Encouraging.com

Encouragement, Spiritual Growth

Red Rover was a team game often played on the courtyard of Travis school. Sometimes we included the boys. However, if they became too rough, we quickly ousted them.

Apr 11

Apr 11 Meet Me at the Playground: Let's Slide

Janice Yandell

Our Girl Scout troop had enjoyed sliding down the largest slide at our city park. At noon we left to eat our picnic lunch in another area.

Apr 10

Apr 10 Meet Me at the Playground: Let’s Jump Rope

Janice Yandell

Challenge

We jumped rope on the courtyard of our elementary school. We always brought our own ropes, but we really liked to jump with the heavy long rope thrown by two of our friends. Remember?

Apr 9

Apr 9 Meet Me at the Playground: Let’s Swing

encouraging.com

Encouragement, Spiritual Growth

I loved to swing as a child. Our teachers would take turns swinging us on the playground. When I learned to pump, I became an independent swinger. How invigorating to soar higher and higher.

Apr 8

Apr 8 Meet Me at the Playground: Let's See Saw

encouraging.com

Challenge, Encouragement

The playground at Travis school in Greenville, Texas was divided: boys on one side of the courtyard, girls on the other. Fortunately, the girls had the playground equipment on their side. This week’s stories originated from this fun-filled place and our city park.

Apr 5

Apr 5 If Only They Knew

God's Character

Is the sun ever going to shine again?

Every opportunity I get, no matter what the temperature, I escape the indoors for a brisk walk. Observers may think that I’m flaunting my physical abilities, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Apr 4

Apr 4 God’s Kindness

God's Character

Real kindness isn’t born by pushing harder. Or by squeezing it out like lemon juice. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. God’s kindness is powerful and generous towards us. Even so, He asks us to bear His fruit. When we bear spiritual produce, we become like Him for His sake.

Apr 3

Apr 3 Chosen and Precious, But Rejected

Jesus

How much further could it be? How could I be so foolish as to wander off on my own?

I was lost and fearful in the heart of Washington, D.C. My mission that afternoon was to walk from my work conference to The National Cathedral.

Apr 2

Apr 2 What Controls You?

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Okay, okay. I mumbled to myself, irritated at the car alert system.

Unintentionally, I had veered a smidgen to the right side of my lane, so I pulled the wheel back to center.

Apr 1

Apr 1 Paralyzed by Fear

Fear

Words. Typed. On. The. Screen.

Whew! What a huge relief!

After agonizing procrastination over writing these devotionals, words formed on the page in obedience to God. I prayed for His message to be my words so that women may be encouraged.

Mar 29

Mar 29 Love With All Your Mind

My husband and I took a trip to Beavers Bend State Park and we hiked the beautiful Ouachita Mountains. We took the hiking trail called Lookout Mountain and it did not disappoint. As we stood there in awe at the majestic mountain range that surrounded us, we could easily set our minds on how God is truly amazing. Making our way down the trail, we approached a sign that charted our next course of direction; however, the sign was broken and the direction we should have taken was missing.

Mar 28

Mar 28 Love With All Your Heart

How do we know that we are loving the Lord with all our heart? We look to scripture to find the answer. Matthew 15:18 says, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

Mar 27

Mar 27 Love With All Your Soul

Your soul is the core of who you are and who God created you to be. He desires that every thought, feeling, decision and perception flows through Him. He wants you to love Him with all your soul.

Mar 26

Mar 26 Love Your Neighbor

One of the exciting things my husband and I get to enjoy as leaders in college ministry is having socials at our house. We love having our home filled with students, fellowshipping with each other, conversing over a home-cooked meal, and laughing as we play entertaining games. Seeing their smiling faces of appreciation warms our heart.

Mar 25

Mar 25 Love With All Your Strength

My youngest daughter enjoys taking tumbling class each week. I watch as her coach works on building her core muscle strength and her balance. All the exercises and skilled techniques are designed to build up her strength so that one day she can perform a somersault or a backhandspring. My daughter cannot perform these amazing moves until she builds up her muscle strength necessary to achieve these great skills.

Mar 22

Mar 22 The Power of Words

Last week I turned over my calendar to a new month. At the top of my March page was this quote:

Kind words are jewels that live in the heart and remain as blessed memories years after they have been spoken. M. Johnson

Mar 21

Mar 21 21st Century Marthas

Mary and Martha is a favorite story of many, especially with those of us who have neither the energy nor the organizational ability to operate at Martha-level. And Jesus’ gentle rebuke seems to be encouragement to simplify our life and center it on Him.

Mar 20

Mar 20 HALT

It was a low point in Israel’s history. Ahab, the king was weak and Jezebel, his queen, was wicked, idolatrous and in charge. She busily imported priests of Baal from her home country while actively hunting down and eliminating all followers of Jehovah. It looked as if the true religion was on a pathway to extinction.

Mar 19

Mar 19 March: Lion, Lamb or Snail