CHOOSE THIS DAY....FOOD FOR THOUGHT FRIDAY!

How great it would be if all decisions made today would be as easy as choosing my morning cuppa!

All my tea options are good ones to me. I don't even have to choose caffeine free if it's only 7am. 

Other choices throughout the day are more difficult because of the ramifications. Such choices can be important or complex, nothing like deciding on loose leaf or tea bag for my morning cuppa.

How would my choice affect someone else. Physically?  Emotionally? Monetarily? Spiritually? (Romans 12:10)

• To encourage. (Ephesians 4:29) 
• To build up. (Romans 15:2) 
• To motivate to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24)
• An encouraging word cheers a person up. (Proverbs 12:25)

Each day our choices count! 

That's real food for thought this Friday and everyday.

CARING!

If people could use one word to describe you, what do you think it would be? Given that challenge to describe friend, Crickett, one word kept coming to mind. Caring. 

Think synonymously....Kind. Concerned. Thoughtful. Trustworthy.

My One Word to encompass Crickett Keeth.... "Caring"-- with all the above listed facets.

Crickett has always understood the value of fellowship, knowing how difficult it is to do life alone. She shows this as she blesses lives of many. 

She cares for others in various ways with her time, resources and strengths: 

• devoted to others in love as she honors them above her self. (Romans 12:10) 
• serves others humbly in love (Galatians 5:13c) 
• carries another's burdens, (Galatians 6:2a) 
• trustworthy to keep requested secrecy .... as she looks to the interest of others (Philippians 2:4) 
• In fact, Crickett is known world-wide as a caring encourager who builds up women and spurs them on in a teaching ministry. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

GOD is not unjust; He will not forget your (Crickett's) work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. (Hebrew 6:10) 

Now, that's caring at its best! Think all caps...........

THINK CARING CRICKETT! 

Then.....THANK CRICKETT for listening to the Lord and coming to First Evan 17 1/2 years ago.

IMPORTANT EXERCISE

Exercise is important! 

Exercise can be difficult to incorporate into one's daily schedule.

Exercise with another can be an encouragement.

Exercising with another, aka fellowship, is essential for growth, from physical to spiritual! 

Fellowship, sharing time in God's word laced with prayer and physically coming alongside others in their struggles of life is an important earthly exercise with an eternal result. (Acts 2:42, 44)

SUSTAIN UKRAINE!

Sustain Ukraine!

What a privilege---being on a team to pack 10,000 food parcels for a land and people whom I love dearly.

When the gong sounds we will go ---and keep going until the job of supplying 100,000 meals is complete.

LET'S GET PACKING & SUSTAIN UKRAINE!* (1 John 4:7-8)

*Note Ukrainians delivering previously delivered parcel to eastern Ukraine/front lines wear helmets and bullet proof vests!

FROM A CLINIC BED TO A CHURCH YARD!

An encouraging quote reverberates regardless of its location!

Thanks to the clout of high school chum, Joyce Ann, my God Wink quote from an EKG room, is now on the lawn of a church in Owensboro, KY. 

There is nothing more encouraging than the prayers and actions of friends in the faith......whether in a clinic bed or a church yard! (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

FRIENDSHIP TO FELLOWSHIP

Depth can be added to friendship when two folks are on the same side of the struggle.

C.S. Lewis puts it this way. . .

It's why deep friendships are often found in support groups--for cancer, terminal diseases, addiction, divorce, betrayal as well as varying grief groups. There is a kinship found when two or sometimes more are on the same side of the struggle. (Proverbs 18:24)

Factor in fellowship and the relationship goes even deeper. Why?

In true fellowship Christ is factored in. It becomes two (or more) people on the same side of the struggle with Christ being the connection in the middle. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

I know because I have been there and am so grateful for the ones God put there with me, often ahead of me, to lead the way to victory, even though the struggle might remain. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

LIFE'S CHALLENGES

We all have our mountains to climb. Challenges and struggles in our daily lives.

For our "little nugget" it seems like play.....but his physical therapist said he needs this challenge each day to aid him in standing with stability, walking more than just 1 or 2 steps, and even squatting,

 The climb to the top might be easier with encouragers cheering along side BUT without doing it for him.

It's just so important to call down from the summit to those below in order to encourage them in their own struggles---that they, too, may see clearly how the climb is worth the struggle. (Michele Phoenix)

There will be applause from heaven or in the case of a child, who speaks "Jack-anese", applause from a loving family. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

WINSLOW'S WARRIORS!

What is a warrior? Warriors in the faith come along side each other to encourage and build one another up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Maybe being a warrior entails pushing that wheelchair so that she can sit outside the "facility" for the first time since July 2.

Warriors are there day and night, either physically or spiritually or sometimes both.
Warriors are the watchmen, appointed by God, to pray day and night and to take no rest for themselves & continually cry out to God until God makes wherever his people minister a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7), ie a place of sanctuary, a happy place, of sorts.
With dear high school, Winslow, the call to be her warrior has brought us all together again on her behalf.

Since we love one another as God has loved us (John 13:34), and are called to prayer, fellowship & breaking bread together, even if it was benedictine on a cracker,  (Acts 1:14 & Acts 2:42).  There was "light" from the fellowship (1 John 1:7), & speaking aloud in psalms & hymns, making melody with with our heart unto the Lord, in oneness inside room 111.

From ICU to rehab to the hospital and back again there has been a cadre of folks, armed with "Winslow Will Win" purple bracelets ready to pitch in on her behalf!!! Note Dotsy's right wrist.

