-
What's Your Story — Mikey
I just want to say that it’s totally God that He brought Mikey into my life and crossed our paths. He spoke at my first book launch for Faithbook of Jesus hosted at North Coast Church. Then I asked him if I could interview him on camera for a second book project I was doing. And then that project was canceled. When I resurfaced and the book got picked up again by a different publisher–I asked Mikey. And then nothing. All I heard was silence. I’m so glad Mikey’s story is far from over. On June 29, 2012 he wrote this on his Facebook page after being silent for many…
-
I Survived My 20's – Death
Looking back, I can’t believe I survived my 20s. I should have died. In a lot of ways, I never thought I would have a life, fall in love, or find purpose through all of my sufferings. Because of my skin. Because of my anxiety. Eczema stripped my face, feet, and hands of all their skin. It took collectively ten years for all of it to heal. From the ages of 15-25, I was mostly homeschooled, housebound, and desperately lonely. The truth is–we always believe the glamorous life is on the other side. I thought if I could be anyone other than who I was–I would be happy. And yet…
-
What's Your Story – Carla
[Guest post by Carla] – I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be married, a time when I wasn’t desperate for someone to love me. I feared that I would be alone forever. You would think that after two divorces I wouldn’t want to be in a relationship any more, but that fear was still very alive inside me and so I launched my dating career. Yes, it became a career. I was 28, mother of three and on a mission to find someone to love me. I have since gone on more dates than I should ever admit out loud. Some of my dates have been…
-
What's Your Story – Rayni
[Guest Post by Rayni Peavy] 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 stepping onto a plane was a trigger for extremely high and almost unbearable anxiety. But, I have found that when I trust God…
-
8 Year Blogiversary
2012 marks a huge milestone in my writing career. It is my 8 year blogiversary. I began writing 8 years ago in 2004 before blogging was cool, hipster, and on WordPress. My first blog was called More Words Than Webster on blogspot. I had a lot to say then as I do now! Then I changed the name to E-couragements. After reading some of my four-hundred blog posts–my mentor Marcia Ramsland, The Organizing Pro named me Devotional Diva and it stuck! I cannot say how grateful I am to have this medium on which to express myself. Without blogging I probably wouldn’t be here today. I went from a shy,…
-
Permission For Peace
Sometimes, you need to give yourself permission for peace. I’m letting you know right now this post is going to rock your world. I may get vulgar and you might not like it. But that’s what we do when we transition. Isn’t it? We get rude. In your face. At first we think it’s our right. We were the ones wronged. What happens when that apology we’re waiting for never comes? I can’t tell you how frustrated life’s challenges have been in my life to the point where I refused to stay silent–and I’m the one who got burned. What the? #1. Like that time my former coworker tried to…
-
Permission To Transition
Sometimes, you need to give yourself permission to transition. Why? Because no one else can do it for you. This past week has been the most amazing spiritual high ever and I feel I may never come down. It’s not an emotional high, but the benefits of walking obediently. Two weeks ago, I wrote a confession. That I was going to take the rest of the year off from traveling, speaking, and writing my next book. It’s so weird. Since then God has blessed me even more that I can hardly stand it! I can’t help but rejoice that the Lord reigns in my life–and I pray yours as well.…
-
God's Calling
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”. C.S. Lewis I just love that quote. It reminds me in a very powerful way that God’s call on our lives is real. It’s tangible. Something we can taste, touch, feel, and see. And it’s not something so far out of our grasp that we’ll fail. Failure. Every time I tried to manage my schedule the past couple weeks–I’ve failed. I just wasn’t doing a good enough job. When my panic attacks came back, I felt like a big fat one–failure that is.…
-
The Bulldog Principle
It’s no secret. I suffer from anxiety. Most days I’m fine. It’s usually when a major life crisis hits that–boom–my emotions go crazy. I resemble the quote that says, “Anxiety girl! Able to jump to the worst conclusion in a single bound!” That’s totally me. The Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, NIV). I think that’s a better way to live. That and pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). So why is it whenever I’m faced with a challenge? I. FREAK. OUT? Right before the holidays, I met up with my…
-
Change Your Name
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble” (Psalm 90:14-15, NIV). For many, many years I suffered. With ill health. With no possibility of boys to date (oh the horror, seriously). So many years I cried out to God, wondering “where is he?” and “Does he even exist?” Of course, I knew better. On September 20, 1998 God told me that I would NOT be lacking a mate. His Spirit would make all come true (Isaiah…
