by Cheryl S. from Virtuous Daughters, October 2007~Volume 7, Number 7 Darling Virtuous Daughters,
Today I want to share with you a quick thought that is near and dear to my heart. Recently the Lord has drawn my heart close to Him and has called me to sit at His feet. I sometimes see myself as a princess and my Father is the King. Even though I am the princess of a great and mighty King, many things trouble me. Yet my loving, kind, and gentle Father calls me to His throne to sit at His feet. Sometimes I just talk to Him and tell Him my cares and other times I cry upon His knees. Although my problems are trivial compared to the greater problems in His kingdom, He never forbids me to come to Him. And He lovingly welcomes me with outstretched arms, patiently listening. by Tiffany from Virtuous Daughters, August/September 2020~Volume 20, Number 3 My Dear Sisters,
Earlier this year, I was asked to share at a ladies’ retreat. I felt very honored, but I also felt overwhelmed. Last year was hard, and to be honest, I felt inadequate to talk about having a heart of trust and surrender and contentment…because I knew that these were areas that I needed to grow in. However, as I prayed about this opportunity, the Lord reminded me that we will never “arrive,” and through my own journey, He has graciously given me so much truth and encouragement from His Word to strengthen my heart and renew my focus…why would I not pass along that encouragement to my sisters in Christ?! This article is simply my notes in written form. Truly, it is not about me or anyone else “having it all together,” but about leaning on the Author and Finisher of our faith. You see, Christ wants to live His life through us. Understanding this truth has given me so much peace and victory, because it reminds me to depend on His strength instead of my own. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”—Galatians 2:20 My prayer is that the things God has been teaching me would encourage you and point you to Christ…not because of who I am, but because of Who He is. by Emily from Virtuous Daughters, July 2011~Volume 11, Number 4 There is a drastic difference between the ways of the world and the teachings of the Bible. While the world promotes rebellion, independence, and disrespect for authority, the Bible teaches submission and honor. While pride and “me first” attitudes are common in the world, the Bible way is to humbly prefer others before ourselves. The list could go on—in music, dress, attitude, yes—in every area of life—God’s ways, and the world’s, are in opposition.
by Sarah from Virtuous Daughters, July 2015~Volume 14, Number 4 As I have been pondering the topic of abiding in Christ, I flipped to John 15, where our Lord addressed this aspect of the believer's spiritual life. Verse four says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” The picture Jesus paints here is clear: we must abide in Him because we are nothing without Him!
by Amelia G. from Virtuous Daughters, April 2018~Volume 18, Number 1 An accident. A cancer diagnosis. A terminal illness. A miscarriage or child born prematurely. It pains our hearts to see our friends, neighbors, and church family hurting from medical crises. We want to help lift their burdens, but it can be difficult to know how best to help. Sometimes it is difficult to find ways to help because we don’t really understand what they are going through or we don’t know what the person or family needs. Sometimes we might even wonder if our efforts to help are truly helpful. Though each crisis and each family’s experience is different, there are many things you can do to help these hurting people regardless of the specifics of their situation. Through my own family’s experiences with medical crises and my nursing training, I would like to share with you some thoughts and practical ideas to empower you to effectively meet the needs of those in medical crisis around you.
by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, February 2015~Volume 14, Number 11 “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she [Naomi] said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.”~from Ruth 1
Most of us have heard that Boaz, Ruth’s kinsman redeemer, is a picture of Christ, our Redeemer. Yet have you ever studied the life of Orpah, Ruth’s sister-in-law? Although Orpah’s heart appears to have been touched, it was not truly transformed. She seemed challenged, but she was not changed. She would rather go back to Moab, the place of death, than follow Naomi to the place of God’s presence. (See Matthew 13:5-6.) Ruth knew that by going to Israel, she was forfeiting any opportunity for marriage, but she was willing to follow the Lord regardless of the cost, which is the mark of a true believer. by Rebekah M. from Virtuous Daughters, June 2015~Volume 15, Number 3 It’s been a rough morning. First, you wake up to the mixed noise of your two-year-old brother throwing a fit and your dog greeting his fellow canines through the fence (in other words, barking as loud as he can), causing you to develop a headache. Next, you walk downstairs to find your dad eating the last of the breakfast muffins you had been craving and your younger sister (who’s the same size as you) wearing your favorite shirt--which is now already a bit stained with orange juice, without asking. Finally, after much chaos, everyone piles into the car to head to church. Unfortunately, most of the ride is ruined by your two older siblings arguing about whose turn it was to change the baby’s diaper this morning. This duty actually never got done, explaining why the car smelled the way it did! Amidst these adverse circumstances, and before you move on with your day, you have one key choice to make. Either, to yell at everyone to be quiet, apologize, and get it together; or, choose the harder, yet life-giving path--to forgive. We find this exhortation in the book of Ephesians.
by Naomi B. from Virtuous Daughters, February 2013~Volume 12, Number 11 “A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong; which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” (anonymous)
We all make mistakes—maybe it’s saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, letting the supper burn, sewing without thread, etc.! However, we can learn from those mistakes. For example, if you forget to set the timer and supper burns, you will learn from your mistake to set the timer next time! by Candace M. from Virtuous Daughters, August 2013~Volume 13, Number 5 Recently, our family was reading through Luke 9, and verse 41 was particularly striking: “And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.” In the beginning of the chapter, Jesus had given His disciples power and authority over all devils and power to cure diseases. He then sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Not long after their return (at least 10 days), a man brought his son to Jesus—a son who was possessed by a devil that the disciples were unable to cast out. This father cried to Jesus for help. Jesus’ answer (above) indicates a rebuke for the lack of faith the disciples exhibited. These were His own disciples: they had seen Him perform so many miracles, had been given power, and had healed people on this recent trip. And yet they were termed “faithless” and thus lacked power to do the work of God.
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