Dear Sisters,

I hope this letter finds you delighting in the Lord and rejoicing in the majesty of His character! Lately I have been pondering Psalm 34:1 and asking God to make it a reality in my life: “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The Lord is gracious and worthy of our praise!

Dear Sisters,

…Let me share with you a few lessons God has taught me the last few months

Dearest Sisters,

“...Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious...” 1 Peter 2:6-7 Greetings in Christ, my sweet friends! I pray this letter finds you rejoicing in the greatness of our God and praising Him for the truly precious Savior we serve.

…I was eagerly anticipating this issue’s topic, “A Joyful Servant’s Heart,” as the call to serve the Lord is one which He has deeply impressed upon my life. Isaiah 49-50 are beautiful passages to me, outlining a servant’s call and obedience. Although I believe these are prophecies of our Lord Jesus, are we not admonished to walk in His steps?! What a beautiful example He has set before us. “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to mnister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:27-28

Earlier this year, my sister and I, along with our mom, began planning a ladies’ luncheon to celebrate God’s faithfulness. We spent much time in prayer and preparations, and the Lord’s hand went before us. We were so encouraged that we decided we’d like to do it again in the future, highlighting another of God’s attributes

Psalm 34:1-3 says, “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.” This was essentially our goal for the luncheon: to gather with sisters in Christ and magnify the Lord together. After lunch, visiting, games, and a craft project, we closed the luncheon with a devotional time, prayer, and hymn singing. I truly did feel that each of us girls had made our boast in the Lord and in His great goodness; I saw God’s faithfulness in a completely new way as each lady read meaningful Scripture and exalted His name. It was such a special time of edifying, “iron-sharpening” fellowship.


The Lord has been faithful to place each of His children in just the right place to best glorify Him. But sometimes the Lord gives opportunity for unique fellowship when His daughters gather in one place and share how He is working in our lives. It is a way to be rejuvenated before heading back to our field of service. It is such a blessing!


So I wanted to encourage you to prayerfully consider hosting a ladies’ tea or luncheon. It can be elaborate or simple, long or short, large or small...if you make Christ the Center of your time together, it is sure to be an encouragement to yourself and all who come!


Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing...


Plan food that is yummy but simple. Your guests can help with the food by bringing a side, dessert, or drink. Soft background music during the meal adds a special effect.


Think of fun games that will help girls who don’t know each other to laugh, somewhat “breaking the ice.” We have some ideas gleaned from others and we’d be happy to pass them along if you’d like. J Prizes for games are always fun, too! They certainly don’t need to be extravagant, but cute, simple gifts are a great surprise.


Have a theme Scripture for your gathering and encourage your guests to bring their Bibles. We used 1 Corinthians 7:34 and titled our devotional time “Single-Hearted Devotion to Christ.” We also asked the girls to bring a handwritten Scripture that reminds them of God’s faithfulness. During the devotional, each lady read her verse and shared how it has encouraged her. The Scripture cards were later shared among the girls.
   
Set aside time for prayer & singing. This is the heart of your time together; it is such a special way to seek the Lord together. The devotional, prayer, and singing portion of our luncheon was definitely the highlight for me. Being surrounded by sweet, godly young ladies who love and serve our Savior was such a blessing to me.


I hope these ideas encourage you to consider coordinating a gathering to encourage the young ladies you know. May the Lord richly bless your efforts to exalt His name!             


Rejoice in the Lord, dear sisters, for He is good!    


Much Love in Christ,
Tiffany
​

by Tiffany S.
from Virtuous Daughters, April/May 2017~Volume 17, Number 1

Dear Sisters,
…One of my prayers for this year was that I would enjoy sweet fellowship with the Lord in His Word. One way I hoped to do that was by reading through the Bible chronologically....my sweet brother surprised me with a chronological Bible as a New Year’s gift! It has been such an exciting journey as I have learned many beautiful lessons and truly enjoyed spending time with the Lord. A few things He has shown me thus far....

One evening I was reading a children’s book about prayer to the twins. We modified its “system” a bit, and I used the twins’ hands (above) as a visual. Hope it helps!

    A good way to remember who to pray for each day:
    Thumb--Since it’s closest to our heart, this finger reminds us to pray for the people we love the most: family and friends.
    Pointer Finger--Perhaps we’ve seen teachers and pastors use this finger when trying to get a point across! It can remind us to pray for our spiritual leaders.
    Middle Finger--It rises high above the rest, which reminds us to pray for our government and our country’s leaders. 
    Ring Finger--As the weakest finger, it reminds us to pray for those who are ill, those who are weak, and those who are spiritually lost.
    “Pinkie”--The smallest finger, it reminds us to pray for ourselves, but only after we have lifted up others, for Christ’s way is always self last.
​

My dear young lady 
So full of dreams;
(I’m also full of them, too!)
If you truly desire 
Your dreams to come true,
You’ve got to stop wishing, and do.


You say to yourself, 
Quite often in fact,
“I’m good at such-and such.
One day when I’m older 
And all grown up,
It’ll surely amount to so much.”


But, alas, dear girl! 
Life is too short,
And now is the time to do.
Don’t wait till you’re grown 
Or too sickly to serve
NOW is the time for you!


When your life is near over, 
And you’re weary and worn;
Let there be no regrets back.
And say to yourself, 
“I’ve nothing to mourn,
I’ve always ben busy on track.


“The Lord was at work 
In all of my days.
No one despised of my youth.
His grace is sufficient 
No matter our age
And this is a timeless truth.”

When William Carey, known as “The Father of Modern Missions,” left for India, one of his friends observed that his departure could be likened to someone being lowered into a deep, unexplored mine. For someone to be safely sent into the mine and enabled to begin mining for souls, others were needed to “hold the ropes” that lowered him down into it. As William Carey and his friends stood at the brink of decisions, considering this venture into India, William volunteered to go—if his friends would faithfully support him as he went. His mission would not be successful if they did not do their parts in “holding the ropes.” Though missionaries ultimately depend on God for their every need, we can be the human instruments that God uses to support and help them in their endeavors. Here are some practical ways that we can do this:

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16 KJV, emphasis mine.)
   
​Here are some notes from a sermon that my pastor preached a few weeks ago, that help us know how to pray for others.