InstaEncouragements Building a worldwide online community of encouragers encouraging others in the faith of Jesus Christ. Join the movement!
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • Guest Bloggers
    • IE Link-up
    • She Loves Truth Book
    • The ABCs of God's Love Letter Book
  • Library
    • 16 Names of God
    • Bible Reading Plan
    • The ABCs Study Guide
    • The ABCS Bible Study
    • Disciple Me Program
    • Come and Gather
    • She Loves Truth Guide
    • She Loves Truth Study
    • The Red Sea Rules
    • Praying Proverbs
    • 12 Letters I Wrote
    • Christmas Songbook
    • LOVE Coupons
  • The Heart That Heals
    • Read Chapter 1 of The Heart That Heals
    • The Heart That Heals Media Package
    • The Heart That Heals printable package
  • Sweeter Than Honey
  • Christianity
  • Etsy
JANE banner

3 Ways to Love Like Jesus Loves

4/16/2021

10 Comments

 
3 Ways to Love Like Jesus Loves
While passing each other at church, we exchange social niceties and generic smiles. During our workdays, we put on happy faces and interact professionally with both the kind and the difficult clients. When asked to serve, we obligingly give of our time, finances, and testimonies.
 
These scenarios make up a lot of our hours, days, and weeks. There’s nothing wrong with being tired after a long week and exchanging a smile and a “Fine, thank you,” with someone in the church hallway. There’s nothing wrong with maintaining a professional demeanor at work. There’s definitely nothing wrong with serving God with our available resources.

But sometimes, at the end of a long week, I find myself wondering if I’ve made any kind of a difference in my little circle of people.

Read More
10 Comments

5 Questions to Ask About Your Prayer Life

2/12/2021

6 Comments

 
5 Questions to Ask About Your Prayer Life
Prayer. That one word represents so many things to me: peace, beauty, communion, praise, duty, failure, distraction, forgetfulness, absence, frustration.
 
What do you think of when you think of prayer?
  • Are you so busy during your day you often forget to pray?
  • Are you so plagued by guilt over sin or lack of prayer you don’t want to pray?
  • Are you so out of practice in prayer that you don’t know how to pray?
  • Are you so in love with your God that you pray continually throughout your day?
  • Are you so ritualistic in your prayer times that you don’t remember what you prayed?
​
​Prayer is one of the most precious aspects of the Christian life. 

Read More
6 Comments

​Embracing the Blessings, Burdens, and Blahs

1/15/2021

2 Comments

 
​Embracing the Blessings, Burdens, and Blahs
A new year is the closest thing to true magic. On the eve of a new year, I feel like Anne of Green Gables believing that ​
“Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.”
​Of course, I know I’m going to ruin that clean slate after a few steps into it, but for some reason, that doesn’t lessen my anticipation.

I have many New Year’s resolutions for 2021, but whether or not I achieve them all, I know that 2021 can be better. I’m not saying that because 2020 is the year no one ever wants to relive. I’m saying that because 2021 isn’t going to magically erase the darkness of 2020.

If anything, that darkness of disease and turmoil may increase. But I believe 2021 can be better.

Read More
2 Comments

Anxious for Nothing: Replacing Worry with Joy

12/18/2020

0 Comments

 
Anxious for Nothing: Replacing Worry with Joy
Let's be "Anxious for Nothing: Replacing Worry with Joy." Well, that’s easy to say.

​I know from personal experience that it is rarely helpful for someone to tell me "Don’t worry, be happy." When I allow anxiety into my heart, it becomes a crippling force that controls my moods, my words, and my actions. I don’t want to be told to "Let go and let God" when that happens. I want to curl up in a ball and binge-watch television shows until I can no longer escape reality. Then I want to cry and complain and feel sorry for myself.

​This past week, I have been living under the control of anxiety. Changes at work, a brief sickness, and some disappointments created inside me a feeling of emptiness, fear, and unease. I allowed my mind to dwell on things unlovely and untrue.

Read More
0 Comments

​Where is Your Happy Place?

11/13/2020

0 Comments

 
​Where is Your Happy Place?
The doormat in front of our cozy loft apartment declares “This is our happy place.” My husband and I found the quotation fitting because we’re both homebodies—me especially. I take comfort in the feel, smell, and comfort of home. When I walk through the door after a day of talking to patients and concerned parents at work, a sense of peace settles back into my heart.
 
