ENCOURAGEMENT

Time sure does fly! I can't believe it's the middle of August. Because of family vacations and work committments, I have not had much time to blog this summer.

But I sure have had time to encourage. The more I interact with people the more I realize everyone needs encouragement. Everywhere I go I find someone who needs to hear encouraging words. People are hurting. Life is tough. Fear is rampant.

What is encouragement? Webster defines it as ”to inspire with courage, spirit or hope; to spur on, stimulate; to give help or patronage to, the act of encouraging, giving hope or promise”. To encourage, whether others or ourselves, is to make courageous, not in a passive way, but as an action verb. Encouragement is touching people right where they are, inspiring them to hang in there and persevere in the midst of problems.

Look around. Really listen to your friend or child. You can encourage someone today. Because you never know when a moment and a few encouraging words can change a life forever.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Abraham Lincoln said, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

Because of where you are today, you know that success requires lots of hard work, determination, courage and faith. You know that even when you felt like it you would not and did not give up.

You kept going when less-committed people threw in the towel and quit. You believed in yourself and your mission when others did not. You stayed the course, focused on your purpose and did your best work.

You put in long hours studying, practicing your sport/craft and preparing the plan. You told yourself you can do it. You gave it your all and you never looked back.

You did it. You accomplished your goal. No matter the result if you did your best, you are a true winner.

Congratulate yourself. Celebrate your perseverance. This moment is worthy of recognition.

YOU DID IT!

ENCOURAGEMENT TO INSPIRE

Many want to impress, but few want to inspire or encourage. I love how Constance Rhodes puts it, “The trouble with seeking to impress is that it requires so little of our heart and soul. But to inspire (encourage)…that must be the greatest of accomplishments, for inspiring (encouraging) others allows us to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.”

Recently a friend of mine in her seventies greatly inspired me when I saw that the most important thing she did was give her life away in serving others. Her simple life-statement gave me something to aim for, a goal worthy of pursuit.

Constance says, “When considering the big picture of life, it’s important that we ask ourselves, ‘Do I want to seek to impress or live to inspire?’ How we answer that question will define how we live. If we seek to impress, then we will continue to feel empty despite each new accomplishment. The increasing importance we place on our material possessions, appearance and successes will only serve to bind us up further and further.”

But when we refuse to be defined by external things and we understand that our insides are more important than the outside, our focus changes. We are then free to use our energy to encourage and love others, because we know our value is in who we are, not how we look.

Who can you encourage or inspire by your life today?

ENCOURAGEMENT TO BE AN ENCOURAGER

Life is messy. Life is tough. Each of us at some time or another experiences disappointment, loss and severe life altering circumstances. As my husband says, it's not if, it's when!

That is the reality of life in a fallen world. We become sick and injured, or our loved ones do; we suffer relational problems, depression, divorce, have financial disasters, and lose jobs.

Everyday life is a struggle, not to mention war on every continent, criminal activity increasing, natural disasters and epidemic illnesses multiplying which involve human suffering. Pain and unfulfilled loneliness are costing us financially, physically and emotionally. We have never been emptier inside with so much stuff around us.

Can anyone change what is happening in our society? What simple steps can each one of us do to begin to turn the tide in life?

Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” BT Washington says, “Helping someone else is the secret of happiness.”

Never underestimate the power of one who is willing to make a difference. The benefits will last forever!

OCEAN ENCOURAGEMENT

Some time ago a friend was struggling with some health issues, and knowing she enjoyed the beach, I invited several other friends to beach walk—a refreshing evening vacation. As we watched the ebb and flow of the waves bringing in the tide, we realized a cycle bigger than ourselves and our problems. So we started the ‘beach club’, a nurturing night out for us…walking on and experiencing area beaches. I have never encountered such an incredibly healing time in my life.

This past week I was privileged to visit some friends in Florida. I also got to walk on the beach 3 days which always does good things for my heart and soul, especially because it is winter where I live.

Beach-walking is one of my favorite activities and gives me perspective in my life. As I watch the waves coming in and going out again same time every day I realize the precise power and order of creation. I know there is a great God who has everything under His control and yet cares about me.

My soul begins to settle down and soak in the wonder of nature as I try to take in all the ocean views. I look at my life with fresh eyes seeing my circumstances in a new light. I agree with Beth Moore as she calls this ‘reframing’ the big picture of your life.

Somehow my world makes sense and healing is taking place yet again. I am grateful to be alive. Thank you Lord for your wonderful world.

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM PAIN

I stopped my exercise schedule over the holidays. It's not that I wanted to, but just too much stuff was going on.

Then I ate lots of sugar in those delicious Christmas cookies and all kinds of food I don't usually eat at all those parties.

Then my quiet time got messed up, because I was running and running. I'm not exactly sure where I was going.

That's when I figured out I was exhausted.

I crashed and burned.

But not from the Christmas season alone.

Because I had ignored who I am.

At that moment I made some decisions. I had to change.

I spent a quiet day reading, meditating and praying. A true Sabbath.

Some of my junk came up-worry, fear for love ones, for myself.

But there was something else. Peace. I had not felt it for a long time.

I haven't arrived yet, but at least I'm on the path. I know where I'm going. I feel hope. I feel alive.

Because without pain, do we ever change?

American Idol Encouragement

I don't know how those American Idol contestants get up there and perform time and time again. Especially some of them, if you know what I mean.

They must need lots and lots of encouragement and support to do it. Some of them get it, some of them don't.

I read this 'reverse encouragement' story about popular American Idol contestant, Syesha Mercado, by Thomas Becnel in the Herald Tribune. It intrigues me to learn all I can about the power of encouragement.

It seems Syesha's dad has struggled with drugs and alcohol for a long time, almost forever in Syesha's time line. He received a certificate for completing a rehab program and got interviewed on TV. He was uncomfortable, maybe embarrassed and didn't want to do the story, protesting, " I can't do this."

In the picture, Syesha sits with him and gently tells him, "You can do this, you can do it, you can do it."

He does the interview.

It is a very touching picture and a nice twist for the American Idol contestant. Usually she is the one receiving words of ecouragement.

What a different world we would have if we all could learn the lesson of encouraging others with our words.

For more information on encouraging words, see How to encourage