Hola Mi Amor!

Hola Mi Amor!

Cómo estás? Well I pray that you are well mi amor y mis amigo. Man, man, man! This topic I’m sharing today has been a long time coming. And by that I mean the progression of MY personal journey to freedom & modesty ONLY by the grace of God!!!

This is definitely not a one size fits all recipe nor will this leave the same taste in everyone’s mouth who reads this blog post. And God is still God no matter what and the Truth is the truth. Amen! So let’s dive in, I don’t have all summer LOL. But I pray you do because she’s a long one today.

If you’re new here- WELCOME!!! For my HMA fam, you may remember reading in a previous post that I struggled with body image issues and an eating disorder for many years. Then if you add in sexual abuse, identity & cultural confusion, times some “Daddy issues” just to name a few, one may begin to understand a bit better what is to follow.

For 8 years of my life I attended Catholic school. We didn’t have uniforms, but we did have a dress code. Shorts, skirts and dresses could be no shorter than your fingertips with your arms at full length at your sides. I can’t specifically recall all of the other particulars, but the point was to maintain modesty. And maybe I remember the length rules the most because that was one of the biggest issues focused on.

Well somewhere around 7th and 8th grade after my entire life of feeling invisible or unnoticed by anyone that I wanted to like me- baybeeee 😳 them public school boys started hanging out at the gas station right near my school and we were all enthralled. Wait there were actually boys that would like me and they looked like me?! This is when I know that I wanted to start dressing like other girls my age outside of the Catholic school walls.

Yep, this is about 1995ish or so when Judy and her booty were all outside LOL. The “Daisy Dukes” were back and I was in them! Now I was a gymnast and in several other sports so having my booty out since the age of 4 wasn’t really a big deal to me. Did the attention I would get from boys impact my apparel- absolutely! Unfortunately I would also draw attention from young men that were much older than me as well, which in hindsight was super inappropriate.

Just for the record, I went thru several different cultural attire phases from country, hip hop baggy clothes and Lord knows what else especially when I was obsessed with Elvis Pressley for a season. Praise God we didn’t have social media back then!!! Because Lord knows my college days I was CLOWNIN’ at school, in the club and at house parties in the basement! Do you hear me?! MY God!

Fast forward to me being a single Mami of 2 when we attended a church for like 8/9 years. There was no spoken or unspoken dress code or expectations that I was aware of during that time. The only time I thought about what I was wearing was to make sure I knew our colors for the choir every Sunday. And for the next 9 years that I didn’t have a home church and 99.9% of the time was attending online services- I didn’t have to worry about having any clothes on if I didn’t want to.

During the pandemic I gained some weight then lost 50lbs before I realized I had cancer for the 2nd time and then put back on 50lbs due to neglectful medical care over the depression pill booster I was prescribed. So this was the body I showed up to The Advancing Church (TAC) with. A body foreign to me that wasn’t allowing me to walk, move or live like I was used to- nor did I want to be seen because of how I looked and felt. And wouldn’t you know, God made it crystal clear on November 5th, 2023 that He sees me!!! Hallelujah!

You can read my previous HMA posts to learn about the FREEDOM God has blessed me with since. Now, let me tell you this has been a learning experience for me! I am very observant so I quickly noticed that people dressed “differently” here. Some women’s style definitely caught my eye of course, but all these long sweaters and jackets lol, I didn’t get it! And then there are the napkins or sheets the women put over their laps. Ummmm… I didn’t know what was going on.

When you’re not from the same religious or spiritual culture that you are coming into, it can definitely be confusing. Shoot, it’s even more confusing when you are connected with folks on social media and they’re showing all of the girls or posting seductive content and then switch it up on Sundays! It was hard to keep up with what was acceptable and what isn’t. Even this year once summer hit I was like, I can’t really remember am I allowed to wear a sleeveless top or dress?! So what do I do? I follow the leaders’ lead. If the leaders are wearing it, well then I have received the approval to do the same.

