Devotionals
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When is it going to be my turn?
[Guest Post by Ashley Ramps – When I asked is something is missing from your life on my new blog, I got this amazing post. I just KNOW she’s not the only one. If you, like Ashley, find yourself scratching your head wondering what’s wrong–you’re not alone!] When is it going to be my turn? Hope. Not even sure what that feels like anymore. How did I get here? When did I become 31? Why am I the only one of my friends not married? Why don’t I have a family? Why am I not in my dream job living out the purpose that God had created me to live? I…
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Daily Devotional Tips for 2014
The New Year is almost here! I wanted to share some daily devotional tips and Bible reading tips to give you a jump start to 2014, starting with 10 Tips to Renew Your Devotional Life. 1. BE A FOLLOWER. Disciple simply means follower. It’s not a spiritual term. QUESTION: You follow people on Twitter and Facebook, so why not be mindful to follow God FIRST? BIBLICAL EXAMPLE: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV). 2. DISCIPLINE TAKES TIME. Over the years I’ve discovered what works for me. Daily eVerses + Yearly devotionals + One Year Bible…
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Top 10 Blogs for Christian Women
After blogging for almost 10 years, I (Renee Fisher) thought it was time to make a top 10 list of the top 10 blogs for Christian women! Every year there are a few websites that list the top Christian blogs, but they’re usually based on how much traffic you receive. That may be what attracts you to read a blog, but that is NOT what attracts me. For me, it goes much deeper than that. + Are they women of integrity? + Does she actually care about you–the reader? + Does she stay away from gossiping or slandering other Christian blogs to get more hits? + Is she accessible enough…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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.…
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How I Dropped Negative Self Talk
[Guest Post by Brett Wilson – Funny thing–she writes on a topic that most women can agree with. Without spilling it before she does, I’ll just say READ IT NOW!!!!] Sitting across the coffee table–it’s hard to remember when it all began. The negative self-talk. If I really think back, it probably began somewhere in my ballet dancing years. Which is a scary thought, because I essentially became a ballerina before I could even walk. All throughout elementary, middle and high school, I was a member of a small, Virginian ballet company. For some reason–I’d like to equate it to the mild S-curve of my spine caused by scolliosis–I could…
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Forgiving Myself
[Guest Post by Kristyn Ramsey – I always appreciate getting to know new people, stories, and faces–especially when they talk about one of my favorite subjects: forgiving myself. Please welcome Kristyn.] Struggling to forgive myself doesn’t come easy for a mistake I made. My mom used to tell me my whole life that I never met a stranger in the 24 years on planet earth. And if you meet me, that’s one of the truest statements about me. I can carry on a conversation with anyone, and that is usually to my benefit. Trips to other places were made easier because I made friends wherever I found myself. I made…
