Friday...Femininity.

What is your idea of true femininity? I was thinking about how often the idea of "woman" and "feminine" is so messed up according to our culture. You need to be everything: Amazing cook (delicious, healthy, nutritious, meals), gardener, cleaner, gorgeous, sexy, perfect, and hold a job (like be a CEO) and bake cookies for your kids somehow and be able to knit, sew, scrapbook, and be computer savvy, and keep up on your calls, e-mails, voice-mail, answering machine, and have perfect etiquette and exercise for an hour every day. Can you do this and also be the soccer mom, take the kids to ballet, karate, swimming, tennis, and piano lessons. Your kids must be perfect and well-behaved and genius and well rounded.... the list goes on. Okay, so we're not all that. At least I'm not all that. We're also supposed to look a certain way. So much is based on image and appearance.

The Bible gives us Proverbs 31:10-31 (who seems a bit like super woman to)...

10 An excellent wife who can find?She is far more precious than jewels.11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,and he will have no lack of gain.12 She does him good, and not harm,all the days of her life.13 She seeks wool and flax,and works with willing hands.14 She is like the ships of the merchant;she brings her food from afar.15 She rises while it is yet nightand provides food for her householdand portions for her maidens.16 She considers a field and buys it;with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.17 She dresses herself with strengthand makes her arms strong.18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.Her lamp does not go out at night.19 She puts her hands to the distaff,and her hands hold the spindle.20 She opens her hand to the poorand reaches out her hands to the needy.21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,for all her household are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes bed coverings for herself;her clothing is fine linen and purple.23 Her husband is known in the gateswhen he sits among the elders of the land.24 She makes linen garments and sells them;she delivers sashes to the merchant.25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,and she laughs at the time to come.26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.27 She looks well to the ways of her householdand does not eat the bread of idleness.28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;her husband also, and he praises her:29 “Many women have done excellently,but you surpass them all.”30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,and let her works praise her in the gates.

So how are we to be women? How are we to be feminine? What does this look like? By the way Please DO NOT quote books I would like to hear how this works out in your own life. How are we to be women who please God and not give into our culture... or kill ourselves trying to be perfect?