Upper arms and cleavage...oh my!

[notathumper]

I live near Charlotte, NC which is home to the Proverbs31 Ministries group of women. Lysa Terkeurst heads up this odd assortment of Jesus girls. Each year they have a conference. And, each year menopausal Zoe Elmore falls all over herself with admonishments to the girls registered to attend. Here are some highlights: cover those upper arms (@4:55) and cleavage (@4:57). I guess it would be highly distracting to women and to Jesus! At 5:37 she talks about undergarments. The best is at 5:48 when she warns about women’s “headlights†coming on.

What motivates a woman to pay $650 to attend one of these conferences?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b6nMXZi ... e=youtu.be

[kpmom]

Who are these conferences aimed at? She calls the viewers "girls", but then says to bring business cards to hand out.

[Little_Eyes]

This is squicky. Is she talking to teenage girls or something? But then she talks about being menopausal... In any case, I'm a grown woman. I don't need to be told to pack for a conference. Are they not supposed to be all Proverbs 31 and know how to do all this home management stuff?

Also, if this conference is for Fundie lites, why do they need a lecture on modesty? She's treating them like fools.

And how to put an outfit together... Really? Really?

[notathumper]

This conference is aimed at anyone who will pay the money for it. Here's a link:

http://shespeaksconference.com/

Zoe seems to be their "enforcer". Every year she does this, but it's usually on her blog. This year she's stepping up with her own youtube video!

[Lillybee]

Has anyone noticed that the captions do not match what she is saying. Reading them is very funny.

[kpmom]

Good grief, they have a waiting list of 300 for this conference?

I didn't see any "I got my Christian romance novel published after attending this conference." testimonials.

Did I miss them?

ETA. No, I take that back. One comment did say a publisher contacted her after the conference. Was there more than one?

[NjoyingNsanity]

Geez with all talk of jewelry, colors, make-up ect being distracting you'd think the conference was for women suffering from some pretty extreme cases of ADD.

[notathumper]

Has anyone noticed that the captions do not match what she is saying. Reading them is very funny.

Where are the captions? I didn't see them on the youtube video. Where do you see them? Zoe does list these "necessities" on her blog in a caption-like fashion.

This group of women is full of contradictions. My favorite was last year when Lysa Terkeurst's book came out on craving God and not food. She made a big deal on healthier food, losing weight, etc. Of course, when the Shespeaks conference came around for 2011, they put sample photos up on their web site of gooey, chocolate desserts! I guess they win either way: you buy the book or the desserts.

[Lillybee]

Where are the captions? I didn't see them on the youtube video. Where do you see them? Zoe does list these "necessities" on her blog in a caption-like fashion.

This group of women is full of contradictions. My favorite was last year when Lysa Terkeurst's book came out on craving God and not food. She made a big deal on healthier food, losing weight, etc. Of course, when the Shespeaks conference came around for 2011, they put sample photos up on their web site of gooey, chocolate desserts! I guess they win either way: you buy the book or the desserts.

You have to turn the red button that says CC on.

[notathumper]

You are so right! Thanks for telling me how to turn it on. Some lines are completely different. Hilarious!

[Sunnichick31]

Do fundie women not wear bras or something? Cause if you wear the right bra, there is NO worry of headlights!

[Smooth Beans]

Wow, she would have hated me the other day. I had a 20 minute walk to a dr. appointment, and it was a hot day. Normally I would have worn a cardigan over my fat arms, but that day I decided "fuck it, I'm going to be comfortable" and headed out the door clad only in a spaghetti strapped maxi dress. Oh, the horror! :D

[Witsec7]

So I watched this with the mute on. Dylan doing a very very old live version of Tambourine Man in the background. I'm good with it 8-)

[polabear]

Do fundie women not wear bras or something? Cause if you wear the right bra, there is NO worry of headlights!

Depends on your nipples. I have to wear a well padded bra to hide nipplage. Your standard bra won't cut it.

[AmyP]

Slightly OT, but I saw a woman swimming in a burkini for the first time yesterday. Honestly, I didn't think it was particularly modest once it was wet. The fabric clung very tightly once it was wet. Her shape was just as "on display" as if she had been in a bathing suit. Perhaps more so.

