International Women's Day | JOY for Today

(Updated 2/8/2024.)

Women, you are seen. You are valued. You are loved. Enter this worldwide celebration of women with JOY knowing your incredible worth and uplifting every woman that surrounds you.

JOY for Today Offerings:

• Did You Know... Two we didn't.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To the women of right now.
• Bible Verses and Quotes About women.
• Activity Suggestions For finding JOY in being a woman.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

• Get Over it Day (March 9th Annually)
• National Good Samaritan Day (March 13th Annually)
• St. Patrick's Day (March 17th Annually)

Did You Know:

1. The "ideal" body shape for women does not exist? Rather, it has changed throughout history. In the 40's, popularly advertised products promised to help women gain weight, contrary to the modern fit body standard. (Fact Retriever, CNN. and GMA)
2. Women have more densely packed brain cells? Men's brains are 9% larger, but both genders have the same number of brain cells. So, to fit all the cells into a smaller space, a woman's brain cells are packed in tighter. But, while men's overall brain size is larger, the part of the brain responsible for decision making is larger in women.  (Fact Retriever, National Library of Medicine, CBSNews & HowStuffWorks)
3. The "Games of Hera" was the original woman's Olympics? Women, who initially weren't allowed to attend the Olympics, were allowed to compete in foot races at the "Games of Hera". (Fact Retriever & Penn Museum)
4. Women weren't the first gender to wear high heels? Men first wore high heels in the 1600's to heighten their stature to display their masculinity and status. Women began wearing them in imitation of the men. (Fact Retriever & Foot Wear News)
5. Women, from birth, are more social? Baby girls pay more attention to facial expressions, changes in vocal tones, and nonverbal cues than baby boys, a trait that remains in adulthood. (Fact Retriever, Baby Gaga, What to Expect, Baby Center, & Science Daily)

We'd Love to Know:   

What fact about women would you add?

Wolfe Stew Connects

Woman, you are enough. You are complete and under no requirement to fulfill anyone else's list of expectations. Who you are and what you are doing right now matters and is valued. As I think of the women in my life, I see that we, the women of right now, are:

• FOUNDATIONS: We provide security for those around us by showing them deeply rooted, committed love. We listen to their problems, hold them when they are hurting, anticipate their needs, extend and seek forgiveness continually, and demonstrate our limitless love in a million personally relevant ways.
• SELF-SACRIFICING: We are the mother who goes camping in the mountains despite hating the cold because she knows her family enjoys it; the daughter who cleans the kitchen and makes dessert to bring unexpected joy to her family; the wife who contributes to a project that overwhelms her husband; the sister who steps in to do the chores no one else will do; the teacher who prepares unnecessary but joy-filled resources to show her students (or colleagues) love; the widow who rewards snide remarks and biting comments with acts of kindness and a listening ear. We do this all unthinkingly. It's in our nature to consider the needs of others before our own.
• STRONG: We fight through physical and mental health problems, financial concerns, ever-changing environments, personal and spiritual attacks on our families, being misunderstood and criticized, and emerge more beautiful and stronger than before. We smile at the future while uplifting others in the process.
• BRAVE: We speak our minds, though we know listening ears may oppose. We tap into our inner strength to face fear head on and keep going. We stand our ground when it comes to our areas of passion. We pick our battles knowing not every fight is worth fighting.
• BEAUTIFUL: We apply cosmetics, undergo time-consuming skin and hair care routines, and worry about maintaining our physique in the hopes that it reflects our truly breathtaking inner beauty that is fully experienced when people take the time to know us - as we are, right now.

On International Women's Day, let's commit to growing this list by celebrating each other for who we already are and uplifting each other in what we already are doing.

In response:

1. Take a moment to uplift yourself. What attributes make you the unique woman you already are? Commit to staying true to you and refuse to take on the expectations of others.
2. Join us as we grow in respect, by looking at Proverbs 31:12 and 28. Next week we're talking about good and evil and how it applies to various relationship roles. (Take a peek at our Wolfe Notes to see what we covered last week.) Or engage in last year's growth opportunity and allow yourself a RESTART.

