Dear Esther,
My friend at school has a smart phone and I normally don’t go near it, but the other day she pulled it out and randomly shouted “Selfie,” whatever that means, and took a picture of us using this filter on some app called SnipTalk. Anyway, she showed me the picture and I know I shouldn’t have looked, but it was so pretty! The filter had put makeup on me and the lighting was wonderful and it just looked great. I was worried that someone would see it, but she said it only lasts 10 seconds before it’s deleted, so I agreed to let her share it. Ever since that day I’ve found myself wanting to be in more of these SnapPic pictures but I know it’s wrong. What should I do?
– Photogenic in Florida
Photogenic,
Next time your friend goes to take a SnapChat, grab her phone out of her hands and throw it across the room. That way you can eliminate the source of the temptation and save your friend from vain technological involvement at the same time. She may be upset with you at first, but her soul will thank you later.
Stay Modest, Esther
Dear Esther,
Hi, I’m seventeen and I have a very serious question. How do I get boys to notice me? I’ll be getting married sometime in the next two years and there’s this guy who lives about five miles over at the next farm and he’s really cute, although it can be hard to see him very well since we sit on opposite sides of the room at church. I’ve never really talked to him, but he hasn’t ever seemed to notice me, and I was wondering if maybe I was too plain. What is it that actually attracts boys? Thanks for your help!
–LongingforLove in Iowa
LongingforLove,
The best way to catch any respectable boy’s attention is to maintain your modest appearance. No sane man wants a loose wife who runs around with her bonnet strings untied and her skirts hiked up to her ankles. His parents definitely wouldn’t approve either, so embrace the plainness of your everyday attire. In the end, you’ll end up with a wonderful man, even if it isn’t your cute neighbor.
Stay Modest, Esther
Dear Esther,
Have you ever been so bad at doing something everyone else can do that you never want to show your face again? That’s how I feel about singing. You see, I’m tone deaf. Every Sunday everyone around me is harmonizing beautifully and there I am, wailing like a dying cow. The adults ignore it, but all of my peers giggle at me every time we sing a hymn and I don’t know what I can do to fix this! Help me, please!
– HorriblyUnharmonious in Ontario
HorriblyUnharmonious,
Harmonizing isn’t everything, dear. What really matters is what you’re singing, not how you sound. So don’t be afraid to use those pipes of yours to belt out an off key tune. Your peers will soon realize that it isn’t their place to judge how you sing, and they’ll learn to keep their noses to themselves.
Stay Modest, Esther