The Titus 2:4 Project

I was thinking about my sweet baby girl yesterday.   Well, she's not a baby anymore,  but as mothers, you know what I mean.  She's 23 and living in Nashville, Tennessee.   And I miss her.  A lot. I don't hear from her as much as I used to, now that she's settling in to her adult life.  A good job.  A sweet boyfriend.   A nice apartment.   A cute dog.  All is well. When she does call it's usually because she's had a bad day at work or some unexpected expense has popped up.  I'm always happy to hear from her, but I find myself feeling down when we hang up.  Sad that I'm not close enough to hug her.  Not rich enough to fix every financial woe.  I know what it's like to be hundreds of miles away from the loving embrace of your mother.  Even in the past few years,  I've had episodes when I've needed to just run to my momma.  I'd dial the number and wait for her to answer, but the mere ...

This blog post is about to fly in the face of many Bible - toting,  God - fearing, peace - loving folks.  So I will apologize up front and ask you to extend grace and mercy...and then hear me out, because I really believe this is something that God is leading me to share.   By now, I'm sure you're wondering what on earth I can say that would be offensive.   Well, here goes: Did you grow up singing the beloved hymn, "Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings,  see what God has done...."  are you singing it in your head?  I am.    I would bet most of us know the hymn.  And we've used the line "Count your blessings" as if it came straight from the word of God.  Hang on to your hats though...that's not scriptural advice.  Not in the way many people are using it these days. Not when we count them for the wrong reason.    Breathe.  It's ok.  I'll explain.   ...

It's hot today!  Extremely hot.  So hot that the black wrought iron arms of my chaise lounge chair burned my arm.  I know...whaaaa! Right?  (I know I'm blessed to be able to do my "job" by the pool.)   My husband says I can't complain about the heat AND the cold.  And I'm sure we all can remember the extremely cold, seemingly long winter that finally loosened it's grip on us a mere four or five weeks ago.   I would argue that I CAN complain about both the heat and the cold, because in truth I'm not whining about the temperature.   I'm lamenting the extremes.  The TOO.  Too hot.  Too cold.  Too expensive.   Too lazy.  Too tired.  Too young.  Too old.   Can you relate?  We've all heard it said that too much of a good thing can be bad  and we've all also heard the argument to the contrary. "No such thing as too much of a good thing."   But that becomes the "never ...

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 ...

Today I got to help deliver lunches to several school-aged children that the local school has labeled as the ones most in need of proper nutrition during the summer, when they are not able to get free breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria.  It's a city-wide program that some group organizes, then recruits other groups (like Rotary Club) to pick three or four days during the summer to provide meals.  That's how I got involved - as a Rotarian.  We delivered boxed Subway lunches, which always draws a smile from the little faces that peek through the window to see who's knocking on their door. Only a few (usually an adult) acted as if they expected or were owed this lunch for their children, but when we were greeted at the door by a youngster, their eyes lit up and they always thanked us, some in a mere whisper, others with a boisterous "Thank you!" as they waved enthusiastically.  That's why volunteers do what they do...for the happy faces left in their wake a...

It's that time of year...it's summer!  Finally!!  And that means our 'neighborhood' (God's country) becomes a tourist destination.  Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the Midwest make their way to Montgomery County, Indiana for camping, hiking and canoeing.  It's one of best things about living here.  (I highly recommend my friend's business, Clements Canoes!) Less than two miles from my driveway are some of the most beautiful natural treasures.  Sugar Creek winds through dense forest and along steep cliffs of Indiana sandstone.  It's breathtaking.  Bald Eagles soar along the tree tops, frogs croak from the banks, fish jump, snakes slither along and visitors take it all in, like stepping into one of the Discovery Channel shows. Yesterday was a perfect day for a short trip down the creek.  It was an impromptu event and we invited some friends along.  My friend and her husband brought three teenagers with them.  Everyone had b...