Bible Verses and Quotes 

Bible Verses

• "Then the Lord God said, 'I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him.'" Genesis 2:18 ERV
• "Wives, fit in with your husbands' plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words." I Peter 3:1-2 TLB
• "A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands." Proverbs 14:1 NLT
• "Clothed in strength and dignity, with nothing to fear, she smiles when she thinks about the future." Proverbs 31:25 VOICE
• "Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on jewelry, or beautiful clothes, or hair arrangement. Be beautiful inside, in your hearts, with the lasting charm of a gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious to God." I Peter 3:3-4 TLB

Quotes

• “The ultimate meaning of true womanhood is this: It is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of his Son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood." - John Piper
• "The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years." - Audrey Hepburn
• "Do not live someone else's life and someone else's idea of what womanhood is. Womanhood is you. Womanhood is everything that's inside of you." - Viola Davis
• "Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "After all those years as a woman hearing 'not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not this enough, not that enough,' almost overnight I woke up one morning and thought, 'I'm enough.'" - Anna Quindlen

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote speaks to you?

 

Activity Suggestions

To celebrate the JOY of being a woman.

Our Nephew's Suggestion:

I don't know. You're the woman here! 

His suggestion was too funny; I had to include it. So, ask the woman in your life how she'd like to celebrate.

The Mrs.' Suggestions: 

Define Woman

• List common attributes you see in the women that you know.
• Then, finish the statement: "A woman is..."

Sing, Dance, and Celebrate with these Songs

1. "Hey Girl" by Anne Wilson. Favorite lyric: (The whole song, really. But since I'm making myself choose...) You don't need to measure up you are the treasure of The God who loves you.
2. "Mamas" by Anne Wilson and Hillary Scott Favorite lyric: For the 'Darling, don't you dare give up even when you wanna.' 
3. "You are Loved" by Stars Go Dim. Favorite lyric: You don't have to prove yourself. Don't try to be someone else.
4. "More Beautiful You" by Jason Diaz. Favorite lyric: You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do.
5. "Gold" by Brit Nicole. Favorite lyric: Whatever you've been told you're worth more than gold.
6. "You are Loved" by Ellie Holcomb. Favorite lyric: And you are wanted, not because you are perfect.
7. "Wonderfully Made" by Ellie Holcomb. Favorite lyric: What if I saw me, the way that You see me? What if I believed it was true?
8. "God Girl" by Jamie Grace. Favorite lyric: Cause I'm a God girl that's who I be from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.
9. "Free to be Me" by Francesca Battistelli. Favorite lyric: Yet other times I think I've got nothing good to bring but You look at my heart and You tell me that I've got all You seek.
10. "Priceless" by For King and Country. Favorite lyric: I see you dressed in white. Every wrong made right. I see a rose in bloom at the sight of you.

Discuss "Would You Rather..." Questions

• Go shopping or get your hair done?
• Clean the bathroom or mow the lawn?
• Take care of someone who is sick or listen to someone who had a bad day?

These questions are unique to this post. If you would like three "Would You Rather...?" questions for every March day, download this Wolfe Stew PowerPoint. 

Take on the Family Challenge

Have an open discussion about what it means to be a woman and what it means to be a man. How are both necessary but different? What strengths does each have and how do those strengths work together? Why did God separate woman from man?

We'd Love to Know:

How you celebrate International Women's Day.

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. Come back next week for...National Good Samaritan Day!

Your Partners in JOY Finding,

Sample these related posts:

To connect with your inner beauty.

To celebrate motherhood.

To start a Bible study on the Proverbs 31 woman.

To wrestle with the meaning of the bedecked Daughters of Zion in Isaiah.

To consider the Biblical purpose of marriage.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.