by Emily from Virtuous Daughters, February 2009~Volume 8, Number 11 Have you ever wondered what true contentment is? According to the dictionary, it means having a mind at peace, being satisfied and undisturbed—quietness. What a wonderful state of mind that sounds like! As born-again Christians, we know that no one can truly be satisfied apart from Jesus Christ! Let us turn to the Bible, and see what that most important Book has to say about our subject. There are four verses, in particular, that stand out to me.
by Kristen from Virtuous Daughters, September 2015~Volume 15, Number 6 “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” ~Psalm 27:14
Singleness can be such a lonely, discontented period for many young women. However, it doesn’t have to be that way! An attitude of discontentment is an inward problem of the heart. Instead of looking outward for things that will change our circumstances, we must look inward and change the condition of our hearts. Our Heavenly Father wants us to rejoice always, in all circumstances, and through all trials that get thrown our way. We don’t have the “right” to pick and choose, we must rejoice in all things in order to follow in the footsteps of our Savior. Joy and contentment are choices, not emotions, which is why the Apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” by Brianna from Virtuous Daughters, November 2015~Volume 15, Number 8 When I think back on my single years, I am thankful.
Thankful that God is sovereign. I am amazed at how every detail of my life, family, decisions, was purposefully preparing me for the future. I didn’t know it at the time. I wasn’t always feeling a whole lot of gratitude for my circumstances, but still—despite me—God had a plan. by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, March 2008~Volume 7, Number 12 As I lean against the kitchen table and gaze out the window, I quietly ask the Lord, What do You want me to do? Where do You want me to go? What should my agenda look like? What’s the next step?
by Tiffany from Virtuous Daughters, August/September 2020~Volume 20, Number 3 My Dear Sisters,
Earlier this year, I was asked to share at a ladies’ retreat. I felt very honored, but I also felt overwhelmed. Last year was hard, and to be honest, I felt inadequate to talk about having a heart of trust and surrender and contentment…because I knew that these were areas that I needed to grow in. However, as I prayed about this opportunity, the Lord reminded me that we will never “arrive,” and through my own journey, He has graciously given me so much truth and encouragement from His Word to strengthen my heart and renew my focus…why would I not pass along that encouragement to my sisters in Christ?! This article is simply my notes in written form. Truly, it is not about me or anyone else “having it all together,” but about leaning on the Author and Finisher of our faith. You see, Christ wants to live His life through us. Understanding this truth has given me so much peace and victory, because it reminds me to depend on His strength instead of my own. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”—Galatians 2:20 My prayer is that the things God has been teaching me would encourage you and point you to Christ…not because of who I am, but because of Who He is. by Heather from Virtuous Daughters, January 2012~Volume 11, Number 10 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? by Rebekah from Virtuous Daughters, April 2015~Volume 15, Number 1 “Tying or binding up—captivating.” This is the meaning of the name, Rebekah, a girl found in the Bible. Rebekah was not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well. “...For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”—1 Samuel 16:7b
Right now we are going to take a peek into Rebekah’s heart as a young woman... 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 Amelia from Virtuous Daughters, February 2015~Volume 14, Number 11 During the summer months I really enjoy hiking. I particularly enjoy hikes that lead uphill and into the mountains because the view at the top is so beautiful and rewarding. Living in Alaska, there are plenty of such hiking trails. In addition to the majestic views from high mountainsides, I also enjoy seeing all the wildflowers. Although there are many varieties of wildflowers to be seen on almost any hike, there is one flower that I have admired hike after hike for a few years. It is called the windflower.
The windflower itself is rather plain. It grows just a few inches tall and has five simple, round, pure white petals. I have taken notice of this flower not so much for its appearance, but for where it grows, as it seems to grow in the most unlikely of places. I see this flower growing well above tree line fully exposed to the driving winds and sometimes harsh weather conditions we experience even during the summer. Besides this, it grows in some of the rockiest soil, oftentimes having less than half an inch of soil to grow in atop massive boulders. And yet these small windflowers bravely put forth their blossoms adding delicate beauty to the rugged mountain terrain. 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. |
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