Teacher encouragement

 This year is an exceptionally challenging year for teachers, with all the changes in school with COVID-19.  I cannot imagine how challenging it could be, even for seasoned teachers, having to change how they teach, sometimes drastically.

When Russ and I began counting up the family members and close friends we have in the field of education, either as administrators or as teachers, we were surprised to count seven in our immediate family!  We have been praying for them, and yesterday I decided we needed to send each one a card with an encouraging note in it.  Some of them have already started school, some start this coming week, and some another week later, so now is the time.

I have a new stamp set called "Home Sweet Home" from Simon Says Stamp

I have really enjoyed using it and I thought the sentiments on it were appropriate for what I wanted to say on the cards.  I made different cards for each person/family but put the same "Praying for you" sentiment on the inside with lots of space to write personal notes to each one.

 Here is a close-up of each one.  You will notice some shiny spots.  That is where I put some pale glistening ink just for a little sparkle.  It shines a lot in the photo because of the reflection, but in real life it is less noticeable in that it doesn't glare as it does in the photos.  So much for my photography skills!!  Anyway, here they are...

Goaded

Ecclesiastes 12:11

The words of the wise are like goads …

When I first read this, my reaction was negative because when I think of “goads” I think of a cattle prod, something uncomfortable or even painful.  I looked up “goad” in the dictionary and as happens so often, I gained new understanding of the meaning of this verse by doing so!  “Goad” is indeed a prod, such as an electrified pole that pushes cattle along.  The other meaning of the word is “an encouragement or a stimulus,” and that puts a whole new layer of meaning to this verse.  The words of a wise person should be stimulating the hearers, encouraging them to do the right thing, to make wise decisions.  At times that might mean speaking uncomfortable things to them.  When I speak wisely, my goal should be to gently but firmly force the thinking and action of the hearer towards godly thinking and doing.  When I do that, I will be goading them along the path of righteousness.

When I read this in my devotions this week, I immediately thought of the Sunday School lesson I was studying for the week from I Peter 2:4-15.  There are goads that God uses in our lives to push us along toward spiritual growth, gently prodding us along. 

            v.5 = be a living stone, built to be a holy priesthood

            v.5 = offer acceptable sacrifices

            v.6 = believe in Him

            v.6 = never be put to shame

            v.7 = receive honor

            

I Peter 2:11-16 gives us the goads we use to point others to Christ, ways we can prod them along the path of righteousness. 

         v.11 = live pure lives

         v.12 = conduct yourself honorably

         v.13 = be submission to authority, wherever it is

         v.14 = do not abuse your freedom 

 

I need God’s goading to push me along into a deeper walk with Him and at the same time I want God to use me to prod others!

HOPE

I Peter 1:1-9

v.3: Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

 

The Bible handbook I use for background information about each book of the Bible says that the key word for I Peter is the word “hope.”  There are some interesting, challenging, and thought-provoking lessons hidden in this passage from chapter one.

   

My hope is alive.  Did you notice that in verse 3?  It is a living hope because it is hope based on the resurrection of Jesus.  This hope is founded on the grace of God. 

What happens when you have hope that is alive?   When you read the remainder of the verses in this passage, you can find several distinguishing characteristics of that ALIVE HOPE. Here is what I found:

     v.4 = it is heaven-based and therefore does not die or fade away;

     v.5 = it is guarded by God Himself;

     v.6 = troubles and /or suffering do not destroy its power;

     v.7 = it glorifies Jesus in our lives;

     v.8 = it gives us the ability to have joy no matter what our circumstances may be.

    

What does hope do for us?       

     Hope gives us light when life is at its darkest;

     Hope gives us motivation when we become discouraged;

     Hope gives us joy when there is no joy in our circumstances;

     

How is HOPE helping you cope with the challenges in your life?  Is there someone you know who needs to be reminded of the HOPE we have as children of God?  Call them or send them a message to encourage them in that HOPE.

And also the relatives

I Chronicles 13:40 And also their relatives … came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules an don oxen, abundant provisions of flour, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and wine and oil, oxen and sheep …

Chapter 12 is full of information about David’s fighting men, their great soldiering abilities and readiness for battle.  Verse 2 tells us the “mighty men” were gifted ambidextrous warriors; verse 8 says they were experts with determination and strength even on their faces and that they were fast and sure-footed.  By the end of the chapter, I felt rather intimidated by the strength, bravery, and readiness of this great army around David.  I felt that way UNTIL I noticed who else is listed at the very end of the chapter.  Not everyone could be a strong and fearsome warrior in the fighting army.  Their supportive relatives had an equally vital role to play.  They are the ones who made it possible for the army to be battle-ready.  They came by the droves, by every means available, bringing food for these “might men” and the army.  Their role was as important as that of the mighty men and the rest of the army.  How encouraging to know that even if I am not a “mighty man” with special skills or abilities, I can have a supportive role in the accomplishments of those who are more actively engaged in the fight.

