Beautiful Femininity

"Femininity is an attitude of contentment

and delight in how God made us as women."

~ Michelle Brock - What is Modesty?" ~

"To me, a lady is not frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous and fluff-brained,

but she is gentle.

She is gracious, she is godly and she is giving...

You and I, if we are women, have the gift of femininity.

Very often it is obscured just as the image of God is obscured in all of us...

The more womanly we are, the more manly men will be, and the more God is glorified.

As I say to you women, 'Be women. Be only women. Be real women in obedience to God."

~ Elisabeth Elliot  ~

(click here for more from Elisabeth Elliot)

"The attributes of a great lady may still be found in the rule of the four S's -
sincerity, simplicity, sympathy, and serenity."
~ Emily Post ~

"Mystique means guarding what is sacred,
protecting the essence of who we are from the inside out -
our heart, emotions, intimate thoughts, and physical body.
A woman with mystique delicately preserves the treasure of who she is,
keeping herself carefully set apart for one who proves he is worthy of such a gift."
~ Lesley Ludy - Authentic Beauty ~

"Only when we learn to vigilantly protect our sacred inner sanctuary of intimacy
with our heavenly Prince can we begin to truly develop the art of feminine mystique.
As we spend time in His presence, we become more like Him.
As we become more like Him,
we learn to carefully guard what is sacred - just as He does."
~ Lesley Ludy - Authentic Beauty ~

"Are you glad to be a woman? 
Does your dress give evidence you are grateful for the way God made you?
This does not mean that lace and pale pink must dominate our wardrobes,
but simply that we reflect we are grateful God made us women.
~ Jennifer J. Lamp - His Chosen Bride ~

"We are called to be women.
The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian,
but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.
For I have accepted God's idea for me, 
and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am 
and all that He wants me to be."
~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

"It seems to be the fashion nowadays for a girl to behave as much like a man as possible.
Well, I won't!
I'll make the best of being a girl and be as nice as a specimen as I can:
sweet and modest, a dear, dainty thing with clothes smelling all sweet and violety, 
a soft voice, and pretty, womanly ways.
Since I'm a girl, I prefer to be a real one!"
~ Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey ~

"Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence,
the richest gem in the diadem of her honor."
~ Noah Webster ~

"My Princess ... You are My true beauty.
Your real beauty is a work of art - hand carved by Me.
I have given you beautiful lips to speak words of life, beautiful eyes to see Me in everything,
beautiful hands to help those in need, and a beautiful face to reflect My love to the world.
I will work wonders that will radiate true beauty from within.
And when My work is completed, your character will show off My craftsmanship,
and your beauty marks will be remembered by all that were loved by you.
Love,
Your radiant King"
~ Sheri Rose Shepherd - His Princess ~

I hope these words are a blessing to you - they certainly encouraged and challenged me!
Have a beautiful weekend, lovely ladies :)

First of all, I want to thank sweet JES for featuring my post 

about the beauty of femininity on her delightful blog.
JES has been a precious sister in the Lord to me
and I am thankful for her relationship with the heavenly Father.

It is truly an honor to be apart of her blog today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My name is Stephanie and you will find me blogging over at The Enchanting Rose.

My little place is filled with posts about my love for the Lord Jesus Christ,

blessed words of encouragement, beloved hymns, unique crafting tutorials, charming tea cups,

and delicious recipes (especially desserts since I have a terrible sweet tooth).

Feel free to visit at any time - it's always a pleasure meeting new people.

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."
~ Psalm 34:3 ~

Many blessings to you!

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Christian Homemaking, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Hearts for Home Thursdays, and Growing in Grace Thursdays. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

A Beauty Tip

William Paxton (1869-1941) - Girl combing her hair before the mirror.

"She looked at herself in the glass with some anxiety, for the first time in her life. She saw a slight, lean figure, promising to be tall; a complexion browner than cream-coloured, although in a year or two it might have that tint; plentiful curly black hair, tied up in a bunch behind with a rose- coloured ribbon; long, almond-shaped, soft grey eyes, shaded both above and below by curling black eye-lashes.

‘I don’t think I am pretty,’ thought Molly, as she turned away from the glass; ‘and yet I am not sure.’ She would have been sure, if, instead of inspecting herself with such solemnity, she had smiled her own sweet merry smile, and called out the gleam of her teeth, and the charm of her dimples."

~ Elizabeth Gaskell, Wives and Daughters

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance..."

~ Proverbs 15:13a

This post may be shared with some or all of the following lovely link-ups: Modest Mom Monday's, Teach Me Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, and Deep Roots at Home. Thank you, dear ladies, for hosting these!

Finery ~ A Poem for Young Ladies

Vanity by Auguste Toulmouche

Finery

In an elegant frock, trimm'd with beautiful lace,

And hair nicely curl'd, hanging over her face,

Young Fanny went out to the house of a friend,

With a large little party the evening to spend.

