When Leanne penned a note to her daughter’s coach that day, she had no idea it would make such a huge difference in Jill Beran’s life. She didn’t know Jill was at her lowest point, where doubt and loneliness had lead her into deep depression.
With just the right words, God spoke courage and hope into Jill’s heart, through Leanne.
At just the right time, He reached through the darkness and touched Jill’s life, through Leanne.
The night Jill came home, her depression had turned to despair. And then Leann’s note fell out of Jill’s journal. Simple words of appreciation brought hope into the darkness. Someone saw something in Jill that she couldn’t see in herself. Someone believed her life was worth living.
Leanne’s simple words helped changed the course of Jill’s life. But, as I shared in my devotion today, that’s just the beginning of their story. You can read the rest of it in their book Letters from Leanne. Today, I asked them to share more with us about it:
Tell us a little about the book: Letters from Leanne is the story of our friendship over the last ten years and how God has worked through it . We share the joys and trials we’ve encountered on our walk of faith, but ultimately how we saw God’s hand in every situation.
Jill, why did you write this book? Initially, I wanted to thank Leanne. I’d been blessed by her perspective as a mom, her acceptance as a friend, her guidance as an older woman and especially the love she poured out as a Christian. But it isn’t just a thank you to Leanne; it’s a thank you to God. Our friendship has been and still is a gift. I pray by reading our story, women will be encouraged to build similar relationships in their lives.
What do you hope readers will gain? We pray women will be encouraged in their faith and inspired to find or be a mentor. We share how mentoring is not about having all the answers, but simply sharing your life with someone. We give you a look at a specific spiritual mentoring relationship and take you on the journey of how our’s grew.
We’ve also included questions in each chapter to help women apply what we share to their personal lives. Women are encouraged to slow down and take a look at their own lives and find lessons in the letters.
To find out more about Letters from Leanne, visit Amazon. And if you’d like to connect with Jill you can visit her blog.
Encouraging Words Gift Pack
A copy of Letters from Leanne
A $5 Starbucks gift card
A pack of pretty cards
A notepad to give away
20 verses to personalize and send to a friend*********************************
- Leave your name and email typed out (your name at email provider dot com).
- List one person you’re going to encourage this week and how you’re going to do it.
- List your favorite “encouraging” verse if you have one.
Be sure to come back Wednesday for a video blog chat with my friend, author and speaker, Jennifer Rothschild. She’s shares great insights as we talk about the power of words! Also, I’ll be sharing about new make-up I discovered that I call my “magic eraser.” We used it to cover Jennifer’s black eye. More about that Weds. You might even win some along with two of her amazing books and another gift card!
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kjlehman09 at yahoo dot com
I plan on encouraging my friend as she goes through a very high risk pregnancy and doesn't know what is going to happen.
One of my favorite scriptures of encouragement is Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Deborah McLaren at windstream. net
My friend Trish who lives God and needs encouragement this week.
"I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy " ps 116:1. Amen for mercy!
My email is [email protected].
I will be encouraging 2 people this week: my sister, Faith, who is recuperating from acute renal failure 6 weeks ago and is battling depression AND my good friend, Lynn, who is in serious financial need after her ex-husband caused her to lose her job.
My favorite encouraging verse is Romans 15:13. The word HOPE was what I held onto when my husband was battling cancer for 2 years. He won the ultimate healing: to heaven with Jesus.
So sorry that you lost your post…stuff like that drives me crazy. And I am so glad that you went on to get sleep instead of rewriting…good for you girl!
melanieacroy at hotmail dot com
I will be encouraging my husband today. He is working on his masters degree and is very burnt out.
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Have a blessed day!!!
tracey1018 at comcast dot net
I am going to set out to encourage some youth at youth group this week.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim 1:7 (AMP)
Thank you for these beautiful words of encouragment this morning!
dawn dot rodgers at masterpiecefit dot com
I'm going to encourage my friend Jennifer whose in the middle of the adoption process. I know that she is frustrated but I know that God is going to do something amazing in her family!