Encouragement during COVID-19

I cannot believe how many cards I have made and mailed during these weeks of "safe at home!"  It has been a great way and time to use up lots of supplies and bring some cheer to others at the same time.  I have made about 60 cards so far and enjoyed every one of them.  Each morning I have made a short list of people to whom I will send a card, then in the early afternoon, after my household chores are done, I go into the craft room and make cards specifically for those on the list.  I have made it a point to think about the person who will be getting the card and pray for them as I put the card together.

That is what I did on these two round cards I made yesterday. 

This first card is for a 101-year-old friend.

I used a flower stamp I have had since about 2010.  I heat embossed it with gold embossing powder, then colored the petals and leaves with watercolor pencils.  I wasn't sure how the colors would work because the card base is that dark brown, but low and behold, the colors show up and look really pretty, I think!  I die cut the hello sentiment from pale gold card stock and added some embossed gold on the edges.  I wanted it to look a little bit rustic so I left some of the excess such as you can see just to the right of the sentiment. 

I am going to submit this to the Retro Rubber Challenge Blog since the current challenge is "Anything Goes."

The second card was another brown circular card, but this time I covered it with paper and it completely changed the looks of the card.  See what I mean?

This little girl playing in the rain is so cute!  I had some tear drops I'd been waiting to use for "just the right situation" and this was definitely the time!  I propped her up on foam tape and she is so cute there on the front of that card!  I hope my friend who will get this card will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it for her.

E is for ENCOURAGEMENT (in watercolor)

I have been trying my hand at using watercolor pencils to create color and shading on some of my cards.  Things like this are a big challenge to me because of my lack of artistic skills, but I figure I'll never learn if I don't at least try.  I have watched some YouTube videos to help me understand the principles of shading and color, as well as how to wet the pencil marks to turn them into the watercolor effect. (I have not gotten brave enough to take any art courses yet!)

I also have not kept up with my effort to make a whole series of alphabet cards, as I had planned to do way back in September.  I had made an "A for Anniversary" card (you can see that one HERE), "B for Birthday" card (look HERE), "C is for Congratulations (HERE) and "D is for Dream" (HERE).

This past weekend I tried my hand at this by following the directions to make two cards.  The first one is an "E is for Encouragement" card for the next installment of my alphabet cards.

On this card, I stamped the lines and leaves on a piece of watercolor paper in a dark grey ink, then colored the leaves and water-washed them.  I squirted some green spray ink on the plain area before I stamped the message.  I attached the panel to the card front using foam squares to add a little extra dimension and when it was all put together I found it interesting that the effect of the coloring on the stamped panel made it look like the panel is a cream color against the white card background, even though the panel is actually white also.  All in all, I liked the way it turned out.

On this second card, I covered the card front with the daisy paper, then colored the flowers and stems using the watercolor pencils, then painted with the water brush.  I "fussy cut" the petals before layering them on top of the flowered paper.  For the "hello" I die cut two white and one black word and layered them on top of each other, off-setting the black word just a tiny little bit so there would be some contrast to show up the word better, and popped the word up on the card using foam squares.  I really like the way this card turned out.

Both of these cards were made using specific instructions/ideas from a kit for doing watercolor cards, but now I think I'll be brave enough to do my own original ideas.  My biggest challenge turned out to be controlling the amount of water I used on my brush, and only practice will improve that~

Be still

I keep working on my skills for making masculine cards because that seems to be one of my biggest challenges, so when I wanted to make a card for a friend of ours (a man) who is discouraged, I thought of the current challenge at Freshly Made Sketches as a perfect setting for the card I wanted to make.  The challenge looks like this:


 
This is the card I made for our friend:

I used brown ripple holographic paper from Paper Wishes as the background on the striped paper and for the shield.  I chose a shield because it reminded me of strength from God as we wait for Him to help us in our difficulties, so it went with the Bible verse on the front.  Then I carried that theme into the inside:

The Bible tells us to be still and watch God meet our need, and it also says to be strong, so I felt like this design was perfect for the message I wanted to convey to our discouraged friend.

My Knight in Shining Armor

Deuteronomy 33:26 There is none like God … who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.

