Search Results for: blog words of encouragement1

The Right Words

‘A friend understands what you’re trying to say … even when your thoughts aren’t fitting into words,’ says Ann D Parrish. While that may be true at times, we shouldn’t expect our friend to always be able to do this. Certainly we shouldn’t expect our spouse to always know what we’re thinking or feeling. Words are given to us for a reason. So we can use them. If you’re not happy about something your spouse is doing, if your marriage seems to have hit a bit of a brick wall, if your relationship has stalled, then don’t just expect your … Continue reading →

Encouraging To Serve

In our house, serving others and the community was always a big thing. I wanted to raise an unselfish person who believed in giving to others. as this was my Christian belief. As part of our weekly activities, we served in several different ways throughout the years. We took part in several community walks to raise monies for various organizations. Some of which included health issues such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, as well as issues that involved our environment. We also volunteered quite a bit with animal issues. Since we were both big animal lovers this was especially fun. … Continue reading →

Weight Watchers Magazine for One Whole Year

We are all looking for ways to get in shape or stay in shape especially since this is bathing suit, short and strappy top season. Weight Watchers is a great magazine to pick up all of the latest news and helpful hints to get us there. You will lose weight and inches by following the advice that Weight Watchers magazine has to offer. There are some really great low-cal recipes, some that are quick and easy, which is perfect for summer. Since we are all so busy with other activities at this time of the year who wants to spend … Continue reading →

Miracle Worker

Sometimes we can be blind to the things God is doing in our world. You often hear people say, ‘If God is so powerful, why doesn’t He do something? Why doesn’t He act in the world and change things?’ You might have even made such comments yourself at times. We might wonder why God doesn’t work miracles as he did in Bible times. Let me assure you He does. Often we just don’t hear about it. But this morning some information came from the Bible Society and it clearly shows God is still at work in the world and still … Continue reading →

Sapping Self-Confidence

Are you sapping your spouse’s self-confidence and creating problems in your marriage? Recently I experienced an example of how negativity and negative comments can affect performance. It was on the tennis court. I was not playing with Mick since he’s not back to tennis yet since his health problems and would never have behaved like this anyway. The person I partnered in one set was so negative that an air of tension pervaded the court. I was all the time conscious of the negative vibes coming from my partner. The result was I became tentative in my shot making, found … Continue reading →

Simple Tips to Help Maintain a Healthy Marriage

Today we’re going to look at some simple tips to maintain a healthy marriage. When you receive good news who is the first person you want to share it with? Is it your spouse? When an early morning phone call this week told me that I had been awarded second prize in a poetry competition, I couldn’t wait to get off the phone and tell Mick. He is always my first thought when I receive good news, because I know he will respond in an appropriate way and he did. His encouraging words left me feeling I was the cleverest … Continue reading →

God Wants Workers not Shirkers

‘God wants workers not shirkers,’ that’s what a visiting minister told us one day in his sermon. Sadly, the case in too many churches is that too much is left to too few workers. This was never the way it was intended to work. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:4 that there are varieties of gifts and God expects us to use them. There are varieties of ministries, 1 Corinthians 12:5. Some people have a real knack for one to one relationships and welcoming people, but ask them to play the piano or do some up front job and … Continue reading →

Changing Moods

Your face can give you away. Sometimes I watch people while Mick and I are shopping or driving and some people constantly wear a sour look – they go about glaring at the world. It doesn’t make them easy to relate to but tends to turn people away. I admit sometimes for no apparent reason I am not in a good mood. I just feel down. Things go wrong and suddenly that bad mood escalates. At that point I have a choice. I can continue in that mood. Or I can try and look at the positives in my life, … Continue reading →

What Works on the Court and in Marriage

Playing tennis can teach us something about marriage. When Mick and I partner each other at tennis and the opposition drops a short ball I tend to say ‘up, up, up’. He always found it helpful when we played competition tennis. The number of ‘ups’ was indicative of how fast he needed to move on the court. Even though we’re playing social tennis now and enjoy it, we’re still out there to try and win. Throughout the game we encourage each one when one of us hits a good shot and encourage each other to keep going when either of … Continue reading →

Be Encouraged

I admit to having a soft spot for Jacob in the Bible. Yes, he was a liar and a cheat. But he was also a man who knew what was important. Jacob saw the value of the birthright when Esau didn’t, Genesis 25:31-34. Although the methods he and his mother, Rebekah, employed to gain his father’s blessing were underhanded and deceitful, Genesis 27:1-29, they both paid the penalty for that. Jacob had to leave home because of his brother’s anger, Genesis 27:42-45. Though they both thought it would be only for a short time, Jacob never saw his mother again. … Continue reading →