Apples of Gold

-
"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."  Proverbs 25:11

Monday I received a phone call from a sweet friend.  She felt moved to tell me how much my family immediate and extended had blessed her life.  She had no idea how much I needed to hear those words at that time, but God knew.

Later that evening I was browsing through Facebook.  Ran across a post from my dad.  He had posted a picture of me with my daughter.  He made a brief but loving remark about it.  Made me feel special.  My heart needed that reassurance.

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

Life can beat you up.  Satan plays games with your mind.  He deceives you into thinking you are alone.  We all need encouraged.  Not just once a year, once a month, or once a week.  Notice the book of Hebrews said "encourage one another daily." 

One thing I've learned in recent weeks is that I need to encourage my children more.  If I desperately need loving and encouraging words in order to keep on faithfully serving God, how much more do they?  My brain knows the right answers and the right thing to do, but my heart doesn't always feel it.  It makes it difficult to make good decisions.  My children are the same way.  Their hearts need tender loving care.  They need encouraged .

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,..."  I Thess. 5:11

Linking up with:

Comments

  1. Mary JeanSeptember 15, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    thanks so much for your words---Natasha you are a remarkable lady --praying you know our Lord's comfort, encouragement and joy. Talked to several ladies this week and seems like many have had a heavy spirit--so agree we need each other and the encouragement from each other. Lots of love. MJ

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skillet Zucchini and Hamburger

-
Image
My garden is producing peppers, onions, and zucchini and yellow squash right now.  I ran across this recipe, and the kids thought it was great.  They liked it much better then the way I had fixed the zucchini previously in a similar recipe with diced tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce. What You Need: 1 lb ground chuck 2 lb zucchini or yellow squash, chopped in bite size pieces 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 26 ounce jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon black pepper salt to taste What To Do: 1.  Brown ground chuck with onion and bell pepper in a large skillet.  Drain grease. 2.  Add garlic and seasonings.  Stir. 3.  Add zucchini and stir.  Cover with lid and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes until zucchini is crisp tender.  Stir about every 5 minutes. 4.  Remove lid and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Co
Read more

When You Have To Let Go

-
Image
Heartache.  Deep, painful, agonizing heartache.  For a season that felt like it would never end, I carried a weight of anguish that tore at my very soul.  Parenting had been the source of immense joy for me, but at the same time there came with it intense sorrow.    Learning to handle this heartache is something that for me personally both challenged and grew my faith.  During this time I learned to appreciate the words of Psalm 77.  The lament of the Psalmist was much the same as my own heart cry to God.  It says,  I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.  In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. You hold my eyelids open ; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made diligent search:
Read more

My Battle with Depression

-
Image
"Your Mom is not the same person she was," I overheard my husband explain to one of our boys. Our son wistfully replies, "I hope she gets better soon." My tears flowed.  I was not sure I would ever be better.  How does a broken heart heal?  How is one ever the same after they are broken? Each day I rose early.  In the stillness of the morning, I sought strength from above.  I never wanted to leave the quiet.  I wanted to stay here reading His Word and praying.  But...children awoke, meals needed fixed, laundry begged washing, and somehow I walked through each day.  However, I lived angry inside...angry that my solitude had been disturbed. The reality of my life was depression.  A depression that would not loosen its grip. It took me a long time to acknowledge it though. Over a year before my medical doctor had suggested to me that I take an anti-depressant.  I had gone in for unexplained aching and fatigue in my body.  After a lot of blood work, and fi
Read more