Thursday Morning and Time for Tea

To participate in "Tea Talk" today, please click on Ruth's link above and read her blog for more information!

I'm having...just a plain old cup of caffeinated Irish breakfast tea this morning.  I'm using my garage-sale mug, white with a cobalt blue design around the sides.  I love its uniquely rounded shape.  And if you've been reading any of my blogs, any day now I'll be able to take a picture of it!  I spotted it in a recent garage sale for 50 cents, and it is my everyday tea mug.

A photo of...breakfast from earlier this year--really, new pictures will come soon!!

I'm feeling...invigorated.  Last week I was fighting a sore throat and the blahs, but I'm healthy once again.  I've also spent several little chunks of time--and one big one--de-cluttering and cleaning and organizing, and that always invigorates me!  I'm looking forward to another "Suspenders" time with Helen tonight to complete even  more projects (click here to find out what I'm talking about!).

On my mind is...I love cool September mornings--the crisp snap in the air, the fresh feeling of life.  Even though spring is the season associated with newness and re-birth, I always feel like the autumn air brings a breath of renewal and energy into my life.

Speaking of renewal, here is something I encountered this week in my morning devo's with Fernando:

Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,

excluded from the commonwealth of Israel,

and strangers to the covenants of promise,

having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off

have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace...

Ephesians 2:12-14a NASB

May Jesus truly be your peace today!

Back to life,
Christine

visit my photography blog!
captured by Christine Anne

Older Women Likewise

Where have all the older women gone? I need you. We need you. Yes, you--the ones who have served Christ throughout your life, lived long, experienced much, loved your husbands, taught your children. We need you.

"Older women likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." (Titus 2:3-5 nasb)

I have found that in our current Christian (home discipleship) culture, the beginning of this verse reads more like "Middle-aged women, likewise..." We've lost a generation of Godly, older women to encourage us, yes even us middle-aged women. And trust me, these brave women of "middle age" are striving ahead, writing, teaching, encouraging us to love our husbands and our children, and the rest of these verses. Even I myself am in that category, and have spoken and written a time or two on this topic! At a recent mother-daughter weekend, this evidence is borne out:



I praise the Lord that so many women came to this event to be encouraged, and to learn how to be better husband- and children-lovers, and keepers at home. But my lament is for the older women. I've had none in my own life, no feet to sit at and learn, no tea to sip while listening. Even in our small church--which is filled with Godly women and families by which to learn--the oldest women are just a few years older than I.

I suspect that the American culture has infiltrated the church so far as to separate these Godly women from the very ones among whom they are to be living examples. Where have they gone?? They seem to live in senior housing, nursing homes, even entire "seniors-only" communities! They attend church and take part in senior groups, senior hymn sings, senior shopping trips, and senior outings to Branson, Missouri.

So, in this absence, I pray that God would keep the hearts of those of us in this middle-aged period of life. I pray that He would raise us up as a faithful generation, and show us how to live as older women true to His Word.