Welcome to Daily Encouragement!
Hi, I’m Charlene Notgrass. I was born a long time before you, way back in 1953. I loved homeschooling — once I learned how to make homeschooling who our family was instead of something I carried around like a big, heavy burden every day. From the lessons God has taught me, I offer you daily encouragement.
Mamas, Daddies, and News
The Ashland City Times comes out every Wednesday in my hometown just as it did when I was growing up. So does the Jackson County Sentinel where we live now. Ray and I were amused when we read the Sentinel on Wednesday. The Sentinel…
Every Child Deserves Someone to Notice
Every Wednesday night Gary drives the church van to pick up children for Bible class. When the children put on special programs like they did last Wednesday night, several parents and grandparents come, too. First, some devoted ladies feed the children…
The Moose, the Tomatoes, and the Chicken Wire
I walked to the garden after church on Sunday to gather some tomatoes for lunch. Nothing tastes quite as good on a summer day as a Tennessee tomato, especially little tommy toes, marinated in olive oil, vinegar, and maple syrup!…
Teaching Respect for Others
Several years ago Ray and I went to see Riders in the Sky at a most unusual location — in a cave (Riders in the Sky is the cowboy band that did “Woody’s Roundup” for Toy Story 2). Most of the…
Joy in Heaven
When someone tells me that she reads Daily Encouragement, I feel great joy and humble gratitude. It means much that women give precious time listening to my heart. One of the sweetest of these moments came when I learned that my friend Joy Brown age…
Basic Blessings
Our county has produced a poet laureate of Tennessee, a federal judge, numerous professionals, and some of the most responsible and godly people I have ever known. However, we also have people living in extreme poverty, people for whom poverty…