Affirmation Story continued...

I love this passage in The Message, Hebrews 10:25 - "Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."


Psalm 10:17 - "You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry." NIV


1 Corinthians 14:3 - "But those who proclaim God's message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort." The Good News Bible


Affirmation and encouragement appear to be from the voice of God in good times and in bad. I think affirmations are part of God's universal love language to His people and His people need to be speaking His voice to each other continuously in these times.

A tool I have used that really helps in sharing Affirmations is one Leadership Catalyst has produced titled, Experiencing Affirmation. Go to: http://www.truefaced.com/ to purchase this fantastic tool to bless your family, small group, co-workers and friends.



The affirmation story in Friday Harbor began on the beach, with a group of men circled up around a beach fire. We were talking about our journeys in raising sons. We felt the need to affirm them and weren't sure how to go about it. This led to practicing affirmations amongst ourselves. Each guy lifted up the other, taking turns sharing words of affirmation around the fire. What an unforgetable evening! From this night, a wave of affirmations spread to men as far away as Lopez Island.

Affirmation

A funny thing happened on the way to a men's retreat. Here is the story. A few weeks ago, as I was preparing to give a message at our Lopez Island/Friday Harbor CTK men's retreat, I picked up an activity in affirming others. Monique, my wife, and I experienced affirming each other at a recent marriage conference and it was powerful. God used the time together to encourage us, pour His love into us, and give us the opportunity to love on each other, His way. The tool we used is titled, Experiencing Affirmation in Marriage and it can be purchased through the ministry of Leadership Catalyst. www.leadershipcatalyst.org They offer the same tool for affirming family members, leadership teams and small groups. I strongly encourage you to give it a try with your spouse, co-workers, friends and family.

The major theme of the retreat was unmasking, taking off the false protective layers of stuff that surround our hearts making it difficult, if not impossible, to receive love. I felt God saying to men that men, in the midst of unmasking, need to be affirmed and encouraged. There is not enough encouragement in our lives, in our culture and our God is an encourager.

Scriptures on encouragement... and the rest of the story in the next post.