Encouragement

Encouragement:something that encourages: Praise is the greatest encouragement.(dictionary.com)

"Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak."-Acts 13:15

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers..."-Eph.4:25a

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."-Phil.4:8

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."-Heb.3:13

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."-Heb.10:24-25

"My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right."-Prov.23:15-16

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to turn a life around."-Leo Buscaglia

"We are all capable of recognizing other's flaws, that is no great accomplishment. It is the person who can recognize the good in everyone, who is truly gifted and accomplished."-Angelface

Sometimes we forget how important encouragement truly is. Not just when someone is feeling down or going through something, but in everyday life. It's not always easy to do the right things or to stay on the right path and so, yes, a little encouragement is always helpful. God desires for us to stay pure of heart and to act accordingly, but he also desires for us to help others do the same. Sometimes, we can be so quick to let someone know how upset we are at something that they have done wrong, and yet silence overcomes us when they have done something good, something positive, something right. People like attention, they like to be noticed and recognized. Why not give them positive attention by noticing and acknowledging their positive actions. Encourage others to stay on track. Our own actions can also serve as a form of encouragement, so we must always be mindful of what we do and say. Today, I encourage you to encourage others. Point out the positive and stay away from the negative. And to everyone reading: I am so glad that you are giving these few moments to God today, continue to do so and be Blessed:)

God Bless and Be a Blessing to Others:)

Forgiveness for Sins

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,"-Romans3:23-25NLT

"And I convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below -indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us form the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."-Romans8:38-29NLT

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."-Isaiah1:18

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."-Titus3:5

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"-Matt.6:14

"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake."-I John2:12

"Why are we fearful to admit our faults? It is because we are expecting others to judge us as we would judge them. Don't be so harsh in your judgements of others, and you won't be so harsh on yourself."-Angelface

The greatest news ever told....Our sins are forgiven!! At times, we are so hard on ourselves, believing that our sins, our mistakes, have the power to make God turn his back on us. We believe that God is mad at us, or no longer wants to communicate with us. The truth of the matter is that God knew that we would make mistakes. He knows that we are not perfect, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves or others that we are. Sometimes, it is our obsession with believing that we are perfect that makes us so very ashamed of even the smallest mistakes. God knowing that we are imperfect, sent his son to shed his innocent blood to cover our sins. The devil would have us believe that our sins have the power to cancel out our relationship with Christ; but our heavenly Father sees us through Jesus Christ' pure blood. Regardless of what we have done, as long as we admit that we are not perfect, and we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for the covering of our sins...The Lord sees us as righteous. He will always love us, and he will never leave us. There is nothing that you can do to separate yourself from God's love. He already gave you his mercy, his forgiveness, all we must do is accept it. Don't be so hard on yourself when you fall. Just as a parent expects their child to fall a few times while learning to walk, the Lord expects us to fall a few times (or more) while learning to walk righteously. Be patient with yourself and with others. And while it is good to strive for perfection - remember that no one is perfect, we all make mistakes from time to time. Its about learning and growing from those mistakes so that we don't make the same ones over and over.

God Bless and Be a Blessing to Others:)

Have Mercy.

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."-Abraham Lincoln

"He has showed you, o man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."-Micah6:8

"The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed-it blesseth him that gives, and him that takes."-Wm. Shakespeare

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."-Luke6:38

Remember that all that you do, good or bad, comes back to you. That is why we are to treat others as we would like to be treated. No matter what someone has done, they deserve mercy. They at least deserve the chance to be understood. When dealing with anyone, and everyone...have mercy. Don't be so quick to judge. The Lord will judge us just as we judge others. If someone helps you out or forgives you, or shows you mercy in any way...make sure that you do the same for others, willingly, happily. Sadly, people are so quick to expect so much mercy and grace for themselves and yet they are just as quick to harshly judge others. Every situation that you encounter, every person that you meet, is part of a test. God wants to see how you treat his children, to see how he should treat you. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."-Matt.25:40b. Plant positive seeds in the earth for yourself. Show mercy and receive mercy...for we all shall reap what we sow.

God Bless and Be a Blessing to Others:)

Patience is a Virtue.

"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."-Acts1:7

"All good things are worth waiting for. The BEST things in life are worth waiting for. If you want something, do you want it to be mediocre or magnificent? Why settle just so that you can have it now? Perfection takes time; contentment takes patience."-Angelface.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."-Gal.6:9NIV

"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."-Heb.6:12NIV

"God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope and love is to put him into the furnace of affliction."-Richard Cecil.

Did you ever find yourself in a situation where you just knew you couldn't keep yourself calm and collected, and you prayed to God for patience...only for the situation to become more difficult??? We all have. At first, we think that God is saying, "NO" to us, but he actually isn't. The Lord desires for us to be more patient; with others, with life, and also with the fulfillment of his promises to us. So when we ask for patience, he will give it to us. However, as my sister pointed out to me in one of my moments of extreme impatience..., "God does not inject you with a shot of patience to work immediately. He instead presents opportunities in which we can practice our patience."-Kellee Gonzalez.(thanx sis:)) Practice makes perfect, and anything that the Lord gives us is going to be perfect, not half-measure. Faith and patience go hand in hand. If you truly have faith, then you must have patience as well because God does not work on our time...he works on his time. There is something in all of our lives that we want and maybe even need, so badly, and of course ....we want it NOW. However, God says to be patient in tribulation(Romans 12:12). If you continue to do his will, and remain obedient to him, God will supply all of your needs. Through life's most frustrating experiences, we build true patience, perseverance, and faith. Allow God to teach you and build you up. Don't frown at, or stress over, difficult situations. Instead look at it as an opportunity to practice your patience and eventually be more like your heavenly father, Jesus Christ.

God Bless and Be a Blessing to Others:)

LOVE....

"Love must be sincere."-Romans12:19

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last Forever........ .......Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love---and the greatest of these is love."-I Cor.13:1-8 & 13NLT (One of my favorite chptrs in the Bible btw..)

What more is there to say? The Bible tells us all there is to know about love. But can we practice it? Can we truly live a life of love? We are ordered by God to Love him more than we love ourselves, and to love others just as much as we love ourselves. Learn what LOVE is today. Study it, embrace it, own it, become it....LOVE.

God Bless and Be a Blessing to Others:)

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."-Ephes.4:31-32

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."-Acts 20:35b

"The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions- The little, soon forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment."-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Spread some Joy today. Give a sincere compliment. Share some GOOD NEWS. Encourage someone to smile. Tell a Joke. Make your mission to be... brightening someone else's day!!!:)

"Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers and are famous preservers of youthful looks."-Charles Dickens

God Bless and Be a Blessing to Others:)