Words of ENCOURAGEMENT. Thank you Betty from Nassau.

GLYNNIS WHITWER

November 28, 2017

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) When my children were small, I distinctly remember thinking: I wish everybody didn’t need me so much. As a mom of a baby, toddler and preschooler, every waking moment was filled with someone needing something. My children needed me to love them, feed them, change them, keep them safe, teach them, play with them and so much more. The demands left me grateful for the incredible blessings, but exhausted. But then, things changed. The years skipped past, and now I find myself in a very different situation. No one needs me like they once did. It’s not just my kids (now grown), but we’re in a different church where I haven’t found my place. And I wonder, Does anyone need what I have to offer anymore? Recently, I had a little pity party about that. I was pulling weeds, feeling quite alone and cried out to the Lord about my thoughts. As tears streamed, the Lord spoke to my heart very tenderly. He showed me people do need me. In fact, they need me quite desperately. First, my adult children still need me; it’s just different. They need me to cheer them on, not coach them like I used to. My husband needs me to be his cheerleader, too. My unsaved family needs to know the love of God, lived out through me. Actually, everyone in my extended family needs love shown in practical ways. My friends and co-workers, especially those going through hard times, need encouragement and support. And then there are people I don’t know personally, but who read our devotions or First 5 teachings through Proverbs 31 Ministries. They desperately need to know God loves them. They need to know their life matters. There are the people I interact with on a daily basis, and there are the people I may never meet. There are women around the world who need to know they are not forgotten. This insight changed my heart. It took my eyes off myself and helped me place them where God wanted them all along: on others. We read a very similar directive from the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I wonder how many others might need encouragement today. Perhaps my single “sisters” wonder who needs their love. Perhaps my older sisters might wonder if they have anything left to give. Perhaps my sisters suffering from disability or illness feel unnecessary or they’re lacking value. Perhaps my sisters in faraway countries question if they were born in the wrong place to make a difference. May I speak truth to your heart? Someone desperately needs you today! They need you to go to their front door with a hug (and coffee), send a note, make a call, text, comment on social media. Some need to hear the life-saving good news of Jesus. An affirming word at work. Some need to be reminded they have value, and they have a profound purpose. Some need to be encouraged and prayed over and loved. Everyone needs to be treated kindly and with respect. No matter our age or stage of life, we are all needed in Jesus’ kingdom. We need each other. What kind of revolution could we start if we chose to think of ourselves as desperately needed? Could we open our eyes to the great needs around us and be representatives of Jesus to those others? Would you join me today in looking at life differently? Would you join me in starting a revolution of Jesus’ love? Lord, thank You for loving me first. You loved me when I had nothing to offer. As Your love fills me up, help me see others through Your eyes and be Your hands and feet in this world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” (NIV) Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (NIV) REFLECT AND RESPOND Has your heart been hurt and you feel unneeded? Spend some time today in prayer asking God to remind you of His love and purpose for you. Identify two or three people who need some encouragement today. Now go and reach out to them.

Hey I am really enjoying this thing called GOLF.

Donna and I played one round of 9 holes. I shot a 42. Better than last time out, 43. She shot a 37. Hey I am very happy to be able to go out and have a partner. She is part of the women's league and loves playing. 

We walked over to go one more time around. There was a couple starting out. Donna knew them from playing tennis. I am sorry but they told me their names and I have slept since then. They are from Canada. They only can stay here for 6 months. I guess that is the rules for Canadians. 

The guy was hot, he shot a 30. He had 6 pars (3)  and one birdie (2), plus a one over par hole. 

Hey I was very happy too. I shot a 40 myself. Donna did good 38 I think? 

Folks getting out there and hitting a small ball is a lot of fun, as long as I improving?????  

I look back and when I use to play with my dad. I really don't remember ever being under 50 on his course. (par 3) ,Sandal Foot.  

I am being blessed to be able to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather and even have a beautiful  partner too.

He is worthy of Praise. 

Came back home on Friday morning early. Reason had a couple of jobs.

 

Yes I drove back home on Friday morning. Leave at 5:30 am and got home around 7:30 am. No traffic at all and easy ride. Well I promised a couple of folks I would take their trash out before the garbage guys came. One had some heavy things and they could not move them out to the street. Plus I had to cut up the carpet, you know in 2 foot wide strips,  his son took it out of the screen room. But the garbage guy didn't take it away. The other one pretty much the same. He has paint to get rite of. The sad part is they would not take that either. So my trip early was not needed. 

I even went to my stretching class that morning too. I sure needed that. . 

After we got the shutters down. Marie was coming home on Saturday and she wanted the shutters down before she got back home. She sold her house. Praise the LORD. 

Afterwards we went over to Randy's and Ellen's home and put up hooks for their Christmas lights and things. Had to go back to Home Depot. The hooks I bought were for the small twinkle lights. She had a little bigger lights to put up and need to make sure they stay up. 

So on Friday we just hung the hooks. The reason is 3M Command hooks say, wait 1 hour before hanging anything on them. So really these pictures are from Saturday morning. 

Hey I think the lights look great and I even cut her grass. The reason is she had some lights out for Halloween and the guys cutting the grass will not cut if lights are on the ground. 

