodly and lustful attention of men and appreciation/envy from women.

14 y/o in a dress Mama bought - 1991 

Writing about it now, I suddenly realized it was that bad.



I had it so very wrong! :(

At a morning show -2011

Compared to other girls now, my clothes might not even be considered as  "too sexy". It might just be labeled as "cute sexy" or sometimes even "moderately conservative", but that is not the point.

The point is my style of presenting myself was not representative of my relationship with God.




I was sort of "broadcasting my wares" in a worldly manner, while claiming to be a follower of Christ.

College Friends and I in my short black dress- grad night, 1996

No wonder that in college, some boys thought me to be a walking contradiction.They said I looked like I smoked and drank. (For the record: I have never smoked and I only drank liquor on very rare occasions, plus, I've never been drunk!) To their minds, I surely did not look the part of a "demure Christian"!

Super Short Skirt for News-2011

Example of an outfit Dong preferred. - 2011

Even as a new mother and till very recently before my conversion, I did not think twice about looking "sexy and available"  even when I was not available  and even when all I wanted was men's admiration -- not cellphone numbers and definitely not affairs!!!

I was what you'd call in the local tongue, maarte (girly girl) but not malandi (flirtatious). 

I just wanted them to look, but they could not touch! (What a tease!)

If I were to be brutally honest, during all those many years, I really desired to be wolf-whistled,

A short skirt again, that precarious sitting position again! - 2000

salaciously eyed and given lecherous stares. It boosted my self-esteem and made me feel oh so hot! Looking back, this unnatural desire to be noticed was because of my poor self-image issues. Proof of this long-standing problem with self was my decade-long battle with an eating disorder. 

This is all embarrassing to admit! But, it needs to be addressed.

In 2012, my "fulfilled dreams year", I worked for a religious network that was owned by and whose employees were largely of a religion different from mine. (I was a devout Catholic by the way, and still am.:) 

Hosting an event -2008

In this "independent" Christian sect, the women wore their hair long and never had them cut. They were forbidden from wearing jeans, so they always wore long skirts. They too were not allowed to wear makeup and put on jewelry. At first I found those rules too harsh. 

Coming from my background of always wearing short and tight clothes even during my newscasts, I did not know what I should wear in their TV station! I did not have skirts that went below my knees!!!

This one is a very long dress in A Song of Praise taping - 2012

TV plug shoot -2012

For that whole year, I conformed by wearing long outfits to my TV shows and if I were to wear pants, I made sure that my tops were long enough to have my crotch area covered. I did not want to offend them or their viewers, since they were super conservative, and apparently, I was really not.

I am the one in a long orange gown with former co-hosts

I have since resigned from that network in early 2013 for very personal reasons, but the one whole year of wearing modest clothing eventually rubbed off on me.

To be honest, during that year, especially when I was still just weeks or months into my new work setting, I kind of missed the wolf whistles and the lewd remarks I almost always got daily in my former work place.

I even felt unattractive and un-sexy because I could not wear my usual clothes. I was not forbidden like their women were in my own choice of clothes being not of their religion, but I just felt that I owed it to the other women in the workplace who were comprised of mostly members of their sect, to look wholesome and not.... uhm.."slutty". (That's how I felt next to them!)

Me, in a long skirt with members of MCGI or the Nikkalite fans :) - 2012

I have never thought of my look as "slutty" before, but being around modestly dressed women all the time,  I realized that my choice of clothes and my frame of mind regarding how I carried myself were far from Christian. 

In fact, I realized, that I actually looked worldly. I didn't outwardly express from my choice of clothes (very short, very tight, very sexy), how I inwardly felt (a great love for God).

The birth of Isabelle was part of that change.

When I underwent a great spiritual awakening in September of last year, 2013, along with my desire to let go and let God was my huge desire too, to be modestly clothed. 

I could not explain it except to say that perhaps when I humbled myself before God, that same humble spirit permeated in all aspects of my being, including my manner of dressing.

What was inside seemed to want to be manifested outside.

My lovely sister in Christ, April :)

April Cassidy of 'The Peaceful Wife blog' explains modesty in dressing so well in her post. Her favorite definition of it, and  now mine too is that :

 MODESTY is “humility in clothing.”

Lovely definition, right? :) Humility in the way one dresses. 

I used to think dressing discreetly should only be done at Sunday Mass (I always wore long dresses to church.) I didn't think it was necessary during most days of the week.

Weird and wild skin rashes :(

I would not be a hypocrite and say, that I now never wear short skirts (although I have thrown out and have no desire to wear my micro-minis anymore and my wholesome not-so-short-above-the-knee skirts I  really can't wear at the moment even if I wanted to, due to a weird breakout in my legs the past month), but I now prefer longer skirts and more tasteful clothes over my former choices of clothes.:) 

I can't explain it, really. I will try though...

Dong and I with his brothers and girl cousin - Jan 2014

Birthday of Reece - Dec 2013

It was as if when the Lord freed me from my bondage of control, He also freed me from my bondage of extreme self-consciousness and desire to be deemed as attractive.

Mother of 3 in my then usual get-up- Dec 2011

Having lost the abnormal desire to attract attention to how I looked, I now felt happy simply being "fully clothed". I still wear makeup (I don't mind going "bare" though with just a dab of lipstick now) and I still wear accessories (I don't mind not wearing earrings now though, whereas HUGE earrings were a staple before.). I still love wearing very colorful clothing (You cannot take that away from me! ;) but I do not have the urge to show off any skin anymore. :) 

That, in and by itself is freedom! 

I still enjoy occasionally wearing comfortably short dresses. :) - Christmas 2013 with family and relatives

Christmas Party with my college friends - Dec 2013 :)

I feel so comfortable now in my own skin that I don't feel the need to be validated anymore by showing off skin.:)

Family Outing - Dec 2013

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Isabelle's Baptism(top)-Dec 28,2013 and PTV reunion (below)-Jan 17,2014

He bought me for a price so I want to glorify God now with not just how I speak, with not just how I pray, but also with how I look and how I dress. :)

I usually wear a scarf now. Here's why.:)
Jan 22, 2014

Modesty is humility in clothing. 

May we all learn to be humble not just in deed, not just in thought, not just in word, but also in appearance. :)

What is inside should radiate outside.

The humility in our hearts should also be seen in our choices of clothes. :) 

(Coming from a mini-skirt addict, this is A HUGE, as in WHOA  HUGE AHA MOMENT! Oh, and I also now enjoy giving my very high heels their much-needed rest. My feet are happier now too.) :D

May we all be richly blessed! :)