AT THE WELL..."Sister/Sister" -a call to mentoring

A few months back, a blogging friend of mine, CHELSEY, envisioned a new ministry that would allow women to meet together and discuss topics that would thrust them into a deeper walk with the Lord much like the woman in Titus 2 that we read about in the Bible. I am so very humbled that in the prep stages of this new ministry that she would approach me and and ask if I would consider to be part of the writing team. WOW! To be grouped with the awesome ladies that are part of AT THE WELL is an unbelievable honor. They are all great women of God and are seasoned writers.

We meet together each and every Monday and discuss some awesome topics. This week I am the leading contributor and I was able to select what topic I would like to bring to the well. Immediately, I knew I wanted to address the subject of MENTORING. A subject that is near to my heart.

Y Y Y Y

SISTER/SISTER

How many times have you heard yourself say, "If only I had known then what I know now?" You may be thinking of something as simple as finding a way to stay dry when changing a diaper or something as important as how to balance a career and a family.

SISTER/SISTER is not referring to your relationship with female siblings. This is a call that I believe is placed on every Christian woman by God our Father. Somewhere along the line, I believe nearly every woman wishes she had another woman, (perhaps an older and more experienced) to help her with the twists and the turns of life.

? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN

MENTORED BY SOMEONE ?

We live in an age now where we no longer have the strong generational ties that we used to have. Think about this...

• grown children live hundreds of miles away from their parents.
• Older parents are residing in nursing homes.
• Teen-age girls are raising babies.

Life is just NOT what it used to be!

Can you think back and name a special person who has molded you? who has invested in you? encouraged you? I have several friendships but when I think about the molding and the investing - I have to narrow that list down to THREE.

The first one I think of is a childhood friend. The second is a friend from my childbearing years. The third is a close friend I currently have. The mentoring friend that I would like to bring attention to is my friend Lynne. Lynne invested in me as a young mother. Lynne came into my life as a neighbor and she became someone that I looked up to. Lynne was not the kind of friend that a young 25 year old would gravitate towards. See Lynne was 12 years older than me! At the age of 37, I considered my new friend as an older woman! (oh boy that could get me in trouble!!)

The connection between us began as we shared stories of our pregnancies. She was pregnant with her first child, I with my 3rd. We shared stories of swollen feet, bad indigestion, how much weight we had gained and the anticipation of our babies arrival! During our special times together, Lynne taught me so much! She taught me how to be brave, how to bake a RICH chocolate cake, how to live on a budget and how to make important things important!

Lynne was a TITUS friend to me during those molding years. In the book of Titus, Paul is telling his younger friend Titus, who is his partner in ministry and student in the Lord, about the kind of relationship women in God's family are to have with one another...

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored." -TITUS 2:3-5

Paul is reminding Titus that Christian women should be doing things far differently as they grow older in their faith and as they learn to manage life more effectively. In the more mature years (and that does not necessarily mean AGE as it does MATURITY!), the Christian woman is to teach and encourage the younger woman.

? WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU

LOOK FOR IN A CHRISTIAN MENTOR ?

How can one become a mentoring woman like the one Paul is describing? It is NOT through sermons, but it is by the example of how she lives her life. A more mature Christian woman who has learned when to speak and when not to speak; and who reflects a genuine heart for the Lord will be a living and breathing sermon! (If neccesary use words...in other words, let your life speak for itself!)

To become a SISTER/SISTER (or a Christian mentor) is to accept the call to be a prayer warrior and a mentor.

The term "mentor" comes from the famous Homer's epic poem, THE ODYSSEY. King Odyssey is leaving to fight in the Trojan war, the King gives charge to his trusted friend, Mentor to care for his son and to take care of his household while he is away at war. In the King's absence, Mentor trained his son in all the ways that a father would train his son. Therefore when we use the word "mentor" it is referring to someone who is a trusted counselor, a guide, a tutor or a coach.

God values the "older" woman and He challenges her to share her wealth of experience. Growing older" is NOT becoming obsolete, outdated or antique!

• Growing older is having the ability to speak about God!
• Growing older has the abiltiy to speak about His faithfulness, His redemptive power and His willingness to provide for His children!
• Growing older is having the ability to speak about the wisdom He gives for child rearing, homemaking and the guidelines for marriage and living!
• An "older woman" is one who has walked with Him in the valleys, in the meadows and the mountains of life!
• An "older woman", a godly mentor...has a lot to share with others!

At this point, you might be thinking that you do not have anything to share. You might consider yourself a simple woman. I used to think like that too, until one day I took a piece a paper out and began to write down all of the things that God has brought me thru (ie: college, working, marriage, children, etc) and before I knew it I had a LONG list of experiences!

