Welcome to the Beautiful View Podcast, where we encourage you to look for opportunities in your life to see a beautiful view. I'm Candy. 

And I'm Paul. Today we are going to talk about the power of encouragement. 

Yes, we can all appreciate when someone encourages us. Today we're going to talk about how receiving encouragement benefits us. 

And how we can be better encourages whether it comes naturally to us or not. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful view.

Before we jump into today's episode, let's catch everyone up on what we've been up to the last few weeks. 

Sure, yes, let's do that. 

Yeah, so you had a birthday? 

I did. Yeah, I got older. 

You did. You did. What did we do for your birthday? We, oh, we took a little trip on the day before your birthday. 

Day before, which I, no, I counted it. 

Yeah, it was definitely like a birthday trip. We went to Wisconsin with some of our friends. 

We did. And we went to that fantastic restaurant. Which was this one stop on the trip? 

Yes, yeah. We went to several little places, but we went to Baumgartner's. 

Yes. 

Isn't that how you say it? 

Baumgartner's, yeah. 

And we had Lynn Burger cheese sandwiches. 

We did. 

That was an experience. 

Yeah. 

So it was Lindberger cheese. Is that how you say it? 

Yeah. 

So it's a stinky cheese. 

It is a very stinky cheese. 

It's served at room temperature. 

Yep. 

I had mine with salami, but it's served on like rye. 

Rye bread, which is a very dark brown bread. So it looks like it could be like chocolate cake or something. 

Yeah. It does not taste like chocolate. 

Cake. It doesn't taste like chocolate cake. But yeah, you had the salami and I had what has turned into a great alternative. curse word for me, which is Bronchweiger. Bronchweiger, which is like a... 

Don't tell what it is. 

No, I'm going to say it's pig's liver. It's made of pig's liver. So sausage made of pig's liver, which has a very distinctive taste. So the Limburger cheese, which is taste and smell. 

Yeah. 

And the branch weiger sausage with some red onions. They had thinly sized red onions. So that was interesting. 

And there were like different mustards and condiments you could put on it too, like a honey mustard and a spicy. 

And a stone ground mustard. Yeah, it was. 

I don't know that it's something that I would crave on the regular necessarily, but it was definitely an experience. And if I went back, I would probably have it again. 

Yeah, it was like taste, smell, turned up to 11. 

Yeah. 

And all in a meal. It was really cool. They had, so this is a kind of a Swiss themed restaurant. And And so one of the things that they do, this is a really old building and it has a wooden ceiling. And when you first go in there, the ceiling is covered with dollar bills and it's very high. So it's obvious that no one has actually like climbed up there and done that. So we're like, how does that work? So we asked them and they came out with, so they fold each, you give them a dollar bill. and they fold it a specific way so it kind of has like wings on the end. 

And then they have 3/4 and I don't know why it's three. I guess maybe 4 is too many and two isn't enough or something. But 3/4 and they're taped together. And then they fold the dollar bill around the quarters and then they put like a thumbtack in it. 

Yeah, they do. 

And then they throw it at the ceiling until it sticks. And then once a year, they pull all the cash down and then they donate it to a charity. So that's really cool. So anyway, so that was. 

Kind of one thing. 

Throwing thumbtacks, eating stinky cheese. 

So we survived. 

We did. 

My birthday celebrations were dangerous, which is always a cool thing. Yeah, so we did that. So it was a really cool day. 

Yeah, it was a good day. So we also, we got the RV winterized. 

Which is always to me sad. 

And you washed it really good yesterday. 

Yeah, I did. I went out, it took me all day to wash the thing. I had to go up on the roof and Because, when you put water on the roof, it gets slippery. 

Slippery, yeah. 

So I have to kind of do it a little bit at a time by hand. 

Yep. 

And so it took me all day long to clean the RV, but it looks really nice now. Yeah, So, and seems like... Not a moment too soon, because just the other day we had our first snowfall. 

We did, yeah. It was big, like wet flakes and too warm for anything to stick. Yeah, it was kind of pretty though. 

Yeah, it was a harbinger of things to come. 

And then yesterday it was 70, sometimes it was 70 degrees. So it was a beautiful day yesterday. 

So no fear yet. 

Yeah, So we're still in that back and forth time. 

But the time, with the time change, you know, obviously the days have gotten shorter. 

Yes. Yeah. It's pretty much nighttime by about 430 P.m. now. It's like it's mostly dark outside by 430. 

