For "Her"

"There comes a time in every woman's life when she has to take a close look at herself. Not at her circumstance, not at what she did, not how unfair life is, or at who made you do it. She has to just look at herself in all her glory and imperfection. Have you ever admired a woman who has been through changes in her life? Or have you made up your mind that she is just messed up. Before you make this mistake, take a closer look.

A woman who has endured the most unusual life is someone of wisdom, someone who has been chosen by God to go through things that have made her stronger. Think of all the great women in the Bible. Mary Magdalene, Ruth and Naomi, the woman with an issue of blood, and Esther, to name a few. Mary was a prostitute, a very uneasy woman. But by the time Jesus was done with her, she was His closest follower. Esther was unfortunate in marrying an abusive man, but by the time God was done with her, she had married one of the wealthiest men in the land.

Women are so quick to beat the next one down instead of trying to hold her up. Before you wonder, 'What's up with her?' ask yourself, 'What's up with me?' That woman could be my mother, sister, aunt, in-law, stepmother, niece, grandmother, great-grandmother, neighbor, friend, or co-worker, etc. That woman could be ME.

Women are the carriers of life, not the channels of death. Let's build and encourage each other, as did Ruth and Naomi. Encourage and love, forgive and forget, and trust that the woman that receives this will be touched in some way."


This was an email that I received yesterday. I have to be completely honest, there are several times that I don't even open my emails. Most of the time I feel as if I don't HAVE the time to read them, and yet for whatever reason I chose to open this one. ...who knew that a few short hours later I would be receiving a phone call from someone who needed encouragement.

...sometimes I suck at being encouraging. It is in my nature to try and be "funny" however I am realizing that you can't spend all of your life avoiding "seriousness."

The phone call was from someone I love dearly, and someone who seems to be hurting quite often and I hear the word "disappointment" come out of her mouth more than I'd like to hear her say it.

"When disappointment comes, we are at an important crossroads, even though we don't always realize it. We can condemn ourselves, ask the "what if" or "if only" questions that lead to regret, or play the blame game so someone else is always at fault. If we go down these roads, disappointment can quickly lead to discouragement, depression, anger, shame, or bitterness. If disappointment dominates our thoughts, we become negative, sad, grumpy people. But if we see disappointment as an opportunity to learn and grow, or if we choose to focus on what we have and not what we missed, then disappointment can be put into perspective. The truth is, life is full of disappointment. We often disappoint God by our sins. Yet God doesn't want us to dwell on what could have been; rather we should focus on what can be. He is the God of hope. The next time you're feeling disappointed, remember everything you already have, determine the use of disappointment for growth, and be happy that you have the approval of the One who really matters.
...Believe that God is working in your life to use both the good and the bad for a greater purpose. Nothing that happens to you is meaningless. Disappointment turns into hope as you watch God redeem your current adversity." -Life's Questions With Answers From the Bible

The bold emphasis is mine because those three sentences are speaking volumes to me at this very moment:

...The truth is, life is full of disappointment.

...He is the God of hope.

...Nothing that happens to you is meaningless.

"She" needed encouragement.

How can I be an encouragement to others?

How can you?