"Ah! how they will all be delighted, I guess,

And stare with surprise at my handsome new dress!"

Thus said the vain girl, and her little heart beat,

Impatient the happy young party to meet.

But, alas! they were all too intent on their play

To observe the fine clothes of this lady so gay,

And thus all her trouble quite lost its design;­

For they saw she was proud, but forgot she was fine.

'Twas Lucy, though only in simple white clad,

(Nor trimmings, nor laces, nor jewels, she had,)

Whose cheerful good-nature delighted them more

Than Fanny and all the fine garments she wore.

'Tis better to have a sweet smile on one's face,

Than to wear a fine frock with an elegant lace,

For the good-natured girl is loved best in the main,

If her dress is but decent, though ever so plain.

~  by Jane Taylor (1783-1824) *

*Historical Note: Ms. Taylor is also the author of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

and the poem "Violet" featured here about modesty of character.

The Basket of Flowers

"James took advantage of his daughter's love for flowers,

to give her many lessons of heavenly wisdom."

~ The Basket of Flowers by Christoph von Schmid

Violets by Catherine Klein

"When she brought him her first spring violet, he said to her,

"Let this flower, my dear Mary, be the emblem of humility and

of that quiet benevolence which does good in secret.

In its quiet dress of deep blue, decked by no gaudy colours,

it modestly hides under the green leaves and is scarcely seen,

while shedding around it the richest perfume.

Try to resemble it, dear Mary; care not for gay ornaments and

vain display but strive to obtain that 'ornament of a meek an quiet spirit,

which is in the sight of God of great price."

White Lilies by Dennis Francesconi

"This lily, my dear child, is the emblem of purity.

How easily its bright leaves are stained!

Scarcely can they be touched when they are injured.

Thus the very least approach of vice pollutes and corrupts the soul.

Pray, dear Mary, for purity of heart."

Roses by Catherine Klein

"Let the rose," he said, "be the emblem of modesty,

as it resembles the blush which rises to the cheek of a modest girl."

Roses by Paul DeLongpre

"But there is another lesson to be learned from the rose:

after it's beautiful colors have faded, it still retains its fragrance;

when its leaves are brown and withered,

they are even sweeter than in their fresh and lovely youth.

Thus it is, dear Mary, with a true Christian. Thus let it be with you.

The cheek of youth will fade, outward beauty will decay,

but strive to acquire those graces of the mind which are unfading and imperishable."

Basket of Flowers by Paul DeLongpre

"Thus did Mary, day by day, learn from her good old father…"

~ Excerpts from The Basket of Flowers

And now... "Mary is falsely accused of stealing, and the penalty is death. She had always been taught that it is better to die for the truth than to live for a lie-for the worst pillow to sleep on is the pillow of a guilty conscience. Will the darkest and most dreadful night help Mary find God for herself or will she live in the shadow of a faith that is not her own? This is a story that will cause you to shed a tear or two and at the same time cultivate a hope that will never disappoint!" ~ Lamplighter Publishers

You may also be interested in:

A Unit Study on Flowers and Femininity ~

For mothers to do with daughters…

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Christian Homemaking, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Hearts for Home Thursdays, and Growing in Grace Thursdays. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

The Beauty of Modesty ~ A Collection of Quotes

Spring Maiden by Thomas Francis Dicksee

MOD'EST, a. [L. modestus, from modus, a limit.]
1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful; as a modest youth; a modest man.
2. Not bold or forward; as a modest maid. The word may be thus used without reference to chastity.
"The blushing beauties of a modest maid." ~ Dryden
3. Not loose; not lewd.
"Mrs. Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife." ~ Shakespeare
4. Moderate; not excessive or extreme; not extravagant; as a modest request; modest joy; a modest computation.

~ Webster's 1828 Dictionary

After Service by Edmund Blair Leighton

"How does a woman look who loves the Lord? What should be her distinguishing external qualities? Though there are greatly different opinions about how one should look, I think there are some basic, yet very important principles on which we would all agree.

First of all, as His jewels, our greatest focus should be on a countenance which reflects the One we love, and nothing that would distract." 

~ by Jennifer J. Lamp, Excerpt from His Chosen Bride

Little Women by Jessie Wilcox Smith

"You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long, and the great charm of all power is modesty."

~ Louisa May Alcott, Excerpt from Little Women

Julia Gathering Roses by Daniel Ridgway Knight

“Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of her honor.”

