Be Encouraging

What lifts your spirit and allows you to overcome difficulties? The answer, in part, is very simple: Encouragement. One key element which nurtures encouragement is to stop being judgmental. Watch a baby learn to crawl. Watch a toddler learn to walk. Watch someone learn to play ball again after surgery for a brain tumor, and you will see how important encouragement is.
 
The important thing isn't the grade your son got; it's the effort he put out. It isn't whether your daughter hit a home run; it's that she went up to the plate and took a swing. The effort is what matters, because as long as we are trying we are fulfilling our mission.  "Examine me, O Lord, and try me," the Psalmist wrote. . . .
 
Our children are much better than they think. What kind of mirror do we hold up to them?  Do we point out all their faults and problems, or do we point out their beauty and successes?  What do you say to your kids when they walk out the door? Stand up straight?  Fix your pants? Did you forget your lunch or your books? Do you ever say, "You're a beautiful person. God and I are proud of you."

Remember: An overdose of love has no recorded adverse side effects.
 
~ Bernie Siegel