Press Children into the Lord

Press Children into the Lord

When a child comes to you with a heavy heart or any concern, offer them a hug and a word of encouragement but quickly send them to their Heavenly Father. Encourage them to get down on their knees with you to pray silently therein developing their own relationship with God, instead of forming a habit of coasting on your faith or wisdom.

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted..”  Isaiah 6:1
www.titus2women.org

Ministry Focus - IJM

International Justice Mission
by Stephanie Heady

International Justice Mission‘s Base Camp is a summit designed to equip churches to guide their congregations in following God's call to justice. Ministry leaders from around the country and IJM staff are eager to share practical ways for your church to make an even greater impact in the fight against injustice.  Hearing from churches that work with IJM in developing a heart for justice and implementing a justice ministry will not only be inspiring, but instructive.

God has laid human trafficking on my heart for a while and ever since going to India with Rahab's Rope I have been unable to ignore it anymore.  Human trafficking is all across the world but as you can imagine it is much worse in poverty stricken countries, countries that churches from all over the world minister to and pray for.  How exciting will it be to see people rescued from these countries?!  Your church can be an instrument through which God carries out His redeeming work all across the world.

Struggles against injustice are God’s struggles.  We are simply called to do our part and experience him as He equips His church to do the work. God is calling us to do justice - not just feel bad about injustice.  I believe God won’t give us a mission without granting us the power to do it. He fully equips us and for this I am so thankful.  And through the mission, He changes us to be more like his Son.

“Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)

Facts: 
 - Each year, nearly 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade.
 - 27 million men, women and children are held as slaves.
 - 1 in 5 women is a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
For more information on the IJM’s and their Base Camp, go to:  www.ijm.org

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

 

Toss together:

Baked chicken pulled or 4 baked chicken breasts cubed,

1/2 small onion finely diced,

3 stalked of celery finely diced,

Small handful of dill pickle slices finely diced,

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Whip 1 cup of cold mayonnaise on a bowl until it is a pourable consistency. Add to chicken mixture a few table spoons at a time. When it looks like all of the ingredients are wet enough but not too runny add a few tablespoons of whipped whipping cream (whip it yourself).

 

In a small pan toast a small package of slivered almonds in a tablespoon of melted butter. Then drain and salt them on a paper towel. When cool, store in a sandwich bag.

Cover and store overnight. Before serving toss with grape halves and the toasted almonds.

Heavenly Anthem

Heavenly Anthem

by Amy Gentry

 

“Listen to the love song that I am continually singing to you.  I take great delight in you.  I rejoice over you with singing.  The voices of the world are a cacophony of chaos, pulling you this way and that.  Don’t listen to those voices; challenge them with My Word.  Learn to take minibreaks from the world, finding a place to be still in My Presence and listen to My voice.”  (This is a passage from my daily devotional, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young from March15th)

The voices of this world are constantly competing to be heard, they want your attention.  What are they competing against? …the love song that God is singing over you.  He “will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)  He rejoices over you with words, His Words.  His Words are in direct opposition to the words spoken to you from this world: you’re not enough - worthy enough, skinny enough, rich enough…  This reminds me of a line of the hymn “Crown Him With Many Crowns,”

“Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns out all music but its own.” 

Do you suppose that if we listened hard enough we would then be able to allow God’s singing over us, His heavenly anthem, to drown out all words that are not His own?  All of the words that are in direct opposition to His voice?

CHALLENGE: Compare your internal dialogue with the words that God is singing over you.  How???  By reading His Word daily and believing that He takes great delight in you, and will not condemn you but rejoices over you.  “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephaniah 3:17

Song of Solomon - Summer of Sizzle

Song of Solomon - Summer of Sizzle 

will be here soon!

Join Titus2Women.org starting June  3rd and have a Summer Romance with your husband!

Every Monday and Thursday this summer you’ll discover new insights into God’s design for marriage based on the Book “Song of Solomon” from the Bible.  God really does want you to have some “Sizzle” in your relationship.  Join us and learn how.  An informative introduction to the Bible study will be posted on May 27th.

Song of Solomon – Summer of Sizzle

starting June 3, 2013

Menu Monday

Share What God is Doing in Your Life with Your Children

Share What God is Doing in Your Life with Your Children

When the Word of God and His Spirit reveal something to you, as you learn and grow in your faith, tell your children about it! Share with them what you hear, your answered prayers and even convictions from the Spirit to encourage them in their own faith.

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 11:18-19

T2W'S Favorite Things

T2W's Favorite Things

 

My kitchen is finally revolutionized. I have a place for the homeless things in my kitchen!!!  Welcome to the world of undershelf storage.  Where has this idea been my whole life???  

The Container Store's Undershelf Basket $6.99-$9.99 (depending on size). 

But the pièce de résistance is The Container Store's Undershelf Placemat Holder for $9.99. I have 3 of these in my kitchen currently: one for my large wicker hot pads, one for my large plastic platters and one for my cutting boards (I think I may get another one for my cookie sheets).

The Container Store's Undershelf Placemat Holder for $9.99.

Song of Solomon - Summer of Sizzle

Have a Summer Romance with your husband this year!

Starting in June Titus2Women.org will be posting insightful articles based on the book Song of Solomon in the Bible every Monday this summer.

Learn God’s true design for marriage as He instructed in the verses of this controversial instruction manual. 

Here is a secret… God really does want you to have SIZZLE in your marriage!

You will discover:

• God’s design for marriage
• Romantic ideas each week
• Tips on enhancing your relationship
• 10 Fabulous marriage topics
• What other women are saying
• Reader’s Choice Awards for the Most Romantic Things

Do Not Miss This Awesome Study – and remember to invite your friends!

Start a Facebook group and discuss your weekly insights

Song of Solomon – Summer of Sizzle

starting June 3, 2013

Reliant

Reliant

By Stephanie H.

 

The Lord has been showing me that I am not as reliant on Him as I thought.  A typical morning: my alarm goes off because I have electricity, I take a shower because I have clean running water, I put on clean clothes, I take my children to school in our car that works and has gas.  I am grateful for all of these modern conveniences but I do not want them to be a crutch and forget to rely on the Lord for every step of the day.

 

I am not saying get rid of all modern conveniences to rely on the Lord. Just remember to be thankful by starting your day by asking, “Lord, What should my day should look like?”  Ask Him for his strength, wisdom, discernment, love, patience, peace that is needed for the day.  Give Him all your concerns and anxieties.

 

I often hear the phrase, “God does not give us more than we can handle.” But, without relying on Him I could not handle most of my daily life.  When I am living in His will and relying on Him, He will bring me through an obstacle that only He can overcome.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to be used by Him.  I choose to fully surrender to Him so that I am but a vessel of His work. 

Psalm 59:17 (NIV) “You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”

 

2 Corinthians 1:9 &10 (NIV) 9 “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.”

Challenge: Pray and ask the Lord if you are relying on yourself or on Him and what that looks like.  Ask the Lord to show you what areas in your life you need to fully rely on Him.

The Other Woman

The Other Woman

By Carri Pratt

“I think my husband is having an affair.”  Have you ever had this thought cross your mind?  It might be the different way he is treating you or a strange text you thought you might have received by mistake or the fact that he is working late and not answering his phone, or perhaps you just have a twisted feeling in the pit of your stomach.  Maybe it isn’t a fear of another woman but just a feeling that your spouse is starting to drift away from you.

The fact is that when we open ourselves up to truly love another person we become vulnerable.  We know that person has the power to cause us pain and heartache.  This may lead us to sometimes have feelings of mistrust.  However, the root of these feelings is fear.  Fear is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible because our Heavenly Father knows what fearful little creatures we are on this earth.

Recently God has given me the unbelievable blessing of allowing me to see the need to crucify my flesh and restore my soul.  This gift has allowed me to fall deeply and madly in love with my husband of almost thirteen years after many years of what I call “surface/survival love”. 

This kind of love is self-serving at best.  It is the kind of love you think you have to stay married and care for your children.  The kind of love where you are really not paying attention to your spouse or any of his cues.  You don’t have to worry about him picking up the phone when he is working late because you don’t even call.  You simply enjoy the time he is away and do your own thing.

“Surface/survival love” is not the kind of love God intended for a marriage.  We know this because God has given us a marriage guide in the Song of Solomon in the Bible. “I belong to my love, and his desire is for me.” Song of Solomon 7:10.  God wants us to have a deep desire for our spouse.  God wants us to have a loving and unbreakable bond with our marriage partner.  God wants us to have a passionate love affair with our husband.  It is His gift to a bride and groom.  This type of love can be scary because it commands us to open ourselves up to the possibility that our love will not be returned.

So what if we have been hurt in the past or are hurting right now?  What if we don’t know if our husbands are being faithful?  What if we fear the worst?  What if he wants to leave?  Stop and take a deep breath! 

