Feminine Inspiration No. 1
Feminine Inspiration No. 1
Emma of Charming the Birds from the Trees hosts a delightful regular entitled “Feminine Inspiration.” I hope to make it a tradition at Cabbages and Kings as well. In these posts, I will share tidbits on how to encourage and nurture femininity in your own life.
Please remember, as we look for ways to cultivate charm, that true loveliness comes from within. “Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair.” (Jeremiah 4:30) Please read Beautiful Things for a Biblical analysis of beauty.
Victor Hugo, the illustrious French novelist (perhaps best known for his epic Les Miserables) wrote, “There is in this world no function more important that that of being charming -- to shed joy around, to cast light upon dark days, to be the golden thread of our destiny and the very spirit of grace and harmony. Is this not to render a service?”
Would you describe yourself as charming, feminine, lovely, pleasing, winsome? Here is a helpful little checklist to see how you are doing. (I would recommend taking this self-assessment periodically, in order to more quickly notice bad habits, as well as to see how you are improving!) I discovered it in an excellent booklet which I would recommend for young ladies (not girls, though). See the bottom of the page for further information.
Remember that the list on the right can be a bit extreme. Don’t assume that because you don’t smell of tobacco, that you have “a delicate fragrance.” I would look at the left side first. Be very honest with yourself: you can’t change if you don’t acknowledge the need for change! Perhaps you should ask a family member or a close friend to complete the checklist for you, but be prepared to receive instruction with a meek and teachable spirit!
How Feminine am I?
These destroy femininity ........ These further femininity
☐ A bulky flabby figure ☐ A trim, disciplined body
☐ Sluggishness ☐ Vitality
☐ An unkept appearance ☐ Careful grooming
☐ Mannish attire ☐ Dainty, pretty clothing
☐ Older, daring styles ☐ Youthful, girlish styles
☐ Revealing clothes ☐ Modesty in dress
☐ Over-display in dress ☐ Quiet, conservative dress
☐ Gaudy makeup ☐ “Natural” makeup
☐ Mannish, short hairdos ☐ Soft, clean hair
☐ A dead-pan face ☐ A ready smile
☐ Tobacco odors ☐ A delicate fragrance
☐ Stained fingers ☐ Clean, lovely hands
☐ Smoking cigarettes ☐ Abstaining from tobacco
☐ Drinking liquor ☐ Abstaining from liquor
☐ Telling off-color jokes ☐ Clean speech
☐ Reading smutty books ☐ Purity of thought life
☐ An ungainly walk ☐ A lovely, graceful walk
☐ Sprawling in chairs ☐ Sitting prettily
☐ A slouching posture ☐ A queen-like posture
☐ A “loud” mouth ☐ Soft, gentle speech
☐ Raspy, gravelly voice ☐ Pleasant vocal tones
☐ Slangy expressions ☐ A refined vocabulary
☐ Malicious gossip ☐ A kind tongue
☐ Swearing and profanity ☐ A reverent attitude
☐ A quarrelsome spirit ☐ A peace-loving disposition
☐ Explosive behavior ☐ Self-control
☐ Domineering attitude ☐ Thoughtfulness of others
☐ Boisterous rowdiness ☐ Ladylike reserve
☐ False sophistication ☐ Sincerity and naturalness
☐ Holding grudges ☐ Forgiving and forgetting
☐ Over-display of self ☐ Dignity and self-respect
☐ Dishonorable actions ☐ Unblemished integrity
☐ Becoming “cheap” ☐ Honor and virtue
☐Pessimism ☐ Optimism
☐ Conceit and vanity ☐ Modest self-confidence
☐ Unchastity ☐ Chastity
SCORE: ___________ SCORE: ___________
How did you do? Perhaps you now have specific goals for improvement. Please do share them with us!
For other inspirational suggestions, please refer to a previous collection, Delighting in the Five Senses.
Text: “How Feminine am I?,” (checklist) from “Christian Charm Course,” by Emily Hunter. © Wayne J, Hunter and Emily Hunter, 1984.
COMMENT ON THIS POST BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO THE HANDMAIDEN.
HANDMAIDEN said...
Well, I will begin with my own confessions. My sisters and I did the list together for myself, so I got a pretty honest look. Here are four (of the several) things I will be specifically seeking to achieve.
1.I will try to use a more cheerful, lively tone of voice. I was told that my voice can be very lethargic at times.
2.Although I tend to sit and stand very well in public, I’ve noticed that my posture is not very good in private. I will be making a conscious effort to improve in this area. Whenever he sees me slump, my grandfather reminds me that my grandmother—even when in the last stages of Alzheimer’s—sat and stood with queenly grace.
3.I can be very domineering, especially to my brothers. I need to work hard and long to cultivate a meek, quiet, respectful, and thoughtful attitude, especially to my own family.
4.My sisters protested that I do use “a refined vocabulary” (and I appreciated their defense), but, as I noted in my post “Why Can’t the English?”, I have been working on eliminating certain words from my daily conversation. “Yeah,” cool,” “neat,” and even the dreaded “like: are some of these.
5.I hold grudges—for a very, very long time. This is something I have been struggling greatly with. I would appreciate your prayers as I learn to forgive and forget.
Well, it’s your turn!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 08:27 AM
Tuesday, December 18, 2007