Jeni Thanks God for All the Titus 2 Women in Her Life

All the boys are at an organ concert tonight. I asked them if they wanted to go to the concert or stay at home and go to bed, and, oddly enough, they all chose to go. And when given the choice of colognes, they all chose Drakkar. Mmm. And aahhhh. I have a house of quietness, since little GracEliz is asleep.

So here I am, blogging. After folding and putting away about 67 loads of laundry, cleaning dishes and clearing the garage--oops. I haven't done that yet... better go now.

Did you miss me? I quickly put away the wagon, the tractor, and the shelf Bradford had taken out this morning so he could hide from would-be kidnappers while I was bathing the little three. Weird guy.

Anyway, here I sit, amazed that I somehow made it through the week. My children decided to have a puking contest this week, and yours truly had to referee the event. Most of the contest was held in the middle of the night. Let's see. A recap would look something like this:

Monday: Grace 2
Tuesday: Grace 2
Wednesday, starting at 12:45 AM, and afterwards every 1/2 hour to hour: Nathaniel 8, 9, 10? (I lost track and consciousness after the first 6.)
Thursday, starting at 1:20 AM: Ben 4, later: Grace 1
Friday, 4:30 AM: Ben 1, 9:00: Grace 1

So I could bore you with details of how Nathaniel always ends up puking on the very same step that my cat used to puke on; how he very sweetly came into my room Wednesday morning after spending most of the night on the couch, plopped his puke bowl onto the floor, climbed up in my bed and slept until 1:30 PM; what a high-maintenance invalid Benjamin is; how Mark set up the room last night with a plastic shower curtain and instructions to all the boys to aim all vomit onto it; how Nathaniel matter-of factly came into our room this morning with the announcement "Ben needs you, Mom"; how wonderfully helpful Mark has been through it all; how many loads of laundry I've done in my endeavor to rid my house of germs-- but I won't.

Instead, I want to use this blog to praise some of the Titus 2 women in my life. You know, the older women who teach me to love and submit to my husband, to love my children, to be discreet, chaste, and good, and to be a homemaker. Of course, like pastors, women are not multi-vitamins, but each of the following women has been instrumental in shaping me in any one of the above areas.

My mother. What a blessing it is for me to say that my own mother was such a godly example to me. Mom, this is in lieu of a mother's day card, for as you can see from my activities this week, I haven't had the time or energy to make and mail you a card. First, she taught me to be a woman of prayer and faith. Being a first-generation Christian had it's disadvantages, and she did not know everything to do in raising godly daughters, but she knew enough to keep me in church, in contact with stronger believers, and in constant prayer. And it worked. Both my sister and I are believers because of the prayers of this remarkable woman.

Besides showing me the power of prayer, she showed me what real hospitality looks like. I've seen plenty of the fake kind--the house in perfect order, the smile plastered on, and the secret wish that you'd leave--but that was (and is) not my mother. She regularly hosted the girls from the clubs she was teaching in, she put up with all the stray neighborhood kids we dragged in, and she always seemed to know just when to bake a pan of cookies. Never anything fancy, but everyone always knew they were welcome. Like the time my friend Michelle plundered our cabinet and found the vitamin C tablets and passed one out to the dozen or so friends I had at the house that night. Or the time a shoe ended up in her freezer. Or the constant rummaging of a certain unnamed gentleman through our refrigerator for leftovers. If there was a party, it was probably at our house. And she never fussed about how her house looked (I'm still learning that).

And now, she is still molding and directing me, even though it looks a little different. She sends goofy little holiday window clings and activity kits, gently prodding me to love my children by doing fun activities with them. She sends me kitchen towels and summery plastic plates to brighten up my home. She's the best mom ever. I Love You, Mom.

My mother-in-law. Where do I begin with her? She is such a gracious woman that everyone feels comfortable around her almost instantly. Two incidents come to mind. At a rest stop, she pointed to a woman and told me all about her. When I asked how she knew all these intimate details, she said that she was just talking with the woman in the restroom. And then there was the time that she was talking on the phone for probably five or ten minutes, and when asked who she was talking to, she said she didn't know; it was a wrong number.

She never criticizes people. (Again, something I am still learning) She taught me how to quilt properly, but didn't laugh at the bizarre way that I had been doing it for 10 years.

Debby. Oh, the pages I could write about what I've learned from Debby. Debby home-schools her 7 children, and she's always quick to put my priorities straight in my home-schooling endeavors--wisdom comes before knowledge. I often ask her advice on mothering and training, for she is a fountain of wisdom. Most recently, she has shown what sacrificial love looks like by her care for her aging father. She's full of practical advice on cooking and baking, she's the world's best cookie maker (Mrs. Fields doesn't even come close), and she sews, paints, and crochets. She taught me to crochet.

Not shy, within about three weeks of attending a church, she knows more people than I would know in a year. In fact, not only does she know them, she's probably had them over for dinner. She has shown me a Sabbath feast at its finest. And the number of things she hosts; there's maybe two days a week that she doesn't have outsiders to her home for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I think the best thing she does for me is to lovingly confront me when she sees me straying. She quick to encourage me, too. What a treasure she is. I love you, Debby!

Pam. Mother to six children, she is my example of doing things excellently. She got me into making my own bread, she's learning Latin so she can teach her kids, she's always ready to give me advice, but she never insists that her way is the only way. When I asked her how to change Gracey's diaper and how picky to be about what she wears, she didn't laugh. She loves her home management system, but can remember and empathize with the struggles of having four young children to manage. I don't think she reads this blog, but just in case--I love you, Pam.

Heather. Not that older than me, but she is such an encouragement and inspiration that I need to mention her. She is the best example of respecting and submitting cheerfully to her husband. He doesn't always do the things she would want, but she never complains about it. Maybe he's not as knowledgeable in theology and scripture as she is, but she never pushes her agenda on him. When he was out of a job, she was a constant help and encourager to him. I hope to someday respect Mark as she does Marty.

There are more, but I won't detail them. Carol, Jody, Margaret, Robin, Julie, Linda, and Brenda, to name a few. I am so blessed by the number of women I have to look up to. Thank you, God, for showing me Your love through these godly women.