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by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, September 2008~Volume 8, Number 6 O gift of gifts! O grace of faith!
My God! how can it be That Thou, who has discerning love, Shouldst give that gift to me? How many hearts thou mightest have had More innocent than mine! How many souls more worthy far Of that sweet touch of Thine? Oh, grace! Into unlikeliest hearts It is thy boast to come, The glory of Thy light to find In darkness spots a home. Oh, happy, happy that I am! If thou canst be, O faith The treasure that thou art in life What wilt thou be in death? The above poem was taken from Mrs. E. Prentiss’ beloved classic, Stepping Heavenward. I would highly recommend this book; in fact, I have literally highlighted many portions that were encouraging/convicting to me. Very thought-provoking! When I read Romans, my heart is overwhelmed with pure joy and gratitude to our heavenly Father to think of His mercy and grace—the unmerited goodness of God. Never skim the book of Romans. Read it—again and again and again—it is brimming with truth about the wonderful doctrine of salvation! by Kristin from Virtuous Daughters, February 2006~Volume 5, Number 11 Almost everyone likes new beginnings! From new babies, to little chicks, to a new day, there is something exciting and inspiring about the phrase “a new beginning.” As the year opens, how are you going to begin it? Since we are Christians, bought with Jesus’ blood and saved by His grace, we should want to please Him in everything we do. How would He want you to begin this new year?
by Emily from Virtuous Daughters, December 2012~Volume 12, Number 9 ~What is Thanksgiving really about?
For some, it’s just another holiday with lots of good food to eat. But for us as Christians, it’s more than that! It’s a day where we stop and remember all of God’s blessings to us, thanking Him for what He’s done for each one of us. by Lori from Virtuous Daughters, November 2011~Volume 11, Number 8 Thanks to God!
(by August Ludwig Storm, translated by Carl E. Backstrom) Thanks to God for my Redeemer, Thanks for all Thou dost provide! Thanks for times now but a mem’ry, Thanks for Jesus by my side! Thanks for pleasant, cheerful springtime, Thanks for summer, winter, fall! Thanks for tears by now forgotten, Thanks for peace within my soul! Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered, Thanks for what Thou dost deny! Thanks for storms that I have weathered, Thanks for all Thou dost supply! Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure, Thanks for comfort in despair! Thanks for grace that none can measure, Thanks for love beyond compare! Thanks for roses by the wayside, Thanks for thorns their stems contain! Thanks for homes and thanks for fireside, Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain! Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee! Thanks for hope for the tomorrow, Thanks through all eternity! “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.” —1 Chronicles 16:34 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”—Hebrews 13:15 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:18
by Tiffany from Virtuous Daughters, June 2014~Volume 14, Number 3 The following notes are from my pastor's sermon at church; they encouraged me so much, and I pray they are a blessing to you as well!
by Carolina from Virtuous Daughters, June 2016~Volume 16, Number 3 The past two years for my family have stretched us to lengths I didn’t think possible. Or normal. But because of this stretching, I have seen seasons of distant relationships and thick bonding moments. All good things, as I’m always reminded in Romans 8:28, but we are still a remarkably busy family. And our individual selves are even busier.
Well, my sisters are busy; I’m just along for the ride, right? ‘Cause, as usual, I just have school. by Maggie from Virtuous Daughters, April/May 2020~Volume 20, Number 1 What a privilege it is to serve the living God! All through the Scriptures, there are stories in abundance of God's faithfulness, His protection, His provision, His conviction, His salvation, and His awesome love.
Over and over in my life, I have witnesses His goodness with my own eyes...my dad's job, my older brother's miraculous healing, His saving us from many wrecks, so many answered prayers, His patient, loving teaching--and the salvation of Jesus for a soul such as me! So, why is it that I would ever find myself in the middle of overwhelm? Mind whirling, heart anxious, weighed down with worries... This past fall, I experienced this in a very real way when my family's safe, steady, comfortable little world seemed threatened by so much change all at once! I do not like change, yet it surrounded us on many levels. I felt frustrated--I couldn't do anything to STOP IT--and so I worried. I literally felt panicked. Even though I prayed and prayed to trust God with those circumstances, I had a difficult time letting the worry go. by Jennifer from Virtuous Daughters, April 2013~Volume 13, Number 1 Last time, we unpacked the glorious promise of Jeremiah 31:14, realizing that God wants to satiate our souls with living water and soak our lives in His all-sufficient presence. This is a wonderful truth to apply to our lives; but most of us fall short of living it as we should. We know that our Lord is all we truly need—that He alone can bring lasting satisfaction—but we focus our energies on earthly things as if they will fulfill and complete us. We convince ourselves that “if only” we could have this thing or reach that place or become this different person, we would finally be happy; and instead, we wind up empty and miserable. Our gracious Heavenly Father wants much more for us than this! He wants us to know true satisfaction, to walk through each day with joy, and to showcase His glory before an empty, miserable world. His vision for His children is not merely to survive the daily grind, but to thrive in the midst of its challenges. Here is a description of the life He wants for us. The last verse is one you will recognize. “. . . [A]nd they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord . . . [T]heir life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. . . . I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will [satiate] the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord” (Jer. 31:12-14 ESV – emphasis added; same for the following verses).
by Jennifer from Virtuous Daughters, March 2013~Volume 12, Number 12 We finished last time with the reminder that believers are “a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9), separated unto God for holy purposes. A wonderful promise comes with this separation. God spoke it to the tribe of Levi in Leviticus 18:2: “Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.” God Himself wants to be our inheritance, our portion! No thing(s) He could ever give us would be equal to the gift of Himself. He said this to Abraham in Genesis 15:1b: “. . . Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” In Him alone is all we really need and more than we could ever want. No one else in all the universe has the ability to satisfy us fully; but our all-sufficient God can and will. Here is His promise to us: “And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness [abundance], and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD” (Jer. 31:14). Let's explore a little bit of what this promise means.
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Encouraging Young Ladies to Grow in the Lord Jesus Christ
"Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."~Proverbs 31:29
"Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."~Proverbs 31:29