Tag Archives: Encouragement

The Secret of Encouragement

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4Watching my oldest son’s cross country race each weekend has been fun and exciting. When the race is about to begin the parents all line up pushing one another to see their boy take off. In most races there is approximately 100 to 500 kids racing at one time, so you can image the number of parents gathered around.

With some tracks, you only see the beginning and the end, with others the boys loop around several times. I have noticed when the track loops around and parents can stand on the sidelines cheering their boy on, there is a noticeable difference in the face of the runner. When a runner has cramped up or is struggling, yelling encouragement gives them that extra motivation to keep going.

The race this Saturday my son started out strong and I saw him loop around several times but during the last loop anyone could see he was struggling and growing weary. I did my Mom’s best and yelled out to keep going that he is almost to the finish line. My son pushed it with all he had and ended up beating a personal record while coming in first against his fellow JV runners from his particular school.

God being who God is did not let this lesson slide by me. I have a few friends who have been a cheering force in my life. When I felt I wanted to give up or life became unbearable, I heard from the sidelines “you can do it.” When I felt weak and insignificant, God reminded me He is strong and worth everything. I pray I am that way in their life in return. After watching my boy race and finish a great race, I am reminded once again this is what the Christian walk looks like. Sometimes we are in the race struggling, hurting, feeling like we can not take another step and other times we are outside the markers cheering the ones in the race.

But at the finish line we are all cheering. Maybe you need to hear this today:

“COME ON, YOU CAN DO, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, KEEP THE PACE, WE ARE ALMOST TO THE FINISH LINE!”

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Blog Hop: Encouragement

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family

Hope it is ok I have this up early. For a project Mom had recently asked our family to submit a bible verse that was our “family verse.” I thought I would share with your our family verse and why I chose it.

    Mark 8: 35-38

    “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
    For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
    For what can a man give in return for his soul?
    For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

When you are responsible for raising a boy, or in my case three, you are raising a future leader of his own family. Men often find their identity in how they provide for their family. Sometimes the drive to be successful and have the latest toys skews a man’s perspective of what is really important.

With this as our family verse my boys are reminded there is more to life than money. A man can become successful, have the latest toys, hang out with the coolest people, yet be very lost at the same time (Christians and non-Christians alike). Many spend their whole life trying to become richer, trying to have more and more stuff, and I wonder “When is it ever enough?” But if you are a man rooted firmly in what God calls successful you will be blessed beyond your imagination. Mind you the blessings may not come in the form of monetary wealth, but it will be more than you have ever dreamed or hoped for. Besides my own sons salvation, that is the one truth I want them to carry in their heart when they are raising their own families.

And the last part of the verse spurs me on. If God calls me to teach or speak about him and I begin to utter words of insecurity, comfort zone, or lack of talent the Lord leads me to the words, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

I strive to be God’s delight and to not be ashamed.

His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 147:10-11

Scribbling is What I Do Most

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I love this quote Scholastic Scribe had when they posted this award.

“Diverting the internal traffic between the Writer as Angel of Light and the Writer as Hustler is the scribbling child in a grown-up body, wondering if anyone is listening.”
~Herbert Gold, Elder Statesman of The Beat Generation~

I want to thank Debbie at Heart Choices for this award, how she has been a blessing to me. One day we emailed each other and suddenly we found we had a lot in common with places we have lived. I love the blogging world because I get to met people I would have never known otherwise. You as readers challenge me and help me grow. You deal with misspelled words, run on sentences, and garbled thoughts, yet you still return (does my Mom pay you?). Seriously THANK YOU.

When it comes to writing anything I am Moses:

“But my Lord, never in my life have I been a man {woman} of eloquence, either before or since you have spoken to your servant. I am a slow speaker {writer, have you seen how I spell Lord?} and not able to speak well {write well; there are so many others who are better}.”

Then the Lord said to him {Laurel}, “Who has made man’s {women’s hands?} mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now therefore go {write}, and I will be with your mouth {words} and teach you what you shall speak {write}.”(Exodus 4:10-12). (brackets mine ;)

I am not implying everything I write comes directly from God, but when I write devotionals for LWG, even book reviews for CWO, or a post on marriage at Wedded Bliss I pray first and ask God what he would like to communicate.

Several times I have come close to giving up blogging and writing, then inevitably I would get an email telling me how something really helped them and drew them closer to the Lord.

If I only help ONE person draw closer to the Lord, everything I do is worth it.  Lord knows you as readers and fellow bloggers have drawn ME closer to the Lord.

Thank you Debbie for your encouragement, your comments, and your friendship.

Now I need to pass this along to 5 most-deserving Bloggy friends (because the rules tell me to =).

1. Iris at Sting My Heart, I would not still be blogging if it were not for her friendship.

2. Angie at The Knightly News her encouragement and kind words keeps me going.  There was one time (awhile ago) she mailed me a card, not knowning what I was going through and she left me sobbing at the mailbox because I knew her kind words were from God.

3. Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.  We may not talk daily but I know if I need prayers she is right there for me!

4. Kelli, she is my hero.  I want to have Kelli’s perseverance and humor when I grow up.

5.Heather at An Untraditional Home.  She challenges me to think outside the box, I love to hear her view points on things.  We agree some of the time and sometimes we don’t but I adore her!

Rules:

    *Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
    *Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
    *Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
    *Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
    *Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.