Real Value

What are you gaining today?

More of God?

Or more of something that has no real value.

Why do you spend your time here?

What do you really want in your life?

Have you spent much time thinking about it?

Is it too scary?

Too much work?

Why do you believe this?

God says all things are possible for the one who believes in me. Mark 9:23

Do your thoughts line up with this?

Maybe today is the day you start to make them agree with what God says.

Getting your thoughts agreeing with God’s word will change your life.

The Hope We Need Today

What are you hoping for this Christmas?

A new sweater, earrings, a book, or shoes.

Have you asked God for anything?

He wants to give you gifts that make your insides pretty.

Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Fullness.

God says you can have them all.

A good friend gave me this Romans 15:13 word sign.

It makes me smile.

I hung it on my manger.

I love this reminder so much.

Jesus is our Hope.

He lives in us. 1 John 4:15

He makes us complete. Colossians 2:9-10

He is the Hope we need Today.

His Birth reminds us to celebrate this Hope & keep it in our hearts no matter what the outside world looks like.

Enjoy Jesus’ Birthday!

Feel His Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, and Fullness living inside you Today.

Merry Christmas!

How Are You Waiting?

When you’re in a season that’s hard.

You have a loss.

You’re waiting on something.

How are you waiting?

Are you creating value while you wait?

Are you staying in thankfulness while you wait?

How we wait sometimes determines how long it takes.

Maybe you’ve been in this season for a long time.

You’re wondering why God hasn’t taken it away.

Maybe He’s waiting for you to trust Him again.

We all have to wait.

How we wait determines how we feel during the waiting.

Being in thankfulness helps you feel better during the waiting.

Being thankful is where fullness lives.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Focusing On God

What is the most important work you do every day?

Staying close to God is mine.

The practice of focusing on Him.

Inviting Him into everything I’m doing.

When I don’t, I feel like something is missing.

Focusing on God gives me stability.

Focusing on God gives me certainty.

Focusing on God makes me feel good.

I’m thankful I always know how to feel good.

It didn’t happen over night.

It took consistent practice.

The circumstances in my life are still hard sometimes.

But that’s okay.

I have God.

He is really all I need.

What are you focused on today?

Have you invited God into it?

You Won't Be Disappointed

You can have more happiness: With your kids, With your spouse, With your life.

Simply by enjoying God.

It’s simple. Not Easy.

You have to do the work.

But it’s worth it.

The best decision you’ll ever make is enjoying God daily.

Build your life on that and see what happens.

Build your life on focusing on what Jesus did for you.

You won’t be disappointed.

You won’t miss out.

Because He’s the best.

We have so many things to be focused on.

Which ones are you picking?

Are they serving you?

Do you know they are optional?

You always have a choice.

It’s called free will.

Are you using yours for what you really want?

Maybe today is your day to start.

Why Enjoy God?

Because He’s your most important relationship.

Who is your best friend right now?

God wants to be.

Why is this person your best friend?

Think about the time you’ve put into this relationship.

Think about how this person makes you feel.

God wants to be that for you.

Your best friend.

Have you ever considered that from Him?

What if you knew He would help you no matter what.

What if you knew He loved you no matter what.

What if you knew He accepted you no matter what.

Well, He does.

2 Corinthians 5:21.

Do you love Him in this way?

It’s hard sometimes.

We get disappointed in life.

Circumstances don’t go the way we’ve planned.

We want to blame someone.

Do you automatically blame Him because He’s God?

What if even though the circumstances really hurt you, you had the stability of loving Him?

Because you knew He loved you, no matter what the circumstances look like.

Well, He does.

Jeremiah 31:3

A Life Changing Book

God’s Word.

The Bible.

That’s the book that changed my life and still does every day.

I didn’t always enjoy reading it or studying it.

I knew it was important.

I was taught this in church.

I didn’t read it much.

Until 2007.

That’s when I felt God brought me home to Him.

I returned to live in my hometown again.

He connected me to a Monday night Bible Study.

Jesus, the One and Only, by Beth Moore, was the study.

God used it to light the fire in my heart for Him.

Beth shared how her first Bible study teacher’s passion for God made her “want that” passion for God too.

I felt that same “want to” and asked God for it.

He answered my prayer.

What prayers has God answered for you?

Take some time to write to Him about them.

How This Started

Encouragement by Design started because of the desire God gave me to stay close to Him.

When I started meeting with Him in my closet in 2007, it was my favorite part of the day.

I lost track of time.

I loved being with Him.

I loved writing to Him.

He made me feel so good.

I looked forward to starting my day with Him.

When I didn’t, I felt off, like something was missing, and I wasn’t my best self that day.

God is my everything.

I am obsessed with focusing on Him.

This sometimes makes others feel uncomfortable.

I don’t mean to offend anyone.

I love God so much.

I want everyone to have what I have, a beyond amazing relationship with God.

He wants that for all of us.

What’s the one thing you can’t get enough of?

Have you thanked God for it lately?

Take some time and write to Him about it now.

Have you thought about inviting Him into it?

Maybe today’s the day. :)