Blog Hop: Encouragement

Encouragement, Don’t you want to be encouraged?  Don’t you want to BE an encouragement?  I know I want all of the above!!  Doesn’t come to us naturally though does it.

We aren’t always in seasons of our lives where the flowers are blooming & the grass is green.  The weather is perfect & the schedule it clear.

So, how do we survive those days, seasons, years?  I’ve grown to hate the phrase, “this is only a season and it will pass”… In my mind, and sometimes on my lips I scream out, “WHAT SEASON LASTS THIS LONG??? TELL ME PLEASE!!!???”  And we can’t argue it, seasons on our calendar only last short periods of time, but seasons in our lives can last years and years.

So, where is the encouragement in that?  I stand here today to tell you, if your particular “season” lasts 3 years & 11 months… you can make it, through Jesus Christ & His Power.  I can’t tell you about tomorrow, because I haven't lived it yet, but up until today… HE has brought me this far.

I’ve been encouraged in my faith this past weekend.  I’ve prayed, but I confess there really hasn’t been much faith or belief behind some of my prayers.  Fear has been hanging around my head when I pray for my kids… causing me so much doubt and confusion.

James & Zach went away for the weekend with Campus Life.  I spent a little time praying for them.  Praying God would meet them where they are.  I don’t even know how to pray for my kids so often.  I feel like they are just going to have to learn everything the hard way, like I did, and their dad is still.  And I get so discouraged thinking about surviving that with them.  I begin to feel so weary.

Well, I have a HUGE PRAISE!!!  And I want you to keep praying with me in this!  James came home and didn’t say much at all to me.  But, there was a note by the computer.  He asked me to block some websites, and re-install the accountability program I had on our computer (i haven’t been able to figure out how to do either one yet though, so technical help is appreciated here!!)

The issue has been music for James.  He hasn’t seen the danger or the problem with the music he has been listening to.  I don’t know what happened this weekend, but he came home realizing that this was not a good thing and wants me to block these sites he was getting the music from.  (for free I might add)

This was a HUGE encouragement to me!  I know that the battle is not over for James. I don’t know anything besides what that note said, & what Zach told me (Zach is a bit confused about James sudden change of music)  But, I am praising God & continuing to pray for my children with a renewed faith!  THANK YOU JESUS!!

This post was inspired today by The Riggs Family Blog, and their weekly Blog Hop!  Last week, in case you missed it I WON!!  I won $100 worth of Avon from Elana Kahn  (order YOUR AVON from ELANA!)  Leah & I are still trying to make our decisions about what to get!  You can get ALOT for $100!!  Thank you again Elana! 

I think this week we can all win by spreading this much encouragement around the internet!  All you have to do to enter is write an encouraging post of some sort, and link it up here!  Simple!  Now, do me a favor, if you are reading this and you decide to link up, leave me a comment telling me that you did so I can come read it!  Obviously, I wont’ be visiting all these sites that linked up, who has that amount of time!  NOT ME!!

Be Encouraged!!

Pam