Yesterday I attended a funeral for a man I had only met a few times.  I went, not because he meant so much to me, but because I love and support his daughters and granddaughters, one of whom is married to my son.  This man has made a huge impact on my son.  To what degree, remains to be seen.  The visitation on the previous evening was well attended.  Hundreds of people waited in line in the heat while people hugged his widow and his daughters.  It's a large family, and they are very close, literally, because most of them live within a couple miles of each other.  They're not only family, they are friends, neighbors and co-workers.  They are a tight-knit group.  My son is fortunate to have married into such a wonderful family. Personally, I can't speak to the character of this man, but the sound of sniffles and the constant patting of people's hands on each other's backs as they embraced in long, tight hugs, spoke volu...

How many times have you been standing in the kitchen, up to your elbows in dishwater, damp dishtowel draped over one shoulder, and a pile of last night's dinner dishes teetering precariously on the counter beside you, when one of your children strolls in, rather nonchalantly and says, "Whatcha doin'?"  You pause briefly, raise one eyebrow and either a) bite your tongue and smile sweetly, responding, "nothin'...what are you doing?" (This response can be found in the How to be the MOM of the Year manual.) or b) you quip, "Baking a cake! What does it look like I'm doing?"  (thus loathing the sound of your own voice coming out of your mouth.) Sarcasm stinks.  But that's not the lesson I want to share today...we'll talk about that another day.  What I want to address today is the rhetorical questions that people ask.  Often we lovingly refer to them as 'stupid' questions.  I went to Dictionary.com and looked up the word rhe...

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...

Have you ever had that feeling that something is too good to be true?  And what's the old adage?  "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is."  Didn't everyone's mother tell them this?  There's always a catch, right?  Usually, I refer to that as the 'fine print'.  Or that really annoying, super-fast voice that comes on after the too-good-to-be-true offer was just made, to immediately disqualify every one who's breathing.  But no purchase necessary.  That's nice to know.  So often we demand proof.  We have to see it to believe it.  Ah yes, you've no doubt heard this one too, "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see."  Is it any wonder we are a pessimistic society, lacking in trust?  I used to ask my children if their homework was done.  Of course it's done.  "Show me."  If it was truly done, they would proudly produce their papers, chin out, shoulders back, as if to say, "I tol...

Have you even seen a "cat fight"?  No, I don't mean two felines.  I mean two girls, scrapping it out, complete with hair pulling and limbs flailing.   Well, if I could travel back in time, I just might get myself into that sort of situation. I would find myself in the Garden of Eden, standing near the forbidden tree...just waiting for Eve to show up.  And I would try to talk reasonably with her...but if that didn't work,  I would not be above an all - out cat fight.  I would do whatever it took to keep her from sinking her pearly whites into that sumptuous looking fruit.  Why?  Because I'm tired of being a slave to my hormones!   And I blame her for PMS, and lots of other issues too, but I firmly believe that before the fall of man, the body (in it's state of perfection) stayed in balance all month long, no ebb and flow of strange emotions running rampant through the mind. Even though I know why I am behaving badly,  I feel ...

Today I am writing this from my porch swing where I am taking a break from chasing my soon to be two year old grandson. He's so inquisitive and busy that he keeps me hopping the whole time he's here.  Yesterday was Father's Day and I am sorry to say that a dear friend lost her father last night to a brief but horrible illness. It breaks my heart that she lost him at all, but the fact that it was Father's Day means that each year  she will have a fresh wave of grief as the rest of the world celebrates. Thankfully, she still has something to celebrate because her father was a great man and was loved by many.  I know she and her siblings will miss him tremendously. There are many of us who weren't so lucky to have had such a wonderful father.   I'm blessed that I have had the opportunity to reconcile with my father, before it was too late...but i have spent far too long in the Hallmark aisle in preparation for Father's Day, reading card after card, unable to ...

Today is selfishly, all about me.  I'm going to do pretty much what I want today.  I slept in.  I had my coffee and prayer time, my Bible reading time... still time for some yoga out on the deck in the fresh morning air and some Bible study.  I might cut some grass (I really enjoy cutting grass!)  And spend some time in the hammock for an afternoon siesta. I have planned to have a few girlfriends over for some much deserved and seriously needed Girl Time.  Just to be in the presence of godly friends is good for the soul.  God created me with a need to be surrounded by people more often than not.  There are times when I want to be alone - but that's the exception, not the rule. I've heard many times throughout the Mary Kay world, that we become like the five people we spend the most time with.  Motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.  And I've always believe this th...