It does NOT matter what season of life you find yourself in, each of us have experiences that God can use!!

• You may be at the age of 80... you have MUCH to offer a 40 year old!
• You may be at the age of 20... you have MUCH to offer a 15 year old young lady!

EVERYBODY IS "OLDER" THAN SOMEONE!

TITUS 2 IS A CLEAR AND POWERFUL CALL TO WOMEN TODAY:

• For older women to model
• and for younger women to learn!

? HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT TO PURSUE

A GODLY MENTORING RELATIONSHIP ?

1. BE PURPOSEFUL

GALATIANS 5:22, 23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

2. BE CREATIVE

PSALMS 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

3. BE A LISTENER

PSALMS 41:12 "As for me, thou dost uphold me in my integrity, and Thou dost set me in Thy presence forever."

4. BE REAL

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

5. BE AVAILABLE

ISAIAH 13:4 "Follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him."

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A MENTORING RELATIONSHIP?

I have given some simple steps to take if you desire to be a godly mentor. My advice here today AT THE WELL, is if you seek to be a mentor...JUST BE ONE!

Please leave me your comments on this subject of SISTER/SISTER and if you have a posting today on this subject...link it here. (be sure to link us to your mentoring posting and not just your blogpage!)

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY...we fall down

"I'VE FALLEN AND

I CAN'T GET UP!"
Do you remember that popular commercial from a few years back?

When we fall at the feet of Jesus and allow His spirit to sweep over us...it is hard to get back up!!

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU

GOT LOST IN HIS PRESENCE?

There is so much peace and comfort at the feet of Jesus....Listen to this video from KUTLUSS and allow God to speak to your spirit today.

(please scroll down to the music bar on my blog and MUTE

my blog music, otherwise you will have two songs playing...)

Today I am joining AMY over at SIGNS, MIRACLES and WONDERS who graciously hosts Then Sings My Soul Saturday each week. What a privilege it is to give worship and praise to God. You can FIND more WORSHIP-filled blog posts HERE!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...believing in Him!

WHAT DO YOU

BELIEVE IN?

TODAY ON THANKFUL THURSDAY

I REJOICE THAT I CAN BELIEVE IN SOMETHING!

I BELIEVE IN MANY THINGS...

I believe in the light turning on when I flip the switch.

I believe that my car will start if it has gas in the tank.

I believe that weeds will grow in my garden even though I pull them.

I believe that my children can accomplish anything.

I believe that my husband would come to my rescue without giving it consideration.

I believe that morning always comes.

I believe that a cross was carried for me many years ago.

WHO DO YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN?
your lawyer?

your doctor?

your boss?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR CIRMCUMSTANCES CHANGE?

Do we still put our trust and faith in those leading us? Sometimes our circumstances change.

HAVE YOU EVER PUT FAITH IN A DOCTOR'S REPORT?

But then the doctor came back and said, "I'm not sure why....but it seems things are not like I thought." Oh-oh!

SO WHAT DO I BELIEVE IN NOW?

What was I putting my belief (or trust) in? (the Dr. or God)

Was I going to believe the doctors report or wait upon God's report?

Am I putting my faith in my circumstances or upon the great Physician?

Do I trust the doctors report or believe that Gods final word has not been spoken on this matter?

WHOSE REPORT ARE

YOU GOING TO BELIEVE?

I am believing that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is with me when the report is good and He is with me when the report is bad. My circumstances may change but He never changes. If I can praise Him when things are going good, shouldn't I praise Him when it turns ugly? My faith and belief IS NOT in my circumstances.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Today on THANKFUL THURSDAY, I want to give thanks to God for giving me something to believe in. The song comes to mind "I know whom I believe in...." Isn't it refreshing to know that God holds the ultimate answer in His hands for each thing we are in need of.

ROMANS 10:9

"that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

CONFESS IT!

BELIEVE IT!

RECEIVE IT!

Join IRIS and all of the other grateful hearts as we share our thoughts this THANKFUL THURSDAY. Find more grateful hearts HERE!

A PIECE OF MY HEART...time

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?

I love Saturday's because it seems like I can accomplish alot of things. As long as we don't have a ballgame to attend or a church dinner to participate in, I can take the entire day and knock a bunch of stuff off of my "to do" list.

