by jot and tittle

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. Love was in the air, people were giddy and smiling, chocolates and flowers were everywhere. However, this day can be depressing for those who don’t have someone to give chocolates or flowers too. It seems like everyone is happily paired off and you’re the only single person left in the world.             To lighten the mood of all you singles I’m going to share with you the most wonderful Valentine’s Day I’ve ever experienced. It started with school and having fun with my other single friends. That night some of the guys from school messaged me and my friend to see if we wanted o go see a movie. My friend, Violet, and I accepted the invitation. That night there was a knock on the door. One of the guys, David, had come to the door to get us. We walked to the car where two of our other guy friends were waiting. One was driving and one was in the back seat. When we got to the theatre Ben held open the door for us, the g

Encouragement is super important. There are a lot of sad and lonely people in this world that could use a hardy dose of encouragement. Girls long to hear words of support from their fathers, husbands look for respect from their wives, boys want a man to confirm their manhood, and children long for expressions of affection. People from all walks of life seek encouragement.       The problem with encouragement is that it is often preyed upon by flattery. Flattery is what you hear most often when people want approval. Flattery sounds nice but it really isn’t because flattery is actually a expression of a self-seeking person looking for something that will benefit himself.           Encouragement, on the other hand, is for the benefit of the person it is directed to. Encouragement does not always show itself in kind words, but also in actions and sometimes words that reprehend. Because encouragement is not self-seeking it doesn’t mind if it looks a lit