O gift of gifts! O grace of faith!
My God! how can it be
That Thou, who has discerning love,
Shouldst give that gift to me?
 
How many hearts thou mightest have had
More innocent than mine!
How many souls more worthy far
Of that sweet touch of Thine?
Oh, grace! Into unlikeliest hearts
It is thy boast to come,
The glory of Thy light to find
In darkness spots a home.
 
Oh, happy, happy that I am!
If thou canst be, O faith
The treasure that thou art in life
What wilt thou be in death?
 
 
The above poem was taken from Mrs. E. Prentiss’ beloved classic, Stepping Heavenward. I would highly recommend this book; in fact, I have literally highlighted many portions that were encouraging/convicting to me. Very thought-provoking!
 
When I read Romans, my heart is overwhelmed with pure joy and gratitude to our heavenly Father to think of His mercy and grace—the unmerited goodness of God. Never skim the book of Romans. Read it—again and again and again—it is brimming with truth about the wonderful doctrine of salvation!

Recently, I have been very blessed to meditate on the love of God. In this article, I hope to draw your attention to the unfathomable love that God has for us, His children, as well as the result that this love should produce in our lives. This is by no means exhaustive, and I encourage you to study this topic further.

Ahh . . . Dessert!! What a sweet thought! As the leaves fall from the trees and snow begins to fall (at least in my part of the country!), I find myself spending quite a bit of time in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes and making old favorites. Desserts are my favorite things to bake. Most desserts are chocked full off unhealthy fats, sugars, and artificial ingredients. As I bake, my desire is to produce a flavorful yet healthy product.
 
Ever since I started cooking as a young child, my parents have reinforced this important principle for quality food:
 
“Quality food should not only taste good, but it should
look good, be good for you, and be good for the budget.”
 
This principle has served to guide me as I’ve progressed in my cooking skills. However, it is challenging to apply this principle to desserts, especially the “be good for you” part!  Here are some of the ways I’ve learned and ways I’m working on to make desserts fit the principle:

Dear Virtuous Daughters,

​One thing God has been teaching me lately is to apply Galatians 6:2 to my life. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” It is easy to go on with life and only think about ourselves, but I have been trying to think about others instead. Sometimes I don’t want to “bear one another’s burdens,” but then I remember Galatians 6:2 and do it. After all, you can’t argue the Bible!

​​When I was in 11th grade, my favorite subject was American history. And while my tests quizzed dates, names, and places, they also required that I memorize certain passages of Scripture that remind us to be in subjection to our authorities. One night I was especially anxious about a quiz scheduled for the next day. I had to write from memory a large portion from the Bible and I had not studied enough. After climbing into bed, I read the chapter several times. Then I said to my sister,

"Brittany, please ‘quiz’ me over this passage. I need to make sure I know it before tomorrow!” She listened as I stumbled through the recitation.

The next morning Brittany was practically laughing as we greeted each other. “You were sleep talking again,” she told me.

“What was I saying?” I asked. (This is my response every time she tells me I’ve been sleep talking.)

“You were trying to quote that passage you’re going to be quizzed on today!” We both had a good laugh, especially after I passed the quiz. 

​This amusing story brings me to a topic I have been thinking about quite a bit lately: keeping God in all our thoughts.