WHAT DOES AN AVERAGE SATURDAY

LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

• Breakfast at shoney's
• Grocery shop at Walmart
• Pick up dry cleaning
• Drop off child at a birthday party
• Get a haircut
• Take the dog to the groomer
• Do laundry
• Get car washed
• Go to the post office
• Take a shower
• Have dinner with a friend

This could be an average Saturday for most people. My friend Carmen had a typical Saturday last week just like this one that I described. Carmen, age 33 - a mother of two young sons, did not know that it would be her last Saturday.

Unexpectedly, my friend collapsed at home and after a week of tests and unanswered questions, God chose to take my friend home to be with Him. Her sudden death has caused me to remember all of the times I was able to talk with her and pray with her.

Carmen recently attended a Ladies Bible Study that I was teaching. She was so hungry for God's Word. I really enjoyed the TIME that I had with her; sharing and praying with each other! We continued with that relationship even after the study concluded. Carmen would text message me or call me on my cell phone when she wanted to talk about something or wanted someone to pray with. I am so thankful for the TIME that we had together talking, sharing and praying.

TIME...we all have 24 hours in a day. Nobody has more. Nobody has less. The time in a day is the same for all of us.

In ECCLESIASTES 3:1, it says there is "a time to be born and a time to die". There has been an appointed time for each of us to die. We don't know when that time will come for us, only God knows.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE

TIME THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU?

and that's a piece of my heart today!

Please pray for Carmen's family during this time of loss. Pray for comfort for her parents, her sister, her two young sons and all of her extended family and dear friends who are grieving her loss.

AT THE WELL... a call to worship

Thank you for joining me and my friends AT THE WELL. We are gathering each and every Monday as we all are pursuing to be more like the TITUS 2 woman. Even though it is women gathering here, principles we talk about are also good for the men in our lives. Today, LAURA LEE is our GUEST HOST. She is leading us in the discussion of "A CALL TO WORSHIP".

LAURA LEE HAS ASKED US THE FOLLOWING QUESTION'S TO CONSIDER....

1. A “Call to Worship” is usually at the beginning of a church service to prepare hearts and minds for worship together. What do you do or think you should do at the start of each day to prepare your heart and mind as a woman living a life of worship?

2. If you were to gather at the well with women younger than you in the faith, what would your call to worship be for them?

FROM MY HEART TO YOURS

AT THE WELL...

Laura Lee has posed a great thing for us to meditate upon. Worship is my favorite part of Sunday Service. God has NOT blessed me with any musical talent, but to Him, when I offer up praise - it is music to His ears!

However, this attitude of PRAISE is not reserved for Sunday Morning only! We should give praise and adoration to our Lord and Savior each and every day.

I have heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal in our day. Without it, we are not charged up for the day. Our energy will be running out way before it is time if we skip our daily breakfast.

If this is true for our physical body, why do we think we can start our day out without our "spiritual" feeding in the morning. Before you even begin your day, why not ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you thru your day. This is the FIRST step of worshipping God. WELCOMING HIS HOLY SPIRIT!

Now that you are off to a good start in your day. Opportunities to worship and adore Jesus Christ will pop up throughout your day....

driving the kids to school... GIVE HIM PRAISE

pushing the cart in the grocery store...GIVE HIM PRAISE

waiting in the drive up window at the bank ...GIVE HIM PRAISE

driving around the parking lot looking for a space...GIVE HIM PRAISE

sitting in the waiting room at the dentist...GIVE HIM PRAISE

cooking dinner...GIVE HIM PRAISE

folding the piles of laundry...GIVE HIM PRAISE

in the evening, turn the TV off and ... GIVE HIM PRAISE

before you retire for the night...GIVE HIM PRAISE

PRAISE COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS:

• You can praise Him in song.
• You can praise Him in prayer.
• You can praise Him by giving thanks.
• You can praise Him by journaling.
• You can praise Him by serving others.
• You can praise Him ALL DAY LONG!

LUKE 19:40

He answered, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

My challenge to the ladies gathering AT THE WELL today would be to encourage the younger women to give God praise in EVERYTHING! Age is not a pre-requisite, you are never too young or too old to give God your praise. DO NOT LET A ROCK TAKE YOUR PLACE!

You can CLICK HERE and read what others are saying about this topic. A big THANKS to Chelsey (who oversees this ministry) and was gracious to invite me to be a part of it.

BE SURE TO COME BACK NEXT MONDAY TO THE WELL...I WILL BE THE DISCUSSION HOST AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING "MENTORING"!

See you AT THE WELL!

Blessings,

Laurie

FRIEND or FOE...August 24th weekly devotion

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS WEEKS DEVOTIONAL.

IT IS MY PRAYER THAT THRU MY WRITINGS

THAT YOU WILL BE GUIDED TO

GODS WORD AND HIS TRUTH.

