rambling on and on

In an attempt to expound upon the last few precious days of summer, I am going to the beach.
It's going to be great.
I feel so blessed to get this va-cay!
I might have a funny story or two from this. We shall see.

Also, I've figured out that one of my main love languages is words of affirmation. When people say nice things, it completely boosts my morale.

...it's taking me a long time to figure out my "love languages". I think that right now, as I'm discovering who I am (that sounds so cliché, but it's true) I have been able to see myself in perspective, more subjectively (well, as subjective as I can be when it comes to myself.) It's interesting, and I'm discovering the largest room in the world.
room for improvement, heh

Do you know what discourages me a LOT?

Let me preface this by saying that I am a perfectionist in many ways, and when I go for something, I give it my best. Like, I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. I'm also critical, and always looking for ways to make things better.

Since I am words-oriented, I'm sensitive to criticism.
You don't have to tell me something is wrong more than once.
If there is something I'm not doing right, just mention it, and (if you're right in what you're saying) I'll do a 180 turn around. I'm eager to improve.

When I have been working hard at something, general statements like, "Be the best you can be! Give it your all!", said in a way that is insinuating that I'm not being the best I can be (when I feel like I'm already giving 190% [bad math, I know])
...there is almost nothing worse. I know that it's meant to encourage, but it just isn't translated that way to me.

When I am actually slacking off, it's great to have someone remind me to work hard.

I don't mind constructive commentary; if you can point out a specific area to improve upon, I'm good.

When people come alongside me and appreciate what I'm doing, it spurs me on to work even harder.
I don't totally get the psychology of it, since intuitively, you think it would do the opposite and give me a pass to slack off...humans are so confusing.

It's true that you totally get more flies with honey than vinegar. (Flies, in this case, being a good thing)

I know that people do better with encouragement, so if/when I'm in a leadership position, I'm going to remember this fact.


Pardon the ramblings about me and myself and psychology.
How dull.
I just felt like ranting a bit.
Next post will be awesome.

What say you? How do you feel about encouragement/discouragement? What's the best way someone could encourage you?

Do-gooders and encouragement

I was debating doing something.


It was a something where I had seen a need and I had the option to fill it.  So, it was a nice something.
Then I started to feel convicted to do this something.  But I knew it wouldn't have been "a bad thing" for me not to do it.
I had an inner conflict, because I was oh-so-comfortable in my "do nothing about it" bubble, aka apathy.

Guess what happened?
Conflict resolved. A Bible verse popped into my mind.

It was cool, but convicting.

When it came to mind, I knew it was the Holy Spirit. The verse came out of left field and was counter to my laziness.


"Anyone, then, who knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." ~James 4:17

Pretty point-blank, eh?

[I knew it was from the book of James, but I'm not so great as to remember the exact reference. Thank goodness for biblegateway.com]


So I did the right thing, and guess what?
I felt joyful and like I was following God's will.
It wasn't some huge thing I did, but it was something I knew was right to do.
Every little bit helps me to be a better follower of Jesus.

And as a result, reinforcing verses and blessing has followed.

In Ephesians 2, it says I was created to do good works. I am equipped to do them, too.

Then in Galatians, it says, "let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." [Galatians 6:9]

To top it off, 1 John 5 says:
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.


Anyways, the moral for me today is: God is real and relevant, and He is working on me. He also speaks to me through the Bible, and it blows my mind.

Have you had any crazy-awesome encouraging moments? I'd love to hear them!