A year of encouragement

This is the time of year when people look back and post retrospectives on their blog.  Many choose their favourite posts or those that drew the most traffic.  Because God has created me to be different from the crowd I have decided instead to share some of my favourite comments from 2011, one for each month of the year.

January 8th Bonnie Gray who blogs at The FaithBarista left these words on my post Persevere and Expectation:

I love coming by here for my cup of brew. I'm getting used to coming through the door, that you leave ajar for me. :) I feel today you're standing up and letting out a battle cry, as I read the last part of your post. Wonderful words matching persevere & expectation! loved your link.

February 15th Brian Miller of Waystation One commented on Heartstrings:

having heard a string or two break in my day...it is a powerful image...and the restringing bringing the instrument back to life as well... 

March 2nd Jerry of Under the Door Frame noted on Icy Heart:

A heart of ice melted into living water... A heart of stone transformed into a heart of flesh. Thank God for his pursuit...and our often hesitant response. Good. good.

April 27th Nance Marie of various blogs added to Finding light:

grace of the Lord
to cover the sea of bitterness within
the light of the Lord
to shine into my dark soul

May 11th master encourager Glynn of Faith, Fiction, Friends said this on Shouts and whispers:

Beautiful, Karin. Prayer is like an ongoing conversation, "heartbeat to heartbeat," punctuated by those whispers and shouts

June 21st the poet Dustus left this comment on In the blood:

"how the eyes see a laugh so familiar it turns the heads of those who hear" This passage made my head spin. So good and expressed through multiple sense modalities. Great composition.

July 14th Debbie of Heart Choices commented on For each other, by each other:

Very interesting post on faith. If only more believers would be transparent and share their struggles with one another. We can then encourage one another and turn our eyes on Jesus. It helps to know we're not alone

August 8th Linda added these thoughts to Be still:

Oh, my.... That's gripping stuff. I've experienced times like that, too, so my heart goes out to both you and the new pastor. God bless you both as you remain still and rest in the Lord; and wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him. He is good and He is at work, even if you can't see just what He is doing right now

September 30th Beth Werner Lee (link not active) commented about Finding my voice in His:

Thank you, so right you are to ponder on Jesus saying he spoke only what he heard, and was sent to say. Oh, that I could be like him! Only through his Spirit who does the same. Today we were just studying James 1:19,20: quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger...I need to apply this now, daily! Thank you, writing from the fire.

October 4th Sandra Heska King left words on Season of seasons:

I love the contrasts.
Moving too fast while stuck in place.
Softened and hardened.
Decay and hope.
And the spices and scent and aroma and fragrance.
Oh, and that photo. Clever girl.

November 7th Nancy of Out of My Alleged Mind shared her thoughts on Believe?:

I'm really good at trusting God theoretically. Not so much when I can't connect the dots to see how the plan is taking shape. I keep trying to remind myself to look back toward his faithfulness in the past and asking him to increase my faith, even only enough to take the next step.

December 24th Doug Spurling commented on Christmas Tears:

Amen. You are opening the greatest of Christmas presents with your tears, your heart meshing with His to seek and save that which is lost ~ His Presence.

Though I write in obedience to my Lord, not for hits or applause, words of true encouragement help greatly along the way. Please take a moment when you can to visit the blogs of those who so richly blessed me.

I also thank each and every one of you who has wandered about inside these words, even those who never leave a trace of themselves before they leave.  You are truly a gift to me.  May the coming year bring with it the richness of His love.