Comments on: Memoir: Why We Wore Skirts

By: LLMom

LLMom — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:20:46 +0000

Thanks for your post. I have been through some similar things. It helps to blog about it.

By: Tinsa

Tinsa — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:04:39 +0000

I remember thinking along similar lines at my first exposure to ATIA. While I never totally jumped on the bandwagon, I embraced a LOT. You know it well.

Thanks for speaking up. The ones behind us need to hear there is HOPE. Praise God we can see it for what it is now. Every day since our eyes were opened the grip of legalism began to lose its hold on us. Thank you, Jesus!

We’re walking free, dear friend! God has redeemed those days. Love you, sister!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:21:59 +0000

Trish, did you really feel like your long skirts put you in better standing with our heavenly Father? I don’t remember ever feeling that way, or teaching my daughters that wearing pants was somehow evil or wrong or less “spiritual”. I don’t think the “cult” you managed to escape from taught that, either. It was about deference and not being the cause of temptation. At any rate, your family and ours had some great times together. It’s strange how a lesson taught can be interpreted in many ways.

By: Alisa

Alisa — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:12:53 +0000

I’ve often wondered how it is that I was able to see through so many things, like you did with the crazy music doctrines, yet a few certain things managed to sink through into my conscience, as the skirt issue did with you. How does that happen, exactly?

Thanks for telling your story. It needs to be heard.

By: molly

molly — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:20:04 +0000

Wow… This was powerful, powerful, powerful.

I nodded my head when you talked about the day you gave up grace. I have a similar (outwardly, no, inwardly, yes) experience where I left grace and handed over my identity to others. It took me a long, long time to see that. Now, I still can’t read the book of Galatians without getting the chills. Such a strong message on grace, and how “falling from grace” has nothing to do with falling into fleshly sins and everything to do with “falling” into legalism and law-keeping. Yet even though i read my Bible over and over again during that time period, I was blind to the message of Galatians until the pain that life sometimes brings brought me to my knees and helped me take off the blinders.

By: Grace…. Are you done (trying) yet? « Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.~St Therese of Lisieux

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:08:29 +0000

[...] this wonderful post by Trish at Memoir: Why We Wore Skirts She wrote: What happened in that overstuffed, hot theater was that I let go of grace (I know this [...]

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:18:05 +0000

Thanks for sharing this Trish. It needs to be said, I am so concerned for the future and the power of these people over the Christian homeschool world, and potentially their influence in the lives of my own children. I am the Mother of soon to be nine young guys. Back somewhere I had let go of grace also, but not anymore.

Bless you,
Rebecca ~Mom to 9 of the coolest kids!

By: Carole

Carole — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:25:04 +0000

What happened in that overstuffed, hot theater was that I let go of grace (I know this now). I let go of my ability to discern what was right for myself. I gave up something right then and there. No one took it from me, no one forced me to do it. I did it myself.

What a great way of summing it up. While my own “made it out” story doesn’t have to do with long (blue) skirts, it does have to do with my subscribing to beliefs myself. But when clearing one’s mind of what is True versus man’s ideas, it can be hard to remember that though originally they were someone else’s ideas, at some point I gave up grace for a system of belief. Thank you for identifying that.

By: thatmom

thatmom — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:29:54 +0000

Oh, Trish, I was right there with you in Knoxville in 1991, brand new baby #6 in tow, our older children singing in the mass choir wearing their starched navy and white! I was the one in the floral jumper with matching hair bows! And I, too, didn’t really grasp grace at all! I am so thankful every single day the that Lord spared us from ourselves and our foolishness. I have repented of attempting to tear down my household with my own hands and God has been gracious and forgiven me, as have my children.

As dangerous as the Bill Gothard/ATIA movement was at the time, it pales in comparison to the Vision Forum/Kevin Swanson/FIC movement that is seeking and partially succeeding in taking over the Christian homeschooling culture today. Patriocentricity and patriarchy are bringing division in families where none should be and are causing many precious children to question the claims of Christ because the Gospel has become so enmeshed with their false teachings. I grieve for the many moms who are separated from their children; I grieve for their the daughters who are treated as chattel in many homes.

Keep writing and telling your own story. Shout from the rooftops, it is all about God’s grace to us, not any works of righteousness which we have done. He has saved us by His mercy alone!

By: Kathy

Kathy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:19:37 +0000

Thatmom posted your blog site, and I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you sharing your memoir, as challenging as that must be. It gives me hope in the sovereignty, power and mercy of God as I pray for dear people who are headed in the opposite direction you have come, seeking to go deeper into the levels of Patriarchy. Thank you for your courage and for calling a spade (a cult) a spade.