"Shop till you drop," is one of my sister's favorite phrases. "Sh-ah-ah-ahpping" is the way my husband describes it when I spend a day with that sister. Anyway you look at it, I have always been fascinated by stores of any sort or size, to peruse more than purchase.

When I was a child, my siblings and I would climb aboard a city bus, drop our dimes into the coin box, and then be carried into the heart of downtown St. Louis. There the windows of those huge department stores would catch our eyes. They would hold fascinating displays of each season, and in the winter we children would gaze into these giant windows of wonderland until we were too cold to stay any longer.

Then we'd scramble through the revolving doors where gusts of warm air would rush over us. A whole new world would open before us of wide aisles filled with shoppers, glittering chandeliers, polished wooden counters and faint smells of chocolate from the candy counter. It was enough to take a child's breath away.

Today I still enjoy a day of shopping with my sisters or friends, but no longer does a shopping trip fill my senses with wonder. I think, perhaps, it is because I am growing older. Yet I think it's something more. These days I find I am very uncomfortable with many of the graphics displayed, not only in specialty shops, but also in family department stores. I truly appreciate a clever advertisement, but many contemporary graphics seem incredibly indecent.

About two years ago one of the national retail stores in our local mall displayed four large posters of beautiful young women in provocative poses, wearing only pantyhose. Quite frankly, I was shocked to see these photos in a family department store. Even though they were in the hosiery department, they could easily be seen from an outside entry door.

I thought maybe I was over reacting until I happened to mention them to the mother of one of my students. She quickly informed me that her preteen boys knew exactly where those photos were. Upon hearing this, I decided I needed to speak up, not only for myself, but also for the children. Research shows most sexual abuse begins with pornography, and five children I taught in the public schools, who had been sexually abused, came easily to my mind. Solomon wrote: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of those who are destitute (Proverbs 31:8).

I called the store's office and was told that all displays were mapped out in the company's central office. I found the phone number of the central office in a distant city and called to express my concern about using nudity to sell products in a family clothing store. A few days later I received a letter stating: "We understand your respect of modestyWe cannot tell you at this time that we will never display the items as we have in the past ..." (Those posters hung in the store for over two years.)

A few weeks after that phone call, I entered the same store, and from the main door into the mall one could view three large suggestive posters in the lingerie department. These graphics were clearly different from the advertisement posters on the opposite side of the aisle.

This time I told a clerk that I wanted to speak to a store manager. Before I knew it, three clerks, an assistant manager and the store manager were at my side ready to listen to my concern. When the male manager left, the female assistant manager asked me to please write a letter to the central office. She begged me to ask my fellow teachers to write letters also. These women, who earned their living at this store, were as offended as I but could do nothing to change the store's policy.

I have since written other letters concerning inappropriate advertisements. At the top of a recent response letter was written: Case #205712. It made me wonder how many other people were voicing their dismay over similar issues.

I have always been amazed at the beauty God created in His children, both intrinsic and extrinsic. I also know how destructive it is to anyone when physical beauty is misused. Knowing we are designed in the image of our Creator, I gaze in awe at newborn babies, at beauty queens, at Olympic athletes or Rodin's sculpture of a human body. David speaks for all of us: I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:14).

As God's children, we need to encourage one another to speak out against indecency and pornography whenever and wherever we encounter it. One person's voice can make a difference, and who knows, your letter may be Case #205713.