My Little Encouragers

Being a woman, it's nice to hear encouragement from people from time to time. Though I guess, it doesn't matter if you're a woman or a man, it's still nice to hear encouraging words to propel you along. I just stereotypically see woman as the ones who like to HEAR the encouraging words more than men.

Gary Chapman breaks down the way people need to hear "I love you" into 5 love languages - words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, receiving gifts, or acts of service. You can go online to his website for the 5 Love Languages Quiz and take the quiz to find your primary love language, and you can also get his book which covers each love language in depth and shows you how to minister love to other people (this is great, if you work with people a lot - it helps you build relationships on the job, with friends, and with family. And it helps you be a better communicator).

At any rate, my primary love language is words of affirmation, and then quality time is my secondary. Receiving gifts is lower on my priority list. I'd rather receive a nice phone call of encouragement any day, rather than a gift.

Well, thankfully, my little boys have turned into my encouragers, and God has blessed me in that they speak my love language so easily (words of affirmation is also Joshua's love language and quality time is Caleb's primary love language - so this makes it easier for them to speak my language).

Some of the things I have heard come out of their mouths lately:

- Joshua (J): Mama, I sure do love you.

- Caleb (C): Mama, you are pretty.

- J: You're a princess.

- J: When I grow up, I'm going to marry you, and I'll NEVER leave you. (side note: while this might sound nice, I really do want him to get married and move out one day)

- J: You are a good mama.

- J: God loves your heart, and so do I.

- C: I love your pretty hair.

- J: (as I walked out and left him at school) Have a good day, Mama.

- C: (grabbing my face in his hands) You are sooooooo pretty.

- J: God has a special plan for you, Mama. - This is one of my favorites. Joshua just told me this the other night.

None of these compliments and

encouragements are solicited, and I don't think any of them are in response to something I have said to them immediately before their encouraging words. They just come up with them on their own and then share them.

I am so blessed to have these two little men in my life and to be their mommy. I'm thankful God has given me this opportunity to train them and to watch their lives unfold in all that He has for them.

Just a note - on my little boy squad!