Darling Virtuous Daughters,
  
​As the beginning of the new year is generally a time when we all do a good clean up, I thought of some tips to help us clean up our spiritual lives as well...

I remember there was a time when all I would drink was milk. Now I enjoy milk, but I really liked it then. I kept exclaiming, “I can’t believe I’m drinking this much milk. I’ll just drink one huge glass at a time.” Now I know why I enjoyed milk so much....

Sometime ago, the Lord impressed upon me how wonderful it would be to spend a whole day focused on Him. Life is so busy. I make time for eating, sleeping, exercising, even shopping and vacations. But could I take a whole day off from my normal responsibilities and focus totally on the Lord?
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I told my family about the idea and they were very excited. It occurred to them, that if I was very sick for a day, they would all manage without me. They liked the idea so much, they even offered to deliver meals and snacks upstairs to my bedroom!

The other day when I started chapter 11 of Hebrews, (I was having my quiet time), I immediately recognized the first verses. My brother was memorizing them for a program he’s in. I had asked him for the passage a little while before because I had decided I wanted to type a letter on faith using that verse. I rushed to my laptop and started typing.

As we look at the subject of etiquette, it would be wise to go to the Bible as our source of wisdom. Etiquette books can be a help as we seek the proper way to do things, but if etiquette does not begin in the heart, it will be merely an outward show. Our etiquette needs to be genuine and prompted by a love for the Lord. As we learn and apply what God’s Word says about our interactions with others, we will be treating those around us in a polite, godly way.

Sigh! Do you have the habit of allowing sighs to escape your lips throughout the day? Have you ever thought to consider that little gesture? Most of the time they transpire without our realizing. I was convicted about sighs recently and would like to share with you what the Lord revealed to me. Are they only harmless little puffs of air?
   
​What type of sigh do you utter?

I walked into the health foods store and saw a young ‘earthy-looking’ employee in the produce section. It was a normal outing to the store, but then the thought, “Why don’t you witness to her?” Me: “Oh…no…well…what would I say? I can’t just walk up to her and say Jesus died for her sins!” That would be quite the first impression! God had been working in my heart to be bold in witnessing, but…Here? Now? What if I say the wrong thing? God’s grace prevailed and I found myself in front of this unsuspecting worker asking, “If you were to die tonight, do you know where you would go?” I waited for her reaction…she actually was looking very contemplative; she wasn’t even yelling angry words at me! She replied to my strange question by listing off several exotic countries that she would really like to visit before she died!  Surprised by her answer, I said, “Actually, I meant, where do you think you would go after you died?” This time she looked very contemplative. She did not know what happens after this life, and I had the opportunity to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  She did not fall on the ground in repentance or even seem very responsive, but I had obeyed, and I walked away with a great sense of joy and fulfillment.

The hand-copied document had been finalized and was now only lacking a cluster of daring signatures. Who would be the first to sign, if need be, his life away? John Hancock was no coward. While writing in distinct, large letters, he said the following to his fellow Congressmen: “There, George the Third can read that without his spectacles.” Here was a man, boldly declaring his independence and willingness to sacrifice all for the cause of liberation from a tyrannical force. What was this document he so confidently endorsed? It was America’s Declaration of Independence.