Titus 2 Woman

The other day I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Well-behaved women rarely make history." And I heard it again just a day or so later.

I began to worry, "Am I making history?"

Then I thought, 'Really? Well-behaved women rarely make history?'

Some famous women came to mind; I guess I should say famous and infamous women came to mind. Some challenged society's norms in ways that would benefit all- standing against slavery, caring for the sick of the poorest of the poor, smuggling food to those in hiding- all women who, true, didn't behave in the norm. But I wouldn't call what they did 'misbehaving'. They simply did what was right; they shaped history.

Others definitely misbehaved but not in a charitable or benevolent way. Many would say, "That woman made history."

To 'make history' in this way is merely a paragraph, a sentence, or maybe just a footnote in the story of mankind. It's doing something to make a name for one's self, rather than for the good of all presently and for those yet to come.

There are those who make history and those who shape history.

Where's the bumper sticker of those who shape history? After a much thought, I have come to realize such women don't want or need applause. They make, or rather, shape history in the way they go about their daily lives with no special recognition needed.

And then the question became not, "Am I making history?" It became "Am I shaping history?"

And then the LORD brought to mind Titus 2:3-5, "the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." (New King James Version)

This is the goal I strive to reach. A Titus 2 woman. A woman who loves and serves God, a woman who loves her husband and children, a woman who makes a house a home, a woman who lives in such a way that glorifies God, a woman who teaches-not merely word- but truly how she lives her life for younger women to follow her example.

True, such a woman will probably not be written about in history books, applauded by the masses, or even known beyond her immediate friends and family. Still, such a woman does not just make history. This kind of woman shapes history for generations to come.

So maybe that's what those bumper stickers should say, "Well-behaved women don't make history; they SHAPE history!"

New Year's Resolutions.....

Perhaps it's too early to start thinking about New Year's resolutions. I mean, I never keep them any way. I have the best of intentions, but it just never pans out. After a week or two, the old habits creep back in. And there I am again in the same patterns that I've grown accustomed to and familiar with.

So, I'm not going to make New Year's Resolutions. I'm just going to live one day at a time. I'm not going to dread tomorrow's resolutions today. I'm going to do what I can today. If something gets left out of today, then I'll try again tomorrow. All the while, making no promises that I'll even take it on tomorrow.

Now don't think I'm not one for self-improvement. I am. Daily I'm striving to be more like Jesus. That's become a theme UTRTR. "How can we be more like Jesus? What can we do to serve Him? How can we show others His love?"

When my husband cut back his hours at his part-time job, we began a nightly routine. One of us reads out of the children's Bible before we put our little ones to bed. We read something from the Old Testament and something from the New. Then we read a daily devotional for children and pray as a family.

Now, I'm not writing this to brag on us. There have been days since we began this in early October that we have missed and certainly there are days where we will miss again. We don't beat ourselves up about it. Instead, we say, "We missed last night; let's get back on track today."

Had I made this a resolution for us, then it probably wouldn't have become a nightly event that we look forward to. And we probably would have given it up less than a week in.

Lesson learned.

Similarly, my husband and I have started rising a little earlier each morning to begin our day reading the Bible and praying. We do this separately. There are mornings we miss because the bed is warm or we've slept in a little too late or our early bird has awakened us (although we're training him that when the Bible is open, everything else can wait a few minutes). On the days we miss, we sorely miss that time alone with God. What a difference those few minutes make! Instead of beating and berating ourselves about it, we ask forgiveness for missing that time with Him and pray for guidance.

Lesson learned, again.

So, that's how I'm going to tackle the new things in the new year. I'm not going to beat myself up about what I did not accomplish in one day. I'll get up in the morning with the goal to walk with the kids or run in the yard. I'll pull out my new sewing machine and play with it until I figure out what I'm doing. I'll blog as the inspiration arises, not worrying about it sounding 'just right.' I'll slow down and go with the flow more. All one day at a time.

And, if I don't get in the required exercise or if my sewing maching my wonderful husband bought me stays in the box for six months or if I do not have the time or energy to blog or if I am rushed, rushed, rushed and can't relax- it's okay. I'll try again tomorrow.

No resolves. No resolutions. No regrets.

That's how I am going to live my life, starting today and thinking only of today.