All who come to God must empty themselves of themselves. They must set aside their self-centredness, selfish ambition, and self-sufficiency. In other words, they must put away pride and put on humility.

Rebellious; selfish; litigious: each an apt description of modern society. Gone are the days, or so it seems, of teachable spirits, humility, and respect for authority.

You never really know who is in need of encouragement. Encouragement spurs us on; affirms us. A word of kindness, an arm around the shoulder, a note, a phone call, a random comment said in passing... genuine encouragement never fails to help.

History is replete with the power of one; with those who owned the rare commodity of moral courage—those daring individuals who were “willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of their society.” Esther was one of those.