Reformed SHEology

Perhaps one of the most awful questions a woman can ask a man is "Do you think I'm fat?" Equally as unpleasant for a man to hear are its cousins, "Do you think I need to lose some weight?"; "Does my butt look big in this?" as well as the self-evaluative, "I feel so fat today," and "I'm ugly," which, in spite of their declarative nature still beg for a response. Finally, there is the completely ruthless, "Do you think she's prettier than me?"

Ladies, is it not true that there is one and only one reason why we do this to men? See if your assessment lines up with mine . . .

Essentially, in evaluating my own heart and observing the actions of others, I believe the motive behind asking men questions such as these will always fall into into one of two categories:
1) I am insecure and need reassurance from a man, any man, that I am attractive;
2) I know I'm attractive and I want to force every man in my path to acknowle…

Physical appearance is a concern that is commonly designated to women. Yet in our increasingly superficial society, more and more men are feeling the pressure to measure up to the culture's standard of attractiveness. Since our theme this month is true beauty, we thought we'd examine some of the issues surrounding male pattern baldness . . . and see if perhaps the Bible might have anything to say about the subject. In honor of our brothers in Christ, who are more visual, we've decided to go with more images in order to demonstrate that bald is beautiful!

Fact: Adults lose about 100 scalp hairs each and every day.

Scripture Says: The very hairs on your head are all numbered. (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7)

Fact: Men begin losing their hair as early as age 20. Therefore, baldness is not a sign of age.

Scripture says: The glory of young men is their strength,but the splendor of old men is their gray hair. (Proverbs 20:29, emphasis added)


Fact: Baldness is commonly regarded by many as…

Celebrity top beauty tips, 20 Anti-aging secrets, The Ultimate Guide to Managing the Home! Today, women are bombarded by such headlines on the magazine shelf, internet, junk mail, etc. Headlines such as these are written for a reason. They draw the reader's attention because the writers know what are on most women’s minds and what it is that will get them to buy their products. I see these headlines all the time but the question is what is it that is on my mind most of the time? Is aging an issue for me? Do I think "wouldn’t this article help because so and so endorses the topic?" This got me thinking about, well, thinking actually! Let me explain.

With my youngest starting nursery I have found that even though I am still busy with many things to get done in the day I am now, for a couple of hours at least, less distracted. But now a new distraction has arisen. My mind is now more freely allowed to think and meditate on things. But there is a problem: trial and temptation…

Nobody asked me to my senior prom. With only two months to go, things were looking bleak. So I took it upon myself to do the asking. I had set my sights on Brian. He was smart, handsome, funny, and extremely talented. He was quickly becoming one of the most popular boys in school, yet in spite of the approval Brian was receiving from others, I found myself at the center of gossip. Even with all his impressive adolescent credentials, Brian was still considered "aiming low." That's because Brian was a sophomore.

There were lots of seniors that year who chose dates that were two years younger. Nobody made fun of them. There did not seem to be any controversy over the older boys that had chosen younger girls to be their dates. But for me, an older girl, to be taken to the prom by a younger boy, well . . . that was nothing short of scandalous!

That was 1992. Yet not much has changed since then, has it? It is interesting to note how much "progress" same-sex couples h…

Despise, condemn, disdain, abhor, detest, disregard, hate, loathe.... I'm sure that everyone reading this article has at some point in their lives been treated badly by someone because they have felt one of the above towards you. It breaks my heart to hear stories of how people were bullied or mocked and no one stood with them. They were left to bear the pain, stigma and shame alone. When we hear some of the names people have been called it almost always boils down to one thing.....that person doesn't meet up to the world's standards of beauty, therefore they are the perfect targets for the bully. Granted, (and let me stress this point) some are actually bullied out of jealousy for their looks but in this article I want to look at those who, in the world's eyes are despised for not meeting its standards for worth. But we as Christians are reassured and know that this world's standard of "True Beauty" is not the same as God's.

I can speak from experienc…

I am a huge fan of pop music of the 1950's and 1960's. As a child, I would listen to the oldies station on the radio and memorize both the lyrics and the backup vocals of songs that were made popular years before I was born. They seemed to take me back to a simpler time, where love and romance seemed far more pure, innocent, and genuine than the teenage dramas that were unfolding all around me. Although many of them had their share of "love at first sight" themes, many of these songs seemed to focus on character traits rather than physical attributes. The only problem with these songs was many of them insinuated that good character was not compatible with good looks. Consider the following select lyrics from these oldies but goodies:

The Temptations, Beauty's Only Skin Deep
Now, good looks, I've learned to do without.
'Cause now I know it's love that really counts.
A pretty face you may not possess,
but what I like about you is your tenderness
The Dave …

Although I highly enjoy all the films of the month that we feature on this site, none has excited me as much as our film for September 2008. All About Eve is perhaps Hollywood's greatest story of an aging actress who finds herself scrambling to defend her career against a conniving, backstabbing diva. Bette Davis plays the aging Margo Channing, whose star is on the decline. Anne Baxter is Eve Harrington, the ambitious and driven young woman who uses her feminine charms to manipulate her way to the top. Both women deliver stellar performances and the film is loaded with issues that will resonate with women everywhere.

STATS
Year: 1950 (Not Rated)
Written and Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Gary Merrill, Celeste Holm.
Setting: New York City, 1950's.

Fourteen Oscar nominations (rivaled only by 1997's Titanic) and six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Content warning: No objectionable content observed.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
1. The …