​As summer comes to a close, I am enjoying spending these days in the States where it is a bit warmer than I am used to in England. I get to wear my flip-flops and sandals just a little longer over here in the warmer weather. The only problem with wearing sandals is that my feet tend to not stay clean very long.

​On a recent trip to the beach, I was majorly bothered by the sand that finds its way into EVERYTHING including inside my sandals and all over my feet. It took much effort to clean all that sand and dirt off my feet at the bathhouse near the beach. But as soon as I put my foot down, you guessed it, more dirt and sand. I am easily bothered by such a little thing as the sand on my feet. Can you imagine how dirty peoples’ feet would have been in Bible days? Remember it was dusty and sandy in certain parts of Israel. And the people walked pretty much everywhere they went in their sandals. 

I remember when I was a little girl, my parents would tell my sisters and me to wait. Maybe we were waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to arrive for a visit, or we had to wait for our friends to arrive at church or for dinner to be ready. Waiting for the little ones is hard!

Maybe you have said to your little ones before, “Just stand still,” while you were waiting in line at Target. Maybe you have been sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, and you have to remind yourself to stop bouncing your leg up and down and just sit still while you wait. Maybe in church, you have looked down the pew at your kids and given them the “Be Still” stare during Sunday’s sermon.

​Whether we like it or not, waiting is part of life. It seems like we are always waiting for something in life. ​

“You’re Invited!” Most of us enjoy receiving an invitation to a party or some special events in the lives of those we care about. It is a natural part of our society to invite people into our homes and to meet up at other venues. We beckon our friends to join us to celebrate.

​Recently I had the privilege of hosting a group of friends from the States in my home. I extended the invitation to come to the UK, and I would open my home for them to stay there. We enjoyed fellowship for two weeks together all because of a simple word – “Come!”

​The Apostle John in his Gospel records at least three invitations the Lord Jesus gave using this same word – “Come!”

Let’s walk through these invitations and see what we can glean from what those who answered the Lord’s invitation received.

The world today is rife with instability and struggles that seem to have no answers. Jesus told us in John 16:33 that there would be times like this.

The good news is that as believers we don’t have to be overcome with the instability, tribulation, and trouble in the world. The rest of that verse gives Jesus’ words of comfort.

The question for us as believers is not IF there is darkness and trouble to deal with in this sin-cursed world. The question is HOW do we deal with this darkness?

I remember when I was a teenager, and I was wondering what God wanted me to do with my life. I heard people say that I should be doing the will of God. But at the time it felt like I was grasping at straws to figure out what the will of God was.

I listened intently to the preaching and read my Bible looking for that big flashing sign that would say this is the will of God for you! But I never found that. Instead, I found simple steps of obedience in God’s Word that pointed to His will for my life.

​I remember my dad telling me that 95% of God’s will is found in God’s Word. I was worried about the 5% concerning when, where, how, and with whom I would live out that will of God for my life. 

There is a lot of talk these days about the cost of fuel for our cars and for heating our homes as well. Projections for the cost of these life necessities are predicted to continue to rise both in the States and around the world.

But you didn’t come to Instaencouragements to be reminded of the pressure inflation puts on our pocketbooks, now did you? You probably came here looking for some encouragement during days that seem to abound with discouragement and bad news.

Praise God that we have His Word to run to for comfort when prices soar and life seems to be out of control. Considering the current fuel situation, one passage caught my eye recently and reminded me that the “fuel” for our walking closely with the Lord is found in His Word and through prayer.

If you have spent any time reading your Bible, you will notice that God speaks to His people in various ways. I found a chart in my Life Application Study Bible recently that summarized the many ways we find God's speaking to His people throughout history.  Let’s look briefly at these various methods of communication in Biblical history.

There are several people that God spoke to through the use of angels. Jacob met an angel in Genesis 32:22-32 when he was preparing to meet his brother Esau with his family. This angel wrestled with Jacob until finally he blessed Jacob and changed his name to Israel (v. 28). Of course, the Christmas story is full of angels speaking to people in the announcement of Jesus’ birth.