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The Stages of Post-Vacation Grief
The Stages of Post-Vacation Grief I was inspired to write this silly little thing after returning home from my vacation to Germany. This seems to be what I go through during Post-Vacation Grief (totally a real thing) and I thought it would be fun to share since I’ve been traveling so much. Without further ado, my stages of Post-Vacation Grief… Excitement: As I’m in the car headed home, the baby is totally passed out. I’m really tired but really excited to get back to my life. Ah yay, my own home! I have so many ideas for Devotional Diva! I have so many ideas for the house! I’ll reorganize my…
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Worry Free Living…Joyce Meyer Excerpt
[Editor’s Note: I received a copy of Joyce Meyer’s new book, Worry Free Living: Trading Anxiety for Peace to read and select an excerpt from! I have to say, this was a very relevant book for me and I loved it! I always love Joyce, but man this spoke to me. I really, really enjoyed it and I’ve been referring back to it already. Here’s an excerpt from a later chapter. It was hard to choose, but this was my favorite. Joyce just really makes a lot of sense in this chapter! I hope you’re encouraged!] Prayer Produces Peace, Rest, Patience, and Hope Several times in this book I have mentioned…
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A Poison Called Anger
A Poison Called Anger When I announced my pregnancy, I mentioned that I had recently gone through health issues that I wasn’t ready to talk about. I was still too angry and hurt at the experience that I felt any sharing I could do wouldn’t really be worthwhile. It would all just be, well, angry. I’m one of those people that’s had a lot of health issues in my life — Nothing too serious, yet, thank God! I just always seem to have something going on. Well, a little over a year before I became pregnant, I pulled my hamstring in a freak yoga accident. I went through months of…
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Cross Over
[Guest Post by Rayni Peavy. This post is a part of the 2015 Devotional Diva Christmas series entitled, “Extraordinary Christmas.” It was originally published on Devotional Diva in 2012.] I’d never been afraid to fly. From the time I was a baby I’ve been flying on a regular basis. Even flying across the country a few months after 9/11 didn’t scare me because I trusted God with my life. And then it happened. Several years ago, out of nowhere, I began having anxiety attacks. Unfortunately two of them came back to back on a long plane ride overseas. It was a traumatic experience, to put it mildly. From that moment on…
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When the Fireworks Lost Their Sparkle
[Guest post by Nicole Bernard: We’re welcoming back Nicole today to share her perspective on how our sins hurt God.] The Fourth of July can be quite stressful…. at least that’s my experience as a mother to a rescue basset who suffers from anxiety issues. This year, while my husband, Steve, and three-year-old son, Carter, sat outside enjoying the fireworks, I remained inside with Lucy as she paced, panted, trembled, and occasionally lost control of her bladder (and worse). As I sat crouched on my knees near our living room window, scrubbing away at the carpet, a burst of light flashed, catching my eye. Turning my head, I was…
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Companion on the Journey
[Guest post by Samantha Hanni: Trying to conceive, infertility, miscarriages and pregnancy are difficult times and Samantha is right — it’s so important to have a female companion on the journey! God certainly placed someone like this in my life, and what an encouragement she was!] Luke 1:5-36; 39-45; 56 Elizabeth and Mary. Two pregnancies against all odds. A virgin birth? A pregnancy after menopause? Medically impossible. Highly unlikely. Imagine the looks the teenager and grandma-aged lady must have gotten from neighbors, even friends. The suspected immorality. The arched eyebrows and whispered comments behind palms. How trying and humiliating…to be pregnant is to be already vulnerable, but to be labeled as…
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Fighting for Bud: An Update
[Guest post by Jenee Day: About a month ago, Jenee shared with us why she was writing to distract herself. Here is an update on her son Bud’s health and how she is fighting for him.] Some of the most difficult times in my life as a mother are when my children are sick. The emotions that come along with nurturing our little ones are various and deep. Helplessness, sadness, confusion, hope and determination are just a few of the feelings my husband and I have experienced recently. As Bud was admitted to the hospital again last week, we held on to each other and to our faith. I have…
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Becoming a Mom is Completely Terrifying
Becoming a mom is completely terrifying. Almost every night for the past few weeks, I’ve started falling asleep…and then I realize, I’M GOING TO BE A MOM. I go into a panic, thinking about how hard it will be to take care of my new baby and trying to think of all the things I still need to do. I try to rationalize my knowledge of infant care and how I can get everything done. In my mind, if I can make sense of something and have a reasonable plan, I start to feel better. I’m excited for my little boy to arrive, really, I am. I want to be…
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Worrying…
Currently, I am attempting to become a reformed worrier. I have been working on this for awhile, because my worrying used to get really out of hand. And there are sooo many scriptures that instruct one to not worry. It is a process. I have gotten better at handling my fears and anxiety about things, but it is still something I’m striving to improve upon. Scriptures do help ease my racing thoughts, but I chose to share this quote today because it appeals to the rational side of my brain. I find that reasoning and something “making sense” in my mind helps me to accept things. “Worrying won’t stop bad…
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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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