~ Noah Webster

Reminiscences by William John Montaigne

“One of the first evidences of a real lady, is that she should be modest. By modesty we mean that she shall not say, do, nor wear anything that would cause her to appear gaudy, ill-bred, or unchaste. There should be nothing about her to attract unfavorable attention, nothing in her dress or manner that would give a man an excuse for vulgar comment. When we dress contrary to the rule of modesty we give excuse for unwholesome thoughts in the mind of those who look upon us, and every girl who oversteps these bounds makes herself liable to misunderstanding and insult, though she may be innocent of any such intention.”

~ Margaret Hale, Excerpt from North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Girl Reading by Charles Edward Perugini

"Every young woman should dress well, that is, neatly, tastefully, modestly, whether she be rich or poor. Conspicuous dressing is vulgar. True refinement avoids anything showy and flashy: it never dresses better than it can afford, and yet it is always well dressed, even in simple muslin or plain calico."

~ J.R. Miller

The Shrine by John Waterhouse

"When a woman veils her body in modest clothing, she is not hiding herself from men. On the contrary, she is revealing her dignity to them."

~ Unknown

Cutting Roses by Daniel Ridgway Knight

"So we cannot look around at others for examples. We must have a conscience toward God ourselves, and answer these questions before Him in our own hearts.  As for myself I cannot wear what I know is not becomingly modest for a Christian to wear."

~ by Mabel Hale, Excerpt from Beautiful Girlhood, Revised by Karen Andreola

The Song of the Nightingale by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

~ 1 Peter 3:3-4

Biondina by Frederic Lord Leighton

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array…"

~ 1 Timothy 2:9

Prayer by George Frederick Watts

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

~ Romans 12:1-2

These quotes on modesty would also make excellent copywork for young ladies. ~ JES

You may also be interested in:

Bathsheba's Beauty ~ A Message of Modesty

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Christian Homemaking, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Hearts for Home Thursdays, and Growing in Grace Thursdays. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

Beautiful Hands

"In the cloakroom of a certain school a question arose among some girls as to who had the most beautiful hands. The teacher listened to her girls thoughtfully. They compared hands and explained secrets of keeping them pretty. Nettie said that a girl could not keep perfect hands and wash dishes or sweep. Maude spoke of the evil effects of cold and wind and too much sunshine. Stella told of her favorite cold cream. Ethel spoke of proper manicuring. At last the teacher spoke.

“To my mind Jennie Higgins has the most beautiful hands of any girl in school,” she said quietly.

“Jennie Higgins!” exclaimed Nettie in amazement; “why, her hands are rough and red and look as if she took no care of them. I never thought of them as beautiful.”

“I have seen those hands carrying dainty food to the sick, and soothing the brow of the aged. She is her widowed mother’s main help, and she it is who does the milking and carries the wood and water, yes, and washes dishes night and morning, that her mother may be saved the hard work. I have never known her to be too tired to speak kindly to her little sister and help her in her play. I have found those busy hands helping her brother with his kite. I tell you I think they are the most beautiful hands I have ever seen, for they are always busy helping somewhere.”

~ Excerpt from Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale

Linked up to: Deep Roots at Home

Against Pride in Clothes

In Anticipation of an Invitation by Jennie Brownscombe

Against Pride in Clothes

Why should our garments, made to hide

Our parents' shame, provoke our pride? 

The art of dress did ne'er begin

Till Eve our mother learnt to sin.

When first she put the covering on,

Her robe of innocence was gone;

And yet her children vainly boast

In the sad marks of glory lost.

How proud we are! how fond to shew

Our clothes, and call them rich and new,

When the poor sheep and silkworms wore

That very clothing long before!

The tulip and the butterfly

Appear in gayer coats than I:

Let me be dress'd fine as I will,

Flies, worms, and flowers exceed me still.

Then will I set my heart to find

Inward adornings of the mind:

Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace,

These are the robes of richest dress.

No more shall worms with me compare,

This is the raiment angels wear:

The Son of God, when here below,

Put on this blest apparel too.

It never fades, it ne'er grows old,

Nor fears the rain, nor moth, nor mould:

It takes no spot, but still refines;

The more `tis worn, the more it shines.

In this on earth would I appear,

Then go to heaven, and wear it there:

God will approve it in his sight;

'Tis his own work, and his delight.

by ~ Isaac Watts

Other paintings we viewed by Jennie Brownscombe in addition to this page:

Autumn Foliage

Ready for the Oven

Girl with Guitar

Give Thanks

A Desire to Be Beautiful

A Beauty by John Everett Millais

"A desire to be beautiful is not unwomanly. A woman who is not beautiful cannot properly fill her place. But, mark you, true beauty is not of the face, but of the soul. There is a beauty so deep and lasting that it will shine out of the homeliest face and make it comely. This is the beauty to be first sought and admired. It is a quality of the mind and heart and is manifested in word and deed. A happy heart, a smiling face, loving words and deeds, and a desire to be of service, will make any girl beautiful."

~ An excerpt from Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale