Darling Virtuous Daughters,
    
​Let’s first try to discern wants from needs.  Here is a partial definition in our dictionary of them both: 1. Want-to desire greatly; wish.  2. Need- a lack of something necessary.  Looking at these definitions we see that a want is a desire, while a need is a necessity.  It is apparent that we may not even want what we need.  It is also apparent that we may not even need what we want.  Does that confuse you?  Let’s consider both of these situations:

Recently our internet connection was down for five days. Five LONG days. I am embarrassed to admit how much frustration this caused certain family members, myself included. The first day wasn’t too bad. Oh, okay, the internet is down—we will be back online soon. The second day, hmmm . . . what’s wrong here? The third day, man this is crazy, what’s wrong with this company? Whose fault is this anyway? This is costing us money!! That is because my husband receives his work assignments via computer, and he missed out on some work that would have been worth $1,000 to our family. The fourth and fifth day, we just went around moaning, openly admitting how much we felt “disconnected.” And then joy of joys, the internet reappeared, and we again felt “connected” to the outside world, and balance was restored!

The Scriptures tell us that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. Toward the end of his life, he admonished young people with the following: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”  

​Last year when our family of ten was living in a camper volunteering at a ministry in Flagstaff, Arizona, after five months of living in the same camper on a horse ranch—Sermon on the Mount—in Oklahoma, I finally had this wonderful opportunity to use a full-sized kitchen which was located in the welcome center next to where we parked our camper. With more thankfulness than ever, I resumed the daily task of feeding my large crew.

After you breathe your last breath, two things happen.

First, if you are a Christian, you will be welcomed into the arms of a loving Heavenly Father who has been waiting for your arrival. Second, your family will start trying to sum up your life by writing the epitaph for your tombstone.

And they may have to do it in just one sentence. One sentence to describe your achievements. Your victories. Your joys and maybe even your sorrows. It is a chance to tell what made you YOU. A chance to leave a legacy in stone that will stand the test of time.

One sentence to describe what you did with the life God gave you.

If you died tomorrow, what do you think it would say?

​Stop reading for a moment and think about that. What does it say now? What do you want it to say?

​I always have an anxious excitement when I am about to buy a plane ticket. You are planning for a fun trip, but at the same time you are spending a lot of money on something you can’t return. As I was doing this a few weeks ago, I was meticulously going through my itinerary to make sure I had everything right. Finally I clicked to finalize the purchase, but it came up with an ‘ERROR’ screen. It appeared that it hadn’t gone through, but it wouldn’t let me purchase the tickets when I tried again. I was feeling a little frustrated, because I really wanted to get them finalized before prices went up. With no other option, I waited until the next morning to try again. And lo, and behold, it ended up that the tickets were cheaper! As I sat there thanking the Lord, I felt like the Lord saying, “If I can orchestrate your circumstances to save you a little money, how much more can I provide for you in the area of marriage?’ I was humbled. ‘Oh.  Yes,  Lord. You are able to work out my future in Your perfect timing and in Your perfect way.’ God used a small daily experience to remind me of His goodness and care.

​What a great joy it is to be a woman! God certainly had a marvelous plan in mind when he created each of us. We are born into a family and we normally grow up there with love, protection and provision. Our direction in life is usually very clear.

​My oldest sister married not too long after she graduated from high school; therefore her direction in life was very obvious. Not all of us, however, will marry quite so young. If we don’t marry right after graduation, does this leave us with no purpose in life? Has God abandoned us? Of course not! (Hebrews 13:5b...“I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”) 

In this world that we live, society screams out that we are to be given what we think will make us happy now. There is no thought of waiting until the time is right, until you have enough money saved, or until the Lord brings it to pass. We must help out. The flesh desires and wants it now. There is no encouragement in anything to be content where you are and wait. This life misses out on the blessings we have, worrying about what the future holds. "But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)