Word of Encouragement

Recently I read a book by Admiral William H. McRaven MAKE YOUR BED…Little things that can change your life and maybe the world. It is a really simple read, maybe an afternoon. But as is true of most really simple ideas, it is quite profound. I found it worth a few weeks in our word of encouragement. As I read, I felt like I had said many of the same ideas on Sunday mornings. There are ten ideas the admiral presents learned from Navy Seal training, each one has the potential to create real change in a life.

1. “Start your day with a task completed–make your bed.” When there are so many tasks and incidents and choices that come at us every day, it is important to begin the day with an accomplishment because a task completed sets the tone for the day. And if you begin each day, the task itself becomes a statement to you and to the people around you that you are ready for a new day and ready to handle what comes your way. Admiral McRave tells of the time he was in a serious parachute accident and hospitalized for many weeks. The first day he was able to get out of bed, the first thing he did was make his bed, his hospital bed. He needed to tell himself, the nursing staff, his colleagues and his family that he was now ready to conquer his injuries and proceed into whatever the day had in store.

~Grace & Peace~
Pastor Ernie