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Called out of mourning to fall at His feet
[Guest post by Sarah Coleman: I’m so glad Sarah is back to share another story on Devotional Diva! I was so moved by her piece on mourning, and hope that it can encourage you, too.] Women aren’t bullet-proof. We like to think we are. That nothing gets under our skin. But it does. There can be days, weeks, months, years when things hurt. Bad. We live in a broken world. And broken things, break things. Hurting people, hurt people. Precious ones die. Love is lost. Sometimes babies slip away before ever being able to say, “Hello.” Shattered. Completely shattered. It can cut so deep you think you will never be…
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I Must Be Perfect
[Guest post by Rachel Madden: I think Rachel’s story on perfectionism will really encourage some of you, especially those who struggle with being a “perfect mom.” Remember “I must be perfect” is just a lie!] Psychology Today quotes, “For perfectionists, life is an endless report card on accomplishments or looks. A one-way ticket to unhappiness, perfectionism is typically accompanied by depression and eating disorders. What makes perfectionism so toxic is that while those in its grip desire success, they are most focused on avoiding failure, so theirs is a negative orientation. And love isn’t a refuge; in fact, it feels way too conditional on performance.” Please tell me this…
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A Story of Rediscovery
[Guest post by Erin Marie Shell: This is a story of God’s love, a story of heartbreak and a story of rediscovery. Thanks for sharing, Erin!] Exhausted after a full day of work, I arrived home late one night, opened the front door, and entered the darkness. As I walked into the house, my heels clicked on the floor, greeting me with a very loud, unfamiliar echo. Without turning on the lights, I began to realize what had happened. After 11 years of marriage, he had moved out. The shock of an empty house left me reeling in confusion. I was exhausted with life, exhausted with familiar feeling of not being…
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You've Got a Plan
[Guest post by Karsyn Robb: Karsyn contacted me to share her beautiful song “You’ve Got a Plan,” and I was so excited to have a musical submission! Below is the story behind the song, followed by the video. Enjoy!] At the end of my freshman year of college, two fellow students attempted to sexually assault me on my university’s campus. I was fortunate enough to be able to get away, but the trauma from that night nearly destroyed me. For five months I kept what had happened a secret because I was terrified of how people would react once they found out. It didn’t take long before the stress…
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My Fight with Vulnerability
[Guest post by Kerri-Anne Lafu: Unfortunately, sharing your vulnerability with the world is a problem I think a lot of women go through. But it’s even more important to try to share it with God!] These last few months I think God has been challenging me on the need to be real, vulnerable and honest with myself, Him, and others. I, like a lot of people, have massive insecurities about showing people who I really am. Instead of loving others and being with others fully, I’ve limited who and how I’ve been based on the parts of me that I think people would accept. It was through a hard season that…
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God's Love Stories
[Guest post by Stephanie Rawnsley: February is the month of Valentine’s Day, so I thought we would kick off the month with Stephanie’s great post about God’s love stories!] Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, ours or someone else’s, we all love a good story. Look at how many movies and books there are out there. When we go out for coffee, we exchange stories. We love hearing amazing tails of good winning over evil, of love conquering all. We love the stories that make us believe again, that make us reach for the stars and believe in the impossible. Why do you think Nicholas Sparks has been such a success? His stories of…
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New Wineskins
[Guest post by Ozella Morris: Welcome back, Ozella! On Tuesday, we read Jennifer’s story of waiting instead of trying to force a change. But what if the Lord knows you need a change to be closer Him?] Mark 2:22: And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins. Thank God for change! Even though it may not always fall in our favor, change is a blessing. Change brings on new areas for meaningful progress to take place, for new bonds to be made, and for old wounds to…
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The Unexpected Joy Found in Waiting
[Guest post by Jennifer Kelly: Happy New Year! When Jennifer sent me this post, I just knew it had to be the first Devotional Diva post of 2015! She tells us of the joy found in waiting when this New Year is such a time of change.] Wait on the Lord. This is my season right now. My limbo. My song. My thing. My line. My joy and my pain. Why is it so hard to wait? What is it about waiting that tail-spins my impatient, stubborn self into a frenzied, spoiled three-year old brat? Honestly! I’m like THAT little girl you see in the store: arms furiously crossed, crazy-eyed, and spewing out…
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Alive Remains the Manger Scene
[Guest post by Rebecca Lamarche: Rebecca also blogged recently, but when I received this beautiful poem from her, I knew it had to be the final post in this Christmas guest post series! Merry Christmas, everyone!] ALIVE REMAINS THE MANGER SCENE Sweet Baby Jesus asleep on the hay With reverence I kneel down before You today In worship and prayer, tears fall from my eyes; For You’re God – yet and infant – with soft gentle cries. I wonder – were Your infant tears shed for me? Because of my sin, and the great penalty That I could not, on my own ever pay? Were…
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Extending God's Gift of Grace
[Guest post by Carla Gasser: Carla submitted this piece when I was scheduling for this series, and although she didn’t intend to be a part of it, I thought her story of God’s grace was perfect for the series. As God gives grace to us, we should extend it to others!] I had an interesting conversation with one of my sons (whose name I will graciously withhold) at breakfast this morning. I was asking why he was wearing the same khaki shorts for the third day in a row. He started complaining that he had no clean shorts because “someone” had not washed them. Excuse me? I held my breath…
