Thursday, January 24, 2019

When Others Encourage Me

My word for this year, as I wrote earlier this month, is ENCOURAGE.  I want to encourage other people, but this week others have encouraged me.  Here are five examples (out of many more I noticed this week) which I am sharing as my Friday Fave Fives.  Here is the link to Susanne's blog where she hosts our Gathering of Blessings and Encouragement.

1.  Out of the blue, I received a phone call from the mom of a former student.  For the last eight years of my teaching career, I taught homeschool students how to write--stories, essays, compositions.  Anyway, the mom called me and had her son tell me how as a jr high student now, he had been earning the highest marks in his class.  As he said, "I did what Mrs. Willow taught me and got extra credit."  Isn't that the most encouraging thing a kid could say to a former teacher?

2.  We have had a crazy week...just lots of 'little things'.  A younger mom from church assured me she was praying for me.  That's encouraging!  (and I'm supposed to be her encourager!)

3.  How can a memorial service be an encouragement?  Well, it was.  Yes, another funeral.  This week we celebrated the life of a younger man from our church congregation who was a great encourager.  Born with disabilities, he embraced life with the happiest and brightest smile.  He was a greeter at church and hugged everyone.  Bill's life was an example of how to be an encourager. And that encouraged me to 'be more like Bill'.

4.  On Sunday evening, I had a meeting and so did The Professor.  But they were at two different times in two different places.  Since we have only one car, I was blessed and encouraged when a friend who was going to be at the meeting with me, offered me a ride home.  Then we sat and chatted in her car for awhile--just because we could.  She encouraged me, and I hope I encouraged her.

5.  An hour or two later, the same friend texted me, "Look outside!"  It was the lunar eclipse which we didn't expect to see because our sky was clouded over.  But the clouds parted just enough.  I snapped this picture at about 3 minutes past totality.  I'm glad she encouraged me to go look!


How have you been ENCOURAGED this week?

And here are a couple of photos from our very very green wild landscapes as a bonus.  Where I live in Southern California, we don't have green mountains very often, so we revel in it when we do have the green!


There's not much green here, but you can see some new life returning after the Hill Fire burned through here in November.


Yes, we really were that high above the entrance to Hill Canyon.

9 comments:

Faith said...

Well,that's not high at all!! 😜 Hahah but I'm guessing for your parts it is! So nice and encouraging to see the green!

What a wonderful week of encouraging blessings you've had, i was encouraged this week by the listening ears of friends and their prayers, I'm going through some health stuff so it was very encouraging to me.

Karen said...

Those pictures are beautiful and 'encouraging' to me as I look outside at ice and snow! I love all of your examples of encouragement this week, especially the give and take of it. So many examples of how we can bless one another, no matter our station in life. I'm especially touched by the mother of your student who took the time to call you. I need to be better about taking the time to do things like that.

Barbara H. said...

What an "encouraging" post! I sometimes think good things about people, but you remind me to let them know.

What a nice testimony from your student! Memorial services do have a way of being encouraging. Bill sounds like a wonderful guy who made the best of his situation. Nice to have a ride home offered in that situation. We were too cloudy to see the eclipse, too. Glad your clouds parted enough to catch it! So nice to see the green!

Dianna said...

What a blessing to have so many encourage you, Willow! As a former teacher myself, I could truly feel your heart with the junior high student who is getting extra credit in class because he did what Mrs. Willow taught him. What a huge blessing that is...and what a thoughtful young man he is.

Have a wonderful weekend...oh...and I enjoyed the pictures of green at the end! Our current color outside now is white. :)

Wendy said...

What a lot of encouragement you received. Thanks for sharing, especially the pictures.

Jerralea said...

First thing I thought after reading your post was that you were reaping what you had sown: encouragement!

I really enjoyed that your former student's mother took the time to contact you and let you know how he was doing. If only all parents encouraged their children's teachers!

ellen b. said...

Your #1 was a real sweet encouragement for sure. Glad the mom took the initiative to call and let you know. Encouragement is such a great thing to receive and to give...

Mereknits said...

IT sounds like you had a beautiful week. Thank you for all the encouraging things to think about.

Susanne said...

Oooo, green. We won't be seeing that for awhile yet so it was nice to see that. What a encouraging week coming from lots of directions. So wonderful to recieve and a gift to give.