Start each day praising the Lord for His lovingkindness & End each day praising Him for His faithfulness
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High: to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night... For Thou, LORD, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. O LORD, how great are Thy works! and Thy thoughts are very deep.” from Psalm 92

I have been reflecting much lately on the mercies of God. Truly, they are new every morning and His compassions never fail! To commence my day praising the Lord and end it equally joyful is a mighty refresher as I spend the in-between time serving Him! It also aids me in maintaining a Christ-centered perspective. We are glad to do His work and we will triumph in His hands!
 
 
Remember that you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ & should Delight in doing His Will from the Heart
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” Ephesians 6:5-8
 
Who we serve makes all the difference, girls!  Do we serve Him in singleness of heart? Consider what an honor it is to be called a servant of Christ and live out that honor each day. It is a truly marvelous thought. Also, are we serving Him with our hands and our heart? He wants both! As we give Him our heart, the hands will follow along quite pleasantly. Fulfilling God’s will for our lives is very serious and it should come from a heart intent on pleasing Him. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord—He will reward you!
 
 
Take time to be refreshed...physically, emotionally, and spiritually;
Rest on the Lord's Day
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Psalm 46:10-11
 
I have learned that there should be moments (and occasional seasons) of rest. Even the physical upkeep of our bodies (the temple of the Holy Spirit) is important. Allow the Lord to minister to you during moments of discouragement, just as He did for Elijah. Remember that you are not alone. Without a respite, the journey was too much for Elijah, one of God’s most devoted servants (1 Kings 19). He, too, needed to be refreshed in the Lord and have physical needs met. The effectiveness of our service to the Lord is in direct proportion to how much we allow Him to fill us with Himself. Daily personal time with the Lord is an absolute necessity! Faithful attendance to your local church--preaching of God’s Word, worshipping the Lord, and rich fellowship--is also very important. Be sure to rest as much as possible on the Lord’s Day, setting aside each Sunday to honor Him.
 
 
Make every duty of service to your King, something to be thoroughly enjoyed
“He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.” Proverbs 29:21
 
“I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8
 
We are more than servants; we are daughters of the Most High, joint heirs with Christ! His gentleness as He tenderly teaches and guides makes us great (Psalm 18:35). Since God is our Father as well as our King, learn to really delight in doing His work. Make the jobs fun. You might not always do what you like, but you can like everything you do. Think of practical ways to make your service more enjoyable--a pretty apron, background music or singing, enlisting help, keeping written records of your service journey...be creative and enjoy every minute!
 
 
 
Establish godly friendships with family and others who will encourage you as you serve the Lord
 “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by
hearty counsel.” Proverbs 27:9
 
The Lord is the only One we ultimately need, but He delights in using His children to encourage one another. He did not intend for us to walk alone. Surround yourself with encouragement through family, friends, mentors, books, and sermons that will point you back to the Lord as you serve Him.
 
Keep your eyes on the Anchor of your soul...Jesus, the Author & Finisher of your faith
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 24-25
 
As servants of the Lord, we long to be faithful all our days. The key is to look unto Jesus, Who is working through us, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is faithful!! Hebrews 12:1-3

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall
it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot
be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” —Matthew 5:13–16

“We could really use your help at the children’s ministry next week,” a friend mentioned as we stood on the church sidewalk. “Are you available?”
   
​I had volunteered for this particular conference in the past. However, that summer was one of the busiest of our lives, with various other ministry projects piling up and the three youngest members of the family still in diapers. “I’m sorry I can’t help out this year,” I smiled to my friend, “but, you know, God has given me a ‘children’s ministry’ in our own home right now!” We both laughed.

Do you have a heart for missions? Have you ever wondered how to practically prepare to maybe one day go into the missions field?
  
​One idea that our family has implemented to learn about the nations, pray for laborers to enter His harvest field, and to get a heart for missions is to have a monthly missions night.

What do you think are the most desired qualities in a wife and mother? That she can cook a mouth-watering roast? Or bake up scrumptious scones? Or maybe keep the home neat as a pin? Maybe running a household of ten smoothly? Or maybe being able to knit a cardigan, teach seven homeschoolers, and feed the baby all at the same time?! All these skills are wonderful and would be greatly appreciated by a husband :), but the most important thing as we prepare to be a godly wife and mother is…

our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christmas—what a special time of year! For many, it is a favorite holiday. But the meaning goes far beyond cookies, music, and presents. It’s about the risen Christ Who has come to this world to save us from our sins. That is something to be excited about!
  
​Even though most of us are quite aware of this wonderful news, we occasionally take it for granted and do not joyfully share it with others. But Christmas is a time when we have ample opportunity to proclaim Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and the gospel message. Here I would like to share with you an ideal way to do that.

Are you looking for an inexpensive, nice, fun Christmas gift to make?  Maybe one of these will be just what you’re looking for!  Have fun! :)
 
Soap by Sharon
Buy melt and mold soap base and cut off a small section that will be easy to work with.  Cut into small chunks.  Put the soap chunks into a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave for 15 seconds.  Stir and melt 15 seconds again until fully melted.  Add soap coloring of your choice and a scent you like.  Stir.  Pour in to your mold and let cool.  When it is completely set and cool, pop it out of the mold.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  These make wonderful presents.  Grandmothers especially like the wonderful smell and feel of this soap.  Enjoy!!
 
Coat Hangers by Tiffany
Get a wired coat hanger that is not bent. :)  At Wal-Mart on the crafts section you can find a bag of Craft loops by “Create A Craft”.  (The directions may be on the back of the bag.)  Join the loops to make continuous yarn, and then when you have what you think is long enough, wrap it around the coat hanger.  Where the hanging part goes, use one loop to make a bow at the top.  These are so pretty!! 
 
Potholders by Tiffany
At Wal-Mart on the craft aisle you can find a potholder making set.  It has a loom and the craft loops.  Probably the kit will come with nylon loops, but when you are done with those, the cotton loops are much bigger and nicer.  Follow the directions on the box.  Try making a pattern when weaving such as all white across, and then pink and purple across.  Or for Christmas, red intertwined with green.  These make great gifts for moms and grandmothers.  Even younger kids can do them, with the help of a big sister or their mommy. Have fun!! 
 
Creative Gift Ideas by Cheryl

1. Soup or soup mix- “Wishing you a ‘souper’ Christmas!”
2. Wire whisk-(filled with Chocolate kisses) “We WHISK you a Merry KISSmas!”
3. Christmas Tray- “We ‘Tray’sure your friendship.  Merry Christmas!”
4. Measuring Cup- “Wishing you joy beyond measure!”
5. Flowers- “You make friendship bloom all year. Merry Christmas!”
6. Bananas- “If we could chose our friends, and searched the whole world through, we’d go bananas trying to find a better bunch than you!  Merry Christmas!”
7. Candle- “May your days be happy, your heart be light, your Christmas merry and the New Year bright!”
8. Filled Basket- “Wishing you a basket full of Christmas blessings!”

Hello Girls,
  
For my family, hospitality is very important. And I can’t say that we have always done hospitality the same way, which is why I would like to share my stories and some suggestions of hospitality.
  
First of all, hospitality and family boils down to the same thing: to bring glory to God. Then it is clear to see that:
  
​The family is powerful.