It is. The sun is low in the sky. So, and where are we now? So just two days ago, we went to the Iowa Brewery Guilds Conference in North Liberty, Iowa. And we did some breakout session classes on marketing and Law was another track. 

And then actually the brewing side of things. So our working at River Ridge Brewing, being the manager there, I got to go to that. So it was really informative. And Paul got to tag along with this. 

And yeah, I did. 

So it was a great day. It was learned some stuff, got some kind of confirmation that we're doing some things right. And yeah, exciting. 

And the marketing stuff was kind of like things that you can use basically in any business. 

Yeah, for whatever we do. 

And now you're on winter hours at the brewery. 

We are, yep. So we're closed Mondays and Tuesdays. So that's been kind of nice because it means I at least get two days off a week. So, but no, it's been good. 

Yeah. Okay. So what are we going to talk about today? 

Today we're going to talk about something that I feel is really important. 

Yes. 

Every day we have the opportunity to both be encouraged and to encourage others. We probably all have one or two people in our lives that come to mind. pretty quickly when we think of someone who is an encourager. I would say, for me, my mom was always that person for me who just always was like, always in my court, always my biggest cheerleader. Didn't matter what I was doing. That was, you know, she was always a great encourager. And she didn't just do that for me. She did that for a lot of people. So, but I, it's kind of a neat thing to aspire to be. 

Sure, yeah. Encouragement gives strength. It builds connection. and it reflects God's love in action to the people around us. 

Absolutely. In this episode, we are going to discuss why encouragement is important, give some tips for being a good encourager, even if it doesn't come naturally to you, and we'll also share what the Bible has to say about it. 

Encouragement is important because it fuels motivation, confidence, and resilience. It helps people keep going even when things are difficult, which often can be. Can you think of a time when someone encouraged you and made a difference in your life? 

Yeah, I can remember when I first started doing hair. I was right out of high school. I went to cosmetology school, graduated, and then I got a job at a local retirement center in their salon. So, and as much as I loved that and loved the people there, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind for like my end game for my career. So, but one of my co-workers decided, several months after I had worked there that she was going to purchase a salon in town. 

Okay, yeah. 

So, and she wanted me to come with her. So that was a little like, I was like, oh gosh, I've only been doing hair for like 3 months. It's all been in this retirement center where most of the clients are pretty much laid on for you, So it was a little, I was 20, probably 20 years old. It was a little nerve-wracking to think of like having to completely start over with my clientele and everything. But she was so encouraging to me. And just, she was like, you're not going to be doing it by yourself. I'm going to help you. know, I'll work with you on your booth rental for the first, you know, six months, a year, whatever we need to do to kind of get you going. 

Okay. 

She really encouraged me in that. And it ended up being fabulous. I was there for 10 years or so. 

Yeah. 

All said and done. So, but it was, it was a little nerve-wracking, but those were, those ended up being, working with those girls. That was some of the best years of my life. We made a lot of memories. It was a lot of fun. 

Yeah. And those were the girls that you were working with when I first came over to the States. So I remember more well. And it was a good crew. 

It was fun. Can you think of a time when someone encouraged you and it really made a difference? 

Well, this is friendship that's continuing right now. And the first person that I thought of actually is my friend Colton. He is a great encourager and he knows what makes me tick. I think more importantly, above everything else, he is more about relationships than he is about like, you know, professional stuff. So, you know, obviously I do work for him. and for the church that he pastors. But he's more concerned with maintaining a healthy relationship and encouraging me as a friend, which? 

Yeah. 

So he is a pastor in Temple, Texas. And he doesn't necessarily tell me that I have done a fantastic job on whatever graphic I've produced or video I've done for them. 

Sure. 

But he'll say things like, I'll know you'll, I know you'll get it done. like when a project has a deadline, I know you're going to get it done for us. Or he'll say things like, you have done everything that we were expecting. So, you know, good job, you got it, you got it done. So Those are kind of words of affirmation I really appreciate. 

Yeah. 

And it makes me want to sort of stick with the projects that they pass along to me. 

Yeah, so in other words, he promotes resilience, right? 

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. The way that works is I stick with the project. And because I feel better about myself and what I'm doing. 

Yeah, it kind of boosts your morale and your positivity toward the job and working for them and doing, getting things done. It lifts your spirits. 

Yeah, I know I'm on the right track. 

Yeah. 

And so I know that our actual personal relationship doesn't depend on my work. 

Right. 

You know, he friends first, which is very, very good. 