No big deal, finished this up and went and played golf again. 

Thanksgiving morning and afternoon.

Woke  up on Thursday morning and it was looking like the rain was with us all day long? This is the front of Greg;s home. We both woke up and had some coffee. Mean while he was telling me, he needs to go back to bed and rest. he was not feeling to good. He gets headaches and some times they last a long while. So I drove over to Deb and Jon's home for breakfast. 

This is their new (old) home.They bought it used.  I think they bought this during the summer and move in then? I was here when they just got their new old place. 

Jon (Debbie's hubby) was showing me this neat dinning room table. Hey all you do is pull the table apart and the leaves are in it already. I have ever seen anything like this at all. I really liked it. Don't have to store the leaves in the closet. One bad part it.You have to use both leaves at the time. that is how it is made. Oh well. nothing is prefect, except our Lord Jesus. This is what this day is all about. Giving thanks for our families and friends , to be able to share this day with them and look back in our past and say wow THANK YOU LORD. 

This is my cousin Debbie and her daughter, Cheri. It was neat to watch those two work together so well in the kitchen. They knew what had to get done and they made it happen. 

After breakfast we sat around and got a little more caught up on all that has happen since the last time together. 

They both really clean up well, don't they? 

The one sitting in the chair on the left is my cousin Mark. He is Debbie's brother. Jon standing there, looking like what should I do next? Bonita on the right hand side. 

The couple on the left are friends of Cheri's, sorry forgot names already. 

Mark was our carver. He got most of the meat off of the carcass. I think he is the youngest as cousins go. 

Cheri and Deb set the table and it looked so nice. 

There was a couple, that came too. Sorry not sure of names.One of these days I will take a NOT BLURRY PICTURE.  See what happens, I take the picture and thinking that one it should be good? 

Just think when we used 35mm cameras, You would take a whole roll of 36 and hope and pray one of them come out looking good? 

But we all sat around the table just enjoying some great food and hearing stories about our different families and just having some fun. 

I am very blessed to call my cousins family and pretty much realize this is all we have left for family. There are a couple of more out there, but they live a ways away. So getting together is most of the time very difficult to make it happen. 

But we do have each other. Praise the Lord for this and our traveling back to Bonita's home that evening. Really was easy ride back there. No real traffic to say. But it was worth the trip and I would do it again in a heart beat. 

Okay I was on my way over to Winter Haven, Florida.

When I am driving along and see some old favor signs I love to take a picture of them and knowing I am getting close to family. This is Hee Haw Junction 

Hey I just went to their web site to make sure I spelled it correctly. And they have the same picture up showing as, Hee Haw Junction. That is kinda of funny I thought. They use to have this large sign that was painted on a bill board, but it is all fading out and I guess that is okay? 

This is another land mark I love to share. I am on 27 heading north. 

I got to Bonita' s home and we went shopping for some stuff for the Thanksgiving Dinner, Walmart.. As we got back to her place, just watched some TV and I was in bed by 9 something. 

You can see it was a foggy day ahead. Drove over to McDonald's and had my breakfast, large ice coffee and one sausage McMuffin. Did my devotion and drove over to Home Depot. The reason was I bought some supplies for a job I was going to do on Tuesday morning. But the woman Gerrie, called me and told me her friend fixed the problem. It is GFCI outlet. I tired to hit the  retest and it would not reset. So her friend got it to reset. Down the road it will trip again. It is old and worn out. But why have money in  bag while I can use it? 

As I was walking around I see they were getting ready for Black Friday Deals. 

Then I drove over to Walmart. Just to see how they were getting set. Plus I wanted the flier for Black Friday. But I would have to buy a new paper to get it. I have looked on line before and really didn't see anything I needed. So I just walked around.

I think these were the TV's on sale for $268.00 or something like that. Really nice deal. But I have a 43" and it works great for me. 

You can see they were getting everything ready for the next day deals. 

Driving back into Bonita;s park I saw this sign. Thinking, we really could use something like this for our place. 

This is our sign for the HOA meetings. So now I am part of the board. Maybe I can talk with them and get something a little nicer for our park? 

I texted the picture to the president of our HOA board, Judy. She texted me back and told me we will talk about it. She tried a while back to get one for our place. But, the board had other ideas. So like I said what do we have to loose? 

Bonita got ready and we were on our way over to Largo. We stopped at Wendy's on the way out of town. I really think our prices are higher over on the east coast? I will check it out next time I got our Wendy's 

Driving along, the traffic was not to bad. But it did take us a little longer than normal. 

Like I was telling you about signs and land marks. I love going over this bridge. Maybe not love. But it sure looks nice. 

These two are my cousins. Greg and Bonita. We sat around and waited for a my other cousins were coming over for dinner. 

Now the two other cousins. Debbie and Jon. We had a nice hot dog and bean dinner. 

Afterwards a turkey cake. It really was brownies with frosting on top. 

As the night was winding down. I drove Bonita over Deb and Jon;s home and came back to Greg's place and crashed. I got a good night rest and was looking forward in have that turkey dinner and just hanging out with family the next day. I am very blessed to still have family around. I know our numbers have gone way down. But it is nice to get some what caught up and enjoy the stories. 

Please remember what we are thankful for????