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.

Dear Sisters,
​
What a rich blessing it has been to dig into the Scriptures and study Matthew 5:3-12! As I read and prayed through these verses, I was challenged to go deeper in my own walk with the Lord. I hope that the following thoughts will be an encouragement to you as well...

Kneeling down before my King,
My precious daughters to Him I bring.
How can I raise them to be virtuous and true?
Oh Lord, I'm weak; I need You.
 
I can strive to teach them to be morally good,
To say the right things, dress the right way,
act in a way every lady should.
But if I fail to teach them mercy, grace, and love,
To live my own life only for God above
 
Oh Lord, they need to be planted by the streams of living water,
That is what will make them a truly virtuous daughter.
So back on my knees before You I pray,
Lord, You need to work in their heart, You are the only way. 

“Daughter of mine, a woman so kind,
how did you grow up to be so fine?”
A voice in answer so quiet and low,
“you trained me up in the way I should go.”
Proverbs 22:6
 
“Daughter of mine, so busy was I,
how did I teach you, when found I time?”
“Diligently you taught me all through the day,
 as a young child in a Mother's special way.” 
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
 
“Daughter of mine, If this be true,
what are some things that I taught you?”
“I learned to esteem others better than me.
not to love only in words; but also in deed.
Philippians 2:3,  1 John 3:18
 
I learned by example to love sisters and brothers,
as I saw you look on the things of others.
To always walk in truth you taught,
God's commands taught from the heart.”
  Philippians 2:4, 3 John 1:4
 
“Mother of mine, You are so kind,
You are the one who is so fine.
I'd hear you pray, and learn how true,
the realness of God is in you.”
 
“Many a time I’ve failed and stumbled,
Daughter of mine in tears I’m humbled.”
LMS
 
"But as he which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"
 1 Peter 1:15

​Have you ever been frantically searching for something, only to discover that it was right in front of you? The strap to my laptop bag was missing for months, and I became tired of toting the bag by its handles. I finally voiced my frustration to my brother, telling him that I must have lost it during our house move.

Then while preparing for a road trip, I unzipped an inconspicuous pocket of my laptop bag to stuff a paper inside. Lo and behold, there was the strap! All those times I had lugged around my bag, complaining about its missing strap, I was actually carrying it with me!

​As Christian girls, we plead earnestly for the Lord to reveal His will for our lives...we claim our willingness to travel to the ends of the earth to accomplish it, for His glory and honor.