The Ultimate Encourager

 Do you know what I love about most animated children’s movies?  

The main characters are often friends with animals. 

We are a society that LOVES our pets.  We talk to our pets and treat them like our friends and family. 

These fictional animals usually talk back, hold conversations and develop precious friendships with the main characters, just like we wish our own pets could. Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, and so many more heroes and heroines were encouraged throughout their journeys by their funny animal friends. 

Summer 2024, I thought I was just like one of those characters.  Though the animals did not talk to me (Trust me. I tried), they just showed up daily during a very unsettled time in my life. It did not matter where I was in the country, the animals would show up to brighten my day.  The fact the animals did not have a healthy sense of fear when I was close by was both delightful and perplexing.   I tried explaining to two little fawns who often played close to me when I was on the patio, they were going to need to learn to be a little more careful out in the world beyond the backyard. However, they ignored me and just kept frolicking around. 

I did not notice the anomaly at first. A bright red cardinal sat itself on a branch I could almost touch. A butterfly landed on the armrest of the lawn chair where I was sitting. When the local bunnies, a groundhog and many other beautiful birds joined the local deer in visiting me, I realized something special was happening. Even when I was on a business trip I came close to exotic birds, walked under a huge eagles nest with the eagle in it and hung out with the turtles who seemed to want to say hello. 

It was such a gift that summer. I really needed to be encouraged to not give way to fear. .

God saw my stress tears as I cried out to Him to work out our circumstances. 

“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion.

For the LORD  is a God of justice. 

Blessed are all who wait for Him!”  (Isaiah 30:18)

The waiting part is the challenge.  

However….. 

God is the Ultimate Encourager!

He loves us and knows exactly what will uplift and delight us while we wait.  

For me, it was the animals. My friend, Shannon, sees coins right in front of her whenever she needs to know God is near.  She calls them her “pennies  from heaven”. God places change for her to find in just the right places at just the right times. Even when traveling internationally this summer, she found coins along her journey to remind her she is loved and God cares for her. 

The Father of compassion knows exactly how to encourage you in ways no human is able. Isaiah 30:18 says he “LONGS” to show you compassion. 

None of the people who wanted to help me during my waiting period could possibly put so many animals in my path. Shannon’s family or friends could never drop coins in the right spot at the right time to remind her God was near.

He longs to encourage you, too. 

The strangest part of my summer filled with animal friends is once everything went from chaotic to settled, they stopped showing up. I even started hiking and none of my summer friends have shown up to greet me.  They were a divine gift for a challenging season. 

My Friend, everyone of us goes through “unsettled” times. The Creator of the entire universe wants to help you through those times. 

“My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth”. Psalm 121:2

Be on the lookout. God’s love is in the details personally for you.

Never Forget the Truth…. 

You are deeply loved by the Creator who longs to be your Encourager and Friend. 

Just ask Him. 💕💕

Do Not Fear the Frogs

 Do Not Fear the Frog

How do you feel about frogs? 

Most of us just don’t. I have no feelings about amphibians. 

However, there was a short season of a few months while living in Florida, when I’m pretty sure a gang of frogs was trying to get me. 

I had just moved into a condo with a coworker. We both had our own bedroom, bathroom and balcony on the second floor of the condo. 

The first frog appeared on the screen of the sliding door of my balcony late one night when I was reading. I think he was The Intimidator. How did he even get up there?  I quickly shut the glass slider and shut the curtains. 

No one wants a frog watching them sleep. 

A few days later, a second frog was on the same screen door when I got home from work. He was The Caser.   He had to be casing the place for a break-in. This one seemed to be bigger and had his creepy, little webbed frog hand on the metal part of the screen near the lock. 

Over a week later, I met The Burglar. I had been lulled into a false sense of security since I had not seen a frog for a while and assumed it was a fluke to have two looking in at me. 

On The Burglar’s day, I was ready for work early and decided to sit on my balcony before the sun came up. 

Then it happened!!! 

The screen must have been slightly ajar. When I started to open the sliding glass door, an even bigger frog jumped right into my bedroom (at least in my mind it seemed bigger).  

Now what???!!!

 I struggled to decide if I should close the door in case there were others out there waiting to pounce

How do you get rid of a frog?! 

I was never one of those toad or frog catching kind of girls! 

