The Titus 2:4 Project

The Rest of the Story This morning, I sat out on the lanai, sipping coffee and reading my Bible. Today’s reading took me through Nehemiah 9 to most of chapter 11. Like many Old Testament passages, these chapters included long lists of names...the kind that are hard to pronounce and easy to skip over. Shemaiah, Hasshub, Azrikam, Hashabiah, Jozabad, Bakbukiah, Pedaiah… you get the idea. Names that, in ancient Jerusalem, were as common as Steve, Mike, Scott, Jim, or Dave. But as I read through the list of those who signed the covenant (the binding agreement to return to God’s law) and the names of those who resettled Jerusalem after exile, a verse from 2 Timothy came to mind: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16–17 So I asked God, “How are these names useful for teaching or correction, Lord?” And the Holy Spirit...

I just got back from a short trip to Las Vegas. 🎰 And honestly? That’s really all anyone can stand— short. Vegas is kind of like glitter: fun in theory, but overwhelming in practice. Truth be told, I didn’t even want to go. It was my husband’s annual get-together with his Army buddies. The wives always tag along, and in years past, we’ve met up in someone’s hometown—usually for a wedding or a milestone birthday. But this year, for reasons unknown, they decided on Vegas. Now, full disclosure: in the not-so-distant past, I actually used to enjoy Las Vegas. Probably more than I should’ve. But over the past year, the Holy Spirit has been doing some serious remodeling in my heart, and these days, Vegas is not high on my list of “must-visit” places. My husband handled the travel plans—booked our hotel and, in true Army fashion, waited until the last possible moment to book our flights, which meant we paid top dollar. Awesome. Now, while I’m not exactly thrilled with how much social media ...

Ebola.  School shootings.  ISIS.  Cancer.  Do any of those things strike fear in your heart?  These are what I refer to as the big-kid boogeymen.  This is a scary world we live in.  Right now, as I type, my husband is watching the news and I am hearing about a woman who tried to strangle another woman with a phone cord and steal her 10-week old baby.  The world is full of crazies.  Some of the horrific images I have seen on Facebook lately have literally made me physically ill, to the point where I have to put my phone down and walk away in tears, crying to God, "Why?  Why God??" I wish God would explain it to me now...but He whispers to my soul, "In time.  But for now, peace.  Be still."  Is the world worse now than ever before?  I doubt it.  There are so many stories of war and famine and annihilation in the Bible.  Murder and violence are certainly nothing new....

Oh my gracious!  I am so excited... I found a NEW book in the Bible today!!  Let me explain... I've been feeling a little stagnant lately...like the icky pond in my front yard - yeah...just like that.  And when you feel that way and you KNOW that you feel that way, it's so frustrating.  It's like having a third-person view of your own life...almost like watching a movie of yourself; and you can see yourself slipping, sliding, falling away from where you want to be.  Or like watching yourself turn left when Jesus kept going straight ahead.  It's more frustrating than trying to tie your shoes with one hand.  Pretty soon, you just want to throw your hands up and scream. So I've been watching this happen for a few days - and I really think that the ability to recognize this process is a sign of maturity, so I praise God for it.  But today, I had finally had enough.  I was determined to claw my way back up the mountain, through the mud and bac...

Are you familiar with sweetened, condensed milk?  I have four cans of it sitting in my pantry, probably well past their expiration date, because I rarely use it.  But I love the idea of it.  Extra sweet, and packed into a small can.  Sweetened...condensed.    This reminds me of the first Bible I ever had.  It was a big one that filled my entire lap and had colorful pictures but the scriptures were just like that can of milk...sweetened and condensed.  Important stories were retold in a way that a young child would understand and enjoy.  I'm sure the writers meant well, but now that I'm an adult, it almost feels like a disservice. Please hear me out on this.  I'm not saying we shouldn't begin exposing our children to the stories in the Bible at a young age.  That's very important, because as we are told in Proverbs 22:6 to " Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I was defini...