Dear Sisters,

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

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
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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.
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My Dear Virtuous Daughters, I would like to tell you a little story. There once was a young girl named Carrie Fisher. She came from a poor family so she had to make a
living by washing dishes in the kitchen of a rich family’s home. One day as she was drying some forks and knives, she began singing a song that encouraged Christians to shine in their corner for Christ. As she sang, she realized that she had the opportunity right where she was to shine in her corner. So she became more diligent at her work and made an effort to make each of those forks and knives to sparkle.

Anyone who spends even a small amount of time on computers is familiar with the convenient “undo” button. :) It is in Microsoft Word, all of the craft and card programs, and even some games.  But I have learned that in the reality of life, there is no undo button.  When I make a mistake or say something I later regret, I cannot take it back.  I can do my best to fix it, but I can never take back the past- what happened yesterday, last month, or last year.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”--Proverbs 18:21 There have been times when I’ve had to apologize for things I have said. How we must seek the Lord to guard our tongue! Proverbs 17:28 comes to mind: “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
   
​At the same time, Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the tongue has the potential to provide life. Sometimes it does need to be exercised. The following points emphasize words that we are commanded in Scripture to speak. I hope these thoughts encourage all of us as we seek to glorify God with this “little member” that can wield so much power.

We have, at one time or another, used all of these ideas in our family! Some of them became such favorites that they are often requested by the younger ones. :) I hope your family will enjoy them as well

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.