What She Said - Part 6
What She Said - Part 6
Sharon W. Betters
Today’s Treasure
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Titus 2:3-5
Dear Friends,
What a joy to introduce you to Leigh Ann Betters and Keri Papili, a mother, and daughter team. Yes, we are related! Leigh Ann is married to Chuck’s brother Ted and Keri is her daughter, our niece. Leigh Ann has homeschooled for twenty years and will continue until her youngest son, Joshua graduates. She is on the leadership team for Glasgow Christian Academy, a hybrid homeschool program at her church where she also teaches Geometry, English, and SAT Prep. While Leigh Ann’s life keeps her busy, much of what she does is an investment in the next generation and the lives of friends.
Keri, wife to Luke and dog mom to Lucy, earned her communication degree from the University of Delaware and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Wilmington University. She works full-time in marketing but also has time for the worship team and where ever she can serve others. Keri’s smile lights up a room and everyone she meets immediately feels like they have been friends with Keri forever. On Keri’s fun and inspiring blog, Coffee with Keri (CoffeeWithKeri.com), she often reminds readers to be intentional about how they spend their days, to literally, “stop and smell the flowers”. These devotionals are no different. A few comments from Keri:
“The days, weeks, and years fly by in a whirlwind. Let today be a moment of stillness in a world that’s constantly changing, constantly moving, constantly constant.
Last year, the days blurred together. In the midst of quarantining/social distancing, Monday felt like Wednesday which felt like Saturday. The days seemed to blend together, and the goals I set at the beginning of the year felt like pipe dreams. It was in the midst of the blurred days that my eyes were opened. I can either run through life striving and wishing for the next thing, or I can be intentional in the here and now.”
And some treasures from Leigh Ann:
“It sounds simple. Get a grip! Stay the course! But I’m too weak to conjure up my own strength, so my hands slip, my knees buckle. I complain. I snap at my husband. I neglect the Word. The writer of Hebrews seems to leave us hanging on those monkey bars alone until we can figure out how to reposition our hands. But if we dig a little deeper, we find the answer.
’ Being available’ looks different as we journey through the stages of life. When I was a young wife and homeschooling mother of four, being available meant focusing my limited energy on meeting the needs of my husband and children. Later, being available to my kids often meant staying up late at night since that seemed to be when they would want to talk. Now that I’m the ‘older woman,’ Titus 2 instructs me to be available to teach and encourage the younger women. When I meet an anxious homeschooler or frazzled young mom, I can be available by taking the time to listen to their struggles and share what I have learned through my own experience.”
Leigh Ann closes out this week with these words:
“In Monday’s devotion on ‘new beginnings,’ Keri encouraged us to be intentional in the way we live out our faith each day. Sadly, even with the best intentions, all of us have failed in some way this week. We have allowed the cares of this world -- busyness, fear, anxiety, jealousy, etc. – to rob us of our peace and joy. But….just like the prodigal son, we can RUN back to our loving father, who is waiting for us with open arms, ready to embrace us, lavish us with his amazing grace, and delight in us once again.”
I’m so happy to introduce you to two of my favorite people and I know you will be happy I did!
Are there other women in your life who could benefit from a daily dose of encouragement? Forward this email so they can click on this link to Subscribe to Daily Treasure to be better equipped to walk by faith on the pathway God has marked out for them.
Sharon W. Betters is author of Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, co-author of Treasures of Faith. and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace, Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture. She is Director of Resource Development and co-founder of MARKINC.org, a non-profit organization that offers help and hope to hurting people. Sharon enjoys quality time with her husband, children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.