THE LOVE OF A FRIEND
We don't value our friendships enough. Family is vital, but so are friends.

• Friends give us counsel.
• They give us laughter.
• Friends help us.
• They give us companionship.

Some people may have too many friendships that aren't deep enough. Others may have too few because they close themselves off to new relationships. But we could all improve our lives by taking friendships more seriously!

PROVERBS 18:24
"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

HAVE YOU GATHERED A GROUP OF SMALL FRIENDS

THAT "STICK CLOSER THAN A BROTHER?"

HAVE YOU DISTANCED YOURSELF FROM

ALLOWING FRIENDSHIPS TO GROW?

TRUE FRIENDSHIP is a kind of love. Enjoying a true friend can be as joyful as receiving family affection. A true friend gives and takes because love involves both giving and taking.

DO YOU HAVE A TRUE FRIEND?

If your friend is loyal and encouraging ...then you have a true friend!

Loyalty is one of the best qualities to have in life. The loyalty of a friend is something to be cherished. Two examples of loyalty of friends that I recall in the Bible are:

THE STORY OF RUTH
When Ruth tells the grieving Naomi, "Wherever you go, I will go, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried." (found in Ruth 1:16-17)

NOW THAT IS LOYALTY!

THE STORY OF DAVID AND JONATHAN
Jonathan's father wanted to kill his rival, David, but Jonathan, while honoring his father, remains loyal to his close friend. When David hears that both his enemy Saul and his friend Jonathan have been killed, he mourns, "The splendor of Israel lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen." (found in 2 Samuel 1:19)

LOYALTY IS RARE!

LOVE AND KINDNESS HAVE MANY ASPECTS.

It is easy to love family and friends.

It is easy to love those that love us back.

It is even easier to love those that are lovable.

But what about strangers, enemies and those people that are in need.
HOW EASY IS IT FOR YOU TO LOVE AND BE KIND TO THEM?

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What acts of kindness are hardest for you?" The top 2 answers were:

60% of those voting, said it would be hard to visit someone in prison.
40% of those polled, voted and said that it would be hard to give money or time to someone in need.

This poll speaks loudly of where our kindness may fall. It may fall easily onto those we love but how difficult it is for us to express love and kindness to those we don't know or who are less fortunate than us. Do we turn our back on these that are looking for kindness?

The reason it is so important for us to love humanity is because God made ALL of us...

The rich
The poor
The believer
The unbeliever

We are ALL valuable to God because we are his chosen people. This fact alone makes loving others praiseworthy! Mistreating the poor, strangers or even our enemies is an insult to God.

PROVERBS 14:31
" He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy."

Love is about more than just thinking about other people. Love is action. The one who is disabled, the one who is elderly, the poor, the homeless, even the grouchy neighbor ...they are all worthy of our kindness because they are made by God and God loves each and every one of them!

Jesus looked on crowds with compassion. (Matthew 9:36) He was able to look beyond the outside and think of people in terms of their needs. He saw people needing love and needing God.

PROVERBS 21:21
"He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honor."

If we live a life of love and kindness, we will find the reward of honor in the end. LOVE IS A CHOICE!

WHO ARE YOU CHOOSING TO LOVE AND

EXPRESS KINDNESS TOWARDS THIS WEEK?

Dear Lord, I thank You that you loved me enough to accept me as I am. I pray that You will fill my heart with love and kindness towards those around me that I find difficult. May Your love overflow thru me to those who are hurting and less fortunate than I am. I praise You for using me to speak kindness to someone today. May You find me to be a faithful and loyal friend. AMEN

I have been studying the book of PROVERBS, asking myself if my love for others is worthy of honor? Is my love fleeting or faithful? How can I love others more? Won't you join me in memorizing PROVERBS 21:21 as we pursue to be more loving and loyal in our friendships?




PLEASE VOTE IN THIS WEEKS POLL....
This weeks poll is located on the side bar, "What do you do when someone lies to you?". Please cast your vote in YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL!

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY...My Help

"My Help"

Where do you go when

you are in trouble?

Where do you go to get help?

This week, I heard the cutest story told about my friends 3rd grade Sunday school class. My friend, the teacher, posed the question...

"what do you do when you are in trouble?"

After a few moments, a boy answered, "CALL COREY B TROTZ!"

Now if you are not from the Memphis area, COREY B TROTZ is an ad that runs on our local TV channel for an attorney that proposes to get anyone out of any jam!

Tomorrow I will be teaching a Sunday school lesson on this very subject..."My help"...where do we go when we are troubled?

