Words of Encouragement

Every time you think anything good about anyone, verbalize it. People cannot read your mind.

Your thoughts have power and may affect other's confidence level in a minor way, but your words can really lift them up and encourage them.

All people need affirmation, especially those who have been emotionally wounded or hurt by someone. We have more power than we realize we do. We can help people!  The right words spoken at the right time can heal.  It is good for others and good for us. We experience joy in building others up.

We are created by God to be a blessing. He told Abraham, "I will bless you and make you a blessing."

We are blessed in being a blessing.  Start being what you were made to be and you will start receiving what you are meant to receive.

- J. Meyer

Character Creates Courage

A legend tells about a mouse who was terrified of cats until a magician agrees to transform him into a cat.  That resolved his fear… until he met a dog, so he was changed to a dog. 

The mouse-turned-cat-turned-dog was content until he met a tiger – so once again, he was turned into what he feared.  But when a tiger went complaining that he had met a hunter, the magician refused to help.

 “I will make you into a mouse again, for though you have the body of a tiger, you still have the heart of the mouse”

How many people do you know who have built a formidable exterior, only to tremble inside with fear?

We face fear with force… or… we stockpile wealth. We seek security in things. We cultivate fame and seek status.

But do these approaches work?

Courage is an outgrowth of who we are.

Exterior support may temporarily sustain, but only inward character creates courage.

- M. Lucado

“Have faith in the Lord your God, and you will stand strong”

- 2 Chronicles 20:20

  

Positive Power

Nathaniel Hawthorne came home heartbroken for being let go from his job. His wife, rather than responding with anxiety, surprised him with joy and said, "Now you can write a book!".

He wasn't so positive and said "what shall we live on while I'm writing".  

·    To his amazement, the wife opened a drawer and revealed a wad of money she saved out of her housekeeping budget.  "I've always knew you were a man of genius and that you will write a masterpience",  she said.

·    She believed in her husband. And because she did, he wrote.  And because he wrote, most libraries in the world has a copy of "The Scarlet Letter". 

·    Everyone has the power to change someone's life simply by the words you speak.

- M. Lucado

"What you say can mean life or death"

- Proverbs 18:21

Tongue has power 

The Starfish Story

While walking along a beach, an elderly man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the young man picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

He came closer and called out, "Good morning! "May I ask what it is that you're doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean"

The old man smiled, and said, "I must ask, why are you doing that?"

The young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out.
If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

  

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "I made a difference to that one."

- Unknown

Wonderful

Don't Give Up When Times Get Tough

God is more interested in what you are becoming than what you've accomplished. Why do bad things happen? Why is life so difficult sometimes? Don’t be surprised if God is using tough times in your life to test your faithfulness. Faithful people keep on keeping on when other people want to give up. Faithful people are diligent and determined. They are persistent. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul says you need to get the right perspective when you are going through a problem. Don’t look at the temporary problem; look at the long-term reward. Don’t look at the temporary pain; look at the long-term gain. Don’t look at it with the short-term view, “What’s happening to me right now?” Instead, look at the character that you are building because you haven’t given up. You’re hanging in there. If you are facing difficult times right now, I want to challenge you to write this verse on a 3x5 card and memorize:  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). I pray it will encourage you to keep going.  - Rick Warren Determination