Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Balcony People......Revisited!

It is such a JOY to be around people who lift up others with their actions and their words! Maya Angelou often quotes these priceless words:  "I have learned people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel."  It is my prayer to always be a balcony person and lift others UP!  Let us set about this beautiful task of encouraging others every day that we live!

A BRIGHT sunny balcony just waiting to open up the day with sunshine! Balcony people in our lives cheer us on to be our best!



How about a whole "choir" of balconies just waiting to cheer on the day? When we are a part of God's family.....we become a choir of cheerleaders!



This Balcony is closed......closed to the sunshine and the joy of morning!




Just at the right time God sends a whole row of Balcony people! One of my favorite little books is called simply, Balcony People! I loved this little book for it's endless encouragement but long ago, I gave it to someone who I felt needed it! I have never forgotten it's beautiful message. It truly ministered to me, and was life changing.....at the time. Valuable words are something I hope to give or receive everyday. I grew up without a Father in the home. I did get to spend a limited amount of time with my Father though and I did love him and in his own way, I believe he loved me. My mother worked full time and so a great deal of my childhood was spent with babysitters or grandmothers. These factors developed in me a deep, deep, deep desire to always be a mother available to my children and made me want to cheer them on in every situation! I have loved being a Mom and along with my husband, we have sought to not only cheer on our own family but anyone that God so graciously placed in our pathway. In my own life, I was divinely blessed to have people who mentored me or believed in me and used encouragement to lift me up to be what I needed to be and helped me. These were the balcony people, always using words to lift up, not tear down. These kind of people help others set goals that can be achieved so that their lives can be positive and they can become the BEST that they can be. The pictures above give you a visual image of those who set in the balcony bring sunshine to our lives.....sometimes God sends a whole choir of balcony people and those people truly make an impact. May I ask.....what kind of person are you? Are you one who lifts up or sits in the basement and tears down, in negative ways. It is something to think about each and everyday. The minister and best selling author, Joel Osteen, says " If you truly want to become a better you, it is imperative that you learn to feel good about yourself. Too many people live under condemnation, constantly listening to the wrong voices". He reminds us to listen to God's Words from the Bible and live each day seeking to become the person God planned for us to be! I might add, that it begins by looking upward, becoming real before God in prayer through repentance and accepting the beautiful TRUTH that God loves you and sent His Son as the Savior of the world, knowing that the Heavens declare His Glory and the TRUTH that you can become all you were meant to be! "Thank you precious Lord for the Balcony people in my life......now let me be a Balcony person to others! Amen!"