Lately, between COVID-19 and the election process, our home has felt more like a safe-haven than ever. But even the security of home hasn’t been able to calm my heart lately. Fear of an unknown future creeps into my happy place through our phones, tablets, and computers. It seeps under the cracks and crevices and worms its way into my heart.

​Why do I fear the whirlwind of change, uncertainty, germs, and politics swirling outside my door? 

Read More
0 Comments

​ The Gospel According to an Introvert

10/16/2020

18 Comments

 
​ The Gospel According to an Introvert
God’s creative design bursts with variety. In the human race, He fashioned a diverse assortment of looks, personalities, and abilities, giving a unique combination to each one of the nearly eight billion people walking around out there. 
 
He created the acrobat, the person who can trip over thin air, the beauty pageant winner, and the self-conscious preteen boy with a bad case of acne. He understands the outgoing church greeter and the quiet accountant. He designed both the orators who always know the right thing to say and the people like me who can manage to give a socially awkward response to a straightforward question.

​God didn’t make any mistakes when He made you or when He made me. As the psalmist declares, each one of us is “
fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14a). 

Read More
18 Comments

Be Still and Go Forward

9/18/2020

4 Comments

 
Be Still and Go Forward
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward." Exodus 14:15
Do you have any favorite Truths from Scripture? Passages of promise that make your soul sing and direct your heart towards worship and praise? 

Recently, after listening to a Sunday message emphasizing the need for rest in the believer’s life, I entered the week meditating on Psalm 46:10a: “Be still, and know that I am God.” 

​These words of instruction always touch my heart in a special way. They’re God’s reminder to me every day that I let my busy schedule run my life and my heart.

Read More
4 Comments
<<Previous
    Patsy
    Hi friend, welcome to InstaEncouragements. I am so glad you are here. You’re among friends. You belong here. 

    How would you like access to our online library of helpful eBooks, devotionals, printables, lock screens, and more? You’re going to love this library, there is all kinds of exclusive content, just for you!

    Join the movement by signing up below and I'll send you the link today. And no worries, We don’t spam. Promise! We don’t like spam either.

    After you've joined the movement, hop on over to our about page to learn more about us and then to our contact form and introduce yourself so we can be on a first-name basis. I'd like that!
    Patsy signature

    Join the movement!

    * indicates required
    Picture
    Sweeter Than Honey: A 365-Day Devotional Journey Coming October 2021!

    Top Posts

    16 Names of God & What They Mean
    6 Things We Can Learn From Habakkuk 
    12 Letters I Wrote to a Friend With Cancer
    From a Proverbs 31 Woman to a Titus 2 Woman
    10 Favorite Bible Verses on Adoption
    18 Characteristics of True Christianity
    Faith Over Fear
    8 Ways to Love Someone Who Doesn't Love You Back

    Featured

    Brave Women Series
    Grace & Truth
    Messy Marriage
    Money Wise Steward
    Wield The Word
    Woman of Noble Character

    Categories

    All
    ABCs Of The Bible
    Amanda
    Bible Study
    Books We Love
    Cami
    Cancer
    Christine
    Come And Gather
    Debbie
    Elisabeth
    Family Life
    Guest Post
    Journey To The Cross
    Kathy
    Link Ups
    Our Words Matter
    Stephanie
    Summer Book Club
    The Bible

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018

InstaEncouragements participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program 
designed to provide a means for this site to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 
This site also contains affiliate links for The Daily Grace Company, Faithbox, Minted.com, Canvas Vows, JANE, and Tailwind.
InstaEncouragements will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links or a link from one of our posts.
​​Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions
InstaEncouragements logo
© InstaEncouragements |2021|  all rights reserved
IE blog footer image
  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • Guest Bloggers
    • IE Link-up
    • She Loves Truth Book
    • The ABCs of God's Love Letter Book
  • Library
    • 16 Names of God
    • Bible Reading Plan
    • The ABCs Study Guide
    • The ABCS Bible Study
    • Disciple Me Program
    • Come and Gather
    • She Loves Truth Guide
    • She Loves Truth Study
    • The Red Sea Rules
    • Praying Proverbs
    • 12 Letters I Wrote
    • Christmas Songbook
    • LOVE Coupons
  • The Heart That Heals
    • Read Chapter 1 of The Heart That Heals
    • The Heart That Heals Media Package
    • The Heart That Heals printable package
  • Sweeter Than Honey
  • Christianity
  • Etsy