[snarkbillie]

This group of women is full of contradictions. My favorite was last year when Lysa Terkeurst's book came out on craving God and not food. She made a big deal on healthier food, losing weight, etc. Of course, when the Shespeaks conference came around for 2011, they put sample photos up on their web site of gooey, chocolate desserts! I guess they win either way: you buy the book or the desserts.

Oh, god. We had to read that in our ladies study last year. It was quite possibly the most idiotic thing I've ever had to sit through.

[rachelsmith1989]

Do fundie women not wear bras or something? Cause if you wear the right bra, there is NO worry of headlights!

Maybe the very fundie women don't (or wear some granny-panty, lacy brassiere), but they might be labeled as hippies if they don't. I would imagine that their floral, full coverage dresses or jumpers (the seven sisters' blog comes to mind) would do the job a bra can.

[notathumper]

Oh, god. We had to read that in our ladies study last year. It was quite possibly the most idiotic thing I've ever had to sit through.

I've not read the book, though I know the premise: crave God, not food. When looking at the women who make up the roster of Proverbs 31 Ministries, it looks like they're craving food with nary a thought towards God! That's okay with me, but then I don't buy the premise of Lysa Terkeurst's book. It's yet another way women are shamed into certain expectations.

What did you take away from your study of the book?

[notathumper]

Wow, she would have hated me the other day. I had a 20 minute walk to a dr. appointment, and it was a hot day. Normally I would have worn a cardigan over my fat arms, but that day I decided "fuck it, I'm going to be comfortable" and headed out the door clad only in a spaghetti strapped maxi dress. Oh, the horror! :D

That's okay, Smooth, just don't show up in Concord, NC for their conference! Your outfit sounds perfect for the hot summer most of us are enduring.

[snarkbillie]

I've not read the book, though I know the premise: crave God, not food. When looking at the women who make up the roster of Proverbs 31 Ministries, it looks like they're craving food with nary a thought towards God! That's okay with me, but then I don't buy the premise of Lysa Terkeurst's book. It's yet another way women are shamed into certain expectations.

What did you take away from your study of the book?

Mostly that I am fat because I hate God or something. It was the beginning of the end for me with Christianity. I was fundie-lite up until about November 2011. Her book was the straw that broke the camel's back. There was nothing "spiritual" in it at all. It was all "you're a fatty!!!! have more faith fatty!!!!!" Pray instead of eating, blah blah blah.

[JMarie]

Disco makeup!!

[moreorlessnu]

Do fundie women not wear bras or something? Cause if you wear the right bra, there is NO worry of headlights!

I'm guessing you are thinking of very well padded bras?

Very well padded bras increase the bustline (defrauding! Off to the prayer closet for you!!), and they often have underwire which also enhances the bosom (Oh, my! You are going to be in that prayer closet til kingdom come!).

Do fundie girls get to spend good money on undergarments, or are they left to choose from whatever they can find at a discount store? Somehow, I always imagined they just buy the white Fruit-Of-The-Loom briefs in the 6 pack.

I wonder what they do if they are very well endowed, and need a high quality (expensive) bra.

[Lillybee]

I think that some of the well endowed ones bind their breasts, the way big breasted women did in the 20's.

[notathumper]

Snarkbillie,

I'm sorry this book had this effect on you. It doesn't sound like there is any compassion whatsoever in it. To me, so much of contemporary Christianity in this country is comprised of "do this and you will have this happen". It's not true. There are so many stresses in our society that to act like it's so easy to solve something just sets people up for further disappointment.

Thank you for replying to my query. I promise never to read her book based on your experience!

[notathumper]

I poked around the internet a bit and what did I find? The head of Proverbs 31 Ministries in a sleeveless top and it's bright red. No neutrals here! Those upper arms are bare for all to see, too. I'm not sure what Zoe Elmore recommends for a manicure, but it looks like Lysa is sporting bright red nails. Alas, no cleavage so I guess that is really a no-no within this women's group.

Here is the video clip of Lysa Terkeurst, Pres. of Proverbs 31:

http://www.empowerednc.com/speaker2.html

No need to watch it. In fact all I did was look at the still on the page.