Encourage One Another

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 3:13a

But encourage one another daily...

Philemon 1:7a

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement...

Being around a true friend can completely turn around your day and your outlook on things. Sarah, thank you for being so intentional, challenging and encouraging! I am truly blessed to know you and have you in my life.

My Poor Truck

Why is it that so often my biggest disappointment is also where I see my greatest joy? Maybe it's because that's where God finally gets my attention. I don't know.

Anyway, back to my truck. I'm slowing down for a stop light Friday morning and *WHAM!!* I was several feet behind the car in front of me and a bit disoriented. I did what I do best - I froze. There was no way I just hit that car. I start looking around and taking stock of the situation...odd detail: my ashtray is half open. I finally look in my rear view mirror in time to see a woman at the back of my truck slowly tilt over to the side and disappear. Turns out, my truck had stopped a runaway motorcycle. The throttle stuck and the rider was unable to stop in time.

It is truly a miracle - the only injuries were some rattled nerves, sore muscles and a small scrape on her leg! My truck wasn't as fortunate:

1. Paint cracked and the back of the cab dented
2. Side of the bed dented
3. Side of the bed bowed out
4. Tailgate dented
5. Bumper dented, twisted, etc.

All-in-all, I'm very grateful for the way things turned out. Her insurance will cover all repairs and a rental car while my truck is in the shop.

So why do I call this my greatest joy for this week? The firemen and police that responded pointed out that if she had hit a larger or smaller vehicle things would have been much more serious. Because of the height of my bumper and how she hit it, there were no real injuries. I am very grateful for this. Yes, it's an inconvenience (not to mention I'm driving a boat for the next 2 weeks - pray that I don't smack something with that!) but if my purpose was to be in the way so this accident was less severe, I'm glad I was there. Numerous extenuating circumstances put me on that road at that specific time that morning. I don't normally drive that road no matter where I'm going. So I do think God had me there for a purpose that day and I'm glad I could help out!

My Biggest Disappointment

The accountability questions I want to write about this week are "What was your biggest disappointment?" and "How did you handle it?"

Me. I'm my biggest disappointment. And I froze.

It's the little things that really get to me. Friday I went to a birthday party for my boyfriend's niece. She's the sweetest, most beautiful 5-year-old you ever did meet and I was excited to take her the gift I'd found - something I really liked when I was her age.

Later, we were playing volleyball, just the 2 of us, and she looked me straight in the eye with her big, gorgeous, innocent brown eyes and said "I love you, Amanda!" I froze.

Thoughts raced through my head - Do I say "I love you" back? I haven't ever thought about it. Do I love her? I haven't really been around her much so I wouldn't say I even know her - can I love her? Is it worse to say something I don't mean or mean something I don't say? - and all this time she's looking at me expectantly. I think I tried to smile and just tossed the balloon back to her. LAME!

I know I missed out on something that day. I'll never know exactly what. But it doesn't stop there - oh no...it gets so much worse. We repeated that exact same scene not 10 minutes later! And what did I do? I FROZE! Are you mad at me yet? I sure am.

It's been a few days and it's still gnawing at me. I must find a way to let this little girl know just how special she is. Birthday presents aren't enough. I need to use words but how do I communicate with a 5-year-old?