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 have a confession to make.  I watch that zombie show that everyone is talking about with my family. Don't be a hater.  Don't judge...and you don't even have to admit if you watch it, too.  I got 'sucked in' last winter, when the snow was piled sky-high and there was nothing to do.  My twenty-something daughter and her boyfriend watched it regularly and talked about the characters as if they were personal friends.  So my husband was the first to pick the fruit and take a bite.  He logged into our online movie provider and began a weekend-long, commercial-free marathon of that zombie show.  I wasn't interested at first, but once the dishes were done, laundry was folded, floors swept, and any other menial task I could come up with to keep myself busy was finished, I finally resigned to sitting beside him on the couch, with a bag of popcorn in hand, and began learning the plot and the characters.  By the end of the night, I too was hooked. L...

Remember Paul Harvey?  I always enjoyed listening to his radio commentary that ended with the now famous line..."and now you know, the rest of the story." Well, I recently found myself wandering around one of my favorite book stores and while perusing the 'Religious' section, a book caught my eye.  "The Story" by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee.  It's scripture, arranged chronologically.  Some verses condensed, some rearranged, some omitted, for the sake of the story-line.  So it reads like a novel.  I wouldn't recommend reading it only .  As in, you need to read the Bible first and foremost.  My dad always told me not to read so many books about THE BOOK...just read THE BOOK.  But this is a  pretty cool accessory.  Tonight as I was reading, enjoying the familiar story of Joseph, who had been made ruler of all of Egypt, revealing himself to the brothers who had hated him and sold him off to be a slave, one particular line...

You say it's your birthday?  It's my birthday, too!  Seriously.  It really is. After yesterday's post about saying thank you to people, I wanted to take a moment today for a public thanks to the best mom in the world...Mine.  Here's a Cliff Notes version of the story: April 1969, she's separated from her husband with a six year-old little boy to take care of.  She's feeling sick so she goes to the doctor - to discover that she's seven months pregnant!  Yep...she was one of 'those' girls that could be pregnant, not show and be losing weight.  (A trait I did NOT inherit.)  I was born in June (obviously, since today's my birthday.) Anyway, fast forward to December 1992 and I was having a conversation with my mom and grandmother about Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice.  My grandmother was being very vocal about her Pro-Choice stance, when it suddenly occurred to me...back in 1969, during a time when it was all peace, love and flowers, my ...

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...