What is MOMSBoard?

• MOMSBoard is a message board/forum for the discussion of topics relating to Titus 2:3-5. The purpose of MOMSBoard is to allow you to share your questions and ideas with other Christian moms. All discussion threads and posts must meet FAQ criteria.

How Do I Access MOMSBoard?

Visit http://www.Titus2.com/forums and click the link to visit MOMSBoard.

MOMSBoard's FAQ Posting Criteria

What Are the Specialized Areas in which We Want to Encourage Moms?

• We want MOMSBoard to encourage Christian moms who have taken a very different path in their Christian walk. Because this walk is often lonely, we would like for MOMSBoard to be a place where they can find support and encouragement for these unique choices.
• Some of the areas in which we want to encourage moms.
  • Homeschooling
  • Wearing dresses
  • Not limiting the number of children
  • Conservative Christian music
  • Submission to husbands
  • Avoiding make-believe characters in celebrating holidays or special events
  • Biblical child raising
  • No sports
  • No television
  • Sheltering children
• While moms who do not hold these same views or convictions are welcome at MOMSBoard, you need to know that we don't approve posts supporting or endorsing something different from this, particularly in these areas. That means when you read MOMSBoard, you are definitely getting a one-sided discussion! Of course, there are many topics that don't even touch on these areas that are posted.
• We know a moderated message board like ours may not suit all Christian moms. It is better for you to know our stands and policies up front so that you can decide if this is a board that will meet your needs.
• Here is one example of why we have made the choice not to approve posts that don't support the areas mentioned above. Perhaps there is a homeschooling mom who is struggling with her homeschool. She comes to our board looking for homeschool support and encouragement. While on the board, she reads a post telling the reasons why another mom has chosen to have her child in public school and how well it is working out. Is it possible something as simple as that could push her toward putting her children in public school?
  

What about Posts That Mention a Woman's Work for Pay Inside or Outside the Home?

In your posts, we ask that you refrain from mentioning any work for pay that you do either part or full time, at home or away from home. The thrust of www.Titus2.com is support for moms who are staying home with their children. We don't want to get sidetracked with discussions that revolve around working.

While we are aware that the Proverbs 31 woman was involved in business dealings, www.Titus2.com's mission is to support stay-at-home moms. We don't have a problem with those who have home businesses - we do ourselves. However, reading about other moms who have a home business, or a wonderful part-time job, can easily cause another mom to think perhaps she should do this.

In Proverbs 31, we are not told the exact age of the Proverbs 31 woman. It could easily be assumed that she is not a young mother. She also had servant girls to help her. Most of the moms on MOMSBoard are raising young children, homeschooling, and at a very time-consuming, busy season of life with no help. We do not want to have anything on www.Titus2.com that will cause that mom to feel like she needs to add one more thing to her workload. We want to see her be successful in the priority callings of the Lord - being a wife, mother, and homemaker.

What about Posts about Husbands?

• Titus 2:3-5 says, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." If the older women are to teach the younger women in these areas, it seems to mean at least two things that we can glean for MOMSBoard.
• First, the younger women did not innately have these qualities. They needed to learn them.
• Second, these were the "subjects" the older women were called to teach. In Titus 2:4, 5, we see that the younger women are given an avenue of extra help in their application of God's Word in these specialized areas. These verses make a wonderful provision for women who have walked the path before to teach younger women several things, including how to love their husbands and to submit to them.
• Here is how we see this relating to MOMSBoard. The burden of posting, in regards to husbands, comes with the responses. We can't expect a wife who is struggling to love her husband or to submit to him to know how to speak or write appropriately about him. That is a part of what teaching her to love him and submit to him will involve.
• We have seen you ladies, over and over, do exactly this. When a wife posts of difficulties with a husband, you are quick to point out that she needs to love, honor, and respect him. You share your own struggles and victories in the same areas. You suggest she concentrate on how she needs to change rather than wanting to change her husband. You direct her to books that have helped you learn to love and submit to your husbands.
  
• Because of this, we will continue to approve posts where a wife is asking for help in her relationship with her husband. We will do this even if she posts about her husband in a negative way. What we won't do is approve posts than encourage her in negative thoughts, attitudes, or actions toward her husband.
  
