My Dear Sisters,

Greetings in the exalted name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, faithful and true! I hope this letter finds you rejoicing in the great goodness which God has stored up for those who trust in Him (Psalm 31:19)!

…The Lord has been very gracious to teach me more of Himself and draw me closer in a special way over the past several months. At the beginning of the year, Gideon designed for me a beautiful framed picture that said: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”—Psalm 37:4 I decided that that verse would be my focus Scripture for 2013, and it has been exciting to watch God faithfully work in my life through His Word.

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....

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.”

(Continued)

Lately I have been pondering the tremendous blessing of my loving parents. I have always been grateful for them, of course; but as I grow older, I notice even more keenly their fervency in prayers, their perpetual sacrifices, and the immense responsibility which they take quite seriously. In this article, I hope to convey to my sisters in Christ some thoughts regarding how we can express our gratitude to our parents, practical ways to be a blessing to them, and ideas for a deeper relationship with them.

In a day and age when skinny jeans, fair-trade vanilla soy lattes, and iPhones are commonplace, it may seem like the idea of honoring your parents is archaic. However, as Christians, we understand that the Scriptures are timeless. They were written for a people, both then and now, with an aptitude to concoct all sorts of sin and rebellion in their hearts. I find it comforting to know that the roads we travel are well worn, and that the very malady that strains our familial relationships, relies on Scripture for its cure.