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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Affirm with JOY!



           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Good job!  I’m proud of you!!

            An important part of encouragement is something called AFFIRMATION!  Letting someone know that you believe in them or they’re you’re proud of them--a pat on the back, so to speak!  Genuine words of affirmation can change a person’s life….literally! 

        We’ve all heard stories of how teachers have made a difference in the lives of their students.  But I want to come from a different perspective today.  You see, I was a teacher for years; and it was the children who--time after time--were an encouragement to me!

            I worked with primary and elementary students. It was such a blessing to get unconditional hugs each day!  Their smiles lit up my life!  What a source of joy &  encouragement!  Many times, I’d receive an original piece of artwork with an “I love you” scribbled across the page.  Oh, how that picked me up and gave me “affirmation” that I was right where God meant for me to be!

             Now, as a retired educator, I am blessed to hear from some of my former students from time to time.  Can you imagine what a joy it is for me when they share memories from their time in my classroom and express their love and gratitude?  Even now, their kind gestures affirm in my heart that God had me right where He wanted me to influence those precious young lives.

              Who do YOU need to affirm today?  Ask God to put someone in your thoughts and follow through on letting them know how you appreciate them.  No matter how young or old, we ALL need encouragement!  When you exercise the gift of exhortation,   the JOY of the Lord pours out from you and flows back to you! 

            Drink your JOY JUICE and return some joyful encouragement to a special person who has shared encouragement with you.
           

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