The Titus 2:4 Project - Women Mentoring Women

I knew that title would get ya!  Who doesn't want better sex?  First disclaimer...God intended sex to be within the confines of marriage.  The best sex you'll ever have is with your spouse, because that's the relationship blessed by God. Ok, now that we've got that straight... let's talk. So many  things keep us from enjoying a good, healthy sexual relationship...stress, finances, exhaustion, the kids among others.  Assuming those other things aren't physical or emotional damage that is truly inhibiting us, then let's call ourselves 'normal' (for the sake of this discussion)...and before anyone gets upset with me, I'm not saying that someone with physical or emotional problems isn't normal...I'm just not sure how to get my point across without using common language, so if you would, please show me some grace as we approach this subject.  Deep breath...ok, so I'm not sure where we (my husband and I) learned these things - I beli...

We've officially made it!  17 years under our belt as a second-marriage, all-odds-against-us couple.  I will tell you that it was no easy feat.  Hence the reason I waited until today to post this - had to make sure we made it all the way through the 6,205th day.  As dawn broke this morning, I breathed a sigh of relief. Lots of things, statistically, were against us.  Six, in particular.  Three his, three mine.  Blending a family is never easy.  But everyone who knew us thought is was so cute that we were "just like the Brady Bunch."  Not exactly.  I had no Alice...instead we added another child (the "Ours" baby) and every episode didn't end in smiling faces.  When people ask me, "How did you manage?" They usually ask with a look of utter disbelief on their faces.  My answer is (and shall always be) the same.  Only by the grace of God.  And I am not kidding.  So how did we successfully survive these past 17 ...

How do we keep from getting our feelings hurt when someone we love is being difficult? Yes, it's true.  My husband can be a bit grumpy when he's tired, hungry, hurting or bored.  When any two or more of these things occur at the same time, he can be a real bear.  Not the cute, cuddly kind, either.  More like big, hairy, sharp-toothed, standing on two hind legs, growling and foaming at the mouth kind.  Well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration,  but not by much. And why does it seem that his ill feelings end up falling on me like a deluge?  Is it because he's angry at me?  Did I do something wrong?  Or not do something right? 99 times in 100, it has nothing to do with me personally. I just happen to be the one close by.  Since he had surgery on a badly broken elbow this week, he's been experiencing several of his bear-like feelings.   And, naturally,  since I'm the only one here with him (15 year olds hiding out in a bedr...

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 their labor prompted by love. First things first, though, I...

Have you ever been out and about, running errands, picking up kids, going here, going there and suddenly you notice the warning light on your gas gauge.  How long has that been on?? Did it just turn on? Do I have 40 miles worth of gas in my tank? Has it been on all day and I am just now noticing it??  Visions of myself standing on the side of the road, helpless and alone, flash through my mind. "Lord, please get me to the nearest gas station!" I live in rural Indiana. There are some places I go fairly regularly, where the nearest gas station is a 15 minute drive minimum...that's if it's before 9pm. And if you happen to need diesel fuel, you could be even further from the nearest station. This happened to me a few days ago. My husband, youngest son and one of his friends were with me when I looked down and the information panel read "LOW RANGE." Usually, I can push the button and it will change to "40 MILES," telling me how far until empty. But...