Hi friends!

2019 has been quite the year for us: we re-redesigned and launched a brand new website; wrote, published and hosted four small group online Bible studies (download and re-watch the archived studies here), released a new 10-day devotional Bible study on figuring out God’s will for your life (get a free copy when you sign up for our editor’s newsletter below!), published over 200 articles, and had over 50 young women from all over the world volunteer their time and efforts to write for Tirzah, edit articles and help with our social media and administrative tasks. We’ve provided all of this to you for FREE thanks to limited donations and all the volunteer efforts of our writers and staff.

We’d love to keep providing all of this for your edification in 2020, so would you consider making a donation of any amount?

We have Tirzah girls all over the world with our top countries represented in the United States, Philippines, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Singapore! We also have sisters in Christ reading from Malaysia, Brazil, Kenya, Switzerland, Belgium, India, Poland, Ireland, China, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Norway, Hungary, Romania, Russia, the Bahamas, Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Indonesia, Austria, Peru, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Honduras, the Republic of Lithuania, Guatemala, Spain, Argentina, Sweden, Japan, and the list goes on and on! As I've traveled, I've gotten to meet some of you in your states and countries and it is still the best part of this ministry for me!

So, without further ado, we checked our analytics and rounded up our 10 most-read articles of the year (can you sense a theme?!):

1. You Are More Than a Someday Wife

We put marriage on such a high pedestal that for many it becomes an idol that defines womanhood. As if a woman only has worth if she is in a romantic relationship or if she is a wife and mother. In many religious communities, especially, women are often told they have one calling and purpose in life: to get married and raise children. If you're raised with that kind of teaching, it shapes who you are. It puts you on one path and no matter what happens, if you deviate from that path and the accompanying timetable, you end up feeling like a failure - like you're not enough for people or for God. You strive so hard to achieve that wife status that it often comes at the expense of your spiritual growth. But, it’s not just religion. Social media, television, movies, books and society in general is a constant stream of images of happy couples and the search of love.

Friend, God gave Adam an assignment before He gave him a wife. Too many of us are seeking the person before we seek our purpose, before we seek Jesus, and before we ask Him what He wants from this one life we've been given.

2. How to Serve Your Future Husband During Your Engagement

While there is a lot of excitement around being engaged, shopping for a wedding dress, picking out flowers, and daydreaming about what married life together will be like, there is also a lot of hard work done behind the scenes (and I’m not just talking about searching many websites for the perfect invitation!). I’m talking about quietly and daily sowing good seeds into your marriage during your engagement and trusting God that you will reap the fruit of this long after you are married.

Not yet engaged? Even if you’re completely single, this post applies to you as well. You may not have a name or a face to attach for whom you’re praying for or preparing for, but God knows and He will know exactly where to direct your prayers and give you wisdom in how to refocus and merge in order to prepare yourself for your future marriage!

3. The Hidden Cost of Modern Dating: Part I and Part II

As the young people in my life recently discovered dating, watching them couple off has left my heart burning with one overarching piece of advice. This is not a purity post (although that is an important discussion as well!). No, this is something much more important. This is about a holy God and the heart He has for His people, especially the youth, because I’ve gotten a glimpse of the Lord’s heart for the next generation, and y’all, if we can walk before Him with a pure heart and love Him above all else, what God can do through us and in us is without boundaries! 

That’s the heart of it. We belong to a holy God who is possessive of His children for whom He sent His one and only son to die for. One doesn’t ever forget that high of a price paid. As I’ve gotten to know this holy God, I’ve learned He cares deeply for His children, which means He cares about what happens in our lives and how others treat us. And not just us, but each one of us. He cares for me – the number of hairs on my head and every tear I cry. The Bible may not say anything about casual dating, but it does give us an understanding of God’s heart for how we as believers treat each other.

4. When She Gets What You’ve Always Wanted

I took the test last night. I waited all week for it. It was stupid to get my hopes up. I had my first taken away from me last year and each passing month the disappointment stabs a little deeper. I hate being disappointed, so I try not to hope too much. But this time, for whatever reason, I really thought I'd be pregnant.

