Posted in Feminine Appearance 1
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Think for a minute of the most feminine woman you've ever seen. It doesn't matter if it was a photograph, on TV, in a movie or magazine, on the newspaper, or in a store or on the sidewalk walking by you. Keep thinking. What was it about her that really made you take notice that she was all girl? (Not in a harlot-like sense) Was it her clothes? Her hair? Make-up? Jewelry? Shoes? What?
Many great women have possessed this characteristic. It is called....grace. Every step they take, every move they make, oozes grace. They seem to be ballet dancing without the toe shoes and tutu's. These women make scrubbing the floor look like a pleasureWatching them stir a bowl of cookie dough is a sight of beauty to behold.
The delightful ladies grace goes deeper than just physical dynamics. Even their emotions are full of grace. One of the most well-known women who possessed this characteristic was Jackie Kennedy (Jackie O. in later years). In every photo of Mrs. Kennedy immediately after JFK was shot, during the funeral and years after when she was better recognized as Jackie O, seen yet unseeable in each one is her grace. (Forgive me if using her as an example offends you.)
Of all the women through history, time and space, who should posses grace, it is us. Not as a result of the era in which we live, but because of who we are. We are Christians, bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. His GRACE was extended to us, freely. He GIVES us grace to live by and we are commanded to GROW in GRACE. If anyone should exude grace it's us. Precious Sisters, we need to let GRACE ooze from every pore and corpusle of our body. GRACE should be like a fountain of sweet water, refreshment to the heart and soul, of all who come in contact with us day by day. The question is-Does it?
How is your attitude when things don't go as planned-loss of a job, car accident, expectations fall short, etc? Be honest with yourself.
In the face of emergencies or tradgedy, what do you think, say and do?
As we delve into GRACE, may I remind you Dear Ladies, that GRACE is feminine trait. (The male 'version' is masculine)
We are to walk, move, live, speak, think, and hear wiht GRACE.
Literally walking with GRACE sets us apart from the guys. It says, "Thank You Lord for making me a woman". Mind you, a feminine walk and a harlot walk are NOT the same thing. They are as different as a waltz is from disco.
To be feminine means we must root out the feminIST ideaology that has infiltrated our hearts and minds. To LOVE your FEMININITY will fly in the face of the world. To do that, you must repent of all the anti-feminine, feminIST ideas, thoughts, that you believe, (for some, this might include giving up pursuits of manly habits, hobbies etc.)
Sisters, Oh Sisters, God made us WOMEN. He created us in a special way. We are different from the menfolk, beyond simple biology and physical appearnce. Precious Ladies, if you are in search of peace and fulfillment and haven't found it yet, if you tried so many other things, perhaps the root problem is accepting yourself just as you are, as God made you. He made us to be WOMEN.
Accepting ourselves, our minds, hearts, souls, bodies-shape, size, hormones, etc are just the first step. We should celelbrate womenhood and love how God made us. Then we can begin to practice walking with grace as well as growing in it. |
Posted in Feminine Appearance 1
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Femininity is one of those attributes that has been lost with the rise of feminism, ERA, women's rights, and the like.
What is femininity? According to Websters 1828 FEM'ININE, a. [L. femininus, from femina, woman. The first syllable may be and probably is from wemb or womb, by the use of f for w; the b not being radical. The last part of the word is probably from man, quasi, femman, womb-man.]
feminine is also found in 15 definitions:
Too often, we equate femininity with weakness and being a doormat, or being mousy. True women are none of these things, yet they do not flaunt it.
Being feminine isn't just wearing miles of lace and yards of ruffles; nor is galavanting about wearing hats that hinder your sight, or clothes that cannot be worn for normal daily chores.
Being feminine is being womanly. No only in manner of dress, but also in body language and speech. Part of my purpose is to assist you in finding your femininity and letting it shine forth like a beacon.
The ideaology behind the feminist movement was to let women make a mark in the world and find fulfillment which they supposedly could find in fulfilling the traditional female roles as our foremothers did since time began. Career women are going back home because they have not found the joy they hoped for in working and being somebody in the executive offices.
The Bible clearly tells us the roles of women, and what our responsibilities are. These duties apply to married and single women alike. A single woman won't love her husband, but she can love her father, and in a sense love her Pastor as a spiritual father. God should be her husband. She can mother children who have no mother, or help a mother who is overwhelmed etc. But these are all things we shall attend to in detail later in the future.
Let me leave with these final thoughts to ponder. As I stated in previous post, our life is a work in progress. I asked you to examine yourself to see what, if anything, God had asked you to give up or change. I asked if this was "too much" of Him to ask.