The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sings a great rendition of MY HELP, and today on THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY, I wanted to share it with you. It has ministered to my heart and spirit all week. It is my prayer, that if your heart is troubled today and the weight of the world rests on your shoulders, that you will allow Gods love and His Holy Spirit to be your help in trouble!

Thank you AMY over at SIGNS, MIRACLES and WONDERS who graciously leads us each week in Then Sings My Soul Saturday. Want to find out about other great songs of worship? CLICK HERE.

(before playing the video...please scroll down to my blog music (on the side bar) and MUTE it first, otherwise you will have 2 different songs playing at one time)

THANKFUL THURSDAY...the power of clean up!

Today I am joining my friends over at THANKFUL THURSDAY. Iris is our host each week and I am so grateful to her for leading us in giving thanks. I hope that you will check out all of the other grateful blogger's that also participate each week.

HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN THANKS FOR CLEANING SUPPLIES?

For the past four years I have owned and operated my own cleaning business. Residential, Commercial, Real Estate cleaning. If its dirty...I'll clean it.

Two cleaning products that I would not catch myself without is CLOROX CLEAN UP and MR CLEAN ERASE PAD. I love both of these cleaning products because they leave such a fresh and clean look (and smell)!

On this THANKFUL THURSDAY, I am grateful for the power of CLEAN UP!

I am not only grateful for the great products such as the ones I mentioned above for they help me make a living but I am extremely grateful today for the CLEAN UP that God applies that enables me to live life better!

EPHESIANS 4:31

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you".

BITTERNESS...are you bitter about anything? towards anyone? Has it taken root and grown into other things?

ALLOW GOD TO APPLY HIS CLEANING POWER AND

LIVE A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT THIS BITTERNESS!

WRATH...what enrages you? crime? disobedience? gas prices? broken promises? Has your wrath caused you to say or do things that you regret?

ALLOW GOD TO APPLY HIS CLEANING POWER AND

LIVE A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT THIS WRATH!

ANGER...are you easily angered? with your family, your friends or your coworkers? Do you say things in anger that you have to later apologize for? Have you sent someone a text message or a email this week that oozed with fits of anger?

ALLOW GOD TO APPLY HIS CLEANING POWER AND

LIVE A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT THIS ANGER!

CLAMOR...do you publicly let your discontent be known? Are you a disgruntled employee? When the waitress gets your order wrong do you make a scene?

ALLOW GOD TO APPLY HIS CLEANING POWER AND

LIVE A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT THIS CLAMOR!

EVIL SPEAKING...does your speech reflect what is in your heart? do you encourage or tear down? do you find fault with your neighbor? do you talk about your co-worker behind their back?

ALLOW GOD TO APPLY HIS CLEANING POWER AND

LIVE A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT THIS EVIL SPEAKING!

Gods CLEANING POWER is much like the magic eraser product...His GRACE, LOVE and FORGIVENESS will wipe each stain of our heart clean.

WHY NOT SCHEDULE A CLEANING OF THE HEART TODAY!

Join me and Iris for other THANKFUL THURSDAY posts -

CLICK HERE!

A PIECE OF MY HEART..."I lead...you follow"

ARE YOU A LEADER?
What kind of a leader are you?

It doesn't matter if you sit on the platform on Sunday morning or if you teach a Sunday school class.

It doesn't matter if you sing in the choir or if you take up the offering.

It doesn't matter if you work in the nursery or if you mow the church yard.

It doesn't matter if you help fold the bulletins or if you visit the sick.

It doesn't matter the capacity of your role in your local church...

We are all CALLED to be leaders and we are leading others to Christ (or away from) by our acts of love and attitude of leadership. No matter our age, our race or our status - we are leading someone somewhere! People are watching, observing and copying our every move. When you lead...who is following you?

In the world, leadership is based upon power and authority. It is designed to benefit the leader and it places him above others. A godly leader should be doing all they can do to help other Christians reach their full potential in Christ.

Mark 10:43-45
“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

These verses show that godly spiritual leaders do not have the attitudes of leaders in the world.

I ONCE HEARD A SPEAKER GIVE EXAMPLES

OF THREE STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

1. If we DRIVE people, we will DRIVE them until they can get out of our way.

2. If we LEAD people, we will be able to LEAD them as far as we have gone ourselves.

3. If we SERVE people, we will help each person develop their full God given potential and equip each person for the ministry that Christ has prepared for every Christian.

WHAT KIND OF A CHRISTIAN LEADER ARE YOU?
Do you DRIVE, LEAD or SERVE in your leadership style?

