The Gift of Encouragement

When you least expect it, but need it most, God brings gifts and blessings to you. Yesterday I received the gifts of warmth and encouragement!

I was so fortunate to meet some new moms who were so welcoming to me and my daughter. It can be scary to encounter new places and new faces, but stepping out can bring wonderful rewards. We met a very kind mom who made a point of introducing my daughter to her two girls and offering to send us some information on a co-op. I hope we can set up some get togethers for the girls in the near future!

The second new mom was a wealth of knowledge concerning dual credit for our coming high school years. She will certainly be someone to keep in touch with. I shared with her some concerns about my daughter reverting back to being shy and not wanting to meet new people or go to new activities. She smiled and said as she looked at my daughter it was like seeing her's all over again. She was so encouraging telling me her daughter is now a freshman in college with so many wonderful new friends and has really come out of her shell. It was so awesome to talk with a mom who has already travelled the path I am about to. She made me feel like it will all be ok!

It was also a blessing to get some warm smiles and greetings from moms I have only met a time or two before.

I thank God for a wonderful experience yesterday. His love and concern for me and my daughter was made real right before my eyes through the sisters in Christ he brought into our midst.


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

Cleaning house

Today I'm in the process of cleaning house. It is easy to see the physical dirt in my home...dust on tabletops, grass on the carpet, crumbs on the kitchen floor. It is pretty easy to clean all of this dirt too using my swiffer duster and my new vacuum hubby bought me for Christmas.

What about the dirt in my home that I don't see, or don't want to see. This would be the dirt in my heart. Oh, I know it's there, but I would rather look away and say, "I'll just clean it up another day". But the Holy Spirit convicts us of our 'dirt', not so we avoid it and look away in disgust, but so we face it and call out to Jesus to clean us from the inside out. We have the Law to convict us of our sins and the beautiful Gospel to cleanse us when we confess and repent.

Jesus' kind of 'heart cleaning' is something we should want to do daily with it being at the top of our 'to do' list. Let's not relegate it to the weekly cleaning list as if it were no more valuable or important than running the vacuum.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Our new grandson, TJ, born 12/12/12 at 11:00AM.

First day of eighth grade with our new puppy, Primrose.

Lauren's first time as an acolyte.

First day of seventh grade

Winter Wonderland