I grabbed a book and tried to swoosh it back out to the balcony.  

INSTEAD, he jumped right toward the opposite corner of the room and ended up in my bathroom. I quickly shut the door and made it a jail cell for him until I could call for backup. 

A friend of mine who referred to himself as a country-boy was the perfect person to remove this creature. He came over and helped me after work. When we opened the bathroom door, the frog was just calmly attached to my mirror. My friend gently took the creature off the mirror, down the stairs and then set him free. 

Here is where I roll my eyes. 

My friend did not understand. That frog was definitely trying to get me. 

At this point, you might think the small gang of regular size frogs were finished harassing me. 

Well, nooooo. 

I’m pretty sure they called in The Enforcer. 

A few weeks later, while running to my car in a torrential downpour, I spotted it. The biggest frog I had ever seen. He parked himself right on the driver’s side window of my car.

Not the front windshield….. The driver’s door window!

If you lay your hand flat and spread your fingers, the frog was just a little bigger than that!!!!

I quickly evaluated the importance of picking my friend up like I had promised. 

I decided it was important. So, I made a B-Line for the passenger side of the car. I quickly jumped into that side, crawled over the center console and started the car. I refused to look at the T-Rex of a frog on my window. I could sense him in my peripheral view.  Soon, the car was on US Highway 1. I reached speeds over 50 MPH and hoped he would be gone by the time I arrived at my destination. 

What if he wasn’t gone?

What if he refused to let me out of the car?

Would the police or firefighters help me if I pulled into a station? 

Thankfully, the frog was gone when I reached my friend. I do not know when he fell off or if he jumped. 

I think his gang learned not to mess with me. 

They left me alone once their biggest guy actually went missing. 

My problem was solved. I eventually forgot about the Frog Gang that had once tormented me. 

Wouldn’t It be nice if we could all so easily forget about the other things that have caused us fear?

I find it easy to fall into fear over the possibility of something happening to my spouse or my children. There is sometimes fear over not having enough money or over failing at something I view as important.  The news media is able to stir up a lot of fear for most of us. 

What about the fear of frogs. LOL It is called ranidaphobia. I actually do not think I have that. I can be near them. But I do not want them jumping on me. 

However, “ophidiophobia”..... I’m kind of on the edge with that one. It is fear of snakes. The reptile exhibit at the zoo is fine. But, seeing snakes in the wild???? Noooo Thank you!

Most of us have experienced some type of trauma(s) in our lives. 

Deaths/grief, cancer, sickness, a car crash and/or etc. 

A few years ago, I found myself almost frozen with certain fears. I do not want to downplay the effects of this type of fear. It took prayer, counsel and regular “self-talk” to heal from these fears. By “self talk” I mean actual 3 x 5 cards of Truths I needed to have nearby. These are Truths I have since memorized. 

However, many of our fears are not reasonable.  

We can call it “concern”, “worry”, or “anxiety”.  Yet, at the core, it is fear. 

The human condition leads us to it. Sometimes we understand why we have certain fears. Other times, our minds basically lie to us and make us think 

-The local neighborhood frogs have banded together to get us. 

This is why God told us many, many times in the Bible “Do not be afraid”.  He knows us. 

He wants you and me to remember these things every single day -  

• He is your protector. 

• He sees you. 

• He loves you. 

• You are never out of His sight or His care. 

• He loves your family members and friends even more than you do. 

• He loves you more than you can even imagine. 

He does not want you to be afraid. 

Psalm 121 is a great chapter when you are struggling with fear. 

Verse 5 says, “The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.”

Verse 7 says, “The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.” 

NEVER FORGET THE TRUTH: 

You are loved and protected by the One and only All-Powerful God. 

We Need to Remember Not to Forget

 We Need to Remember Not to Forget

God has given us such wonderful brains. They are always working and doing amazing things, even when we are unaware of it. Essential messages are sent from our brains to keep our bodies functioning. Your brain continually processes the information it receives from your five senses.

Even now, it is interpreting and processing the letters you are seeing into a message you can now understand and contemplate.

With so much data passing through, it is not a surprise that we forget or get things mixed up sometimes.

Fortunately, humans have come up with thousands of ways to remind ourselves of things we need to know - calendars, to-do lists, alarms and notifications on computers, phones or watches.

