Encourage one another… Words can inspire, encourage, and convey love. They can poke and prod and compel to action. Or they can wound, discourage, and criticize. And what is said—or not said—in the most mundane moment can alter the course of a life…forever. This collection of touching, true stories, coupled with tips on how to use your words to encourage others, is a poignant reminder of the power of simple little words. Discover more at www.simplelittlewords.com
Michelle Cox is the author of seven books ranging from inspirational nonfiction to cookbooks to humor books. Her first fiction book, Just 18 Summers (with co-author Rene Gutteridge), will release in spring of 2014.
Michelle is the food blogger for Fox News Personality Todd Starnes (www.toddstarnes.com) and a contributing writer for Whoa Magazine for Women. She does interviews and movie reviews for ChristianCinema.com. She’s the author of Simple Little Words (co-authored with John Perrodin), Mothers Who Made a Difference, and There’s No Sense in Stewing and Fretting ‘Cause Wrinkled is All We’re Getting, Cooking with Family & Friends, Keepsake Recipes, and Kella’s Kitchen, and has written for multiple publications at Focus on the Family.
Michelle is the creator of the Just 18 Summers® brand which will include movies, music, books, and other products. Elevating Entertainment will produce a film based on Just 18 Summers® and Lamon Records will record the Just 18 Summers® song she wrote (with Larry Spears and Angela Walker).
She has been a guest on numerous radio and television programs, is a speaker at many events, and is on faculty for a number of Christian writing and media conferences. She has also taught webinars for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild, and written scripts and designed book trailers as associate producer for Book Preview, a division of Tentmakers Entertainment. Whew, she’ll figure out what she wants to do eventually!
Michelle and her husband, Paul, are the parents of three sons and grandparents to five perfect grandchildren. They’ve owned Cox Masonry for the past 39 years, build houses, and have spent 35 years working with teens and single young adults at Trinity Baptist Church.
simple little words is a delightful little book that has people sharing true stories of ways in which the simple little words that were spoken to them had a huge impact on their lives.
I was lucky enough to have one of the authors-Michelle Cox-contact me and ask if I would read and review their book on my blog. I am so glad that I did! This little book-217 pages worth of stories packs a huge punch. It will make you smile, it will make you cry-it will tug on your heart in a big way. You will need a box of kleenex handy to help you through it. These are good tears though-tears of hope and the faith that God is with you and will help you through difficult moments and that there are people out in this world who can say the right things at the right time for someone who really needs it. In addition, each story ends with a meaningful quote and a prayer.
There were so many stories that really touched my heart but I'd like to share a bit of one story that has really stayed with me-not too much though as this really is a book you need to experience for yourself. This story was of a little girl who's own daddy didn't want her. Eventually her mom is getting married and the little girl says to her mom, 'Will he...love me?' This poor little girl had felt that if her own dad couldn't love her, how could this one. Well when she and her mom are walking up the aisle, instead of the stepfather reaching for his bride, he instead kneels down and tells the little girl that he will love both her and her mom and will be there for them always-forever. What a beautiful gift to give this little girl-these words were what her little soul needed so badly.
This is just one story among many to grab your heart and make you really think about the power of your words. People are so busy these days that I don't think we always take the time to realize how our words can affect another person. All it takes is a kind word from someone to make that person's day a good one. We need to make sure our words aren't hurting someone because those words can have a long-lasting effect on hearts and minds. We can hurt with our words or we can do something wonderful. Which would you rather? I'd rather leave someone feeling good about themselves and happy. I can only hope I've done that for people along the way in my life.
There are a few quotes from the book I'd love to share with you because they mean something to me:
Wise words can ripple through a soul and change a life. -Michelle Cox
The power of our words can brighten the dark places and bring sunshine and healing to a wounded heart. -Michelle Cox Why are we so stingy with our words when they have the power to touch a heart, to change a life, or to brighten someone's day? -Michelle Cox
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.-Proverbs 16:24
There is just so much goodness in this book. You can visit the webiste for simple little words here. It is just full of things like a study guide for bookclubs and another section for simple little words tips with a recipe tip, relationship tip and many more. It's wonderful. I can't wait for another edition of this book to come out-my copy of this book will be one I see myself going back to many times for encouragement when I need it. I absolutely recommend it!
Think back to a time when someone's encouraging words had a strong impact on your life. Was it a trusted teacher saying you were going to do great things someday? A parent telling you they loved you? A boss' "job well done"? Positive words reach into our very souls and can be remembered years down the road.
Simple Little Words is a collection of insightful stories by the likes of Karen Kingsbury, Brandon Heath, Mary E. DeMuth, Ron DiCianni and Ken Wales (40 in all). Through these vignettes Perrodin & Cox bring home the Biblical truth of word power. What we say to others makes an impact, often in life-changing ways. And we need to choose our words wisely, because even without saying so, Simple Little Words reminds us that negative words can impact us forever, too.
It's not often a book makes me tear up, but you'd have to be a mannequin not to be moved by these examples of Christianity in action. Michelle Cox's "You Look Like A Princess" is particularly poignant, the story of how one woman's act of kindness to a child changed the girl's life in ways the woman could have never known at the time.
Other stories bring home the fact that sometimes adverse situations can be exactly God's plan. For example, speaker and author Edna Ellison's story of her daughter's almost disastrous wedding led her down a path which gave purpose to a lonely old man. Hollywood producer Ken Wales (Amazing Grace) shares words of advice he never forgot from actor Glenn Ford. "If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. If you're late, you're fired."
The vignettes are categorized by subjects like Joy, Marriage, Grace, Divorce, Dreams, and Children, a way to know going in what sort of take-away to expect. Ranging from several pages to a few paragraphs, all are easily readable. The whole book could be consumed in one sitting but is better in small chunks so you can digest the individual messages. Each story concludes with a short prayer and quote to further bring things home for readers.
Simple Little Words is indeed a simple little book with a big message--our words are powerful. As James shares in the New Testament, the tongue is like a rudder. Small and seemingly insignificant, yet able to change the course of our world. What you say truly can change a life. That's a statement every person would do well to assimilate. As best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins advises in the book's Foreword, "Be the one who speaks those simple little words."
When I first read about this book from a fellow book review blogger, I loved the idea of these little stories compiled that inspires and all that. I'm not sure what I feel about it after reading it for myself though. Although I see that these stories are genuine and describe events in people's lives that is significant to them and I enjoyed a couple of the stories a lot, I guess I was a little surprised by all the Christian faith in it. I just didn't expect it. So it kind of made things a little different for me. It seemed more stories about faith than regular stories about encouragement. If anything, read for yourself, and see what you think abotu it yourself. Perhaps you can pull some encouragement for yourself in there.
This was a great little devotional book. It covers a wide variety of subject matter, and often surprised me in how it went straight to my heart so quickly. It is appropriately named, and a splendid nudge to consider and choose your words wisely before letting them loose. And who doesn't need to do a better job of that?