• Faith

    Why Sexual Harassment at Work is Wrong

    Two things happened today that have caused me to write this blog immediately. The first is that Mayor Filner of San Diego is resigning as of 5 PM on August 30th. The second is that I ate at the restaurant Karl Strauss for the first time since I was sexually harassed in their parking lot many years ago by a former coworker. I am infuriated that men like Mayor Bob Filner think it’s okay and appropriate behavior to sexually harass women in the work place. As a woman who has been sexually harassed in the work place twice, I am not only offended–I am downright angry. Some of you may…

  • Devotionals

    Host a Small Group on Forgiveness

    I recently recorded Chapter Videos to go along with my new book “Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me” for those of you who want to host a small group on forgiveness. They go along with the Discussion Questions at the back of the book (pages 175-178). You can cover each chapter a week for seven weeks or space it out as you desire. Since forgiveness isn’t a fluffy topic, but weighty and often times difficult–hear me when I say this–feel free to go at your own pace. Without further ado, here is the first Chapter Video, and the rest can be viewed at http://www.forgivingme.com. Ch: 1 Video & Chapter Discussion from Renee…

  • On Writing

    September: Mental Health Month

    Starting this September, I am looking for guest posts on the topic of mental health. I have shared my story along with many other stories on anxiety, depression, and mental health. Since I started the recent transition of getting of my anxiety med, I thought it would be encouraging to gather more stories to encourage those of us who are going through it. If you struggle or have lived or loved others who struggle and would like to share please send your query to me at: renee (at) devotionaldiva (dot) com. Requirements: 500-750 words including a 3-4 sentence bio and picture. [Photo: Aban Nesta, Flickr]

  • Relationships

    Why Married Sex is the Best

    [Guest Post by Aurora Vilchis – I love my friend’s heart. Not only has she has experienced both kinds of sex, but she knows which one is best and shares why. *This post was originally featured on Girls Using Their Strengths blog here).] I like sex. There, I said it. We live in a culture that leads us, as women, to believe that men are visual creatures who want to unclothe us by any means, and we just have to accept that even if we don’t want to. We have heard that women are forced to have sex and would rather be doing anything else but the act itself. I’m here…

  • Faith,  Health & Body

    When God Intervenes

    [Guest Post by Dabney Hedegard – Her story inspired me and I couldn’t wait to share. Through her story, God showed me how proud I had become towards my future children. If God could allow Dabney to have her first child while battling cancer, what’s my excuse? I hope you enjoy. You can purchase a copy of her new book, When God Intervenes here.] We brought Madison home after a week in the NICU. I finally learned how to cradle and dress her ­five-​­pound preemie body without feeling as if I’d break something. I couldn’t kiss and snuggle with her enough. A week and a half after Madison’s birth, she and Jason kept…

  • Devotionals

    Do You Want to Get Well?

    I believe God is serious when he asks you and I the question, “Do you want to get well?” In John 5, we read the story of an invalid who had been seriously crippled for many, many, many, many years. In other words–a long time! The story goes, “Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gatea pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When…

  • Devotionals

    Forgiveness is a Choice

    Forgiveness is a choice and the only person you have control over is yourself. The only attitude you can control is your own. We can’t control what other people do, how they act, or what they feel. We can only make choices for ourselves. For instance, Paul knew his story was less than perfect. Before his conversion, he persecuted Christians! But he didn’t let the sins of the past stop him from becoming a mighty Christ-follower. He received the title of apostle because he wasn’t afraid to truly let God transform him. He gave his weaknesses to God and became a new man. The former enemy of Christians became one…

  • Faith

    Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me Releases Today

    Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me releases today! I created a new website for Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me. At forgivingme.com, you can: + Locate bookstores are selling + Learn why I wrote the book + FREE Extras: Download Chapter 1 for free and a free eBook of all the scriptures on forgiveness from my book. Also, at www.forgivingme.com, I will soon be releasing Chapter Videos so you can go along with the Discussions Questions at the back of the book. If you’re looking to host a 7-week Bible Study on forgiveness, you will be able to soon! In my new book you can learn to forgive your past and discover your future. “I had been writing in my…

  • Devotionals

    How to Move On With Your Life

    One of the toughest questions to answer is how to move on with your life. Why? Because it’s both personal and painful. Unfortunately, it’s a question no one else can answer but you. I’ll never forget a few years back when I sat in my church’s counseling office. I had booked an appointment last minute because my life at that time was in major crisis mode. I never knew when I was going to have a panic attack or how long it would last. But, I remember her vividly. The lady whom I didn’t like or care for much. She was just someone who could see me at the last minute.…

  • Devotionals

    Baby Steps of Forgiveness

    [Guest Post by Catherine Hawkins – I always appreciate guest post authors who become regular readers and submit again. I always love watching a new friend grow, who is both willing and unashamed to share. May we learn to be as brave as Catherine!] A woman from church once told me, when I was small and easily wounded, that “Christ has forgiven so much; we have no right not to forgive others.” That weighed on me a long time, because no matter how hard I tried, forgiveness was elusive. I remembered slight after slight, and they seemed to build on each other until it seemed I was a walking wound.…