When reading the final words of Moses before his death, I must admit these words not only captured my attention, they captured my imagination.  I feel almost fixated on them right now!  Picture the classic dream of any young woman, that of being rescued, swept off her feet by a knight in shining armor riding a white horse.  That is exactly what popped into my mind when I read this verse.  I am in need of help and when I call out, my Knight in Shining Armor comes galloping across the heavens in all His majesty to rescue me.  It is such a comfort to know how much God will do for me any time, any circumstance, whenever I call out for His help.  God is my KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR.

We will understand it better bye and bye...

Job 30:15 Terrors are turned upon me; my honor is pursued as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.

When you read through these chapters in Job in which you see this verse, it becomes quite clear just how anguished Job was over his troubles.  It is equally clear that he had no idea of why all this troubles had come.  There is no indication that he ever learned why his life had been so upset with calamity, so we see him trying to run down his list of potential reasons yet not being able to come to any conclusion.  It has reminded me again that what God allows in my life may have been allowed for reasons unknown to me but not to God.  My comfort and my confidence must remain securely planted in God.  “We’ll understand it better bye and bye…”

A simple gesture

Acts 28:15b On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

I think there are times when we think what we do or say does not make any difference when in actuality we have said or done something at “just the right time” for someone.  We never know when a simple word of loving encouragement may be just what that person needed.  When I drive down the road or walk down an aisle in a store, I am often reminded that the person I pass may be carrying some heavy burden that does not show but is weighing heavily on them.  Frequently, when I have spoken to them, their response tells me of that burden or their facial expression makes it clear that I have somehow brightened their day.  I see that response often at Aldi’s when I give my shopping cart to them and refuse their quarter.  It reminds me that even a simple gesture can shine the

He knows my name and uses it!

John 10:3b-4 He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

I see two wonderfully encouraging things in these verses that give me courage for the day ahead, so full of unknowns.  First of all, God knows my name and leads me by name.  My leading from God is personalized for me as an individual.  He knows my name!  Then, because I am known by Him, He leads me.  Secondly, I know Him by His voice.  Because He has called me by name, I recognize His voice and am able to follow Him.  When I am lagging behind, He calls my name so I can catch up.  When I get distracted He calls my name so I can get refocused.  When I become afraid, He calls my name and when I hear His voice I am comforted that He is near-by and is leading me because I am one of His own.

When little is a lot

Nehemiah 3:33 Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their houses; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the song of Ananiah, made repairs beside this house.

The task of repairing the entire wall around Jerusalem was without a doubt a huge job for these few exiles who returned from Babylon to repair the city.  Where do you start when everything needs cleaning up and repair?  I know how I feel when I face a big clean-up at home, so I can only imagine how big and how discouraging this could have been for these Israelites.  How to do it?  Take a small “bite” and start working!  This chapter tells just that … each family repaired the small portion of the wall that was in front of their own house.  When put all together, each little portion turned into a big job completed.  I cannot be deterred from doing a little bit at a time.  It will grow big.  And I love the statement in chapter 4 that says the leaders stood behind the people, guarding them while they worked on the wall.  That support was, I am quite certain, very energizing to those who were trying to work and guard their work at the same time... energizing and encouraging.  I see this as a picture of what our church leaders/pastors do for us.  They are watching out for us as we try to build in our lives.

Thoughts and prayers card

Mary, one of the women in our Bible study group at church, is a main care-taker for her son who has been having some very difficult times lately.  I had sent Mary a card several weeks ago but her son has been on my heart lately as well even though I do not know him personally.  I wanted to make a nice, heartfelt card that was a little bit more masculine but still carried a good message for him and since I was having a hard time doing this, I finally sat down at my craft desk and literally prayed over the card.  I usually do this but not so intensely (because I want every card I make and mail to be an encouragement to the recipient).  Well, I started looking through my papers and I think the Lord clearly answered my prayer.  I anticipate His also answering my prayer that this card will have the desired effect on Mary's son when he receives it in a couple of days.  Who knows, maybe the Lord is timing the arrival of this card to just the "right day."

and the inside:

Note-worthy motivation

When I saw the idea for this "Love Bomb" on the Pootles website the other day, I knew I wanted to try making it, so I got out some 6 x 6 paper I had set aside not knowing what to do with it and set my hand to making one of these cute accordian-style holders.  I am really tickled with the final result!

It holds four little note cards...

Then it ties together... so cute!

Since I decided to give it to my Weight Watchers buddy Sandy, I put four motivational sayings on the four cards, mostly things that have been said by WW members at one time or another.  I put a Bible verse on one of the cards as well since I believe that one of the keys for my success is going to be trusting God to help me be disciplined enough to succeed.

I already gave it to Sandy and she loved it!  So now I am trying to figure out a way to have to make some more of these!!

