The Titus 2:4 Project - Women Mentoring Women

It won’t kill me. Right? Isn’t that what “they” say? What you don’t know won’t kill you. I’m still breathing. How? Because there are some things I don’t know. I don’t know what really happened the night I was drugged and raped. I don’t know the details of his infidelities. I don’t know why he chose drugs and alcohol over his family. I don’t know why my great-uncle repeatedly molested little girls. I don’t know why my parents divorced before my first birthday. And I don’t know why God allowed certain things to happen in my life that were deeply painful—though I don’t pretend my story is the worst one out there. Quite the opposite, actually. Have you ever seen one of those videos where a heart-transplant recipient meets the  donor’s family? I searched for them on YouTube once, and I cried through nearly every one. When the donor’s family listens to the beating heart that once belonged to their loved one—now sustaining the life of a former stranger—when gratitude collides with grief,...

I learned how to ride a bike when I was about 7 years old. I followed my brother for miles and miles while our mother thought we were home watching cartoons. I spent long days pedaling around my hometown with one of my best childhood friends. I’ve ridden bikes as an adult—even with my children strapped into plastic seats perched above the back wheel. I’ve been comfortable on a bike most of my life. Until now. Now I have a fancy, expensive bike with weird little discs where pedals should be. It has Bluetooth shifting for the gears. This bicycle cost more than my first three cars— combined . Naturally, I got all the right gear: the padded britches, the zip-up jersey with pockets on the back, the padded gloves, the aerodynamic helmet, the blinking LED lights, the phone holder so I can watch my mph and stats on an app… and the pretty shoes with little holes that lock into those funny-looking pedals to help me get more power from each push. So why am I suddenly uncomfortable on ...

A grudge is a noun.  At least in the way I'm talking about it today.  It's a thing.  Imagine, for a moment that a grudge is shaped like an orange....which makes sense if you're holding a small grudge.  But what if you're holding a really, really big grudge?  It might be shaped more like a boulder.... very heavy and hard to carry.  Not easy to hide, either.  There's a direct relationship between a grudge and un-forgiveness.  We can't profess to have forgiven someone and carry a grudge.  Would you agree?  A grudge is a manifestation of un-forgiveness.  And to live with un-forgiveness is (as many have heard it said, I'm sure) to eat poison and wait for the other person to die.  It's doing more damage to the one holding on to it that the perpetrator. Whomever wronged us has probably all but forgotten about it.  But we diligently hold on to our grudge...carrying it with us where ever we go.  If it's a small g...

One thing I've never been accused of being (at least to my face) is a drama queen.  I just don't do  drama.  Never have.  Never will. I remember sitting in my office one day, listening to a couple of co-workers talk about how much drama some people have in their lives.  I chimed in, "I don't have any drama in my life." One of the girls stared at me, mouth open, eyebrows raised. "What?" I asked her.  Her reply gave me something to think about for many days to come.  "You have more drama than anyone else I know!" I did a mental rundown: One daughter married and divorced and just miscarried a precious baby; another daughter with more financial woes than I can talk about; another daughter was unmarried with a young child; a son in the military - possibly would be deploying soon; another son in jail; a son who at 17 just found out he was a father; and (thank you, Jesus!) a son who was content being trouble-free. I didn't see any d...

Sorry about yesterday's post.  When I signed on this morning, there it sat in my draft folder. Hmmm.  I guess NO TECH TUESDAY must've applied to me as well.  :) Life lesson #7922: Little things can hurt real bad.  Have you ever gotten a splinter? Or a paper cut? Owwww!! How does something so small hurt so bad??  Yesterday evening, I was sitting on our deck (which needs sanded and stained, but that's for another day) with my best friend beside me, our feet dangling in the pool, enjoying the sunshine and good company. I started to get up (which seems to take more and more effort these days!) when a tiny splinter of wood stuck in the meaty pad of my little finger. Ouch!  I jerked my hand up to see what got me and couldn't believe the tiny speck of wood that was causing me such pain. I looked at my friend and started to speak and God said it before I could.  "Sometimes it's the smallest things that cause the most pain." One...

None of us is perfect.  We are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  So if God is willing to forgive us...who are we to withhold forgiveness from each other?  A recent discussion with my ladies small group Bible study really got me thinking about this subject.  Forgiveness, just like love, is a decision - not an emotion.  Deciding to forgive someone for hurting you doesn't mean that the pain and heartache just blow away like a tumbleweed.  Some pains may take years to get rid of.  Deciding to forgive is more like trying to chop down a tree.  You can get rid of the biggest, most visible part, but after a while little stems start popping back up from the ground and you can keep mowing them over so you can't see it...but until you deal with the roots, it's never truly gone. God is the ultimate landscaper.  He knows how to deal with pesky roots so that the things we want to be rid of will be gone...forever....