Tools of Encouragement

Pay close attention to what the other person is saying
If you are uncertain about what they mean, check respectfully (reflection)
Leave judgement to God
Everyone can choose to change
With God at work in our lives we have the ability to grow more like him. God did not give that task to any other human being.
Every human being craves respect. To be valued for whom they are today
Acknowledge the feelings expressed. They are very real to that person
Smiling is good
Jesus touched those who reached out to him
ASK what you can do to help
Do not accept a commitment that you know you cannot fulfill
Encourage others to set short term, achievable goals…small steps
Do not set yourself up to fail by taking on something you are not capable of achieving on your own
Sometimes practical help needs to come before words

Proof – the part of the baking where dough is allowed to rise.

Twice during the baking of bread, proof is required. Yeast is proofed in water and a small bit of sugar to make sure it is still active. Proofing also describes a step where the dough doubles in size - the moment when it suddenly grows in dynamic proportion to what it started with.

What makes the dough rise? The yeast, which converts glucose and other carbohydrates into a carbon dioxide gas. Different breads proof differently. Some require only a single proofing; others need many. Between these stages the baker is told to punch down the dough.

It is no surprise that, in baking and in life, the cost of growth is always a small act of violence/pain. It is the things we have to bear that shape us.