To  encourage  someone literally means to  give courage . The word comes from the Old French  encoragier  — the prefix  en-  meaning “to put in,” and  corage  meaning “heart.” In the Greek New Testament, the word carries a similar meaning — to come alongside someone to give strength and comfort. Encouragement is not flattery. Not empty praise. Not exaggeration. We give sincere encouragement to boost a person's confidence, improve their mood, and build resilience. We all need

If we were asked to identify our life-changing moments, I doubt many of us would put emails or text messages high on our list. All human beings, regardless of age, flourish or flounder based on the quality of their relationships . And relationships are built or broken one conversation at a time. And yet, in homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods across the country, too many people spend more time texting than talking.  Even when we are physically together, we can be miles apart

Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored three of the four cardinal virtues in our  Pursuit of Happiness  series: Courage, Discipline, and Justice. Each of these virtues helps us live a better life, because a life well lived is shaped less by circumstances and more by how we respond to them. But real life rarely gives us simple situations where the right choice is obvious. That’s why the fourth virtue, — wisdom — has always been considered the guide for the others. Courage, di