The buddy system.

The other day Colette said that she NEEDs the encouragement we get in reading something encouraging and hearing what others are doing during the week. She inspired a blog post as I am exactly the same!

Over the years I have had women come along side me that helped and encouraged me. Mum and Nan  first and foremost then I have spoken about others like Mrs. Starkey who really was my Christian mentor when the girls were small. When the girls were a little older I added Laine from Laines Letters to this list. And she was the first time that I had a mentor that was on line. I never got to speak to Laine until recently but she wrote in such a way you felt she was writing to you and she was your friend just around the corner! She came along side me and encouraged me along the way and every day really. What a difference she made!

Helen had the same experience. She would go to the library and print Laine's Letters from the Internet then read them at home when her boys were small. She said to me it was just wonderful! You felt you were getting a lovely letter from a friend. At the end of that letter you felt revived. Full of conviction and a great sense of purpose and direction!

We might be blessed with plenty of mentors and helpers in our lives or we might need more. It can be quite hard to find people with so much in common and with similar beliefs. This is where the internet is wonderful!

After Helen I met Kaye. When I say "met" I have never met either of these friends in the flesh! But we all became friends thanks to meeting on line. Well, what a big thing this has been for me. I truly feel you can make wonderful friends on line and cast your net wide too!

Overall it has added together that I have always had someone encourage me in each stage of life so far. I feel like Colette. I NEED that encouragement. I need someone to report to and talk to. I do better this way. I just do.

Our hearts need encouragement. Thank goodness there are lots of ways to get it! Making time to read your Bible and pray will give you great encouragement.  And we are instructed to encourage each other and build each other up. The older women are to teach and encourage the younger women.

There are plenty of verses on this. It is normal to feel this way and be this way.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are already doing. 1 Thess. 5:11

Encourage one another daily Hebrews 3: 13

And let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works Heb 10: 24

Of course there is a flip side. Dad always told me the power of one bad apple to send the whole case bad. And he wasn't talking about apples! 

The knowledge that we do better with support is used extensively in all kinds of ways. Schools have buddy systems, many training institutions have buddy systems and the 12 step programmes for fighting addictions have you have a mentor who comes along side you. Anyone in diet/weight loss,  fitness will tell you that you will do better with a buddy or support person. The athlete has a coach. The Bible also say that two are better than one, when one falls don the other can help him up! Well, that is so true!

it is worth remembering that what you can build up you can also tear down. We have to be careful to place ourselves as much as we can in places we are being built up and avoiding being torn down. I'm old enough to know the things that are damaging for me. Too much news, horror/frightening/tragic movies, some music, argumentative or negative people... I need to try and avoid!

But if I can get little dose everyday of encouragement, lovely things to be thinking about, goals and aims and plans, then I am just happy and busy as a little bee!  I also do well if I'm involved in a challenge of some sort, even with myself! 

I think we are like sponges! I seem to be able to absorb positivity and feel refuelled but I also can absorb negativity and feel drained and upset. So i KNOW I have to be careful where I frequent and have wonderful friends and mentors that encourage me in the right direction. If as adults we feel this way imagine how important this is for children.

Here I've been able to add things that I know work for me. I seriously do better because of Feather your nest Friday and I participate with Wendy on her blog as she lists the ways she saves each week. Wendy's blog is My Abundant Life.  I do better because Helen and Kaye never have a bad word to say and are full of happiness and encouragement. There are several just wonderful friends who have the same qualities that I am so grateful for.

In my pantry/cellar challenge I do better because Helen and I are doing the challenge together and then I added it as a challenge here and now there are a group of us! Seriously I will be thinking about it and working on it thinking "I can't wait to tell Helen" this or that or be able to write an update to share. I feel as though I have someone with me all the way. 

Plus something else... having a buddy in what ever you are doing makes it fun! Somehow a challenge is fun and motivating. I don't want to report that actually I did absolutely nothing. I want to report I did this, this and this and possibly get gold stars! lol Ok Im probably not getting gold stars. But you know what I mean when you FEEL like you did well and you feel good about it!

It's through friendship and support I usually achieve things that I feel good about!
Having some cheerleaders in your life is a really wonderful thing. And many people don't. You can see just about any time that if you encourage someone or compliment them that they light up. It is a small thing to do to encourage someone but really it's so important. Be someones cheerleader, it might make such a difference to them. 


You know when things have a good influence on you really by the way you feel and by the fruit of it. The right influences make me feel inspired, energetic, happy, encouraged, faithful, purposeful... and the wrong .... my energy feels sapped, depressed, discouraged... etc. The difference is instant. 

I had a laugh today. My husband sent me a text and he always makes up sweet names for me. This one was "my mighty little trooper" !!! Well, I am good with that. I am hanging around with the right people that encourage me to get lots done and be busy as a bee or a little soldier apparently!


All the flowers are currently in my garden. I have never grown these Lilly's before so I am really proud of them. Now some white ones are about to come out too! Plus we have had glorious weather. My garden is one of my "right places to hang around" as I feel happy and inspired when out in my garden. 

xxx