Life Is Messy- Encourage it Up!

I wish I could say life has been going smooth, that the transition from a 4 person household to a 5 was easy and that Justin's first year of public school has been slick.
I wish that I could tell you that the 5 nice comments I hear stick in my head and the one negative comment doesn't ping around in my brain morphing into something far worse than it started as.
No, I can't say it's all rainbows and butterflies around here, and by here I mean inside my head and heart; instead I can tell you I've been pushed yet again to look to the sky, toward the One who knows all, the one who has me by my right hand, the one who as much as I try to run from I can say "yet I am with you".

When we go to Detroit on our mission trips something makes it's way onto the common area wall, I'm not exactly sure who does it but it seems to just show up: it's the encouragement line. Each person on our team has an envelope hanging with their name on it. As the week goes by the other members write a short note of encouragement to that person.

Upon returning from Detroit this year I shared this info with Sarah and she immediately said, "we have to have one."

So we do.
It's called encouragement cards around here and it hangs above the bar, in our common area.

When life is rocky.
When life is smooth.
When life is crazy.
When life just is, encouragement always helps.

So many places in the Bible it talks about encouraging each other.
In the book of Judges the men of Israel encouraged one another.
King David in 2 Samuel sent word to encourage the leader of his fighting men.
Then in the New Testament we are told often to encourage one another, 1 Thessalonians, Hebrews and again in Hebrews.

So in lue of our encouragement cards I encourage you.
I encourage you to trust God with the unknown,
to trust God with the why's,
to trust God with the hurt,
with your kids,
with your spouse.

I encourage you to switch your perspective.
To look openly at yourself, to be authentic with those around you.

And lastly I encourage you, as I am myself- if one can encourage ones self, to not let the negative thoughts outweigh the positive- do not give them the time of day.

And with that...
Love to you all,
Your messy friend-