If you think femininity is unimportant and of no interest to God, ask yourself this: Why does God make a distinction in roles of women and men? Why does God command women to behave and dress specific ways?
How feminine are you? Are your actions, language and body language womanly or manly? Have you ever been mistaken for a man when seen from behind? If someone were to see you from a distance would they know you were a woman by your demeanor, and attire?
This is not a popular topic and many will be upset. But please dear Sisters, I speak not to beat you down, but to lift you from the bondage of trying to play both roles and doing neither well.
Prayerfully consider what I have said. I hope you will come back and visit another day. My prayer is to learn with you and help you be Godly Feminine Woman glorifying God. |
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My life, your life, is a work in progress.
A True artist may spend decades, yeah, a lifetime on one masterpiece. When acquiring a granite block, a sculptor doesn't rush for his chisel and haphazardly chip away hoping to simply uncover a hidden figure in the center, as if on an archaeological dig. A painter reaches for a chair on which to sit and gaze at the blank canvas before his eyes. Before commencing to create a "work of art" the creator must have a vision for his finished work. It may takes weeks, months, or years for him to envision what he will paint or sculpt. Money and time mean nothing in comparison to seeing his/her dream become a reality, to be thing of beauty that will endure for generations to come.
Each one of us is a work of art. Our Creator-Father has invested His heart is shaping and moulding us daily. Time doesn't matter. He has all the resources He needs at His disposal. As we yield our heart, mind and will to Him, He can then begin to work on making us into a thing of beauty that will endure for generations to come. .
The sculptor with chisel in hand, hammers away the excess stone. The "rough work" has begun. It might take innumerable hours of chiseling, chipping away, shaping the rock.
Our Heavenly Father uses the hammer of His Word to purge from our hearts and minds, and life, all the excesses that are needless or useless to Him. The time for this is dependent upon the vision God has for us; and how soft we are to the chiselling process, and just how much must be chiseled away.
Engraving a name and date on a gravestone is nothing compared to releasing a lion from it's prison of marble.
Next is the refinement of the rough cut. The basic form is there, and it is time to shape it to more closely resemble the finished work.
The LORD, after the work of casting off the unusable stuff, takes us in His loving hands and begins shaping us. At first the marble cast away might have been some blatant sin, but now it is those questionable things in our lives-friends, activities, books, clothes, movies,.... These are smaller pieces to get rid of but must be removed if the desired result is to be achieved.
Now the tedious work begins. Hours pass by as a blink of the eye when trying to get it "just right".
The Master Sculptor knows no time. He will keep right on working on the trouble spots to get them just right. He will keep on working on us until we are finished.
Last of all is the polishing. Lovingly, gently, firmly, the stone is rubbed, and scrubbed, and buffed, and polished until it gleams and sparkles in the sunlight. Then the artist is satisfied with his work and proclaim voila'!
Our Sculptor has to polish us as well. He lovingly, gently and firmly rubs, scrubs, buffs and polishes us until we gleam and sparkle too. He wants us to shine in the light of His Dear Son, Jesus Christ.
His vision for us is to conform us to the image of Jesus. How does He accomplish this? Each trial, hardship, calamity, broken dream, shattered hope; each joy, blessing, hope fulfilled; is part of the process. The more we resiste the longer it takes, but to Him that is nothing. Time is for us, not Him. Often life is like the blink of an eye. We feel so young inside, and yet the calendar reminds us that time is fleeting....a vapour that vanished away.
Oh dear Sisters, will you yield yourself to the Artist and His Vision for you? Will you submit to the pain as He cuts away the junk? Will you be still and know He is God as He smoothes and refines those areas that need work? Can you linger long enough to wait for Him to take you into His Hands and Lovingly polish, buff, and soothe your weary, aching soul and heart?
Sisters, is the price to high? Too often I've heard ladies saying, "He's still working on me." and they've used it as an excuse to sin. Sister, oh dear Sisters, is He really working on YOU? Have you laid on the altar YOUR ALL for Him to conform you to the image of Christ? Have you fought against the chisel, and pulled away from the polishing cloth?
When God speaks to you about giving up some thing or endeavor or ministry, do you cry out "anything Lord but not THAT"?
Can you still honestly say "it is too much to ask" when God knock on yoru heart or asks you to give up this, or to do that?
Your life, and mine, are works in progress. Only when we are put on display in Heavens Museum of Art will we know how perfect or imperfect we are. The only one we can blame for the imperfect or unfinishedness of our life is ourselves. God does all things well. He finishes what He starts if we yield ourselves to the Potters hand. |