It is the week that we consider all the reasons we should be thankful. Today I want to share about one for whom I am truly grateful. 

Her timing is impeccable. Whenever I get discouraged and feel like throwing in the towel, invariably my phone rings. 

She is my cheerleader. Do you have one? Everyone should have at least one or two or three of them in their lives .  Sometimes I need several in a day. 

Writing is a bit of a lonely venture. It is like talking to yourself while looking in the mirror. You see lips across from you moving, but it is only your reflection, not another person responding. Writing can be very one-sided. 

My cousin, Shala has an incredible sense of timing. Somehow she knows when I need to hear her voice, need to hear her say, "Keep going! You  can do it!" 

If I were a marathon runner, she would be on the sidelines cheering for me. Rain or snow. She would be the one to come up and wipe my brow, give me a drink, and say, "You are going to make it! I can see the finish line! Keep running!" If she could not be  there in person, I would be hearing her in my blue-tooth: "Run, baby run! You can do it! I believe in you!" 

Cheerleaders are vital in the body of Christ!

They might be the most vital ones in the grand scheme of things. They often feel like they aren't doing anything very important. Oh, but they are! Yes, they are!!!

Shala has been through some very difficult things, but this girl knows how to look on the bright side. She continuously bubbles with enthusiasm. I love her for that! She can spot a silver lining when most of us can only see a looming thunderhead.

I write because of her and a couple of others who have encouraged me to do it. When I was a little girl, I wanted to play the piano . . . perfectly! Without lessons! Well, you would not want to hear me play, because I never did practice. 

I guess I am a very proud person. I am not proud about that fact.

I don't like to write and later find flaws in what I have written. They are hard to spot in one's own piece because you know what you are saying so you can easily skip over a typo or misspelled word. Then putting it out there for others to read when I know there might and probably are some errors in it. Humbling!

Perfectionist that I am, I sometimes feel like quitting. As soon as I start to feel this way, my phone rings. I honestly do not get to think about it very long, because she knows! She just knows, and she calls. 

"Write, baby, write!" says she.

Paul, in the New Testament, was such an incredible cheerleader. In fact, one of my favorite things about Paul is the way he exhorted and encouraged.  I also love how he prayed for those he was exhorting. Our pastor blessed us with  one of Paul's exhortation/prayers when he was dismissing us yesterday morning. Let this blessing fall on you, my friend. (bottom of the page)

I hope you have a whole cheerleader squad cheering you on! I hope everyone of them is like a Shala to you! 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, my dear Shala! I love you!

Blessings!

 ^"For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects—bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully  giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.  He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:9-14 NET