We cannot control the actions of anyone but ourselves.  The first step is to bring our fears to the Lord.  Lay them at His feet.  Know that we are loved by the King of Kings.  “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.” 1 John 4:18  

The next step is to pray.  The most wonderful thing we can do for our husbands and our family is to pray for God’s protection and guidance.  Pray that God will keep our spouse, and us, from temptation.  Pray for the peace of Jesus Christ in our lives.  Pray for our children.  Pray over our home. Pray, Pray, Pray!  No matter what your situation, God can do miracles if you call upon His name.

Then concentrate on being a loving partner.  The truth is that there are thousands of women who would like the chance to be exactly where you are with your man!  This should serve as a wake up call to see what you have and appreciate him for who he is and what he does for you.  Isn’t he worth your efforts to create or encourage a godly and adoring relationship?

A word of caution here ladies, don’t be “needy” or “critical / place blame” (the number one turn off for guys) but be fun, helpful, loving and spend time with your man doing things he enjoys.  Give him room and give him your trust (even if you don’t think he deserves it).  Bring your fears and accusations to the Lord and let Him be the one who heals you and your relationship.  Journaling your feelings is a great way to get them out of your system.

Challenge:  Join Titus2Women for a Summer of Romance with the Bible Study “Song of Solomon … Summer of Sizzle” and see just where God can take you and your spouse in your relationship if you let Him.

Be Fruitful

Be Fruitful

God’s fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

“This is my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8

www.titus2women.org

Retro Wednesday

RETRO WEDNESDAY

Mother's Day Breakfast Recipe

What an easy Mother's Day breakfast in bed.

Twas the night before Mother's Day and all through the house, every creature was snoring - even the pet mouse. Mom was up late preparing what was to bake. So dad and kids could boast- she whipped up a casserole of Overnight French Toast.....

Overnight French Toast Casserole - Stephanie H.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, sliced in large cubes
8 eggs
3 cups whipping cream
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 can of cream cheese icing
Powdered Sugar
Fresh Strawberries (optional)

Directions:
Arrange half of the cubes bread in the bottom of 9x13 (pack it in to make it fit). Spoon "globs" of cream cheese icing on top of cubed bread (don't worry about spreading it). Arrange the remaining half of cubed bread on top of icing layer, pressing down. Mix eggs, whipping cream, sugar, salt and vanilla and pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate over-night. Next morning, remove foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Before serving top with sliced strawberries and powdered sugar - Yum! (No need for syrup).

 

Seeds of Discontent - Part 2 - Envy

Seeds of Discontent:  Part 2 – Envy
By Jenn Vaught

Proverbs 14:30 (AMP) A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones. (Emphasis mine)

Got envy?  Yup, me too.  Who hasn’t?  It’s that green eyed monster that spans all lifestyles and social statuses.  No one has been immune.  There is no amount of money that can cure it, there is always someone more rich.  There is always someone with a better home, better marriage, better kids, better looks, better this and better that.  For some reason it seems to me that women are more prone to this than men.  It’s one of those “sister sins” we struggle with like anxiety that I talked about in my previous article. 

There is only one answer that can cure envy and that’s contentment and thankfulness in Christ.  Contentment and thankfulness isn’t something that just happens, it’s a decision you make every single day.  To sing every morning that old hymn, “This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!”  I don’t see how anyone can have these two things without Christ.  To me, it seems impossible.    

Some people can mistake satisfaction with contentment.  To me, these are two very different things.  Satisfaction is more like settling for where you are in life, you may not like where that is, but you are merely satisfied with it.  Mick Jagger couldn’t even “get no satisfaction!”   But seriously, contentment in Christ seems to take that satisfaction further helping you to become thankful to be where you are and who you are with at this very time and moment and you are at peace with your future, no matter what.  They fit naturally together and go hand in hand, like a man and a woman, a husband and a wife.  “Faith does for living what sunshine does for stained glass windows.” Gerta Schaffner                        

CHALLENGE:  Are you just merely satisfied or are you content and thankful in all circumstances?  If not, take the time to ask God to help you become better at fighting these monster feelings that can make or change our attitudes every single day!  1 Peter 2:1 (NIV) Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (Emphasis mine) 

Song of Solomon – Summer of Sizzle

Do you have “Sizzle” in your marriage?

Want some?

Join Titus2Women.org starting in June and have a Summer Romance with your husband!

Every Monday this summer you’ll discover new insights into God’s design for marriage based on the Book “Song of Solomon” from the Bible.  God really does want you to have some “Sizzle” in your relationship.  Join us and learn how.

 

Song of Solomon – Summer of Sizzle

starting June 3, 2013