My favortie scripture for encouragement is 1 Sam 12:16
"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!"
AWESOME!
lawoods1011 at gmail dot com
I am going to encourage myself this week to be disciplined in spending quiet time with the Lord.
I struggle with this on a daily basis being convicted that I am not making time for the Lord. I am going to make it a goal to get into the word and read your Daily Devotions each day. Thank you for making it so convenient and leaving no room for excuses!
Philipians 4:13
I can (and WILL) do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!
I am in need of encouraging every day and for some reason February thru April is really tough on me.
I am blessed to have recieved a copy of letters from Leanne it is awesome i find myself so much like Jill and i also am very lucky to have Carol in my life she is my mentor and the one person i can freely talk about god or anything with. she is a blessing that i could never repay. a true gift from god.
i don't have a favorite scripture.
[email protected]
I have had times when I have written a whole blog and lost it so I understand how upsetting that can be.
Today I had a teen girl that said she wished she was so perfect just like other girls. I told her that just because the look "perfect on the outside doesn't mean they are not struggling with thinking they are fat, ugly, bolemia, other struggles in their lives. I told her to be herself and look from within not just from the outter shell because she never knows what others are going through no matter how "perfect" they percieve to be.
Psalms 139:14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
lawoods1011 at gmail dot com
I am going to encourage myself this week to be disciplined about having quiet time with the Lord. I struggle everyday with this issue. My goal is to get into the word and here is where I began. I look forward to the daily devotions to help me achieve my goal. Thank you for making this so convienent that there is no room for excuses!
Philipians 4:13
I can (and will) do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me!
I will be encouraging a special friend this week. My verse is proverbs 3:5-6.
LindaAnn at [email protected]
SandraS
My email is [email protected]
I will be encouraging to my boys.They are teenagers and that is a difficult time.
My favorite verse for encouragement is Joshua 1:9
Be strong and of good courage: do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
One of my favorite verses is encouraging to me because I believe it illustrates our purpose for being and frees me to be what God created me to be.
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
Although we are not perfect, we can do that.
Dawn Hanzel
[email protected]
DonnaLarue at acxiom dot com
One of my favorite encouraging verses is Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6
lisa.b.mccurry at gmail dot com
I will be encouraging my boyfried, his new journey with Christ, and his struggles with letting go of his past and forgiving himself.
My favorite encouraging verse, is hard to narrow. I have two, if that's ok.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galations 6:9
and
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him" Psalm 62:5
•Jill Jarvis/jill[at]jilljarvis.com
•Shannon & Jen for their volunteering & encouraging of college women
•"For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
This is a wonderful post! I have a friend who just lost her hubby to cancer, we are going to have lunch this week and I hope that the Lord will use me as an encouragement and just a shoulder to cry on for this dear friend.
~~Kathy
fourkerwins at sbcglobal dot net
Hello! Sorry about your technology issues-grrr very frustrating!
my email: [email protected]
Favorite verse: Hmm hard to come up with 1 so I'm going to say two of them:
Proverbs 15:1-'A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.' Very challenging to remember this with 3 teenagers in the house.
Matthew 6:34-'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' This verse has helped me so much over the years. I really have learned to not sweat the small stuff anymore!
I'm going to be encouraging a dear friend this week as she embarks on the Made to Crave journey!
Thanks for your encouragment!
cvrcall at cox dot net
I will be encouraging my son's high school counselor. She puts out so much time, effort and energy that she needs to filled back up again.
And it seems to me many's favorite:
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Hate when that happens and work is not saved!!!
tlgoldbach131 at verizon dot net
My favorite scripture is also Jer 29:11, I have reminders of it all over my house! And it was read at my 2nd wedding. My first husband passed away and I knew that marrying my best friend the 2nd time was God's plan for my future to have hope.
I will encourage a friend of mine this week, she always needs encouragement for so many reasons! I usually forward P31 devotions to her but I think she finally signed up to get them on her own!