by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, August 2010~Volume 10, Number 5 She is thirteen years old and thoughtfully stands at a fork in the road of life. To the left is an attractive, wide path. “Popular” would be an appropriate one-word description, since much of the world and all her peers are happily traveling on it. They seem to enjoy this new adventure. To the right is a more narrow trail. She sees no one on it at the particular moment, but the worn pathway gives evidence that it has been used throughout the centuries and that occasionally, another pilgrim journeys through it.
She glances both ways. Which way should she go? Which way is best? Everyone seems to be enjoying the beginning of the path on the left, but what consequences will it reap in the end? Is it always that exciting, that easy? Just because everyone is taking the broad trail, does that mean she should? Which way should she go? by Kristin from Virtuous Daughters, August 2013~Volume 13, Number 5 Sometimes standing alone can be, well...lonely. I guess that’s obvious, but it’s also good to know and consider. There are different types of standing alone. There is the kind that we all expect; the difference between us believers and the rest of the world. And then there is the other kind of standing alone, the kind that can easily leave us very discouraged and disillusioned. I’m talking about when folks you’ve been close to take other paths, or when folks you trusted ended up proving untrustworthy. Maybe you’ve shared glorious fellowship with them, and you felt such a close bond with them. It was like a little piece of heaven. You held discussions on your common convictions, and they encouraged you in what you both mutually believed.
Then things changed one day. You realized that you were no longer walking the same path. You were standing alone. by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, March 2008~Volume 7, Number 12 Peer pressure has a powerful influence on young people especially. Although it can be positive, the phrase usually gives a negative connotation. Because this is a prevalent force, we must learn how to defend our faith and convictions without compromising, even in “little” things.
In a way, peer pressure has been a common thing for many years. Trends in clothing, accessories, and attitudes are a classic example. Laura Ingalls Wilder implied in her book, Little Town on the Prairie, that she buckled under peer pressure. She wore the clothing in style (because it was in style), despite the fact that it did not match her personal tastes. by Amanda from Virtuous Daughters, March 2015~Volume 14, Number 12 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.
by Candace from Virtuous Daughters, October 2010~Volume 10, Number 7 “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”—2 Timothy 2:22 A few weeks ago, I was pondering this verse, and hope that what I learned may be helpful to all of you.
by Christianne M. from Virtuous Daughters, December 2007~Volume 7, Number 9 What is Christmas? Is it just a national holiday? Where did it come from? First of all, what does holiday mean?
by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, November 2014~Volume 14, Number 8 Dearest Sisters,
For the past year or so, God has been laying on my heart the importance of faithfulness to Him. I’d like to share with you some gleanings from the life of an ordinary man who held an ordinary job—yet he served an extraordinary God. by Sarah H. from Virtuous Daughters, March 2010~Volume 9, Number 12 The popular culture of today projects a skewed image of beauty. What we are bombarded with by the mass media in no way resembles God’s definition of beauty; it is an intense focus on outward appearances, an exploitation of physical beauty, and a complete ignorance of the true, Christlike beauty that emanates from the inside out. The consequences of this worldly outlook run the gamut from immodesty to eating disorders to disillusionment—and much, much more. If we know that the image of beauty projected to us by the world is fatally twisted and self-destructive, then what is true beauty?
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