Oh, and the World Spins Madly On

ten⋅der1   [ten-der] Show IPA adjective, -er, -est, verb
–adjective
1. soft or delicate in substance; not hard or tough: a tender steak.
2. weak or delicate in constitution; not strong or hardy.
3. (of plants) unable to withstand freezing temperatures.
4. young or immature: children of tender age.
5. delicate or soft in quality: tender blue.
6. delicate, soft, or gentle: the tender touch of her hand.
7. easily moved to sympathy or compassion; kind: a tender heart.
8. affectionate or loving; sentimental or amatory: a tender glance.
9. considerate or careful; chary or reluctant (usually fol. by of).
10. acutely or painfully sensitive: a tender bruise.
11. easily distressed; readily made uneasy: a tender conscience.
12. yielding readily to force or pressure; easily broken; fragile.
13. of a delicate or ticklish nature; requiring careful or tactful handling: a tender subject.
14. Nautical. crank 2 (def. 1).
–verb (used with object)
15. to make tender.
16. Archaic. to regard or treat tenderly.

tender is probably my favorite word. i got very excited tonight when randy jackson told kris allen he sang a tenderhearted song for his tender-dawg. my bff krista does not like it when i use the word tender. she says it just reminds her of meat. but, i dont care i love it. it is the name of our wireless server at casa bonita. i use it frequently in everyday conversation. it is one of my favorite things about Jesus. it is a quality i value in a friend. sometimes i even get a tear in my eye when something is very tender too.

i was reading my book last night and there was a quote by edith stein in it, "the womans soul is...fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold." then the book stated that as women we cultivate and tend to people. then, it listed all of these explanations of where the word tend is used in describing our daily routines...attend, attention, tenderness, extend, attentively, tended. "cultivating women do this tending again and again, consistently, practically working, naturally building other people--a long cultivation in the same direction" -jonalyn grace fincher.
i pray that the Lord makes me more of a woman that cultivates and tends to the hearts of other people. and i pray that He continues to put people in my life that cultivate and tend to my soul as well.

my roommate alisa has been playing all of the songs in her itunes that have "tender" in them. there are quite a few out there, you should check them out.