All in Encouragement
An idea - that’s how it all began.
A friend wanted to bring a little cheer into the lives of girls at a local temporary shelter. She took them to the park, played games and just had fun hanging out with them. Some of her friends joined her and a weekly Bible study began with the girls. A church class jumped on board and an activity night was added. Fast forward to today. In a few months a more permanent home for girls like these will open, providing much needed stability and love.
I am a wannabe gardener. I love all kinds of plants, flowers and trees. However, gardening doesn’t come naturally to me. I am so excited when something grows that I can’t stand the thought of cutting it back.
I gazed at the magnificent creature before me. Huge talons, sharp, curved beak, the characteristic white head. I have seen bald eagles in the zoo but not out in the open and certainly not a few feet away.
Eme had outgrown her dance shoes. But it was just two weeks before her recital and the end of the season.
And really, Eme only needed one shoe. She has one foot larger than the other. They buy shoes to fit the larger foot. Unfortunately, the larger foot was growing quickly.
Doesn’t everyone have it all together? My house is clean. I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish at work. My attitude with my husband has been perfect. I have excelled in parenting and disciplining my children.
I love spending time in nature because I can see God’s creations so much clearer.
When my ninth grader asked for help on his essay, I got more than I bargained.
His book: Ecclesiastes.
His thesis: everything is meaningless.
Job suffered more than anyone I know. I know he gets everything back in the end, but he walked a long, hard road. And his friends became part of the problem. I don’t want to be a friend like that.
As I read Job’s story, I discovered some ways to be a better friend — especially to someone suffering.
Have you ever had a long wait? Maybe like the one I had today.
What I thought would be a quick, 15-minute appointment turned into three hours with one roadblock after another.
Kids ask good questions.
My husband gave me and our two teen boys a chronological Bible for Christmas. As we plod through Exodus, my 13-year-old asks, “What does all this have to with my life today?”
My husband travelling so much has turned into one of the toughest things about his new job. My fear of coming home alone in the dark made me almost not want to go out at night. Also, lying in bed and listening to the weird night noises made my fear escalate as well.
At the beginning of the year, I buy an appointment book to keep me organized. This is my attempt at time management, which I’ve never been adept at.
Luna was “ours” for about a month.
We found her meowing just outside our door.
This wasn’t the first time we’d seen Luna. Sometimes she would lay around our porch. She had a collar, and we knew she had a family — just down the street.
I don’t have a singing voice. In fact, I am somewhat tone deaf. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.
While that sometimes stops me from singing now, it did not stop the 5-year-old me.
As a child, I felt special every time I took a bath at my Granny’s house.
At that time, Granny only had one bathroom. The tub, sink and toilet were probably 30 years old. The water pressure wasn’t that great, but I didn’t care about any of those things.
Once my daughter and a friend of hers got into a little disagreement. As I asked the girls what the problem was, each girl began telling her side of the story . . . simultaneously. When they realized that neither was backing down, each girl spoke louder and louder. My son was standing right beside me, and his observation was, "That's too many words!" I laughed and had to agree.
I strained to see them and marveled at their graceful movements among the rocky cliffs of Israel—the Ibex mountain goat. They actually looked like petite antelopes. Visitors to Israel often get to glimpse them springing from rock to rock as they navigate the mountain heights, graceful and confident. One glimpse immediately brings a familiar verse to mind, one you might have seen on wall hangings, plaques or even have in your own home!
The prophet Habakkuk recorded a third prayer to God. This prayer was in the form of a song written for the choir director to be song with stringed instruments. Habakkuk responded to what God foretold of the judgment of Israel by the invading Babylonians. Even though God declared that He would defend His people with His mighty arm, Habakkuk "trembled within" as he waited quietly for the Lord’s deliverance.
Scholars wonder about the prophet Habakkuk’s name. It’s only used in this Old Testament book, and it’s written in a non-standard Hebraic form. They believe it’s likely related to an extinct eastern language referring to the Habbaququ fruit tree. Imagine his challenge of having such a one-of-a-kind name among his teasing peers. My children can imagine. They carry a Polish last name (containing even more letters) that’s unique to this area of the country. I told them often that their name made them distinctive.
I have a mental list of biblical characters I want to meet in heaven, and Habakkuk isn’t on it—at least not until recently! His name sounded harsh and I assumed it probably matched a typical prophet’s personality and message. Recently, though, I discovered some things about Habakkuk that drew me in, besides the fact he included a song in his prophecy. His Old Testament writing was unique in that he spoke to God on behalf of the people rather than speaking to the people on behalf of God. His format included three prayers and God’s three answers. Like Job, Habakkuk struggled with understanding God’s ways. He had lots of questions and was willing to present those “why” questions to God.
