The past few months I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I am to do with the next phase of my life as retirement age is not that far off for David. (I am four years younger so technically it’s a ways off for me.)

I’ve pondered what my long-term (5-10 years) goals should be here and how those goals could provide a stream of income both now and heading into retirement. Unless I find a winning lottery ticket laying on the ground, we will not be retiring with a million dollars in the bank. And it would be nice to get to the point where we have the option to sleep in every so often as we get older! 

My goal online has always been to help Christian women. It’s taken various forms over the past almost 20 years, but that has been the big picture. However, it’s also time to refine it a bit. 

Caroline is 18 and will graduate from homeschool high school after the next school year. David and I will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary in January. I have walked (imperfectly) with the Lord for decades.

I have finally reached the point where I believe I qualify as an older woman or Titus 2 woman who can speak with a measure of certainty and authority about that which I’ve learned and experienced.

So I’m thinking about my work here, in part, as equipping Christian women. I looked up how the word equip is used in the Bible. Here’s some of what I found.

Ephesians 4:7-16

Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. This is why it says:

“When He ascended on high,
He led captives away,
and gave gifts to men.”

What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

Hebrews 13:20-21

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them. From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Titus 3:12-14

As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have everything they need. And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.

So we are equipped to build up the body of Christ, minister to others, and do His will. I would like to focus on doing just that.