I looked up the word labor in the dictionary: "physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil." That's what I expected.  That's probably what most people think of when they think of labor.  Especially mothers.  We nod our heads, and think of childbirth.  Laboring for hours...sweating, panting, pushing, moaning, maybe cursing...hard work.  But oh, so worth it.  Everyone told me that childbirth would be the worst pain I would ever forget.  They were mostly right.  I've forgotten how it physically felt, but I will never forget the experience. But what I want to focus on today is a different kind of labor.  It's still physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind...the labor of love in a marriage.  I was reminded of this as I worked through my current Bible study yesterday.  In 1 Thessalonians 1:3 when Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica and commends them for thei...

Life is precious...and often too short.  Even though death is the only thing that we can absolutely count on, when a life ends, someone feels the pain of loss. A sweet lady once said to me that she never understood why people worry more about car insurance than life insurance, because you may or may not ever wreck your car, but you would eventually die.   (see Ecclesiastes 7:2) Many of you already know that just over a week ago, a young man from Kentucky was fatally injured in a motocross accident right here in Montgomery County, Indiana while racing at the Ironman Raceway Regional Championship.  As a mother, it's unfathomable...I can't begin to imagine what his family is going through.  But as a mother of kids that race, it's down right frightening.  My son, Jake, and I had a long conversation about the tragedy. The same day that Austin Mincey died, my son and a few of his friends posted the...

Technology is really great...when it works.  I'm not sure how we ever lived without cell phones, tablets, lap tops and the like.  My children certainly can't fathom life in such a way. This past weekend, my husband and I spent some time cleaning out our basement.  We got rid of two computer monitors and multiple key boards, mouses, mice (what is the plural for computer mouse??) whatever you call them...there were speaker systems, cords, cables and attachments galore.  All gone.  I laughed when I tried picking up a monitor.  It must've weighed 40 pounds!  Oh mercy, am I glad we now have these nearly paper-thin computers.  It has taken me some time to learn to use just a fraction of what my new laptop is capable of doing.  All these amazing programs written by some genius sitting in a cubical somewhere.  It's like so many other things in my life that are powerful beyond my wildest imagination and all I know how to do ...

It's Monday.  That means back to my 'normal' weekly schedule...well, sort of.  It is summer break, so I don't have to get up quite so early to enjoy my alone time with God... so I allow myself another hour of sleep.  I checked my alarm last night before going to bed.  Yep.  6:30 AM, repeat Monday through Friday.  And off to dreamland I went.  Had the strangest dream about praying with one of my friends...but anyway, as the sun began to brighten my bedroom, I began to stir.  At one point, I'm sure God whispered, "Get up, my child!  It's time for us to visit."  I hadn't heard my alarm go off, so I mumbled and rolled over, pulling my covers up over my head.  So, finally at 7:00 AM when my husband's alarm went off, I fumbled for my phone...and discovered that I hadn't actually turned on the alarm.  Oops. But it's okay, I reasoned with myself.  Still plenty of time for God.  I'll just make some coffee and get right to ...

I can't believe it's already supper time on Sunday evening...I must have had fun this weekend because time sure did fly. I had the privilege of spending time with one of my grand babies on Friday night.  He is almost 2.  Less than a month to go until his birthday.   He's such a fun little man.   Full of energy and wide - eyed fascination of everything he sees. He reminded me of why JESUS said that unless we become like little children we would not enter the kingdom of God. (Matt. 18:3)  Corbyn has a sense of awe about him that JESUS wants me to have.  Everything from worms slithering under the rocks that we turned over to the bird nest we discovered in the gazebo was reason to pause and stare.  As adults it's so easy to lose that sense of wonder when we see the everyday things of life.   Sure, we are still amazed at childbirth or a majestic view from atop a high mountain,  but when is the last time you studied those litt...