Coming near

Lamentations 3:57-58 You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”  You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.

I am always comforted and encouraged when I read verses like these and have occasion to think back over the many times in my life when I called on the Lord and He answered by coming near and reminding me that I had no need to fear.  Thinking of this reminds me of the time when I was about seven years old, living on Crown Avenue in Ravenna.  I was sick with strip throat and feverish.  I had a terrible nightmare (I still remember it vividly over 60 years later) and woke up screaming.  I remember Daddy running into the bedroom and comforting me.  I think of that when I read these verses because it is such a beautiful example of what God does for me when I am afraid or disturbed.  He comes near and tells me quietly not to be afraid.  That calms my spirit.

Purple encouragement

I have a friend who is very discouraged these days... lots of discouraging things going on in her life... so I thought I would make a card for her to try to bring a little cheer into her life this week.  She loves the color purple, and glitter, so I combined the two things and made this card using a stamp set I got from Paper Wishes and some silver embossing powder  (you can see that on the sign the little girl is holding although it doesn't glitter in the photo).

The paper behind the little girl is tiny embossed and glittery purple flowers and I used a light purple card I had in a set of various colored card bases.  You can see the little purple flowers on the inside of the card a little better:

My personal card challenge

A couple of months ago I purchased a Lemonade Stand Artful Card Kit 
from my favorite on-line crafting store, Paper Wishes.  I have purchased various ones of their Artful Card Kits, but this time I decided I would get it out of my storage box and not put it away until I had used everything in the kit.  The kit included 7 sheets of papers, 74 die-cuts, and a sheet of cut-outs of messages to include in the cards such as Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, etc.

Well, it took me a while, but today I made the final, the 12th card, using the last of the papers.  I used all but one die-cut and most of the message cut-outs but not all of them... I made some of my own messages.

Here are several of the cards, all but one I used my own messages, but I was pleased at how many I was able to make.  I made birthday, thinking of you, and get well cards.  Those are the kind I use the most,  So here goes... BIRTHDAY CARDS:

GET WELL CARD:

THINKING OF YOU CARDS:

Don't cry

Jeremiah 31:16 This is what the Lord says: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord.

There have been times when I have felt a great inner turmoil and frustration because of a sense of not accomplishing what I thought God wanted from me.  Sometimes that happens because I have not applied myself diligently enough, and if that is the case, my turmoil is well-founded.  But more often it is because I cannot see for myself the good results from something I have tried or am trying to do to accomplish God’s plan and purposes for me.  This verse is my encouragement to “keep on keeping on” in my efforts to serve and honor God in my life.  My work will be rewarded as long as I continue to work and not stop for weeping and tears.  Some rewards may even come only after I have left this life, but the reward will come. 

Friendship cards

Last Sunday our Sunday School lesson was about the value of encouraging others and the challenge was made to find a way to encourage at least one person in the coming week.  Of course, that got me to thinking about making some encouragement cards that talked about friendship to send to the women God placed in my heart.  So on Monday I sat down with some paper and ink and made several cards to send out during this week. 
The first one I made was all black and white and I really liked how it looked when it was finished.

I used a black and white patterned paper for the background, then stamped and embossed this cute little girl on a piece of plain white cardstock and wrapped some black ribbon around the bottom edge before gluing it to the patterned paper.  I used black and white washi tape to attached a printed message on the inside.

The second card was totally different, using lots of red, orange and yellow.  I have a light bulb stamp with which I stamped and cut out light bulbs using three different papers.  As you can see, I used a glittery gold paper for the center bulb, which, as you move the finished card, looks like it is turning on and off!  I had not thought about that effect, but it was a fun discovery after the fact!

Both cards now sit in our mailbox awaiting the mailman and their delivery tomorrow or the day after to the recipients.



I was reminded of the fact that although I am no expert in art, and my cards are not the fanciest ones you can find, they can still bring a smile to the recipient and in that way I can encourage them.  I know how I feel when I get something like that, and it never matters to me how perfectly done the card is

Stand, hold, and see

II Chronicles 20:17 Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you … Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

As I was reading this I was struck with the fact that the people always had to prepare for battle even though so many times they did not actually have to fight, as was the case this time.  In a sense, the “value” is in the preparation for battle, not in the fighting.  It is in the preparation phase that I gain strength for the fight because I am exercising and practicing.  It is in the preparation phase where I learn to use the weapons I have and the use of logistics.  So in that sense, I am strong and prepared for the battle.  I do not have to do the fighting in order to be a good soldier.  As the Levite named Jehaziel told King Jehoshaphat in v.15, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  Even though they would not have to fight, the army was well prepared.