The Titus 2:4 Project - Women Mentoring Women

Have you ever watched a movie more than once?  For me, it depends on the movie.  There have been a few worth watching twice because they were just that good...and some that required a second-watch to 'catch' the things you missed the first time. Yesterday my husband happened to stop channel surfing when he came across a movie that we'd seen years before.  The movie was about three-quarters of the way through and as my brain caught up with the action, I was able to recall a few details about the movie...but not many.  I did, however remember the BIG ENDING.  That's about the only part I was sure about. Same thing with novels and books.  I enjoy reading, but since I don't get to do enough of it, I rarely spend the time to re-read a book.  I can only think of one novel in my life that I enjoyed so much that I sought it out to read a second time.  I could remember the ending and the over-all story line, but the details and events had escaped me, s...

I enjoy talking to people I've never met before.  I start with a warm, genuine smile and a sincere compliment, and just let the conversation take a natural flow, like rain water rushing through the countryside.  On a trip to Key West, Florida several years ago, I exercised this strategy.  We were crowded into a shuttle bus that would take us from the plane to the tiny little airport.  Somehow over the course of the very short ride, I engaged another female passenger and her sister in a conversation about our pedicures.  She had hot pink toe nails with little white flowers...and from there it went to our purses, our dogs, our trip, our names, and by the time we stepped off the shuttle we were Facebook friends.  (And six years later we still are!) Another perfect example, I was at a large park with my in-laws.  Our men were out riding bikes and we girls were responsible for cooking out.  No one remembered aluminum foil...but there was another wo...

I did it!  Today I learned how to drive the John Deere!  As I drove up and down the field, leaving row after row of cut grass in my wake, I felt strong.  I felt like there was nothing I couldn't do.  I even considered tackling my husband's broken down diesel truck, parked in the driveway.  If it hadn't been for the streaming sounds of my contemporary Christian station on Pandora filling my ears, I'm certain I would have been hearing the Katy Perry song, "Roar" inside my head.  I love to cut grass.  On the riding lawn mower, at least.  We cut approximately 15-17 acres of grass at our place, week after week after week...all summer long.  The whole process takes at least two full days, sometimes three.  And when rain messes up the routine, it can take even longer.  We have a system that has been working for a few years now, since all but one of the kids have left home.  I cut 60% of the grass with the riding mower - because I...

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 been accused of gluttony?  As in, "you are glutton for punishment!" I heard that a lot when people found out I was raising seven children. What's that mean? If you're glutton for something, that means you keep going back for more...and more...and more. Think of the Old Country Buffet. It's a haven for gluttonous eaters.  The restaurant industry is counting on the fact that America is being trained for gluttony. "Would you like to super-size your meal today?" Have you considered the size of a small drink lately? I wish my clothes used the same measure...then I could wear a size SMALL. :) (Why is it that women's clothing is the one thing that seems to keep getting smaller and smaller?) When you go to a restaurant and order a meal, typically it's big enough to feed a family of 4. I'm sure there are some countries where that one of our meals is more food than they see in an entire month...maybe longer. And we may or may not fini...