E is for Encourage: Build Each Other Up

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Thessalonians 5:11.  It says that we should "encourage one another and build each other up."  When my oldest girls were just little things, we had a cassette tape with this verse set to music and we sang along as we rode to and fro in our van.  Now my girls are not so little and I don't know about them, but I still sing this song frequently.  It is forever ingrained in my head.  Yes, I learned as much as my children on those rides across town as we surrounded ourselves with GOD's Word.  What a great way to learn Scripture and teach our children to hide it in their hearts!

When I think of encouragement, I am reminded of the movie Pollyanna.  Pollyanna was such an encourager to all those she met.  Do you remember her "Glad Game?"  Pollyanna's missionary parents had taught her to look for the good -- in things, in circumstances, in others -- and not to focus on the bad.  What great parents they were!  They modeled life after GOD's Word and taught their child to do the same.  And isn't that exactly the kind of parents we all should be?

A few years ago, it became popular to choose a "word" for your year and I joined in.  My chosen word for 2015 was ENCOURAGE.  (You can read about WHY I chose it and what GOD has been speaking over me, if you'd like.)  I am still working on being a better encourager to others -- and I'm being intentional about dwelling in the good more often that I dwell in the bad.  I'm not Pollyanna yet, but I'm not quite the Eeyore I used to be either.

So what about you?  What are some things that encourage you?  How can I be an encourager to you in the days ahead?  Can I pray for you and with you?

I'd sincerely like to hear from you.

I'm linking up with my friends Cristi (over at Through the Calm and Through the Storm) and Meg (over at Adventures with Jude) for the Blogging Through the Alphabet Challenge.  Stop by for more alphabet adventures.  We'd love to have you join us on our journey from A to Z.

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