Yeah, I like that. Whether we're talking about encouraging our kids, our spouse, students, teachers out there, teammates, employees, friends, or random stranger. Encouragement inspires growth in that person. I think it also grows the encourager as well, though. 

So how does one become a good encourager? 

Well-being an encourager means intentionally speaking life and hope into others. 

Okay. 

The first thing to focus on is being genuine. 

Yes. 

Speak from the heart. Authenticity matters way more than enthusiasm. 

Yeah, I know what you mean. People can definitely see through someone who doesn't take a genuine approach. For instance, Colton. I said, like, I know that first of all, he is... a friend and he encourages me as a person. It's not based on work. And I mentioned before, I don't do well with accolades. So I need to define that a little more clearly. We've talked about love languages in previous episodes. One of my love languages is words of affirmation. So I am motivated, as most people are, by appreciation. But when I say accolades, I mean this to sound different because There are ways that people can use encouragement in a disingenuous way. 

Sure, yeah. 

For instance, accolades can be used to drive productivity in a professional context. If a boss only acknowledges good work when there is an audience to hear him or her give that acknowledgement, then it can indicate that your achievements are being leveraged to set a standard for everybody else. For me personally, if I get a personal thank you in private from my boss, like you did a great job on that. I really appreciate the effort you put in. That means more to me than being called out, you know, at a staff meeting or whatever for excellent work, you know? And I think it's obvious to most people when encouragement is not genuine. 

That's interesting. Okay. It's also important to listen first. Sometimes when someone comes to us with their struggles, we're eager to help them, so we throw a bunch of words their way. It's important to understand someone's struggle sometimes, though, before offering those words of encouragement. It helps to just listen and see where they're coming from. 

Okay. So to take your time. 

Yeah. 

When we listen well, we can be very specific with our encouragement to that person. When we do this well, we can follow their journey, continuing to encourage them while celebrating small wins along the way. 

Yeah. We also have the power to set an encouraging tone everywhere that we exist, right? In our homes, our places of work. the lives of those whom we spend the most time with. As with anything, this is most impactful when you model it. If you're just preaching it all the time, but you're not actually modeling it, then that's not very genuine. No, it isn't. But we can set the uplifting example by practicing it ourselves. 

So what if you love the idea of being an encourager, but it just doesn't come naturally to you? 

That's a fair question. 

I mean, I would put myself in that category. I wouldn't consider myself to be a natural encourager. 

Okay. Well, it can feel a little uncomfortable at first. but it really is a skill that anyone can learn. Here's some tips. So we're going to share some tips today on how to get started to be a good encourager. Okay, are you ready? 

Yes. 

Okay. So the first one is we're going to start small. 

Okay. 

And what I mean by that is simple little phrases like telling someone they did a good job on something. 

Okay. 

Or, just telling someone, I really appreciate you. 

Yeah. 

Know, you're doing a great job. I appreciate what you did. 

Yeah, say thank you. 

Yeah, say thank you. 

Yeah. 

Gratitude goes a long way. So we're going to start small. That's the first thing. The next thing is we're going to pay attention, which is kind of hard sometimes because there are a lot of distractions around us. But if we're around other people, say, in the workplace or if you're a teacher at school with your co-workers in your household, pay attention to what the other people around you are doing. Notice their effort. and notice when there's growth. 

So I guess that would mean like, because when I'm in a situation, oftentimes I'm thinking about what I'm doing and trying to, do that right. So it means to take a step back from what you're doing and notice what everybody's doing around you, right? 

Yeah, because oftentimes we know of a certain person who's been struggling. Okay, so and if I go into my job and I'm just Focused on what I'm supposed to be doing, focused on what I'm supposed to be doing, But then there's also, I'm working with someone who I know has been struggling. if I take just a minute and say, hey, how are you doing? I just want to encourage you today. I notice that you seem to be happier. You seem to be, you know, you're smiling today. That's awesome. 

Okay. 

You know, just notice those little things. Pay attention to the people around you rather than staying so tunnel vision. All right, so our third tip is going to be to write it down. 

Okay. 

When was the last time that you wrote a little note or a little message or a little card to someone just to send them like, you know, something just to lift their spirits? 

Okay. 

Or something to tell them you're thinking about them. I mean, this could be as simple as like sending a Facebook message or an e-mail or an e-mail or a text message to someone. But sometimes those little notes have as much, if not more meaning than the spoken word because I have, and I know you at one time did too, I have a little box of cards that people have given to me over the years that just really encouraged me or, lifted my spirits or whatever. And the thing about that is you can pull those out. If you're feeling kind of down, you can pull those back out and they can refresh you again and encourage you again and again. So. 

