Boatload Chronicles

As I was putting fresh, clean sheets on my bed this evening, I stubbed my toes on one of the drawers underneath the bed. I now have a very bad cut on my little toe on my left foot. It was bleeding very nastily. This is just a tiny little example of how bad my week has been, and today has been one of the better days of the week. But here is the weekend which promises to look better.

My sister called me on Sunday to tell me that she is now engaged. Wow. She is only two years younger than I, and she is the same age that I was when I got engaged, but she's my little sister, and she seems so much younger to me than I was. But I'm happy for her. I know how hard it is to wait for years to finally be able to get engaged. And I know how hard it is to wait another whole year or so before finally getting married.

I splurged a little bit a couple of days ago and bought a "Self" magazine. The title alone sent warning bells off in my head, but it actually seems to be pretty good. The title doesn't imply so much that a woman should be selfish and think about herself all the time but that while she is working and caring for her family, she needs to remember to take care of herself as well. The magazine gives lots of tips for how to stay in shape, even if you work all day at a desk, and it also gives the typical make-up and hair tips for frazzled and hurried women. It doesn't seem so much like a magazine to stroke women's vanity, but it seems more like a magazine to help women see themselves as worthwhile. I do think there is a difference there. We hear so many stories about women who snatch a husband and then let themselves go-- they stop doing their hair and make-up, they stop dressing nicely, and they start putting on the weight. "Self" magazine encourages women to recognize that they should not do that. They need to look and feel pretty for themselves as well as for their husbands.

Men are commanded in Proverbs to delight in the bodies of their wives and let theirs wives breasts satsify them for the rest of their days. Now all women know that men are stimulated by sight while women are stimulated by emotion. So if a man's wife isn't pleasing to look at anymore, how is he supposed to delight in her? I am not making excuses for adultry. Adultry is sin, and there is no good excuse for it at all. But women, we need to encourage our husbands to delight is US by keeping our bodies clean and beautiful for them. Bathe daily, take an effort to dress comfortably but nicely, fix that hair (my hair is virtually unfixable, but I at least keep it clean and brushed), and eat healthy foods (stepping on my own toes here--I've gained 6 or 7 lbs in this past year of marriage). Delight yourselves in your husbands, and make an effort to look beautiful for them.

posted by Rashell at 3:33 PM