We are reminded today that as we lead, someone is following. I pray your influence on those around you are leading them to their full potential in Christ!

and that's a piece of my heart today;

AT THE WELL...marriage - building up your spouse

Today, I am joining my friends over AT THE WELL, as we pursue to be Titus 2 women. I hope you will also join in on the discussion over there. Today CINDY is our discussion leader. Cindy has led us in a great topic this week, "MARRIAGE - BUILDING UP YOUR SPOUSE".

FROM MY HEART TO YOURS AT THE WELL....

STICKS & STONES

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Most of us remember this childhood saying as a rebuke against name-calling bullies. It seemed to work at that time, but in reality, the saying is wrong. Words can and do inflict more pain than the biggest stick or the heaviest stone could ever cause. Cursing, mocking, blaming, insulting…we all know that this simple method of just saying a few well chosen words can manipulate and hurt people in ways we can't even imagine, especially those closest to us.

Words do hurt us...what we say, how we say it, what we mean by it, it all affects us and other people. Words have energy and power. Words can heal or maim; comfort or kill.

So how can we make sure that our words spoken to our spouse are those of encouragement? lifting up? And not tearing down?

C o n t r o l

y o u r

t o n g u e!

There is a couple that my husband and I are friends with. I enjoy spending time with the wife; shopping, going out for lunch and hanging out. My husband likes spending time with the husband; meeting for lunch or coffee in the morning. When the four of us get together, it always seems to be a bit awkward. The conversation that goes on between these married friends is not always uplifting. It starts out in a joking matter, but the comments usually take a twist to the point that we are not sure where the joke ends and the hurt begins. The put downs. The "I told you so's". The comparison to someone else. Have you ever been in a situation where the words of discord and discontent makes you feel uncomfortable. No matter how much you try to encourage and lift up..you feel like you have failed miserably.

HOW CAN I SHOW MY FRIENDS THAT THEIR

WORDS ARE HURTING EACH OTHER?

One of the best things I can do for our friends is lead by example

I need to make sure the words I speak TO my husband are uplifting and encouraging. And even beyond what I speak to him, what do I say ABOUT him? When I am having lunch with my girlfriend, do I speak ill of my husband or do I compliment him.

From time to time we all need a "girlfriend" that we girls can confide in and share our inner feelings. But can I alert you to the dangers of destruction that our words can do to our spouse, even in his absence. The negative words that we leave with our "confidants" will long linger even after we have found forgiveness with our mate.

CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE takes practice! At a young age, we practiced forming sounds and syllables and with 'practice' we mastered this thing we call SPEECH. The control of our tongue is something we need to practice.

WHY NOT PRACTICE PRAISE AND

ENCOURAGEMENT THIS WEEK...

START WITH YOUR SPOUSE

Prov. 21:23

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles”

Eph. 4:29

“ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES,

BUT WORDS WILL DEFINITELY HURT ME (and MY MATE)

As I pursue to be more of a Titus 2 woman, I pray this prayer over the words I use when I speak to or speak of my mate...that every thing I say will be uplifting, encouraging and pleasing. That no corrupt word will come out of my mouth that would cause hurt and pain to him or anyone that may hear.

"Lord, help me to speak LIFE into my husband and not be one who

throws sticks and stones. Help me to give honor to the man You gave to me!"

Why not join me over AT THE WELL and see what the other ladies are saying about this subject. FIND MORE HERE!

Me, Me, and OH YEAH - ME! - August 17th weekly devotion

Thank you for joining us for this week's devotion. It is my prayer that God will speak to you thru my writing and most importantly thru His Word. May His Word challenge and change us today!

IN A STORY I read about King Solomon, it is told of how Solomon took a tiny ant into his hand and asked, "Is there anyone in the world greater than I?"

"Yes", replied the ant, "I am, since God sent you to carry me."

Pride is a vice that we all share, and yet we dislike pride when we see it in someone else. Humility, on the other hand, is admired by all, though misunderstood.

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled readers the following question, "What would benefit you from having humility?" The top answers were:

50% of those polled said that they would have a smoother life with God's blessings and the goodwill of others. Tied with the same amount of votes, voters said they also would be able to help some people that they cared about if they thought of themselves less.

30% of readers voted and said that with increased humility, they would make more friends and have deeper relationships.

If there is one area in our lives where we need change, it is in the area of humility. Some people's idea of humility is to feel negative about themselves.."I probably won't do well at this, but I'll try."

THIS IS NOT HUMILITY. Another false idea of humility is feigned modesty, for instance a person who is skilled musically but denys that they have any talent.