At work, I keep a small journal style notebook on my desk. On the left page, I keep a “thankful list” I start in the morning and add to it throughout the day. On the right page, I put the essential work that must be completed. I add information and tasks that come up. My work title is “Director of Operations”. This means overseeing a lot of different areas of our Smart Technology business. Personally, I need this notebook, a computer, a smart phone, a to-do list and a calendar with reminders to keep everything in order. Sometimes, I even set alarms that tell me by voice command I need to do a certain task or get ready for a meeting in 10 minutes.

Even though my journal/notebook could be considered “old school”, I am thankful for it, as well as all the modern technology available to help me remember dates, times, events, and etc.

With all the tools that help organize our family, work and personal lives, the most important reminders I need are the ones that speak to my soul. I get so busy “doing” or “dealing” or “planning”, I forget the most important things I need to remember.

Things like this:

• “ God is with you and in you right now. Do not be afraid”
• “ He is teaching you and guiding you. Listen to His voice”
• “ He is opening doors of opportunity and closing and locking doors that lead to danger. Follow His Lead”.
• ***“God truly loves you. He has a good and prosperous plan for you. TRUST in that love.”.

These are Truths I wrote on a 3x5 card in October of 2021. I was struggling and needed the reminder right in my pocket, next to my bed, in my purse and on my desk.

Whether we are in a time of struggle or a time of ease, there are messages God is sending you and I personally. These divine words are more essential than any event, task or meeting. They are food for your soul and spirit.

It is not just members of our busy, modern society that need these reminders. In Deuteronomy 11, Moses reminded the Israelites of the miracles they had witnessed and gave them instructions on the way God wanted them to live, so they could have continued abundance in the land they were about to enter. He told them to commit themselves to his words by

1. Tying them to their hands,
2. Wearing them on their foreheads (hmmm?)
3. Teaching them to their children
4. Talking about them everywhere - at home, on the road, when going to bed and getting up in the morning
5. Writing them on the doorposts of their houses
6. Writing them on their gates.

I’m not so sure about the “wear them on your forehead” instruction.

Perhaps we can start with 3x5 cards, Post-its or phone reminders to help remember the Truths God has highlighted to us. It is kind of like a 3 pm pick-me-up snack that gets you to your next meal. Personally, it keeps me from getting “Hangry” (anger caused by hunger). It really keeps the situations I may be facing in perspective with the Truth.

I started writing articles called “Never Forget the Truth…..” to encourage myself and you to remember who we really are and who God is.

So today, please "Remember Not to Forget" this:

The Almighty Creator of the Universe absolutely loves you, right down to your inmost being.

(I think that is too long to write on your forehead )

The Thankfulness Game

As the doors on the back of the ambulance shut, I noticed my body was slightly shaking. Taking a full breath was hard but focusing my mind was even more difficult.  While fighting the urge to cry or panic, I said to the EMT, who was busy assessing my injuries, "I need to play the Thankfulness Game. Is that ok? We take turns saying what we are thankful for." Without waiting for his answer, I told him about a new shirt I had purchased earlier in the day.

He did not respond. Clearly, he did not understand how this was supposed to work.

"Now, it's your turn. What are you thankful for?"
He paused and looked at me. "I'm thankful you are alive."
"Oh, yes, me too......
I'm also thankful for the sweater I'm wearing. I love it. This long open cardigan is more like a jacket. It looks great with a t-shirt and jeans or something more professional".   He did not seem to appreciate how much I liked that sweater.  "Can you help me slip this off so I don't get hospital germs on it?"

He paused again, then responded slowly, as if he was making sure I understood. "I am glad you are alive."

His assessment was correct. My mind was not processing the seriousness of the accident. A jeep went left of center and hit my car head on, leaving it irreparable.  I, however, was able to move my arms and legs AND talk incessantly to this poor man. There were so many important things to add to that thankfulness list.
Who knows why I was going on about a new shirt and my sweater?!  I'm not even into clothes or fashion.
Perhaps when we are dealing with trauma, our minds focus on things that do not really matter as a way to protect us. 

The EMT was very kind. He explained if a person is rushed into the ER with more than one major injury, the patient should be taken to the trauma unit where all of the clothes are cut off.  ... ALL of them .....
To this new revelation, I responded, "I'm pretty sure I only have one injury."
In my mind, I added that revelation to my thankfulness list.