Yeah, I have a folder in my filing cabinet. 

Yeah. 

And And sometimes I'll go through those. And I mean, those date back, gosh, 10, 15 years ago now. But I still have those. And it's not like they're on display or anything, but if I need a little bit of a boost, I can pick them out. 

Sure. So if that's an encouragement to us to be able to do that, then we should do that for other people too. Absolutely. And that's a that's a challenge for me too, because it's hard to take the time sometimes to do that. So the next tip is to reframe your mindset. So being an encourager is not about being overly cheerful, it's not about like coming in. I had a teacher in high school, and I won't say who, but if you had the class with me, you'll probably know who I'm talking about. But she would come in every day, good morning, students, you know, and just overly, overly cheerful. And I mean, to us, we were just like, gosh. 

So she'd had way too much coffee. 

Well, probably. That's probably what it was. Just overcompensating, maybe. Overcaffeinated, overcompensating. 

I don't know. 

But, you know, I mean, people can tell. It's not about being overly cheerful. It's about noticing the value in other people. So, you know, just kind of paying attention to things. And you don't have to be like the bringer of 

All things positive. 

All things positive to be encouraging to someone. Okay, so the next thing is to practice gratitude. The more that you recognize good around you and the more gratitude that you have for things around you, the easier it is to offer encouragement. Does that make sense? 

And it encourages other people as well. So if you say thank you for something, then later on in that day, that person you thanked is probably going to to thank someone else or thank you back. So yeah. 

It's when we practice gratitude on the regular, it makes it easier to be grateful and then to say thank you or to encourage someone. Yeah, And then number six, the sixth tip is to keep it authentic. 

Yes, which is kind of what we were talking about. 

Absolutely. Encouragement that sounds like you, right? Instead of this high and mighty or, try something super positive or super positive and cheerful. Encouragement that sounds like you will feel natural and sincere. So yeah, so those are some good tips for if encouragement does not come naturally to you. And we might even put those in the show notes. I think that would be a good idea to kind of list those so that you can refer to those after the fact. So. 

So encouragement is needed in places or in situations where people are learning, striving, or struggling. 

Yeah, we are in a lot of different places, right? 

Yes, we all are. 

And we have our place that we work, we have our place that maybe we attend church, we have our place in our home. If you're a teacher, you have a place at school with students. If you're a student, you have your place with your teachers and other students around you. 

Sure. 

We have friendships. with people. So we're just, so some of these things like in your workplace, for instance, so, there's always like challenges, right? There's always things to kind of overcome or to be better at. There's sometimes there's change that's implemented. And then you kind of have to adjust and people that can send people into a little frenzy sometimes. So those are times where it needs somebody to come in and encourage the staff to, it's going to be okay. to kind of take that lead and then to also thank them for what they do and those kinds of things. So. 

Okay, Also, you mentioned in schools? 

Yeah. 

When students need confidence or persistence to get a project done. And we all have in mind like the teacher that made the most impact on you, right? 

Oh, of course, yeah. 

So the teacher that I specifically have in mind, Mr. Hayes for geography. 

Okay. 

And Mr. Hayes always approached each task that we had to do by struggling through the problem with you. So we would have a task or an assignment and he would give the background information. And then if there was a paper to write about the thing where you would have to go away and write a little essay about based on a question, he would kind of be like, when I think about this, when I think about this problem, there are some things that come to mind. And so he would kind of come up with like different aspects of the situation that we're learning and kind of think through it with you. 

So he made you think like you were going through it together. 

Yes. 

It wasn't like something he was talking down to you. 

No. 

It was more like, let's figure this out together. 

Yeah, here's what I need you to do. Like, you better have your essay in time. Good luck. Yeah. 

May the odds be ever in your favor. 

No, he would, he would, he would. work through it with you. He would encourage you to give some feedback, like, so what do you think about that? 

Yeah. 

And those were always just the best classes because you felt like, wow, I had a conversation with my teacher about it. And he valued our opinions as well, even though we were like little kids, he valued our opinions. 

So there's definitely something to be said for that. Another place that encouragement is needed is in our homes. 

For sure. 

And with our family members. Yes, the love, the connection, the, building up of the family. So that is really important. 

Right. 

