Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
- 1 Peter 3:3-4
I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
- 1 Timothy 2:9-10
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
- Proverbs 31:30-31
The New Boilerplate
My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover. It was hidden with a box of crafting things. On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these. But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes. So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while. And it will be fun for me. She did not attribute any of the quotes. The first quote was from James A. Garfield, the 20th president of the USA. The next one was disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire. After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.
Her quote
“Jewelry takes people’s minds off your wrinkles.”
- Sonja Henie (1912-1969)
The Discussion
Sonja Henie won three Olympic gold medals in figure skating. She won many world championships and European championships. After turning professional, she became a movie star. She tragically died of leukemia at the age of 57.
My wife had some nice jewelry that I picked up in my travels to foreign lands, but practically everything else was costume jewelry. But my wife was known for her “bling.”
And she seemed to live by the Sonja Henie quote.
The concept is simple. If you have an unflattering wrinkle here or there, wear a flashy bit of jewelry that attracts the attention of the person you meet. The jewelry draws their gaze away from the wrinkle you could not hide with your hair or clothing.
If your wrinkle was something like “turkey neck,” necklaces might not be the best thing. However, my wife would use beggar beads from Savannah, GA, a loose strand of polished stones with maybe a semi-precious stone in the strand somewhere, very inexpensive. That was showy enough to move the other person’s gaze.
My wife never had to draw attention to the costume jewelry that she would wear. She picked up a lot of it at markets in New Orleans. LA and Charleston, South Carolina. It was either shiny or large. She had enough to have themes. She might have her cat sweater with a cat pendant. Or she was color coordinated.
Regardless, the people who knew her saw her smiling face and the jewelry. That started the conversation about where did you find that piece of jewelry. Then, my wife would have a chance to talk about a variety of subjects, among them Jesus.
Both Peter and Paul wrote about letting a woman show the fruits of the spirit instead of flashy jewelry or fancy hairdos. The writer of Proverbs 31 is often thought to be Solomon writing what his mother, Bathsheba, taught him. He said that beauty fades, and a noble character is the important thing.
But a unique piece of jewelry that starts a conversation so that you can show God’s love is not a bad thing. And when they don’t notice a wrinkle or two, even better.
In the movie One in a Million, Sonja Henie played the part of Greta “Gretchen” Muller, in 1936. The same year she won her last Olympic medal for Norway.
The fancy jumps that dominate figure skating in the Olympics of today is a modern thing. In her day, it was all about grace and precise movements.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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