Month: December 2022

God is Faithful, Forever

Published on by katiesencouragementforyou4 Comments

Scared, oh I thought I knew scared

Now I’m so filled with fear

I can barely move.

Doubts, I’ve had my share of doubts

But never more than right now

I’m wondering where You are.

I’m on the edge of fall apart

But somehow Your promises

 Find my troubled heart.

 When I first heard these song lyrics from the song: Truth I’m Standing On, I thought—wow, someone wrote a song that exposes my deepest thoughts and feelings.   I especially liked the line—I’m on the edge of fall apart.   Have you ever felt that way?  Like you are on the Edge of Fall Apart?

The song goes on to say:

This is the truth I’m standing on

Even when all my strength is gone

You are faithful forever

And I know You’ll never

Let me fall.

Right now I’m choosing to believe

Someday soon I’ll look back and see

This pain had a purpose

Your plan was perfect all along

This is the truth I’m standing on.

This is the truth I’m standing on, even when all my strength is gone—You are faithful Forever!!  God –You are faithful forever!!    This video is a man telling a powerful story from his life that illustrates so clearly  the faithfulness of God, and the steadfastness of God’s love.

God loves us with steadfastness, and faithfulness, teaching us how to love others as well.   This is the truth I’m standing on—a truth that encourages me as I pray it does you!

Christmas Smells

Published on by katiesencouragementforyou8 Comments

This is the time of year our family does a lot of Christmas baking, and with Christmas baking comes Christmas smells!   Recently, my daughter and I got into our car, and the whole car was filled with Christmas smells—of carmel, and chocolate and ginger, cinnamon and cloves!

We carried the smells with us—they surrounded us and clung to us, as we had been surrounded by them in our baking.

I told my daughter that it reminded me of a verse in the Bible

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;   2 Cor 2:15

When I was a freshman in college, there was a young woman that lived on my floor, who had a huge smile on her face, she was always so happy—and she really irritated me.   I could not stand being around her.   I found myself wanting to slap that smile off her face.  I thought, “No one can be that happy, she must be faking.” 

Then my roommate—my best friend at college—talked with her and another girl, and understood how to have a relationship with God from talking with them.  Spoiler Alert–that other girl would become one of my bridesmaids at my wedding–and remains one of my best friends.

Suddenly, my roommate really began irritating me as well.  I avoided being around her.  I would snap at her about silly things.

These people were the fragrance of Christ to me—but I was headed away from God, not to HIm—and they really irritated me.

Then after snapping at my roommate, about a silly thing, she looked at me and said, “you know Katie, I’m not perfect, I’m just forgiven.”  

Oh how I wanted that–I wanted to be forgiven.   

I share this story–because maybe in the process of being the fragrance of Christ—someone is snapping at you, someone is irritated by you.   Just keep walking close to Jesus, and who knows—you may say something—something so simple—but so profound–that it makes an eternal difference.

May you be encouraged!!  May you keep giving off all those Christmas smells!!

Dayle Rogers

Published on by katiesencouragementforyou4 Comments

Dayle Rogers–  fellow blogger and storyteller.   Wife, mother, grandmother, friend, mentor and a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Dayle and I met years, and years ago, when she was a young mom, and I was a single gal.

We were both on staff with Cru, and living in Wisconsin.  Her husband was the Area Director of Wisconsin.  Dayle was and is this petite, beautiful woman with a huge smile, and a warm heart.

My roommate, (a close friend of Dayle’s) and I went to stay with Dayle’s children for a week, while Dayle and her husband went to a conference.  (Dayle would have another child roughly 9 months after that conference,)  🙂  (I actually met my husband the week after babysitting for Dayle’s children– you can read about our story if you click here.)

Dayle homeschooled her children, and this was my first up close and personal experience with what homeschooling looked like, as we were given a lesson plan that the children had to complete, while their parents were gone.   (I would later go on to homeschool my children–no doubt influenced by this hands-on experience.)

Through the wonder of social media, Dayle and I have maintained contact with each other.  Years ago, Dayle started blogging, and I started reading her blogs.   In the same way that Dayle blazed a path for me to follow in homeschooling—–I am also following her path in the blogging world.

Dayle doesn’t just tell stories–she weaves stories together.  I look forward to reading her blogs–because she is a master storyteller, and I always, always come away—with some gem of wisdom, truth and encouragement to hang onto after I read her blogs.

So, I introduce to you all—my friend—Dayle! Click here to be directed to her blog home page.  

May you be encouraged!!

PS I believe Dayle also does public speaking, but you’d have to contact her via her contact information, given on her blog, to obtain any details.