Let's be Cheerleaders!

I took last week off from writing.  My husband had an overnight work meeting at a nearby lake, not far from Yosemite, and I followed him up while my mom kept the kids alive (THANK YOU MOM!).  I was gone for 24 hours and it did my heart good.  I didn't bring my computer and sat and read, looked for pretty fall leaves, and even took some time to create.  It was 24 hours that did my heart so good.

I came home refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the week. But, I didn't want to write.  Ideas flowed like water, but no words. I've even struggled to post things to instagram (weird, I know!).  I even strategically buried my computer with other projects so I didn't have to be reminded of the words that were coming.  As ideas floated through my head, so did the thoughts of why should I write that.  And this morning, those thoughts. . . . those feelings of inadequacy were being fired more rapidly than words.  I was feeling frustrated and irritated so I went to scroll through social media posts when I noticed a friend, needing her business to be shared to help boost her business.  And a thought occurred to me.  Why aren't we cheering each other on?  We should be cheering our friends on and not comparing ourselves to them.

I've been spending a lot of my time at soccer games and soccer practices and I just love watching my son play the game, whether he scores goals or not.  Not matter what his outcome is, he knows his family is there, cheering him on the entire game!  My favorite part though, is when his teammate scores a goal, he is so excited, jumping and high five-ing his teammate who scored.  His excitement was just as strong for his friends goal as it was when he scored a goal earlier in the game.  I think we need to be cheering on our friends just like my son celebrates his friend's accomplishments.

The Apostle Paul wrote that we should encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  And that's not the only one! The Bible is filled with verses that call us to lead lives that radiate love and grace to others, and one way we do that is by encouraging them.  I wonder, if we wouldn't spend so much time comparing ourselves to others if we were encouraging our friends and the work that they are doing.  And I'm not just talking about our friends that are doing things that stand out, but those friends who are home, with little ones or spending afternoons in the car taxi-ing their kids around to various practices.  Those things that go unseen need encouraging words.  We all need some encouragement.  We all need a shout out or a little note with some affirming words.

I have some friends that need a shout out and I'm going to take a minute and publicly encourage some friends, right here.

:: My sister in law is amazing!  She is not only an amazing mom but she works her butt off as principal of an elementary school.  She has a passion for those kids that is going to change lives!

:: My BFF gives her time like no one else I know.  She works hard at her day job and her mom job and even has a side gig Etsy store, but she also gives her time weekly making sure our welcome center is stocked with food so we can welcome our guests effectively.  Most of the stuff she does goes unseen by others, but she is a rockstar!

:: A sweet friend that we grew up with us so creative!  She decided to try a style of cake decorating that makes the cake look like a painted piece of art. She started it back in January and has since mastered it and a business was born.  I know that God is going to use her as she blessed others with her creations.  You should check out her instagram. . . because her posts are gorgeous!

:: I have a friend that wrote a book and it came out last week.  I am so proud of her and I can't wait to read it (It's sitting on my Kindle waiting patiently for me to finish my current read).  You should check it out because this mom friend is so fun!  She is runs her own little side biz, heads up a local non profit, is a stay at home mom, and now is a published author!  Plus, her sense of humor is the best!  She always makes me smile! You can check out her book here.  p.s. if you download it today. . . it's free!  I don't think its going to last long.  Also, leave her a review.  The more reviews that are left help promote her book even more.

I have so many other friends who are stepping up the plate and doing what God has called them to do.  You probably can think of a handful or more friends that need to know that you are cheering them on.  Let's be active cheerleaders and not just sit on the sidelines watching.

Send them a note, share something they've written, buy their book, give them a shout out, drop a coffee by their house and let them know you're there and give them a hug.  I bet that if we started cheering our friends, those thoughts filled with insecurity and inferiority would be replaced with joy and confidence.

Who can you give a shout out to today?