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Merry Christmas 2022
Editor’s Note: Merry Christmas, Divas! I’ve been saving a devotional as a surprise for this Christmas. I hope your Christmas is full of love. -Maggie Three Special Gifts: A Christmas Devotional by Manndi Maphies Wilkins. Follow her on Facebook here or Instagram at @Manndi8867 When the ornate Magi we read about in Luke Chapter 2, presented the Christ child with three rare gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, what was the symbolization of each? Did they expect a more royal and noble birth when choosing these expensively thoughtful presents? Were they surprised when they witnessed a baby, in a bundle of hay, lying in an animal’s feeding trough…in a barn? The…
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Christmas is Canceled – And I think that’s okay
Divas, I set a pretty rigid theme for this year’s Diva Christmas Guest Post Series, and I ended up not getting enough completed submissions 🙁 I’m sorry that we don’t all get to read a few Christmas devotionals this year, but honestly…I think it was God saying “no” to Diva Christmas 2021. I’m at the end of what I think is so far the worst year of my life (not proud of that, just for context) and I am EXHAUSTED in every way possible. God alone is how I’ve made it this far. I think He’s just trying to help me and take something off my overfilled plate. And i…
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How Do You Celebrate Christmas? (Diva Christmas 2021)
Happy Fall, Divas! The last post I wrote ended on an uncertain note, so here’s an update on my mental health. (PS I have a few more updates on FB and IG!) I’m doing better with medication and staying in touch with my support system (LOVE my supportive family and friends!!), but still definitely struggling. My husband came back for a break, but he had to leave again. I hired a nanny, and it helped relieve so much stress, but she quit and now I have to find a new one. It is one step forward and one step back, sometimes. Overall, I feel stronger and I feel like I…
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The Rat’s Nest
I have a rats nest in my hair. I remember one time my hair got so tangled, all because I would just add dry shampoo and quickly run a brush through my hair – not really brushing it out. Then just put it up in a messy bun. This was during my husband’s first time away from me with the military and I was super depressed. I started neglecting my self-care. I started neglecting myself (and my hair) again, and that’s why I have this rats nest. Do my kids look a mess? Does my house? No. But I do, and more importantly, I feel like a mess inside. I…
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What Easter Means to Me
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:15-16 I love a low-key Easter. I’m all about spending the day at home, opening baskets, doing an egg hunt indoors right away, and tuning into a service on livestream…in pajamas. Maybe we’ll have quick cinnamon rolls or monkey bread — when I was little my mom always made us little sausages for breakfast on Easter. We’ll get dressed eventually, and play with our new Easter stuff. Maybe get the kids dressed up cute for…
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After Death Comes Life
I launched Devotional Diva as a single person in 2009 under the name Renee Johnson. It was my dream to use that platform to get noticed and become a published author. God knew. A few months later, NavPress signed me for my first book, Faithbook of Jesus, a 365-daily devotional. It released one year later while the ink was drying on the trademark I purchased for Devotional Diva. Talk about a whirlwind. I experienced tremendous growth as an author those first few years as well as personal. My first book sold so well that NavPress signed me for another book. Then the economy tanked. It was a God-sized miracle that Harvest House signed me for…
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The Promise and Puctuality of Easter
Resurrection Sunday reminds me that God is not only a promise keeper but is perfectly punctual in His sovereign timeline over history and my own story. Keeping a promise years ago may have looked like a pinky swear when we were little girls or even keeping a secret told to us on the middle school playground. Today, my three-year-old daughter promises me on a nightly basis that she will stay in bed after I put her down… but I know better! Her promise-making is on point, but she has not yet perfected her promise-keeping skills! As a woman who follows Christ, I must place unwavering trust in my promise-keeping God…
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Remember Me
“Drink this… and remember me.” Jesus’ eyes brimmed with tears as he extended the cuptowards John. It trembled in his hand. A drop spilled down the side. Oh don’t worry, we won’t! Especially me. I’m your best friend! Or what about Peter? 2000 years later, a pastor raises his grape juice and says with a smile, “Today we rememberJesus…” But I do, Jesus. It’s been my focus all year long. I’ll admit, I’ve skipped prayer or bible study a few times. I’ve been far from perfect. But I remembered, didn’t I? Who could forget? John was there when the earth shook violently in a cry of grief as its Maker…
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The Cleansing of Easter
Editor’s note: This is the first story in our Easter devotional series. Enjoy! One Easter holiday, the message of Jesus’ cleansing power was clearly put on my heart. My youngest daughter was two years old at the time, and my girls and I were excitedly coloring Easter eggs for our family Easter egg hunt the following day. Suddenly, I noticed an egg dye tablet was missing from the package. Where was it? Sophia? Everyone has one child that is more likely than the others to find and make mischief; Sophia is mine. I opened her mouth, squeezed her adorable chubby cheeks and found yep, a yellow mouth! Sophia…
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Looking for EASTER submissions!
Happy New Year, Divas! I’m opening up submissions again, and I want to make sure we have plenty of time to organize a great new series for EASTER! I’ve never done an Easter series here on Devotional Diva, simply because I didn’t feel led to. This year, I do. Easter is the most holy holiday and I want to honor it this year with a series of devotionals leading up to Easter. I’m hoping I can get the series started around-ish Ash Wednesday. As it’s my first year doing this, and I’m not sure how much interest I’ll have with submissions, I’m going to play it by ear 🙂 I…
