Proverbs 18: 20-21

Good morning! I am looking forward to a good week of Bible study. We had a busy weekend with church revival. That always is uplifting, so I hope I can spill some of what I learned over onto you.This is an answer to prayer for us; as it has taken sometime to find a church home. We knew about this one for a while but were hesitant because it is 30 miles from home; but then were convicted that many Christians in other countries sacrifice so much more than a short drive to worship with other believers. Enjoy your week. --Tonya

20  From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied;
    he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
    and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Oh dear, here we go again with the lip/mouth/speech passages. Why do you think Solomon chose to speak about this so often. Ha! I think we all know why. We have often talked about the negative harm we can cause my opening our mouths, so today let's talk about the positive ones. Here are a couple of quotations for us:

"I could live for a whole month on one good compliment." --Mark Twain


It may seem insignificant
To say a word or two,
But when it is encouragement,
What wonders it can do! -- K. De Haan

Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.” --John C Maxwell




“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success”--unknown


“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.”--William Arthur Ward

We as Christians have an obligation to one another. Our encouragement to one another should be so much more than just a pat on the back and an "At-a-boy!".  It is our responsibility to go above and beyond when one is down. Or continue to encourage one to use their God given talents in a way that is pleasing to Him.

I have a little exercise for us today. Pick five people that could use some encouragement. And I am going to make it a step harder. Pick 5 people that are not in your inner circle of friends/family that you talk to everyday via internet, phone, person. Jot them in your journal, then each day this week pick one of those people. Start out by praying for them. Next send them a card. Not an email. A real live card! A note card is just fine...no need for fancy. If you could include something small, that would be nice too. If they live local perhaps instead of a card drop a random gift at their door.

Oh, I just thought of my first person....