Nurture

//Nurture//
to give tender care and protection,  to help grow & develop.
to encourage to grow, develop,  thrive.


//The Need For Nurture//
Are we far too busy trying to survive, that we cannot make time to nurture others?
Far too often we are too guarded, wounded, afraid, broken... to open our lives to the
possibility of being nurtured.
Why? Because we have been disappointed in the past. We sought nurture and failed
to receive it.
But without nurture,  how can we ever expect to feel love? In order to receive we must
first give..
Learn to nurture others, wholeheartedly,  despite your past trials & disappointments.
Show love to others, show genuine care. Encourage them, protect them.
Nurture others and receive nurture in return.
God calls us to love one another.  To love our neighbors as ourselves.
To love without expecting anything in return. To be the light in the darkness.
And God will take care of the rest.


//Nurture is Expansive//
Parents, teachers, employers, government,  and churches, seek to meet the basic needs
of people. The every day basic needs of life.
But what about going beyond that.?
Food, water, clothes, shelter, money,...
what about nurture? where is the deeper meaning of life?
Nurture is not expensive,  its expansive.  And it can be freely given & received.
No matter who you are.
Nurture is the difference between simply survivng, and thriving.
We will cease to merely function, going thru the motions,
And we will flourish,  really live.


//Teachers Who Nurture//
This is where my emotions and passion lie.
Being a teacher,  I know I have the blessing of shaping children's lives.
Helping them to believe in themselves, healing their corruption,  their pain.
Reassuring them of their potential.
Showing them tender care.
A student once said "she saw something in me that I didnt even recognize in myself. "
Being that one adult they care look up to. The one person they can trust.
Giving them God's love that they so greatly deserve.
Pointing out their strengths, walking them thru their weaknesses.
Teaching them life skills, helping them be successful in life outside grade school.
Plant seeds, that if nurtured, will lead to thriving. Lead to flourishing.
Lead to them believing in themselves,  discovering hidden talents.
I have the career that shapes children for the rest of their lives.
Going to school each day without nurture in my heart, leaves them empty.
They need care, protection, encouragement and love.
Without nurturing teachers, students learn aimless facts, connected to nothing.
I help them to see the bigger picture, to connect it all to real life, to them.
I make sure they know of my love and compassion for them each and every day.

"The correction and the nurture that sweet, nameless teacher had released into
my life 13 years earlier had reached into my future and spoken to me when i was
ready to hear it. Her words served a purpose, and helped me to thrive. "


"There is something within you that this world so desperately needs."


"Children learn what they live. How you raise them will determine everything.
If mothers do not nurture their children, they will grow up to be self focused,
self contained and disconnected from the world. They will merely function,
meet their basic needs, and go thru the motions. However they will never truly
thrive  and flourish into all they are capable of being."


//We Need Something More//
Our individual souls remain selfish in the absence of a nurturing heart.
It appears that we are all afraid to give too much of ourselves away.
We go through the motions, meeting others needs,  with resentment in
our hearts, holding a grudge all the while.
We check things off our lists, living simply to meet our basic needs and get by.
But is this really living? We need something more.
People do not GROW beyond themselves if they think the world revolves around
them.
Far too often, what people want is contrary to what they need.

"No one gave me the tender encouragement and nurture I needed when I was
young, so it's too late and too difficult for me to give those to others."
//don't believe this for a second. Its a lie.//

With God you are renewed to start again, regardless of your past.
regardless of what others have done to you, God brings healing.
He teaches us how to nurture others,  even if we ourselves have never
experienced it.
There is rebirth, at any age and in any season.
God's word provides nurture and pruning.


//Where  We're Headed//
Where we are and where we've been is not where we are going.
Gods kingdom is not stagnant, we are not at a standstill.
We are constantly growing,  He is constantly pruning.
Life is constantly changing.
And Gods kingdom doesn't stop when we get to Heaven either.
It has only just begun there.
GOD IS LIMITLESS.
He wants us to believe that, and believe in ourselves.
With God all things are possible.
Nurture other's by opening their eyes to the endless possibilities.
Dont weigh them down with your own disappointments.
Don't try to spare them the pain by limiting their view on life.
Don't.
They will either inherit your fears, or God's promises for them.
the disappointment we have seen,  that is our story.
our outlook, not theirs.
Let us nurture others. Love them. Take a genuine interest in them.
Provide them with hope. Encourage them. But not limit them.

I seek to help position them,  but never limit them.
To inspire them, but never designate which way they have to go.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,  but that we are powerful
beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
we ask ourselves,  who am I to be brilliant,  talented, beautiful?
Actually,  who are you not to be?? You are a child of God. Limiting yourself
does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
it is in all of us. As we let our light shine, we subconsciously give other's
permission to do the same. As we are liberated from fear, our presence
automatically liberates others."

//Nurture Defined & Applied//

1. Tender Care
Taking a genuine interest and care in others lives. Being gentle 
With the sensitive areas in other's lives. Be tender with one another's
Spirits. There is never a need to be harsh with those whp look up to you.
If you are rough, people will not heal properly.

2. Protection
Don't live in a "mind your own business" type of world. We are called to
Be involved in each other's lives. To share one another's burdens.
If we see someone in harms way, we should intervene. We can protect
One another physically,  mentally, emotionally and spiritually. To protect
Is to prevent one another from harm, or damage,  or pain.

3. Encourage
The most priceless gift. To give courage, hope and confidence.
There is fear everywhere,  hearts failing. For you to simply tell someone
You believe in them is huge. Encouragement is not for your benefit.
Encourage complete strangers, encourage those you love.




More to come.
stay tuned.
God is constant.


Natalie