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.

Rock Solid
Back in 2009, Ray and I visited Elephant Rocks State Park in Missouri. It was fascinating. Those rocks are massive. In 1 Samuel 2, Samuel’s mother, Hannah, says: There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides…

Jumping in with Heart, Soul, and Mind
It was our privilege to begin the new year yesterday morning with our brothers and sisters in our precious local congregation. One of the songs we sang is particularly appropriate for the beginning of a new year. Let’s take this…

Happy 6th Day of Christmas
When I was growing up, one of the superstitions that people around me believed was this: You must take your Christmas tree down before New Year’s Day or you will have “bad luck.” I am thankful that Christ has set…

You Okay?
I am very grateful for the time our family was all together for the Christmas holidays. Our house is quiet—and a bit lonely—this morning, but it is filled with good memories of our time together. We are missing the happy…

Nourishing My Child’s Body, Heart, Soul, and Mind
Is there anything sweeter than cradling your baby in your arms and nourishing him or her with the sweet milk God made just right for the baby’s needs? Imagine the heart of God when He decided to create this beautiful…

Daily Decisions
On this day forty-eight years ago, I made one of the best decisions I have ever made. I married Ray Notgrass. I had been twenty-one years old for twenty-five days and a college graduate for seven. I was not old…