InstaEncouragements Blog

Our Favorite Things Christmas Gift Guide

12/4/2020

Christmas will be here before we know it! It seems to creep up on me sooner than expected every year and I am rarely prepared for it.

This year, however, our family is doing something a bit different. We are not giving gifts. Instead, we're doing experiences and having a family photo made.

All fourteen of us met at a local farm with our photographer, Katelyn, and afterwards for a family dinner. The dinner was one of those "experiences" as we spent the day making several different kinds of pasta for it.

I know that some of you are already well into shopping for Christmas. Maybe, you even have all of your shopping done. But if you are one of those, like me, who wait till the last minute, have I got a sweet deal for you! It's like going to the mall (remember those days?) but better!

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Listen Bible Study - Download Chapter 1 FREE!

7/31/2020

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Listen Bible Study - Download Chapter 1 Free!

Strange Times

Those are two words I’m hearing a lot lately. They’re fitting for these days we’ve been walking through since a tiny virus grew to mammoth proportions and crushed normalcy under its weight. It feels as if everything in our world has changed over the last several months. And as a result of all the changes, all the people are feeling all the feelings. And they all want us to know. Life can be more than a little overwhelming right now. Social Media has become a battle zone as voices rise to carry over one another.

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We Find Our Ultimate Home in Him

1/24/2020

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"For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him amen, to the glory of God through us." 2 Corinthians 1:20

House hunting is a tough thing, especially when trying to find a house from a distance. On our last move, my husband and I were looking for a house that met each item on our wish list:

land for the children to roam and explore
enough bedrooms to accommodate six children (with some sharing)
an area to set up a permanent home school and
a laundry ROOM

Our previous homes both had laundry pass-throughs that caused major hazards for people coming into the house from our garage entry.

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Joseph: The Man God Chose to Raise His Son

12/20/2019

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“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother, Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’

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This is the Good Work God Called You To Mama

11/22/2019

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This is the Good Work God Called You To Mama

Motherhood is demanding work. I’ve been on the motherhood journey for over twenty-five years now. With three adult children, two teens and one preteen, the needs are different than they were ten years ago, but they are still needs that demand effort on my part as a mom. If I’m honest, there are some days when I’d like to pull up the covers over my head and let everyone just fend for themselves. As a matter of fact, today was one of those days. My two youngest boys did something last night that hurt someone’s feelings. They were “just being boys”, but if I let it slide, I would lose an opportunity to show them how their actions can hurt others whether they mean to or not.

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R-E-S-T. Four letters. One word. Filled With Promise.

9/20/2019

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Rest. Four letters. One word. Filled With Promise.

Rest...four letters that form one little word, filled with promise, but overshadowed by impossibility. Why is rest so elusive to us? Maybe you are a corporate woman with deals to make and meetings to run. Or, maybe you’re a mom with little ones, diapers, playdates, and laundry to the ceiling. Even if there are currently no little lives depending on you for existence, and you don’t have a corner office, I’m sure your days are filled with opportunities and obligations that keep you busy enough to crash when your head hits the pillow at night. No matter what is written in our individual planners, the pace we keep, the social media we take in, and the pressure to push for more can leave each of us feeling soul-drained.

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