A Cup of Grace

I’m VERY excited to announce that a group of ladies (married and single) from Grace Covenant Church of Jacksonville have just started a blog titled, “A Cup of Grace.” It’s a blog about women helping women find the grace of God in all the tasks that He has called us to do. You can check it out here!

Each day of the week has a set topic of what these ladies will talk about. Today is “Titus 2 Tuesday.” Titus 2 Tuesday is a day that the singles girls have been asked to interview someone in their life that has been a means of grace to us in displaying what it is to be a “Titus 2” woman.

Titus 2:3-5 “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 be reviled.”

I’ve been given the privilege to interview my mom. There are many women in my life that I admire and respect but my mom by far has been the GREATEST means of grace to me! She has taught me what it should look like to love my future husband and children in the way she loves her own husband and children. She has shown me what it is to have a love for working in the home (even during hard times like right now) and has been a beautiful example of what it is to display a "gentle and quiet spirit" (1 peter 3:4) Because I know my mom is such a humble woman, she would never want me to give her the glory, she is always faithful to give ALL the glory to God in every situation/circumstance of her life.

Here is the interview that was posted on the blog:

I chose to interview my mom because she is truly a Proverbs 31 woman. As a little girl my mom became very familiar with what it is like to be a “helpmate,” doing all the cleaning and some cooking for her father because she lost her mother at the age of ten. Six kids and twenty-six years after my parents wedding, mom is still in a very busy season of life, whether it has been moving from state to state, helping dad with his business ventures (a full-time job alone!), homeschooling the kids, or maintaining the house. At an age when most women are done with raising children and more, she is still laying down her life to serve my dad and her children for the glory of God.

I never sense a complaining attitude (let alone a complaining mouth!) from her but a joyful heart to serve. Something that I love about my mom is that she really does “[laugh] at the days to come.” She continues to remind her children of the truth that God is faithful in EVERY season of life, and she happily supports my dad in EVERYTHING. I pray daily that when my time comes to be a wife and mother, I can be just half of what she has been to my dad and her children. It is a privilege to call myself her daughter!

1. How has the Lord been sustaining you during this busy season of life?

Somehow he always provides. I feel like I live on the edge, but god uses the demand to keep me dependent on him.

2. How can you encourage moms during the busy seasons of life?

The busy season will change and start to look different but for me it does not seem like it will ever end because of the make up of my family. There are new challenges & joys with every year of growth so it is good to expect them. Having an attitude of "When am I ever going to get a break!", is not helpful. We need to be prepared to serve our families for a lifetime as long as God gives us strength. Children grow and become more independent but they never stop needing us in different ways.

3. What are some books that you have read that have encouraged you?

Because of the busy season I’m in right now I don’t have too much time to read. Here are a few books that I have read in the past: “Streams in the Desert” (a daily devotional), “Keep a Quiet Heart” by Elizabeth Elliot, “Calm my Anxious Heart” by Linda Dillow, and day to day I mostly just read the bible.

4. Were there times as a young mother that you felt that you were "stuck" at home and how did God change your heart and give you a love for Homemaking?
I have never felt stuck at home. I love being at home and taking care of my family and house and the Lord has always given me plenty to keep busy.