What Would Chuck Norris Do?

I know I've been ignoring the Titus 2 woman....at least on here.  In real life, I'm thinking about her and how to be her, all the time.

Last night was a ladies' night out for some of the women from church.  It was such a fun time of fellowship and laughter (you should see a bunch of middle-aged women getting into their roles as royalty...we are all princesses, you know, daughters of the King).  It was also a great chance to see some Titus 2 women in action and be ministered to by them.  Now, I'm not a newbie in my faith journey and I can and do mentor to younger (physically and spiritually) women, but that doesn't mean I don't need some mentoring, myself.  We all do.  We're never done growing in the Lord.  If we are, then something is very wrong!

Anyway, it was such a joy to have these two women listen to our prayer requests and offer advice on a wide variety of topics.  I'm pretty sure had our group had more time we could have solved all the world's problems.  LOL  Not really, but the conversation was dizzying!

My prayer request was for strength to withstand the enemy's attacks.  The last few months have been a time of incredible spiritual renewal and growth for me and as usually happens when we grow closer to God, Satan gets busy.  I shared that I know what I am to do to withstand, but when there are days that you feel buffeted from all sides...you can get tired, your guard can slip.  And I was feeling particularly vulnerable because taking my beloved pet was a new low and it nearly brought me to my knees.

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I woke up this morning feeling strong and energized.  I knew those Titus 2 ladies hadn't been playing lip-service to the I'll-pray-for-you thing.  They really had gone to the Father on my behalf.  Then with this refreshed, strong attitude I got to thinking about most of the action movies I've ever watched.  The fight is going on, the hero is getting his butt whooped, and then the bad guy makes a fatal error.....he hurts the thing closest to the hero....his dog, his girlfriend, his buddy, his kid brother, etc.....and then the hero sees red and goes all Chuck Norris on the bad guy.  So, I was thinking, Satan....you messed with my dog.  Be warned, I'm getting my Chuck Norris on.  You will NOT make me angry at God, nor drive me away from Him.  You don't have that much power over me.  No, you don't have any power at all over me.  So there.

Told him.

This seems the perfect time and frame of mind to revisit what I started in Tending the Garden.  I talked of the importance of knowing who you are and promised my own list.  So, this is my list.  This is stuff I know to be true about me.

1.  I am a princess.  A daughter of the most high King.  My inheritance comes through his Son, Jesus Christ, who took my place in death and forever opened the temple curtain allowing me to come into God's holy presence.

2.  I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend.  I might not be the one you think I should be, but I am the one I was created to be and I strive for all that God has intended.

3.  I am creative.  Not in a crafty way, but I write, I have lots and lots of ideas, I decorate, I draw, I take pictures.

4.  I am a planner and organizer.  I dream up big things.  I make them happen.  From parties, to youth rallies, to community bingos, to weddings....I can do it.

5.  I am forgiving.  You may wrong me and I may get angry, but I am good at seeing what motivates you.  I may not like it, but I can understand and forgive you.  That doesn't mean I will let you do it again.  I am forgiving, but I am not a doormat.

6.  I am discerning.  This is one of my strongest spiritual gifts.  I recognize what is true and what is not.  I also have a way of putting things together.  People call it intuition.  Mine is strong.  It makes gigantic leaps...correctly.

7.  I am a learner.  I love to read and study.  Teach me.

8.  I am a reader.  I love books.  Always have.  Always will.  I am always reading something.

9.  I love animals.  I have never not had a pet.  I've had dogs, cats, birds, fish, turtles, rabbits, a goat, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, a ferret, and even a fawn.  There will always be an animal in my home.  I don't think a house is a home without a pet.

10.  I am introspective.  Most of the time it's easier and more comfortable for me to deal with my thoughts than to reach out to others.  Small talk and chit-chat are something I've never gotten the hang of.

Easy for You to Say - Titus 2sday

So far on this journey to becoming the woman God has called me to be, the woman modeled in Titus 2:3-5, I've studied and reflected on what godliness is (holy, reverent and sacred) and how to live in a godly manner (worshipful, pious, focused on God, inspiring to others).  It's been a time of peace and wonder as I've learned to focus more on God in each moment.

But starting today it's going to get messy.  And uncomfortable.  Today I start looking at the things I'm called to be and seeing how I measure up.  This is where God's going to show me the things I do wrong.  It would be discouraging if I didn't also know that with the rebuking comes loving guidance and the opportunity to get it right.  With that in mind, let's look at the next thing a woman is called to be...

1. Godliness
2. Godly Speech


Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers...Titus 2:3

**Some ideas pulled and paraphrased from the book A Woman's High Calling by Elizabeth George**

It all builds upon itself.  We are called to be reverent, to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects God as being at the center of our lives.  If we're doing that, we'll be loving Him, thinking about Him, and talking about Him.  That preoccupation should show in everything we do from the way we act, our manners, how we dress, and how we talk.

