Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

I picked this book up at Austin Stone when I was with my mom and told her we should read it together. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as she is recently married and I'm preparing to become a mother. Once we both got the book, we noticed there were lots of discussion questions in the back for each chapter. This would be an easy book to read through and think, "Yes, yes, I know I should do better at that," before moving on to something else. There is so much more here!

Carolyn is an experienced wife and mother, a follower of Jesus Christ, and an easy woman to listen to. In this particular book, she expounds on Titus 2.3-5: "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." Each chapter of the book then goes through one of the characteristics listed. It reveals the sins that prevent those godly attitudes and gives practical ways to effectively accomplish (or work toward) those wonderful traits. But like I said, reading through it probably won't thoroughly convict you or encourage you in your pursuit as a wife or mother.

Journaling through the questions at the end of each chapter through prayer is what made this book so powerful to provoke change in my heart and attitude. My mom and I would read a chapter a week and journal through the questions. We then called each other each Tuesday morning to share our answers with  each other. I highly recommend this book for a group of women to do together, but you can do it with just one other person or even alone. I found that having to say my answers out loud to someone else provided much needed accountability and was a way to receive motivation and encouragement from another person who knows me well.

What I loved most was how involved this book made Andy! It was impossible to go through this book without frank discussion over these topics with my husband. In many of the questions, you are told to ask your husband about these traits. For instance, Chapter Eight (The Beauty of Submission) has this as one of the questions/tasks at the end: "Ask your husband to give you a "grade" in respect. Invite him to share why he gave you the grade that he did. Seek his forgiveness if necessary. Then communicate to him at least one quality you respect about him." How humbling! Needless to say, Andy and I had many honest discussions about how I was doing with each quality which provided lots of challenges and surprising encouragement! (Another good reason for doing it with another woman is that you can't get out of these difficult tasks. The other person is going to ask you what grade your husband gave you and why. You know you will have to give an answer.)

I loved going through this book and each week felt myself being more and more self-aware of what sins were hindering me from being the kind of wife and mother I want to be, the kind that uplifts my family and brings glory to God. Though challenging to face, I also was motivated more than ever to love my family well because it is a main way by which God wants to use me to bring the gospel to life for those around me.

I want to encourage you to not only read this book, but let it reveal the contents of your heart to you. Are you ready to take a good look in the mirror? Don't be afraid of what you might find- all has been redeemed by the cross of Christ!