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What's Your Story – Ashley
[Guest Post by Ashley] I always had a close relationship with God, and felt I could always lean on Him. In high school, I got a job at a leather store in the mall. I was a trainer on the football team and fell head over heels for popular guy on the team. I had my whole life planned out. I wanted to be a stay at home mom and be an active part of a church. I knew I wanted to save myself for marriage, but I started to drift from God. He wasn’t into going to church or praying. I ended up dating him and we had a…
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What's Your Story – Brittany
I want to introduce to Brittany Erbaugh. She was my first roommate ever! We met in San Antonio, TX because of a nine-month discipleship-training program, “Ambassador For Christ.” She was my roommate and classmate. Because of her influence, she made me watch all three of Lord of the Rings movies. And to get her back, I hooked her on the CBS show, “Survivor (she still watches it). And, one thing we did agree on was Blue Bell Ice Cream, Chick fil A, and ABC’s Lost. But, enough about our relationship! Brittany is all too familiar with her spiritual battle and mine. I left Texas before I had the chance to…
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6 Month Wedding Anniversary
My 6 month wedding anniversary has taught me so much. Because I love celebrating both small and large milestones–here are six lessons learned from the first six months (Oct. 15-Apr. 15)! 1. Insecurities Magnified. When I was saangle (really single) I thought it was my fault. I’m so glad for those years now that God spent teaching me how to replace the lies with truth because now that I’m married, my insecurities are only magnified. 2. Serving/Submitting to Marc is my joy. At first, I was so excited and grateful to serve Marc because God answered my 12-year-10-month-24-day-prayer. I now believe it’s because of prayer, God’s help, and understanding–that my…
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Singleness Is NOT A Disease
[Guest Post] American culture values independence. Somewhere between my twenty-fifth and twenty-seventh birthdays, my status as a single man in the church downgraded from laudable to questionable. People stopped celebrating my singleness as a gift affording me undivided focus on performing God’s will (see I Corinthians 7) and began seeing it as a problem. They also began analyzing why I had failed to solve it. The message was clear: My “malady” of being single was somehow my fault. It wasn’t anything I did. It was what I didn’t do enough of. I didn’t do enough to prove my independence. American men who cannot demonstrate enough independence begin to feel weak…
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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,…
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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…
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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.…
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Start A Singles Ministry
Today, my post entitled Is Your Church A Safe Place For Singles went live on CATALYST blog. I talk about a favorite church, and how it encouraged me to lead regardless of my relationship status. Even though I am now married, I am encouraged myself as we try our new churches to find the right one for us. If you’re a pastor or a small group leader here is a great way to jump start or restart a 20’s ministry at you church. Here’s how… Singles need a home. Here’s how to start a singles ministry at your church. Create a welcoming environment. Young adults are in a state of…
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Friendship Quotes
Today my amazing husband Marc turns 29. If you recall, he wrote me a book on the 29 reasons why he loves Renee for my birthday in June. Since Marc is more of a private guy–I thought I’d return the favor by posting different 13 quotes on friendship. According to Timothy Keller’s book The Meaning of Marriage, Chapter 4 explores friendship as the mission of marriage. I hope you enjoy and are encouraged by these friendship quotes. 1. Christian friends…are to honestly confess their own sins to each other (James 5:16). 2. Christian friends…are to lovingly point out their friend’s sin if he or she is blind to them (Romans…
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Don't Just Guard Your Heart
At first, I wanted to name this Triple Threat–like last week. I’d post the 3 links and be done with it. Then I remembered my mom’s email to me. “Renee, don’t just call it Triple Threat. Where’s the threat? Call it Triple Treat because your writing is such a treat.” Aww. Mom. Thank you, but no! Instead, I am naming it Don’t Just Guard Your Heart because I wanted to let you know of a post I wrote featured on Relevant today entitled Why Guarding Your Heart Isn’t Enough. If you’ve ever had someone throw the phrase around like a punch to the face–I know you’ll appreciate it. *Next, I…
