Posts tagged 'encouragement'

  • Encouraging Others

    Encouragement is the leaven of the soul. It lifts the heavy heart, strengthens the drooping hope, stirs the potential of the mind in positive ways. For the giver, it opens their eyes to see that spark of the Divine in others.1 ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Heavenly Encouragement

    I was cold. Having to get out of my nice, warm bed early on a brisk morning didn’t seem like an ideal way to start the day.

    I was tired. I hadn’t slept well the night before. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Acknowledgment Power

    Jay, a man like Jesus

    Some time ago, the Lord opened the door for me to witness to a young man, Jay, by beginning with pointing out some admirable qualities that he possessed. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Love That Sees More

    For some time, I’ve been trying to encourage a dear friend of mine, who always feels inferior, that she does in fact have some wonderful gifts and talents. For one, I know from experience that she is an exceptional cook. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Encouragement Matters

    While most of my ministering is done through writing and prayer, once in a while Jesus sends me someone to talk to face to face! I love this personal interaction, when I can plant seeds or water the ones that are already growing. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Pots and Pans

    Recently I was contemplating the topic of wrong choices, after having made a few myself, and was feeling a bit discouraged. Do you ever struggle with how to look at wrong choices you have made in life? ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Sunshine and Rain

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    Compiled and edited by Maria Fontaine

    Our natural reaction to troubles or suffering or sickness is to want them to go away as quickly as possible. That’s what the Lord ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More Than Conquerors

    Quotations of faith and hope in the midst of suffering

    Compiled and edited by Maria Fontaine

    Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “Why am I here in this life? What does it all mean to me personally?” This is a normal ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Mud and Palaces

    Do you ever wish that life could just be all those wonderful times when, in one way or many, your dreams are turning into reality before your eyes? Perhaps you’re learning new things or making progress in something that is important to you. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Facing Disappointment

    In each of our lives there have been times when we’ve felt that bitter sting of disappointment. When it occurs, it’s so hard to bear. The Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Hope deferred, or disappointment, is ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Tragedies and Transformations, Part 2

    Wherever, Whenever, However…

    One of the first experiences I had on my trip to Tijuana, Mexico, was to visit a men’s shelter that houses up to 150 homeless men each night, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Light at the End of the Valley

    Have you ever faced something that seemed totally hopeless; you felt like there wasn’t any way out of your difficulties and everything looked lost? Or maybe you’re in one of those places right now where the situation seems ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Rock

    Maria and I recently returned from a trip to Switzerland for a yearly foundation board meeting as well as other TFI-related business meetings. While there, I would often look out the window at the beautiful lake and surrounding mountains, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Incomprehensible and Indefinable

    Thoughts on Motherhood

    Motherhood may have its ups and downs, but when we stop to focus on what is truly great, truly important, truly wonderful in this world, one thing that ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Papier-Mâché Prison

    Can I tell you about a long-term witnessing experience Peter and I have been having? It’s nothing that “wow” or something for which we can claim major victories; it’s just the day-by-day planting of seeds and praying ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: A Waiting Room Chat

    I was sitting in a waiting area and was dictating an idea for a written prayer when a young man sat down nearby and started a conversation with me. Perhaps he overheard parts of what I was saying ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Appearances and the Big Picture

    Do you sometimes feel like a failure? Things haven’t turned out the way you thought they should have or the way you wanted. Your expectations have been disappointed, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Building Our Personal Eternity

    Someone mentioned to me recently that since they’ve devoted a lot of their life to focusing on spiritual things in their many years in missionary work for the Lord ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Different Gifts

    If you’re someone who looks around and sees others who are brighter than you, more eloquent, more skilled, more energetic, or who just seem “more” or “better” in a variety of ways, you’re not alone. ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Hardly Anything or Everything?

    Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” How true! A few simple words, spoken by unassuming people, yet filled with the Lord’s Spirit and love, can reverberate ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Piercing the Bubble

    In my last post I talked about how powerful our words of encouragement can be to people, and how we usually have to speak them by faith, believing that our “words fitly spoken” will have the desired result. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Be a Giver of Kindness

    Everyone craves encouragement. I believe that God wants to encourage people, but a lot of times He needs us to do it. And, believe it or not, we do have what others need. We have God’s love—that is powerful! ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • No Bankruptcy

    When I think about those whom I look up to and see as my role models, they’re all people—known or unknown—who have chosen lives of sacrifice and service so that others would come to know the Lord ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Personal Evaluation

    Someone was wondering how the Lord looked at them—how He saw them when He looked at their life, what His evaluation was. They didn’t feel so great about themselves or their accomplishments. ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Reflecting on the Past

    When we look back over our past and we see the highlights and victories, the joy and happiness, we also see the missed opportunities and the losses, the heartbreaks and the tears. We often feel some regrets and wish ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More from My Faith Treasure Chest

    I recently wrote in “Three Items in My Treasure Chest” about three things that help me to stay focused on faith and that help me to find encouragement in tough times. They were: ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Payoff of Perseverance

    Over the years I have seen some very dear friends of mine be marvelously blessed by the Lord. Some of these same loved ones and co-workers have gone through what seemed to be a series of incredibly trying times. ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam