“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV)

Welcome, friends! This YEAR, we are going to embark on a journey of understanding The Power of Encouragement: Fuel for the Soul! And the profound impact of encouragement in our lives. 

This week we are going to dive deeper into the depths of understanding the impact of encouragement, as we do that let’s remember the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Encouragement is like a gentle breeze on a weary day. It has the power to uplift spirits and transform lives. It’s more than just words; it’s a beacon of hope, a lifeline in times of despair, and a catalyst for growth. 

And the best part is that we can share in the joy of bringing encouragement to others! How stinking cool is that?!?!?!?

Growing up I was encouraged a TON by both of my parents. They let me know that I can do anything that I set my mind to. There was nothing that I could NOT accomplish if I set my mind to it.  

My dad didn’t always come across as encouraging though. Because he was looking out for my best interests (and as a dad myself now maybe some of the interests too, love you, Dad). What I mean is that my dad was always the devil’s advocate for my crazy ideas.

Like when I told him that I wanted to be a truck driver when I was 10 years old. He said, “Well Danny you know truck drivers get to see a lot of country. But they don’t get to see their families as often as I get to see you!” 

Or when I said that I was going to be a welder and he told me, “Welders make a LOT of money when they have work. But if you chase a pipeline then you get to live out of a hotel or RV and when the job is over you have to apply for the next job and you might get it or you might not get it. If you like applying for jobs that would be a good choice for you.”

Then there was this time that in my mind I said I’d love to do something challenging so I’ll be an underwater welder and he responded with, “People drown in the bathtub why would you want to dive into eh ocean.” I guess you have to know my dad to really understand that one. He HATES the water. 

And when I was 16, I decided that I was going to enlist in the Army and learn to fly helicopters. He said, “That’s a great idea, but you have to be ready to be shot down. Are you ready for that?”

Please understand that I am not complaining about my dad or the way that he handled each of my ideas for possible careers, it’s just that he saw things extremely logically and always has. And that’s a GREAT thing. Probably one of the things that I LOVE about him the most is his logic and patience. 

Even though he didn’t realize it every time he played the devil’s advocate to my ideas, I didn’t see it as encouragement. But he did. He saw it as encouraging me to make a safe decision.

Now that I have kids my house is slightly different. If one of my kids says, I want to be a voice actor. Both Jenna and say, “That’s GREAT what can we do to help you make this a reality?” or when one told me he wanted to be a Navy Seal, my response was, “That’s AMAZING. How do you get there? What do you need to make it a reality, I know that you can succeed because of your mindset.”

The power of encouragement is HUGE. 

The next time you get the chance to be a negative Nelly, DON’T!!!!!!

STOP being the devil’s advocate and start encouraging those around you to then watch just how far they go when you start saying you can do it!

I do have to tell you that after I got married, Jenna and I decided to build our own home. When I say build our own home, I mean that we would do ALL of the work. From digging the foundation to pouring the concrete, to running the plumbing, hanging the drywall, installing the roofing, EVERYTHING.

I asked him what he thought, and you know what he said, “That’s a GREAT idea!  I’d love to help you if you’ll let me. I built my house and I KNOW that you can build your house too. Start getting the financing lined out. When do we get to start building it?

You should know that we built our home (we only hired out the stucco and drywall tape & texture), had a baby, and did it in only 13 months, while I worked a full-time job (45-55 hours a week)

The power of encouragement is AMAZING!