Book Review: Modesty by Nan M. Pamer

Modesty: A fresh look at a biblical principle by Nan M. Pamer

Just today, I completed Pamer’s 47-page 1997 booklet on modesty. Although Pamer singles out the Apostolic Pentecostal, or Oneness Pentecostal, church as one that has held its ground and not conformed to the low moral standards of the world, she does a fine job of explaining why modesty is such an important–non legalistic– biblical principle that Christians should adhere to today. The chapters include:

1. “Is Modesty Legalistic?“– a look at why modesty is NOT legalistic. Legalism, as Pamer explains it, is the belief that “works merit salvation,” ie dress standards. Pamer defends the Apostolic Pentecostal churches with conviction, stating that modesty is misunderstood and can be a deterrent to immorality. She says, “We were hopelessly lost when Jesus Christ found us and saved us from sin, and we are forever indebted to Him. Because we love Him we endeavor to reflect Christ in everything we do, even in our outward appearance.”

2. “The Blessing of Distinction“–delving into why modesty, and the separation from the world that comes with it, is a blessing. Pamer claims that “the society that allows this deterioration of modesty takes something very precious from its young people.” Modesty and immorality are directly related, as “when modesty was  thrown to the wind, immorality swept in like a flood.”

3. “An Old and New Testament Principle“–explaining that as Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so is His desire for us to live a Christ-like life. Modesty is part of living Christ-like, according to Pamer, and can be found in both the Old and New Testament. Pamer gives the example of the Old Testament priests who were set apart by their apparel and connects this to 1 Peter 2:9, where the church is called “a royal priesthood…” (among other examples and connections). Pamer also addresses and warns against “the danger of overemphasis” where one “practices an outward dedication to God while allowing his heart to become a bulwark of nasty attitudes and hard feelings against others.”

4. “The End Results of Immodesty“–an examination of our world, as it is, and why immodesty has lead to immorality as an accepted societal institution. Pamer states that “When a society disregards modesty, it will have to pay a revolting price. Our generation is reaping devastating results because a principle of God has been laid down.” Using the testimonial confessions of serial killers Ted Bundy and Arthur Gary Bishop, Pamer explains the negative effects of immodesty: pornography, rapings, terrible diseases, and to the extremities of mass murders.

5. “A Call to Modesty“–a plea to live a life free in Christ, one that is modest and a reflection of Him. Pamer concludes her booklet with these words: “May we vigorously regain the ground that many have lost in the battle for modesty. Our children, our churches, and our nation need it desperately. We have a treasure in our grasp; let us never let it slip away.”

My Concluding Thoughts:

I definitely and highly recommend this book to parents, Christian youth workers, and teenagers. Whether you are part of the Apostlic/Oneness Pentecostal church or not, modesty is a biblical principle that, as Pamer states, has been thrown to the wayside and forgotten by most of the world. How you determine what is modest or not, or what you determine is modest, is not discussed in this booklet; however, Pamer’s discussion on modesty as a principle is very informative, intellectual, and GOOD! Her reliance on scripture as support is a major addition, versus some books that base Christian principles on human reasoning. Although at times, Modesty could be repetitive, its message is one that should be repeated. I will be keeping this book to reread and to share with others.

If you would like to buy Modesty: a fresh look at a biblical principle by Nan M Pamer, you can buy it used at Amazon.com. Click here!

If you would like to look at the other books I have on my book list for 2011, you can click here!

AND/OR

If you would like to comment on this book or book review, if you have any questions, please feel free to share in the comments section below!

2011 Book List

I have been in school nearly everyday for the past four years. (Yes, even 6 weeks of summer because I was part of Upward Bound, a college readiness program.) Now that I am graduated, and awaiting my first college year, I want to make sure that I am continuing to learn and improve myself as a whole person.

In order to do so, I have written out a book list of 50 books I hope to read before the year is complete. Some of the books are Christian-inspired, while others are classics or books recommended for first year college students. I may do book reviews, I may not…it depends on time, interest, and whether or not I have anything to say! 🙂 You can try clicking on the colored book name to see if a book review has been done on it.

What are the benefits of reading? (Well…to name a few…)

1. My vocabulary improves, so that I have a more eclectic word choice.

2. My writing skills improve by being exposed to different writing styles.

3. Reading enhances my knowledge. (It’s great for learning new things.)

4.Reading enhances my memory, and the Lord knows I need it!

