Tag: encourage

Words of Encouragement

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today'” … (Hebrews 3:13)

This summer, my mom’s oldest brother passed away. My uncle was a big part of my life growing up and when I became an adult. In fact, I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t around. He and my aunt lived just down the street from us. I spent countless hours at their house playing with my cousins. When I visited my grandma, he would often pop in while I was there. He told the funniest stories, and he always had a joke. My grandma’s laughter would ring out, and it was so contagious that even if I didn’t understand the joke, I would laugh along too.

One of my favorite memories of my uncle comes from a very difficult season in my life. When I was going through my divorce, I reached out to him because I needed someone to talk to. Not only was he my uncle, but he was also my pastor. He listened with kindness, offered encouragement, and reminded me that I still had something to contribute. Continue reading “Words of Encouragement” →

Praying the Psalms for Encouragement

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” (Ps 39:7)

My spiritual discipline for 2020 is prayer, and what a year of prayer it has been! From global issues like COVID-19 to national issues such as racial disparities and the election to personal issues like community, I’m learning to “pray continually” (1 Thess 5:17). But sometimes, situations are overwhelming, and words are hard to find. When that happens, I use prayer prompts I find online or in a Bible study plan. Often those prompts are from the Psalms. Continue reading “Praying the Psalms for Encouragement” →

A Birthday Memory

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thess 5:11)

Some people don’t like celebrating or even acknowledging their birthdays, but I’ve never been that way. I view my birthday as an opportunity to connect with friends and family. It’s a time for introspection. It’s a time for fun. And in August 2020, during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m reflecting on the birthday memory that stands out the most.

One of my most vivid birthday memories is from a couple of decades ago. (How did I get so old?!) My Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul short story, “The Birthday Surprise,” is about my twentieth birthday, when I lived in Germany with my then-husband, who was in the US Army. I had been there about three months and hadn’t met many women yet. My husband was being sent on maneuvers for a few days, so I planned to spend the day alone, thousands of miles from family and friends, feeling sorry for myself. (I know, it wasn’t my finest moment.) Continue reading “A Birthday Memory” →

Battling the Winter Blues

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Authors’s note: This award-winning post was originally published on March 4, 2018.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Th 5:11)

The long, cold winter and gray skies were bringing me down. It seemed winter would never end, and this year my seasonal affective disorder (SAD-an apt acronym if ever there was one) has been triggered more often than in many recent years. The older I get, the more I hate cold weather, which is common of many of us who have SAD. The combination of cold, gray skies, and short days is enough to send me into a spiral of irritability and sadness. I try to keep those feelings to myself so that I won’t damage my relationships, but my friends and family who know me best are aware of how I feel and try to encourage me and talk me through it. Continue reading “Battling the Winter Blues” →

Taking Control of My Thoughts

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Prov 27:17)

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about 2 Corinthians 10:5 and how to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We have an average of thirty-five to forty-eight thoughts per minute – up to as many as 70,000 thoughts per day. How can I possibly control that many thoughts on my own? When left unchecked, my thoughts tend toward the negative. I worry and use negative self-talk until it’s a spiral that I can’t recover from on my own. Continue reading “Taking Control of My Thoughts” →