A Challenge...

Broken and spilled out for love of you Jesus. My most precious treasure lavished on Thee. Broken and spilled out and poured at Your feet. In sweet abandon let me be spilled out and used up for Thee.
--Steve Green

That is my prayer, this is my challenge:

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5

In 2008 my desire is to live out and strive to have the 7 virtues of a biblical woman. Carolyn Mahaney, author of Feminine Appeal puts it this way.

"Consider the loveliness of a woman who passionately adores her husband, who tenderly cherishes her children, who creates a warm and peaceful home, who exemplifies purity, self-control, and kindness in her character and who gladly submits to her husband's leadership - for all the days God grants her life."

That is what I want. And I do passionately adore my husband! Of course we have not been blessed with children yet but we have family and friends who have and it is our joy to be with them (and proudly return them several hours later!!!). I long to have a warm and peaceful home - which just happens to be my next project. I am closing the painting studio for several weeks to do some inventory, de-junk and organize our home. All this so that at a moments notice we can invite you over without frantically cleaning for the 20 or so minutes it takes you to get there! And who couldn't use a little more self-control, purity and kindness... those are all areas which are in constant need of improvement.

So, there you have it. Once again I invite you to join me in this challenge. If not the specific challenges of Titus 2 then maybe a challenge of your own that you have been avoiding. Whatever the test, put God in charge and He will see to the rest. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!