Now you know what a warrior is in the deepest sense of the words. Among believers, it's the ones who stand on your side---lift you when your down, kneel in prayer when you can't, and some times "bust you out" of a "facility" so that you can see the outside world again and even do a little shopping!!!

What a thrill to end the day encircling her chair, holding hands and praising the Lord who had "strengthened (Winslow's) weak hands" and answered prayers from "His Word which help the tottering to stand and to have strengthened her feeble (left) knee." Job 4:4)

CHOOSE : EXACTNESS

How does one choose exactness?
Need a blueprint? Need specifications of where to walk? How to walk?
(Psalm 119:3, Psalm 128:1, Micah 6:8)

An architect's rendering to good relationships?
How to build one another up? There's a a blue print in God's word. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

A voice coach? Choose right words---let yes be yes and no be no---(Matthew 5:37)
....with the right tone and voice inflection.
Speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)

Often in difficult places and conversations, it's important to choose exactness.

Dichot-TEA-my of Prayer

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, ESV)

Prayerfully mulling this..............Quite a conundrum for me at this point.

Continued mulling into the night.

How does one (a pray-er) reconcile this with other scripture?

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV) *

Isn't telling someone you have prayed for them a form of encouragement? But...doesn't sharing with others reveal the secrecy of the prayer?

Doesn't the apostle Paul, himself, write the people of Colosse that he gives thanks for them and will always pray for them?

...will not cease to pray for you, (Colossians 1:9)

Isn't intercessory prayer Paul's first exhortation to Timothy, as a leader of the church in Ephesus?

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; (1 Timothy 2:1)

The epistle scriptures seem inconsistent with Jesus' instructions in Matthew's verse, on the how to's of prayer.....but maybe it's not an "either /or" determination. Maybe they aren't mutually exclusive or contradictory. 

A true dichotomy? Maybe not opposites....just different??

Still mulling over my questioning cuppa dichot-TEA-my.

* 8/2 received email from Wynellen that answered one aspect of my questioning.

For me, encouragement comes when I know others have prayed for me. Pasted below is just the beginning of the email that listed prayers lifted not only for me but for each of my children and their families as well. I'm encouraged!!

Just finished praying for you.  I always catch up on your blog bf I pray so I can know what might be on your heart. Not sure about the emotions and tears Sunday, but thanked God for being El Roi- the God Who sees you and knows our cries. And then for the heritage you are leaving your children and grandchildren.......

"Mo-TEA-vating" : a Re-Brew, of sorts

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV)

"Meditating Mondays" were a part of this blog for years. A verse was given. Observations and interpretations were shared. Application was usually left up to readers. Last week's blog entry about the mo-TEA-vators in one's life, emphasized the value of the application aspect of Scripture meditation.

Motivating Mondays. "Mo-TEA-vating." Sounds good if it means putting hands and feet to the life lessons God is teaching through meditating on His word. Encouraging and exhorting others with God's truths, as one interacts with those whom God puts in his/her path, is application, at it's most practical. Why is motivating others with encouragement and exhortation so important? God's word answers that.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)

Mo-TEA-vating cuppa---filled to the brim with encouragement and exhortation and served to others. Lots of others.

God's love being poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5) should be all the mo-TEA-vation that one needs........to pour His love out to others.

CHEERLEADER!!

3/11/11

Do you have a cheerleader in your life? Are you a cheerleader in someone else’s life? When Mother died in 2001 I lost my #1 cheerleader. It's such a loss when the one who loves you unconditionally is “gone.” Yet, the Lord in his faithfulness has given me lots of "encouragers" throughout my life. They just became more relevant when Mother was absent from said life.

At Noah’s “first graders” basketball game last week their Tiger team even had cheerleaders. Not sure they fully understood cheering for the team but the words were right and their equipment included megaphones and pom-poms---essential to making sure the words could be heard. Positive words. Encouraging words.

Even as a Morningside Elementary cheerleader, (short one on far right side of back row----can’t miss that home perm) I learned lessons about supporting others. All our cheers were of the "2-4, 6- 8, who do we appreciate" variety. We weren’t even allowed to “yell” anything with negative connotations toward the opposing team.

I need to be more of a cheerleader for my own family. Daughter Molly has a way of taking me to task if I become too “preachy.” I can all too easily recount the bad possibilities that one might encounter on chosen courses of action. I call it being realistic. She calls me a “Debbie Downer” or a “Negative Nancy”----especially if my remarks in anyway thwarts her plans. Even when I explain that I was only trying to be helpful, she says I spell helpful as c-o-n-t-r-o-l. Control is not encouraging. Neither is false praise or overindulgence. Enabling is not encouraging.

It’s scriptural to encourage one another. The world needs more cheerleaders. I would “suit up” but I’m no longer eency. But.....I still have several of my high school letters. Maybe I’ll hang them up as reminders to cheer on family and friends in their life journeys. Maybe I’ll look for that old “M” to urge me to be Molly’s cheerleader as my mother was for me.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily,……

Ask yourself these questions: Do I bring sunshine or gloom into the room? Do I excuse myself by redefining negativity, by saying, "I'm just a worrier or I was born that way?" Or, "It’s just my nature. I’m depressed, always have been."

Give it up for others. Grab a pom-pom and be visible with your support. Use a megaphone for words of encouragement and drown out the negative. Stand in someone else’s corner. Be on their team. Be their cheerleader.