In friendships, a lot of times you have things that you go through in life and sometimes it's just nice to know that you have someone in your corner to go through it with you. So That's a really special thing. 

So a friend that's been through a similar situation. This is how I got through it when this happened to me. I know when you feel like the problem is shared. That's Yeah, that's huge. 

So and it is encouraging. So a lot of times there's faith and community groups. And I know there have been many times back along where we were involved in like a small group Bible study or something like that. And we were able to share our lives with these other people that we kind of did life with. And we were able to lift each other up and encourage each other and pray for each other and those kinds of things. And so that's also important. Even, talk about sports teams, encourage each other in that, Sports are a really big thing. So we're not super into sports, but I can remember back when I played basketball in high school, I was not the best player on the team and that's fine. But I had several friends that always just really encouraged me and, worked with me and helped me and, then, and vice versa, so we, it was a, it was constant encouragement. It was really nice. 

There are those times where we have personal struggles, like something bad happens. and we're struggling through that situation. Even if someone just notices and says, I can see you having a hard time today. I think that's, it's just so encouraging when someone else even notices. 

Yeah, it is. It is. Yeah. And sometimes just in everyday life, the biggest thing for me is, and I've, I've kind of like preached this because I've been there, but you never know what somebody's going through. 

Yeah. 

Somebody may come to work with a smile on their face, but deep down their heart's broken. 

Yeah. 

You know, and that may, I've been there. So I just always, little small acts of kindness, of encouragement can completely turn someone's day around. So. 

In other words, Rather than just thinking about the context of the specific situation, like you're at work, you're supposed to do X, Y, Z in order to make, like, to get the day started or whatever you have to do to prep for opening or whatever, rather than thinking about it in just that small context, like sort of step back and be like, how is this person doing it? It doesn't seem to be, you know, doing too well as they've walked in the door. 

Yeah, and sometimes they may look like they're doing fine. that's the thing. Like we're really good in today's society. We're really good at covering over things and camouflaging our hurt and heartache and those kinds of things. 

So that goes back to what you were saying before about paying attention. 

Pay attention. 

Knowing the people around you, understanding them and pay attention. Above all else, encouragement is a biblical calling. It's A reflection of God's heart and a vital part of the Christian community. 

Yeah, when I have taken like spiritual gifts quizzes in the past, encourager has always been, it's always close to the top for me. 

Yeah. 

That comes pretty naturally to me, but whether we are gifted or not, we're called to encourage each other. First Thessalonians 5, 11 says, therefore encourage one another and build each other up. 

We also should remember that our words have power. It's important to use them for encouraging others. Proverbs 16, verse 24 says, gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. 

Yes. And ultimately, God is the source of encouragement. He sets the example. In 2 Corinthians 1, 3-4, it says, the God of all comfort comforts us so we can comfort others. 

Yes. And encouragement builds community. In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas have traveled all over preaching the gospel and healing people. They had many encouraging encounters, but of course, with the good, there's also the hard. Paul was almost stoned to death in the process. But even through that experience, in Acts 14, verse 22, it says, they strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. They acknowledged that we often must go through hard times, but we can endure when we encourage one another. 

Yeah. So in summary, encouragement lifts the spirit and strengthens courage. 

Yes. 

It builds faith and community connections. It reflects God's love through our words and actions. In Hebrews 3.13, it says, encourage one another daily. Are you a good encourager? Who can you encourage today? When we offer our encouragement to someone, we have the opportunity to make a beautiful difference in their life. 

And that is today's beautiful view. 

Thank you for joining us today. Our hope is to always encourage and inspire our listeners. So we hope this episode encouraged you to be an encourager to the people in your life. Can you imagine how much easier life would be if everyone just went around encouraging each other? 

Sure, yeah. 

It's up to us to set the example. 

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Also, be sure to follow Beautiful View Podcast on Facebook or Instagram. Those links are also in our show notes. 

So as we conclude each podcast, we always like to give the topic for the next episode. So what are we going to be talking about next time? 

Well, next time we are going to talk about contentment. 

Contentment, okay. 

For many people, the holiday season can make contentment harder to hold on to. 

Okay. 

Discuss some ways that we can reclaim contentment by focusing on meaning over materialism, gratitude over gifts, presence over perfection, and faith over frenzy. 

Nice. That sounds like an interesting conversation. 

Yeah. Thank you once again for joining us today. We hope you have a great day. And remember to always keep an eye open for opportunities in life to see a beautiful view. 

Yes.