Be Courageous and Bold

No fear! No regrets! Think what that means to you,
In your latest struggle is God able to bring you through?
When conflicting news is what you’ve heard,
Turn to the wisdom of God’s Word.

Toss aside confusion, doubts, and aggravation,
Press ahead with prayer and determination;
Don’t be tied down by faithless hesitation,
Flex your mental muscles towards exploration.

What do you think God wants you to do?
His Holy Spirit empowers you;
You’re not alone, He shows you how,
Be courageous! Be bold! Begin right now!

by Elaine Hardt ©2008

Jim's (Grin)

I’d been getting e-mails from Jim lately, now that he was elected president of the local computer group. One identifying mark of most every note from him was a notation: (grin). He was not one to put on airs, as we used to say. A down-to-earth guy he’d put you at ease, and he did pass on information with a friendly humor and that (grin).

The usefulness of a (grin) became evident now. I promised myself to try to remember to identify my humor, as well as other pertinent emotions. That’s one advantage a phone call or a conversation in person, or even the writing of a story or an article has over just sending a quick e-mail or letter. The recipient can hear the tone of your voice or see such helpful words as “she gasped” or “she giggled” or “he smiled.”

Identifying emotion is a valuable skill. When you’re watching a play the actors are adopting a stance or a tone of voice to get across to the audience the importance and meaning of their scripted words. When you’re writing a poem or story or article the choice of words either assists or confuses the reader.

Maybe there should be more “what I mean to say is” or “the gist of the matter to me is.” Would an introduction of “I thought this was funny” or “this is a serious matter” help the recipient of the letter?

What terminology are you comfortable using? What little hints or outright labeling would help you be more specific when you write?

We might write one thing quickly and send it off, without giving the words a second look. Perhaps there’d be better words to use, better phrasing to compose. Perhaps in our haste we haven’t given any thought to the emotion we wish the reader to comprehend.

A clear notion of emotion may be what’s missing in our writing, as well as in our reading of letters and notes.. Now, for friends and family I’m latching on to Jim’s (grin) and enjoying a new awareness of helpful notation.
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Encouraging You

Encouraging you,
How is it possible to do?

Reaching out in a way that's kind,
Appealing to your thoughtful mind.
Suggesting some ideas I know,
Letting a little my struggle show.
Maybe exploring facets of success,
Learning strength from challenge and weakness.
Praying you'd be a lot less stressed,
Asking God that your life be blessed.
Sharing Scripture that I've pondered,
Talking about how all have wandered.
Jesus' forgiveness gives release,
Grace and faith brings joy and peace.
Life means great opportunity, I'd say,
Encouraging you on this brand new day!

by Elaine Hardt ©2008