Technically,  listing the things for which you are thankful is not really a game, but a way to focus your mind on your blessings.  When you focus your mind on your blessings, your life begins to change for the better.

The great prophet, Willie Nelson, 😉 is quoted for saying, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

Gratefulness is a gift.
It often has the ability to change our circumstances and even the people around us. It is a lifestyle choice.  Don't experts say it takes 21 days to start a new habit?   (Or is that to break a habit?) It may take some practice. But, using this gift multiple times a day will give you benefits you cannot predict or imagine, far beyond just saving a favorite sweater.

There are a zillion ways to begin using this gift and making it a daily habit. 
- You can start and end your day by making a thankfulness  list.
- You can write it down, say it out loud, pray it or just think through it in your mind.
- You can make it a game or pick one particular area of your life, then list all the things you appreciate about that subject.
For example, while healing from the car accident injuries, I would give thanks for every part of my body that came to my mind, from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, paying particular attention to the parts causing me the most pain.  "I am very thankful for my ankle, neck, leg, arm, and sternum. I especially appreciate the protection my sternum has always given to my heart and lungs." Honestly, I had never given thanks for my sternum.

Our bodies are quite amazing!  I agree with the Psalmist who wrote, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it." (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

We will go through difficult times in our lives.  But the gift of gratitude can change how we walk through those times. 

Here is part of my list today: 
I am thankful for the ability to read and write,
for my family and friends and their beautiful encouraging hearts,
for my friends who are reading this (both old, new and even friends I have not met in person yet).
I'm thankful for the gift of gratefulness and the ways it changes my focus, attitude and circumstances.
And you, I'm thankful for you. I appreciate you reading what is on my mind.
Oh, wait!
And my sternum ..... I'm very thankful for my sternum.

I want to encourage you today, my friend, to try it out. For the next 21 days, try to make a list of 10 different things each day for which you are thankful.  

I promise, it is the beginning of a habit you will never regret starting.

The New Diet

There is something about the word "Diet". 

It either repels us or quickly peaks our interest, as if there is new knowledge to help us lose weight or have a better body. 

Well, this will help you achieve better health, but not in the way you may be thinking. 

In January of 2020, I began contemplating a "Word Diet". 

Imagine it like this:

Words equal food.  

Some are rich in nutrients and beneficial for life.
Others are full of empty calories, no nutrients, and full of man made chemicals. .

Listening equals exercise.  But just like food, not all exercise is created equally.

I confess, with my sanguine personality, I have struggled to obtain a “lifestyle change”.  

(Lifestyle change seems to be the term professionals use when they want you to get healthier). 

 To help, I look for sayings and post proverbs near my desk to motivate me to be a better listener and to stop talking so much.

"Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
With their mouths shut, they seem intelligent."

"A wise man will hear and increase in learning. And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel".

The "food" of our own mouths is so important to our overall health. 

Your words are powerful, my friend.  So, powerful!

Proverbs 18: 21 AMP
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

Good and bad, 

life and death.  

We all have a choice with the "Word Food" we choose.  

Gratitude, thanksgiving, prayer, encouraging words - All of these are superfoods. 

Grumbling, gossip, negative talk 

Nothing good can come from these.  These are the empty calories that damage you. 

They not only damage your emotions, but as the above proverb says, they damage your future.  

So, what about an “exercise program”?

Choosing the right “exercise” is crucial.
Listening can be life giving to others and to yourself.  It is a way of showing kindness and love. It is how we gain understanding and knowledge.
But, we also must be careful to protect ourselves from certain "exercises”.

The overhead squat reminds me of listening to THE MEDIA. 

Imagine holding a heaving barbell straight over your head, then squatting down as far as you can before standing back up again.

That pretty much sums up my personal feelings on the media.

Unfortunately, there are even well meaning friends that are "bad for your joints" when they are speaking.

If we spend the majority of our "exercise" on listening to sources that make us better, our overall health improves.  Spend time listening to things that feed your soul, people that inspire you and especially to what is inside of you. 

All of these things are great exercise.  

Let's get fit, my friend! 

Your words are important. Your experiences are valuable.  Even on days when you're not feeling your best, speaking out words of gratitude will change your atmosphere and even your health.