REAL HUMILITY is putting others before yourself and regarding yourself as less important than others.

WHEN I THINK OF HUMILITY, I THINK OF 2 PEOPLE

The first is a man who would give the shirt off of his back to a stranger. He would sacrifice everything he owned for someone who lacked. I have personally seen him walk into McDonalds with $3.00 in his pocket, order a kids meal and a coffee and turn around and give the meal to a homeless person standing outside and walk away drinking his coffee. This man, I recall, several years ago, worked with a woman whose husband had had a heartattack. She had exhausted all of her personal days and vacation days at work. Any time she needed to be off would now be unpaid. This man gave all of his unused vacation days to this woman he personally did not know.

Sacrifice. Humility is putting others before yourself, sacrificially.

This first man I speak of is one of the most humble men I have ever met, and I pray I could be more like him. I have been married to him for the past 27 years, and he is my hero!

Another hero of mine, who is the perfect example of humility, is Jesus Christ. Perfect humility is pictured in Jesus coming as a helpless infant and dying for our sin. Paul discusses the humility that he would like to see the followers of Jesus to adopt in Philippians chapter 2.

PHILIPPIANS 2:3-5

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself: (4) do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others. (5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus."

PAUL CALLS HUMILITY AN ATTITUDE OF THE MIND

Another word for pride is PRESUMPTION. Solomon paints a perfect picture of presumption and its results in Proverbs.

PROVERBS 25:6,7

"Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men; (7) for it is better that it be said to you, 'come up here' than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen."

PRESUMPTION is assuming a higher place than you should. Presumption is asking for trouble.

Pride leads to a fall. If you walk on a high path, you may fall and be hurt.

However, the one who walks on a low road has less distance to fall.

In some ways, humility is the hardest trait to have, and in some ways, it is the easiest. Self-importance is a condition of our sinful nature. A me-first (me, me and OH YEAH - me!) attitude is NATURAL, but an others-first attitude is SPIRITUAL!

Humility is not as hard to obtain as people think. It is not deciding that you are no good at anything; in fact, it is not about you at all!! Humility is the habit and attitude of thinking about others and about caring for people's needs MORE than people's status. Humility is simply learning to take delight in others.

"The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life." PROV. 22:4

God is humble. He delights in others, even though He has the right to think only of Himself.

God REWARDS humilty...the rewards may not be financial. Money is just temporary, but the reward of His grace, love and peace will be eternal.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU CAN PUT OTHERS FIRST THIS WEEK?

NEED MORE HUMLITY?

try this....

1. ASK God to help you to put others first

2.CHOOSE an event where you will determine to

not talk about yourself but find out about other people

3. WRITE out a list of anyone you may need to apologize to for not being the friend/spouse/relative that you should of been when it came to "serving" them

I have been studying the book of PROVERBS, for additional help with this area of humility, meditate and memorize Prov. 18:12. Thanks for joining me today for this study.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS....

Please vote in this weeks poll, "WHAT ACTS OF KINDNESS ARE HARD FOR YOU?" The poll is located on the side column of this blog. Your opinion really matters and come back next sunday for the results!!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...whom would you sacrificially die for?

Thank you for joining me on this THANKFUL THURSDAY. Iris over at Then stings my heart is our host each week and I appreciate her so much as she leads us all into a time of expressing thanks to our Lord and Savior.

This week I want to express thanks for SACRIFICIAL LOVE. Have you ever considered whom you would lay your life down for?

* your neighbor?

* the check out girl at wal-mart?

* your dentist?

* the mailman?

* the kid next door that is on drugs?

*Jesus Christ?

IS THERE ANYONE THAT YOU WOULD

SACRIFICIALLY GIVE YOUR LIFE FOR?

I have to be honest with you - there aren't too many people that I would give my life for - outside my family.

My friend Sherry sent me a recount of a story that tells of how we take sacrificial love for granted. I thought it was priceless and very moving, as I ponder this thought of whom I would sacrificially die for...

Luke AFB is southwest of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.

A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

THE COMPLAINT:

'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base':

Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated.

THE RESPONSE:

Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' (Letters, Thursday):

On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured. A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom.

We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show?' The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you.....

JESUS CHRIST

AND THE AMERICAN SOLDIER

One died for your soul,

the other for your freedom

ETERNITY IS FOREVER

IT JUST HAPPENS TO BEGIN ON EARTH.

What are you grateful for today? Please join other grateful hearts over at THANKFUL THURSDAY and offer up praise with us! FIND US HERE!

Blessings,

Laurie

A PIECE OF MY HEART...security clearance

Today as I share a piece of my heart with you, keep in mind that there is only ONE way to the Father...

