Phil 3:8

Dear Sisters,

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my LORD for Whose sake I have lost all things." Philipians 3:8

What does it mean to me to be a Titus 2 woman? Oh, ladies, it means a lot, a lot of love in Jesus Christ! How I pray for this kind of love in thought and action.

"I love you, LORD, my strength." Psalms 18:1

I respond to Him Who first loved me. When I fall in love with Him, He affects my strength. When I keep my eyes firmly fixed on the Author and Finisher of my faith, what a difference in my day to day living. He simply infuses it with His Love and His Strength. Truly I am so in awe of my LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. Truly I am so thankful to my Father for sending Him and giving us His Holy Spirit. And His Word is a rich, rich well that pulls me back day by day with such thirst. I cannot thank Him enough.

When I read that someone would want to be like me, I know without a doubt that this is the work of Jesus Christ. For ladies, it was not very long ago (five years to be exact) that I was watching soap operas, reading trashy novels, watching shows and movies that were inappropriate, and basically living a dissatisfied life which affected my day to day actions and inactions. I opened my Bible on Sundays and prayed a lot when something was wrong. I was a Christian, but this is where I was at. I was full of fear and full of worry marked with great criticism to those around me. Especially those closest to me. I thought I had to "do" to be loved by Him. I compared myself to other women around me, and I was often the loser. If I thought I was doing at least something right, then I was full of pride and puffed up with thoughts of myself. I thought I had to muster up my own strength and would quickly tire out before the day even got into full swing. The words that I chewed on all day were the world's words. I felt like everyone was sucking me dry and soon I would just expire. Which is what I secretly longed for. But my terrible pride kept it all secretly inside with thoughts of how wronged I was and how wrong everyone was treating me.

My blessed, blessed Savior allowed my baby to die at five months of pregnancy. This was my first wake up call. The first time I truly clung to Him in a very long time. I was in bed in a state of depression before this happened. I had decided I was not going to wash dishes, do laundry, feed this ungrateful family over and over, and clean messes anymore. I was going to stay in bed and sleep it all away. I slept an awful lot for weeks in a darkened room using my pregnancy sickness as a mask for my depression. But Jesus Christ loves His Chosen Women. And even though I didn't look like it, I was His Chosen Woman.

He brought me to a point of despair when I almost lost my next baby at 3 weeks of age due to pneumonia. I cried out promises to Him. One of them was that I would get up early and get to know Him. I have not stopped in five years. The blessings of knowing Him, Sisters, far outweighs any thing or any one in the world. There is No One like Jesus Christ! As I have gotten to know Him, He has infused me with such a love for my family and others that I never dreamed possible. He has infused me with a desire to serve Him in that great love, and the change in my household has been incredible. I keep thanking Him and thanking Him many times a day.

Now I start my housework with such joy in my heart. His love overflows as I scrub the tub and toilet singing praises to Him. I grab my kids and kiss them while praying over their beautiful heads. I tell my husband how much he means to me while kissing his neck. No amount of reading on household organization, child raising, or marriage could have done this in my life. It is the power of The Living Word! I have attached myself to It daily just like a newborn to its mother.

An important thing He has taught me is this: "There is no competition in Christ Jesus-only edification." We are all one body. I am here to serve you. I need you as much as you need me, because my hand needs my wrist and my leg needs my knee, and so on and so on. How I pray to help you that Jesus Christ, our Head, might be glorified, thanked, and praised beyond measure! And I am not where I should be, but Jesus is working on that. Praise Him, I am not where I was either.

So with this in mind, I pray often in a day that He might use me, His Servant, for His Glory. Nothing I do in this day is going to make me "right" with my Father. I am "right" with Him by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. (If not, then Christ died in vain.) Knowing The Truth only makes me want to do my best for Him that others might be drawn to Him and love Him more and more. Knowing the Truth only makes me want to learn more from His Word that I might honor my husband with a well-run home and obedient children to the glory of His Name. Knowing the Truth only makes me want to share with other women the incredible beauty of His Holiness.

My faith is not in my homemaking. My faith is not in my homeschooling. My faith is not in my marriage. My faith is not in my children's obedience. My faith is not in our bank account. My faith is not in my country. My faith is not in myself or in others.

My faith is in Jesus Christ and His Shed blood on the cross. My faith is in His Word. The absolute, authoritative Word of God. Everything else is a product of that Great, Great Foundation. So if I lost my homemaking, my homeschooling, my marriage, my children's obedience, my bank account, or my country, Jesus Christ will continue to hold up His Servant. Jesus Christ will continue to infuse His great, great love and eternal grace. Jesus Christ will never leave me, nor forsake me. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

So I hold it all up to Him with willing hands and an open heart placing it at His Pierced Feet with a kiss and a prayer of thanksgiving. Everything...everything a loss at the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my LORD.

Love to you,

Laine