"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great" -- Mark Twain-----------------------------------
All of us need people in our lives like that. People who believe that we can be better, fly higher, accomplish more, than even we might dare to believe. Their willingness to express confidence in us, to "lend us" their faith, to encourage and even to challenge us, is invaluable.
I'm grateful for those people in my life, people like Mark Wilson (pastor of Hayward Wesleyan Church). Mark and I first connected at a church leadership conference in California, over a dozen years ago. We stay in touch via e-mail, intermittent phone calls and occasional denominational gatherings. Every time I walk away from a conversation with Mark, I realize how blessed I am to have a friend, that I believe in, who also believes in me.
I hope God has placed some of those people in your life. If you can't find those who will encourage you, at least minimize the amount of time you have to spend with those who discourage you!
Mark regularly posts to his blog and I'm confident that you'll find his insights to be a source of encouragement!