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Okay, we're not to be slanderers, but what is a slanderer?  Slanderer comes from the Greek word diabolos, which means "malicious gossip" or "false accuser."  Diabolos is used 34 times in the New Testament as a title for Satan, one time about Judas, one time to describe hardened unbelievers in the end times, and two times in reference to women.

So, check this out....a woman who slanders and gossips is lumped in with Satan, Judas and hardened unbelievers.  Is that the company you want to be in?  It sure isn't who I want to be hanging out with.  It isn't who God wants us to be with, either.  He calls us to a high standard of godly speech.  He expects us to grow in this area, to mature, and to strive for it.  In 1 Timothy 3:11 the women who are in church leadership are told to use their tongues for ministering goodness instead of gossiping.

How we use our tongues serves as a precise measurement of our Christian maturity...How we use our tongues reflects on everything we do and affects everything we do, and every person we come in contact with. ~ Dr. Gene Getz in The Measure of a Woman


What causes us to slander?

• An evil heart (this is why we must fill our heart with things of God).
• Hatred.
• Foolishness.
• Idleness.

None of those things have a place in the life of a godly woman so we must be on guard against slander and remove ourselves from it.  If we don't there are many consequences, both public and private.

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Publicly, gossip separates friends (think of how it felt when someone said something unkind or untrue about you) as the injured party seeks to be removed from the slanderer.  It causes strife.  Here, think of a time when something was said and had it been dropped the matter would have ended, but the gossip continued, batted about like a ping-pong ball agitating everyone....it's what we all call "drama" these days.  Gossip causes problems within the church, too.  Sadly, Christians are not immune.  And lastly, God says gossip is the same as murder.  Wait! What??  It's true.  Gossip kills....it kills friendships, ministries, leaders, marriages, churches...

On the personal front, gossip puts a serious damper on our ministries.  We're supposed to minister to each other and teach the younger women.  Let me ask you, if you witnessed a woman in the church gossiping and telling all the juicy details of some bit of scandal would you take seriously any advice she might be inclined to give you concerning your behavior?  Would she be someone you'd feel safe and comfortable going to for help?  Not likely.  If you're that woman, do you think anyone wants you to minister to them?  On top of that, what happens if word gets back to the one we're gossiping about?  Then we've driven a spike into the heart of the very one we're called by God to minister to!  Gossip also costs us our dignity, respect, character, and our spiritual growth (we're not growing if we're knowingly gossiping).  If we can't minister because of our losses, we lose our usefulness, too.

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The last thing to remember is this, GOSSIP CAN NEVER BE TAKEN BACK.  You can apologize from now until your dying breath.  You can try to make up for it.  But no matter what you do, the words once spoken are out there.  Even if you are forgiven by the target of your gossip, the harm and hurt remain.  

Think before you speak.

Do your words about others bring healing.....or harm?

Even When I Mess Up

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It's a beautiful Monday following a beautiful weekend and I am feeling blessed by this journey to become the woman described in Titus 2:3-5.

I have spent the past two weeks focusing on the call to be "reverent" found in verse 3.  As a reminder...


Reverent means holy, sacred or what is fitting and appropriate.  It describes that which is consecrated to God.  Consecrated means dedicated or set apart for a specific purpose.  My life, then, is to be dedicated to God, set apart for the specific purpose of doing what is fitting and appropriate to please God, to bring me into closer relationship with him, and to be an example that leads others.

The days have been filled with prayer, study, praises, and reflection.  

I see change.  

As I purposefully choose to act in ways that honor God, I am aware of Him, acting in my life more and more.  The focus is on what is true, what is pure, what is good.  The focus is on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.  

What the focus is not on, is me.

Several times I have wanted to react to a situation, but I was stayed by a voice or a hand on the shoulder that begged me to pause and consider if it would bring God glory.  What message would it send to others that know I call myself a Christian?  On second thought, the gut reaction was rarely the path to follow.  

I am not always at the point of making the godly choice first.  I hope to get there one day, but it is good that I'm learning to stop and ask God first.  Oh, how I hope that this difference is apparent to the ones in my life.

In speaking to others or of others, I am striving to make every word sweet, encouraging and positive.  I am working to make each word a building block rather than a sledge hammer.  I'm trying to let God fill my speech even as He fills my heart.

Praise and worship has taken on a deeper connection.  A connection that brings me to my knees, frees tears of joy that wash down my face, and begs me to reach out my arms to the Lord.

This call to reverence, then, is bringing me closer to the Father.  It lets me know His heart.  It lets me know He is here...with me...and He is strong and He is faithful.  Even when I mess up.

More Everyday Blessings....

131.  Continued small answers to a "Burr Prayer."

132.  Enough.  When it's needed...just enough.

133.  Bare tree-skeletons etched across a pink dawn.

134.  Pink and red Valentine's M & M's.

135.  Snow so cold it crunches underfoot.

136.  The joy of a baby's smile.

137.  Small, fuzzy heads nodding off on a big, strong shoulder.