5. Reading reduces boredom: It’s fun to be engrossed in a great book.

So now that we’ve established that reading is AWESOME,

Here’s my reading list for the remaining year of 2011*:

1. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

2. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

3. Seize the Day by Saul Bellow

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

5. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan

6. The Stranger by Albert Camus

7. My Antonia by Willa Cather

8. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

9. One Thousand Gifts: A dare to live fully right where you are by Ann Voskamp

10. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

11. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

12. Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoevski

13. Made to Crave: Satisfying your deepest desire with God, Not Food by Lysci Terkeurst

14. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

15. Invisible Man by Ralf Ellison

16. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

17. Forgotten God: Reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

18. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

19. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

20. A Passage to India by E.M. Forester

21. The Scent of Water: Grace for Every Kind of Broken by Naomi Zacharias

22. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

23. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

24. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Harding

25. How to Stay Christian in College by J. Budziszewski

26. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

27. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

28. The Trial by Franz Kafka

29. Live to Make a Difference by Max Lucado

30. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence

30. Modesty: a fresh look at a biblical principle by Nam M. Pamer

31. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis

32. The Assistant by Bernard Malamud

33. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris

34. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

35. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

36. Sula by Toni Morrison

37. The Top 100 Women of the Christian Faith: Who they are and what they mean to you today by Jewell Johnson

38. A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Conner

39. Tell Me a Riddle by Tillie Olsen

40. Animal Farm by George Orwell

41. A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart: A Teen’s Guide to Friends, Faith, Family, and the Future by Elizabeth George

42. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

43. Great Tales and Poems by Edgar Allen Poe

44. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

45. Weird: Because Normal Isn’t Working by Craig Groeschel

46. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

47. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

48. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback

49. The Old Testament by God

50. The New Testament by God

*This book list is subject to change as the year progresses, whether from being added to, or taken from, though the total will always be a minimum of 50. I will update this post, as it changes. I will also color the books as I finish them.*

If you have read any of the above books, and you have a positive or negative critic, tell me in the comments! Or if you are making your own book list, let me know some of the books you are choosing to read this year.

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe #1: FAIL

Yes…my pretty little marker board with my pretty little smile out of my pretty little “oo,” and the toothpaste was a FLOP! 😦

Despite it’s ultimate FAIL, I learned from this “mad scientist” experiment, a my mother calls it. Here is the GOOD, the BAD and the YUCKY:

The GOOD–

If you can tell, the consistency began very solid. Then, it became soupy!

Okay, I was kidding. There really wasn’t anything good about it at all. It was kind of cool to see how all of the ingredients started out solid-y, and then turned to eventual soup (which it was not supposed to do), but…yea, that wasn’t exactly “good.”

On a good note, the baking soda, peppermint extract, and coconut oil did do a good enough job brushing my teeth. My mouth felt clean when I rinsed with cold water, just not “fresh,” like the mint would give it.

The BAD–

Well, I kind of just told you that, didn’t I? haha 🙂 The bad of it was that I used nearly HALF a bottle of $3.48 peppermint extract on trying twice to get the toothpaste to turn out right and yummy…which ultimately didn’t work. I gave the rest to my mom to use for cooking, since she’s the cook in the household. The Bad was also that I brushed my teeth multiple times with the failed homemade toothpaste, in order to test at different consistencies, measures, and recipe remixes. Nasty!

And, finally, the YUCKY–

I did determine that the peppermint EXTRACT was the main cause of it being so downright yucky (and also soupy). I will try again with peppermint OIL. Baking Soda does not taste exceptionally good, but adding alcohol (in the extract) is absolutely TEN TIMES worse! Don’t do it.

Here was my ingredient list:

Coconut Oil, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, and Peppermint Extract. Consider the Extract a "bye-bye."

I was disappointed…

because I had all my items set out on the counter, and I had read and researched tons of recipes for homemade toothpaste, and I was PREPARED and EXCITED to go natural on this dental hygiene product.

I am NOT deterred…

because I know what was wrong with my recipe (stinkin’ peppermint extract), and I have read the different testimonies of people who have made their own toothpaste and it turned out well. Their pictures even turned out great, like these from Tammy’s Recipes. I am encouraged in my failure, and I am further inspired to pursue my natural lifestyle.

So…the search and the journey continues on.

Do you have any homemade toothpaste bloopers or tips to share? I would love to learn from your experience!