InstaEncouragements Blog

I'm Just Like a Cranky Old Bunch of Israelites

9/28/2018

Sometimes I feel like Moses leading a bunch of cranky, old Israelites through the wilderness. Except I'm not Moses at all. I am the cranky, old Israelites!

Did you ever notice that God gives you just a little glimpse of the journey and not the whole viral video? Sometimes only enough light on the path you're walking to see the next step, and sometimes not even that much.

The next step may be just a pure leap of faith in the darkness!

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

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Creatively Planning With a Pretty Simple Planner

9/25/2018

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Pretty Simple Planners 2019 planning goals creative

Guys, I have found the perfect planner for me! You are going to LOVE this planner by Pretty Simple Planners, and you're going to love the price even more! I promise.

I've been out of the planner market for a few years now. I started with a Day Runner planner way, way, way back in the 80's. Anyone remember those? Strictly business. Not cute at all. Then I migrated to a Handspring Visor, the electronic version of a Day Runner. And finally to the first iPhone back in 2008. I've had an iPhone ever since, but lately it's just not meeting my need to write things down and be creative.

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Showing Off For the Very First Time!

9/21/2018

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We have a show coming up next month and I for one am SO EXCITED! This will be our first, physical show. The three prints below are a few of the new prints we will be offering that weekend. These are not online at this time, and will only be available at the physical show.

Just a friendly reminder, our little Etsy s shop will be on vacation mode beginning Friday, September 28, for a couple weeks. Part vacation. Part workcation. We have some exciting things coming in 2019 and can’t wait to share it all with you! But first, we need a little time to work on the details. The shop should be back up and running with an updated inventory the week of October 15.

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Sympathy Hospitality & the Capacity to Love Others

9/18/2018

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I have been camped out in this passage for a number of days now, and today we're focusing on sympathy.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender hearts, and humble minds.” I Peter 3:8

I have been camped out in this passage in I Peter for a number of days now, and today I'm focusing on sympathy. Sympathy is defined as feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.

Sometimes I feel like I have a difficult time feeling sympathy, and no capacity for it. Maybe that is in part because I'm not a very emotional person. But there is so much around us to feel sympathy for. So much sorrow. So much pain. So much hurt. So much misfortune. And at the same time that I'm not an emotional person, I also find it almost overwhelming.

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Student Drivers and What We Can Learn From Them

9/14/2018

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Student Drivers and What We Can Learn From Them

Today, I found myself mindlessly cruising down a country road right up onto the bumper of a student driver. This student driver was driving very cautious, and slow. It was a beautiful day for mindlessly cruising, and this is pretty much how I drive every day. Some days I look around and I'm like, "How did I get here?" or worse yet, "Where am I?" It's always as adventure! I'm thankful for cautious drivers—the world needs more of them, and slow drivers too! When I find myself behind a slow driver I tend to get fewer speeding tickets. Seriously, slow drivers are life savers in so many ways!

Back to today though... As soon as I saw the words STUDENT DRIVER plastered across the back of the vehicle, I backed off and left that driver (God bless their heart) plenty of room. I remember being that student driver! I watched from a distance as he, or she, navigated the country road, slowly.

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To This You Were Called

9/11/2018

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Ever wonder what you're called to do? What are we here for? What is our purpose? People are searching for this very thing today, yet Peter lays it out so clearly here in this passage.

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer." 1 Peter 3:8-12

Wow! If we can just remember this today and be the blessing we were called to be. Let's just try that on for size... unity, sympathy, love, tender hearts, humble minds.

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Your Story Will Mean More to You Tomorrow

9/7/2018

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Your story will mean more to you tomorrow than it does today. Don't ever think it's not important, because it is!

Your story is what makes you uniquely you, and no one else could ever be more like you than you! God made you that way, and He does not make mistakes, He makes masterpieces!

"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear My words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do." Jer. 18:1-4

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