• If we discern a negative, argumentative, unteachable spirit in the one asking questions, after she has received some godly counsel, we may limit what she is allowed to ask and how she asks it.

More on Posts Regarding Husbands

• We ask that a wife only write posts that she would not be embarrassed or concerned about if her husband read them. Even in a difficult situation, the wife is still called to honor, respect, love, and submit to her husband. We will close the board before we will let it be knowingly harmful in a marriage.
• We would also ask that you not ask a question on MOMSBoard to which your husband has already given an answer or direction unless the post shares that the husband has agreed to seeking ideas from MOMSBoard. We suggest the husband use Father's Forum (www.preparingsons.com) to seek input from other Christian men.
  
• We will no longer approve posts where the wife asks for Scripture to sway her husband to her side of an issue. We see this as enabling and endorsing a controlling spirit in a wife. We again suggest that the husband go to Father's Forum (www.preparingsons.com) if he would like help with finding Scriptures relating to a particular topic.

What about "Married Only" Threads?

• We have decided, for Sarah's purity and innocence, that we will no longer have "married only" threads. We rely heavily on Sarah's time as a moderator. She is the first one to read many of the posts. If the topic isn't appropriate for a twenty-one-year-old, single woman to read, then we ask that it not be posted on MOMSBoard.
  
• The threads that we will no longer approve include:
• Marital intimacy
• Pornography
• Sexual abuse
• Male physical problems
  
• Posts about things such as childbirth, hormonal, or female problems will be fine.

What about Mentioning Specific Denominations?

• Because of the division this causes, we do not approve posts with denominations or church names in them.

What about Those Needing Material and Financial Help?

• This has been an extremely difficult issue for us. We desire to love and encourage through MOMSBoard. Often, moms may share about financial hardships their families are experiencing. We have had "moms" post amazing stories of great need with the appearance that it was an emotional appeal for donations. They could be entirely legitimate or they could be someone trying to raise some money. There appears to be no way to properly respond to situations like this in an Internet community. The local church is where assistance needs to happen.
• Another consideration is that we have seen God repeatedly use finances to correct wayward husbands. This puts incredible pressure on the family, and the wife is normally going to try to do what she can to ease the pressure. Unfortunately, in these times it is working against God's will for her to do so. For example, if a husband is being immoral or involved with pornography (or a host of other serious sins), it is very likely that God will begin applying financial pressure. The wife may not even know about the husband's problem, and to her, they are just experiencing difficulties beyond their control. If the husband approaches his spiritual authorities seeking help, God may use them to get to the bottom of what is going on. On the other hand, it may be that God wants the local church to rally around this family and be a blessing to them.
• So please understand that for the above reasons we will edit out (or delete) appeals for material help or posts that get too specific about financial needs. For example, to ask for prayer for financial pressures is fine, but to list amounts and specific areas of need is not necessary.
• We also will not, as a group, solicit funds or help for a mom on the board in a financial or other difficult situation. We suggest that each mom with a concern for another mom on the board pray for her. Keep in mind that we have often seen a very emotional post sharing overwhelmingly difficult financial circumstances, only to see a post a week later describing how it has all turned positively around. It is so hard for us, via the Internet, to truly discern the need and what the Lord may be doing in a particular family. Again, the local church is the vehicle the Lord has put into place for this.
• You may contact another mom on MOMSBoard privately to offer material help.

What about Posts That Discuss Child Discipline?

There are several responses we do not approve in child discipline posts:
1. Biting a child to teach them to stop biting: Because many moms would find biting a child an unacceptable discipline, we have chosen not to approve posts that suggest this method of curing a child who bites.

2. Spanking Babies: Because of the controversial nature of spanking babies, we have chosen not to approve any posts that suggest a discipline that involves physical pain to a child eighteen months or younger.

3. Hot Sauce: Because applying hot sauce to a child's tongue is a consequence in which the discomfort and pain level can't truly be measured or controlled, we chose not to approve posts suggesting this as a type of discipline.

What about Posts That Mention the Ezzos?

• We will no longer be approving posts having anything about Ezzos in them. We don't have the time or energy to try to discern what posts should be approved and what posts shouldn't be concerning them.
  
• We regret it has to come to this, but we will not approve posts (unless by accident), pro or con, about the Ezzos, their ministry, or their resources.