Last week, my husband and I went with my son and his bride to the airport. It was somewhat of a sad day as we had to say goodbye to our son who was going overseas to serve our country in Korea for the next 13 months. Once he got checked in at the airport counter, we had a pleasant surprise... the airlines gave all of us security clearance and allowed us to go to his gate with him and wait there with him.

It was a wonderful gesture on the Delta airlines to give us more time with our son.

I have been thinking all week about that "security clearance" ticket that we received and I wonder how many people are living day to day without Christ and thinking that in the end that they will get a "security clearance" ticket to enter heaven.

DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT ARE "good" PEOPLE BUT FAR FROM CHRIST?

I have been friends for the past 17 years with someone who is a very good person....

-She is kind.

-She is giving.

-She is loving.

-She obeys the law.

-She is an awesome Mom.

-She gives money to charity.

-She doesn't cuss.

-She doesn't drink.

-She is faithful to her husband.

Despite all the good that my friend does, there is one element missing in her life...she does not have a personal relationship with Christ.

Doing good does not make you any more of a Christ follower, than drinking tea makes you southern. You must know Him personally!! There will be no "passes" given out for good behavior at the pearly gates.

1 JOHN 4:15

"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."

JOHN 14:6

" Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

HAVE YOU ASKED CHRIST IN YOUR HEART?

Don't wait...today is your day!

Dear Lord, I am a sinner. I am asking you to forgive me of my sins. I believe that You sent Your Son to die for me and I receive Your forgiveness today. Please wash me white as snow and help me to live a life that is pleasing to You. I ask You now to live in me and guide me to be all I can be with You. AMEN

It's that simple. If you have prayed this sinners prayer - you now possess your "security clearance" ticket to heaven. May you be empowered with His grace as you walk forward from this day on! See you there!!

AT THE WELL...preparing a homecoming for daddy

Today, I am joining my friends over AT THE WELL, as we pursue to be Titus 2 women. I hope you will also join in on the discussion over there. Today LISA from http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/carolinametzgers is our discussion leader. Lisa has led us in a great topic this week, "Preparing a homecoming for Daddy".

FROM MY HEART TO YOURS....

Lisa poses a question for us today over at the well..."how do we prepare our homes for Daddy's homecoming" I loved what she had to share with us about hospitality...

Hospitality is a “cordial and generous reception; an act or service of welcoming; hospitable treatment, reception, or disposition; hospitality constitutes a key ingredient of family life.” Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Hospitality [is] a little fire, a little food, and an immense quiet.”

Have you ever considered that your home should be a place for you to be hospitable to your husband?

In today's society, I am fully aware that in our homes, we are no June Cleavers! Many of us, as women, have many responsibilities upon our shoulders. Not only are we tending to the children, but we are running the kiddos to school and ball practice; we are grocery shopping; planning the menu; cooking; doing the laundry; and most of us are working outside of the home part time or full time. So if you think I am suggesting that we parade around in our high heels as we take out the pot roast from the oven just as our man walks in the door from work...Well, sort of, that is what I am suggesting.

BEING HOSPITABLE IS AN ACT OF SERVICE TO WELCOME SOMEONE.

What could you do that would make your man feel welcome when he walks in the front door after a long, hard day at the office?

*Greet him with high heels on? well, maybe not high heels...but have you combed your hair all day or brushed your teeth since lunch? Make an effort to greet your man with style and look pleasing for him.

*Pot roast in the oven? OK, maybe you had a long day at work also and you did not have time to cook a pot roast before he came home, but you can have a plan ready for dinner. Even if it is chicken salad. Don't wait until 5:00 pm to think about what's for dinner.

*Running late? Do the kids have you running? Ball practice at 6:00, band practice at 7:00, pick up school supplies at wal-mart at 8:00. Do you overbook yourself and find it hard to find time for you and hubby? Involve your sweetie in some of the running, so he won't feel left out or abandoned. Some of the best "talking" times is in the aisles of wal-mart.

Showing hospitality to others is easy for me. I will bake a cake for a sick friend, visit the elderly in the hospital, pick up my neighbors son from daycare, invite the new couple from church over for dinner...but somehow finding time to be hospitable to my husband is difficult.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” Romans 12:10-13

As I pursue to be more of a Titus 2 woman, I pray this prayer over my relationship with my husband -that I will give him preference and honor; that I will be diligent in serving him and meeting his needs. "Lord, help me to be more hospitable to the man you gave to me!"

Why not join me over AT THE WELL and see what the other ladies are saying about this subject. FIND MORE HERE!