“You have been chosen for this recognition because of the encouragement and inspiration you bring to your readers. “

Thank you, Lydia, for this award that is truly after my own heart. Joy and encouragement are lifelines for me, and I am thankful that we serve a God who loves us so much that He placed these wonderful attributes at our disposal. Lydia loves the Lord, and walks in joy and encouragement, so please stop by her blog for a refreshing.

And Gail, I thank you for this award as well. I believe we can never have too much encouragement, for true encouragement comes from a heart of love; so it is no surprise that those giving and receiving the Barnabas Award are they themselves encouragers. Gail will inspire you with her transparent writing.

The way this works: Thank the person who nominated you, and share their blog. Think of five bloggers that encourage and inspire you and nominate them. List five things about yourself. Lastly, ask your nominees five questions. Why five? Because five is the number that signifies grace.

5 Facts about me:

  1. I am thankful for the breath in my lungs provided by my Creator.
  2. Life is a precious gift to be encouraged.
  3. I love and am so proud of my grandson that I’m over the moon!
  4. We should never separate love and truth.
  5. I cannot get enough of the intense autumn color around me (I take several shots of the same trees, bushes, etc. because one just doesn’t seem enough ;)).

5 Questions For Nominees:

  1. Who in your life is your biggest encourager? Other than the encouragement I receive from the Lord and His Word, it is hands-down, my husband Ken ♥
  2. How do you see yourself as being an encouragement to others? I love to see godly characteristics in those around me, and highlight them through the spoken and written word.
  3. When was the last time someone gave you words of encouragement? Today. ♥
  4. When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on? Remembering how much God, and the people in my life love me is a great motivator. The other thing I do is look for something to laugh about.
  5. Who was your greatest encourager when you first accepted Christ? My friend Debbie, who brought me to church in the first place. She was/is a precious friend who patiently and thoroughly answered the questions I had DAILY (no exaggeration).

Here are 5 of the many people that encourage me:

  1. Maxine at Heavensreef
  2. Matthew at Jesusluvsall
  3. Patty at He Said What?!
  4. Sarah at My Witness
  5. Dawn at Drawing Closer to Christ

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11.