Around the same time, I found out that someone I’m not a big fan of, who has struggled with the same affliction, was pregnant. My mild-mannered demeanor was shattered at this news. Jealousy overcame me and I transformed into a monstrous version of myself.  If you don't already find me a hypocritical disciple who both praises and curses the Lord in the same breath, here is something more to convince you. The mention of her name is normally enough to set my jaw and fix my gaze as I refuse forgiveness. And now she has a baby.

5. 3 Steps Christian Women Can Take to Ignite Their Dating Lives

Many Christians around the world find themselves in a position where they have the desire for marriage, and for some reason or another, it hasn’t happened to them yet. Coming into this article, I’m not sure what your story is. I am not sure if you have been single for more years than you can count, just got out of a hard relationship, or are waiting for your best friend to notice that you are the one he should be dating. Either way, we can all agree that dating, especially Christian dating can be extra messy.

This may be because the Bible doesn’t say anything about dating. It talks plenty about marriage, but it doesn’t talk about who should make the first move, the proper texting etiquette, and the many other questions Christian women encounter. That is what today’s article is all about. We are talking about three steps that unmarried Christian women can take to be in a better position to date this year.

6. Four Ways to Deal with Anxiety (That Actually Work!)

Do you ever have anxious thoughts about your life? How about a restless heart? Or maybe your mind is just tired? Friend, sometimes it can be hard to admit to having these struggles, especially when, as a Christian, we’re supposed to “have it all together.” But being a Christian doesn’t mean we have it all together or that we have all of the answers. And we don’t have to. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (ESV). It’s not up to us to have life figured out. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need a Savior.

7. Big Dreams, Goals and Stepping Out of the Boat

Did you ever have a dream but were too scared to attempt it? Did you think the idea was just too crazy or too big for God to handle? Well, you’re not alone.

Before we get to my story, let’s first look at a prime example from the Bible – his name is Peter. Now, Peter likes to be outspoken, and in this particular scenario, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water towards them.  Naturally, Peter makes a bold statement, “If it is you Lord, tell me to come to you on the water.” As the story continued, Peter began to walk out to Jesus on the water, but when Peter saw the wind and waves, he was frightened and called out to Jesus for help. Jesus reached out to him and replied, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Paraphrasing Matthew 14:22-36.)

8. But If Not, He Is Still Good

God is good. I do not doubt God’s goodness for a second, but what happens when your faith in His goodness is tested? There are numerous examples in the Bible with this certain scenario, but one in particular shows the power of the words: but if not, the Lord is still good.

9. Happily Ever Before: Finding Happiness in Singleness

Little girls often play house, innocently imagining themselves being married and having children. Later, those same little girls grow up to be young women who start dreaming of their wedding day, the white picket fence, and the fairytale, “happily EVER after.”

Something I find interesting is that the definition of the word “ever” means: at all times; always. Yet, somehow, we tend to believe “happily ever after” exists only AFTER we get married. We put too much of our focus on “after” and not “ever.” I want to change that narrative for single women and allow them to see and believe there is such a thing as happily ever before!

10. Identity of Busy

Recently, I texted a friend to let her know I was thinking of her and to ask how she was doing. I got a typical response many of us get from people we know, “I’m so busy!” We continued our conversation and I said, “I hope you’re able to find some down time to rest.” And her response was, “Wouldn’t that be nice? But it’s not going to happen, I’m just so busy.”

I understand that we all have plenty of things in a day to keep us busy: school, work, family, and the list could go on. We go through seasons where life can be more demanding than others. I believe that having a good work ethic and getting the job done is important, but my concern isn’t with us being responsible and taking care of those life things. My concern is when our identity actually becomes, “I’m busy.” When your worth comes from how much stuff you accomplish in a day, or when you think “I’m busy” makes you look or feel important.

What was your favorite Tirzah article of 2019?

With love,

Yelena Bosovik

Founder + Editor in Chief

P.S. We’re taking the rest of the year off to enjoy this season with our family and friends - we’ll see you back here January 6, 2020! Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and yours!