Being at TAC has definitely positively influenced my modesty journey once I began to understand the culture. To keep it 💯 number one, I’m still working to get my body back- no, scratch that! I’m working to get fit for the call and I can’t afford a whole new wardrobe yet, nor do I want one because I’m not staying this way in Jesus’ name! So, for now I just try to not wear the same thing every week lol!

I want to thank Mother Joan for the loving way that she shared with me and another young woman about leggings and how we as Women of God need to help the men out by covering everything up. She shared this completely in LOVE which I absolutely appreciated. God has shared some amazing things with me since that day which I am so very grateful for.

Did you know that just because a man goes to church or is even a pastor or leader that these things do NOT exempt him from the temptations of lust, sexual sins, porn or any other type of perversion?! This goes for women as well! Let’s keep it real HMA family! We’re all human, and because we are choosing to live a life with a narrow way, you already know the devil is going to be busy throwing fiery darts of temptation our way. Y’all know I ain’t even lying! Okay!?

We all have enough temptations in this world, constantly on all of our electronic devices and just trying to get some groceries for crying out loud. And as leaders in the Body, there is a responsibility attached to your mantle, your anointing, your assignments. You are representing Jesus! We are ALL representing Jesus and with Godly elevation so should come our desire to represent Him with the most honor and reverence we possibly are able to. We’re not meant to look like the world- we’re called to be a reflection of Jesus. For me, the closer I get to Jesus the more I desire and try to reflect His likeness in everything I do.

Now, there is a time and place for everything. Women of God, the time and place for leggings or attire that hugs and shapes every curve of your body like white on rice is not church or your platform unless you’re a paid fitness model or something. (That’s up for debate.) Keep the gym wear in the gym. There are ways to respectfully and modestly wear leggings as an outfit- but NOT as pants. We shouldn’t be sharing Jesus and the outline of ALL of our privates at the same time. We’re to draw all men to God not our unmentionables.

Now to my Men of God, y’all don’t get out of this one that easy. You have a responsibility as well. Y’all don’t have to do much of anything and can still be fine like wine. That’s so unfair! Fine is fine is fine, and you can’t even help it sir! 🤷🏽‍♀️ Y’all can have a fresh lining and be wearing a white tee and take our breath away LOL 😆 Lord help! Stay focused Jana Marie sheesh.

It’s absolutely hilarious to myself what I now find attractive in living in this new modesty mentality. And with men, it’s not always about what you’re wearing at all! It can be your cologne, how long you hold eye contact, it can be hugs that extend their public appropriateness (I’m not talking about healing hug moments.), neck sweat- you name it LOL! Help me Jesus! 🤣 😂

So praise God for GRACE and more grace for us all and to one another!!!! If we are less afraid of transparently sharing vs. confronting, gossiping and backbiting do you know where God can take us to with this kind of honesty and unity?!!

From now on, give yourself and others grace through this journey. Men, pull these young boys and young Men of God aside and truly show them what discipleship looks like. Ladies, share with another Woman of God of any age how you would have wanted to be discipled while learning this modest lifestyle. We’re all to be progressing and intentionally growing each day- together! So if anyone you know, love or respect is crashing out- TELL THEM IN LOVE! Please for the love of our God almighty.

Take a look at those God has elevated all across the globe. I guarantee you that these Men & Women of God (yes human & yes flawed) represent themselves in ways that reflects the goodness of God and still look great, even fashionable.

When will we as the Church start being the top trendsetters and influencers pointing the world to Jesus?

I love you all and appreciate you listening to all that’s on my heart here at HMA. Be sure to share this message with someone who needs it and most importantly share Jesus with them!

Until we meet again. Have a blessed day- On Purpose!

Love & Blessings,

Jana M. Gamble

#HMA #HolaMiAmor #JanaMGamble #Love #Grateful #UnderConstruction