Encourage Now!

~The Challenge to Encourage Others Daily~ 

This May I challenge you to use your words to encourage others. Every single day. At least one person. Even when you don't feel like it. Even when you think they don't deserve it. 

You can encourage someone more than you think and get encouraged yourself. Share your stories in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter with the hash tag #encouragenow. Won't it be awesome to hear how God used us to encourage those around us? 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

Every day this month. At least one person every day. 

Are you ready? 

We. Are. Loved.

~Tuesday Thoughts~

Nancy Rue has just started a mini-series on her blog about self-respect. Note: not self-obsession. Self-respect. Respecting the person God made us to be.

It's a very important topic for those who feel like they can't measure up. Here are the three posts so far: A Little Respect, First Move Toward Self-Respect: Changing The Language, and Second Move Toward Self-Respect: Enough With The Name-Calling.

Hawk Nelson has a great song on this: "Live Like You're Loved. " Here are the lyrics.

We are indeed loved by the Creator of the Universe. Let's live like it and share the news!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8 (NIV)

How about you? Do you feel worthless sometimes? What helps you to remember that God is always with you?

Your words matter

~Monday Movies & Music~

"Speak Life" by TobyMac (lyrics) and "Words" by Hawk Nelson (lyrics) are pretty great songs. My favorite of the two is the second one.

God's Word calls us to use our words wisely. It's a hard thing to do, but together with God we can do anything.

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

He'll never forsake us

~Saturday Stories~

Not too long ago I entered a contest on Go Teen Writers. Here is my entry:

Kassie flew herself down on the bed silently vowing to never get up. Then she did just that and picked up the trash from the floor, straightened up the bookshelf, and flung the dirty socks into the hamper across the room. She heard a light knock, and Michael slid the door open. “Kassie,” he cleared his throat. “Do me a favor and get out of the house.” Kassie fingered a half-finished cross-stitch pattern and then eased herself into a chair. “You know I can't.” She could hardly glance around the tiny room without remembering whose it was – or used to be. Michael bent down and peered into her face. “Rest.” “No.” Deep sighs escaped them at the same time. Kassie smiled sheepishly. After a moment she leaned in and kissed her husband. “I will. I promise. Someday.” He chuckled. “It’ll be a hard time, dear. But He’ll get us through.”

Isn't it amazing that, whatever we're going through, God will always be there? He will never leave us - even when it's hard.

"God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”[a]" Hebrews 13:5b (NIV)

Amen!

Others first

~Friday for Friends~

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)

I think this is a very very hard thing for us to do. The way we look at it, the first thing we should do is get ourselves comfortable. If we help someone in the process -good, but that's not the focus. So wrong.

Let's try to work on that, on putting others first. We have a great example - Jesus Christ (verse)!!!

  "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

  Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
  rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
  And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

How about you? What can you do for others today?

So many stories

~Tuesday Thoughts~

The world's a big place. Last week my Dad and I took a trip to a big city- more than 10 million people. Wherever you looked there seemed to be people. Mothers with children, men off to work, young adults off to work or to college. Or somewhere. Because you really never knew. There was about zero chance you'd see these people again and, as seems to be the custom, there wasn't much interaction between the people on the streets unless they were in a group already.

It is marvelous to see so many people and to realize that each one has a story. His/her own story, full of joys and trials, laughter and tears. Who are their friends? Do they have kids? Where do they work? What makes them laugh?

God created each and every one of these people. If He knows when a sparrow falls, how much more does He know about each of us?

"For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" Ezekiel 18:32 (NIV)

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[a]" Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)

God wants us to know and to share the grand news of His love. Who can you share it with today? 

I am not alone

~Monday Movies & Music~

"I am Not Alone"? is a song by Kari Jobe. Here are the lyrics.

Our God will definitely never leave us. How amazing is that?!

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Jesus, Matthew 28:20b (NIV)