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My Scarlet Letter
[Guest Post by Kathy Moore – I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Kathy for a few years, and now that we live close to each other she’s become a close friend. I hope you’ll love her redemption from divorce story as much as I’ve enjoyed watching it in real life!] Let’s get real—It’s been an intense three years. It seems that hit (sometimes literally) after hit keep coming. Thankfully it hasn’t been constant and there have been more figurative hits than literal, but the fact remains, it’s been a tough three years since my husband and I got divorced. This is just a fact, nothing more. I have crumbled a…
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My Bucket List
I like to celebrate things. In fact, it’s no secret that I celebrate just about everything! Yesterday I wrote on Facebook, “Praising God for an amazing and way-too-exciting birthday month. Can’t believe I’m about to admit this, but I’m so glad it’s over so I can go back into my writing cave AKA my office and write stuff to encourage others, including myself!!!” With that said, I can’t wait to celebrate a few things this July! (1) I started working out exactly one year ago today. July 2nd means a lot to me because I overcame the fear of exercising while taking anxiety meds (it just feels differently). I used…
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Choose to Forgive
[Guest Post by Mara Rose – I always love it when I meet new friends through other sites I write for. Please let me introduce you to a beautiful soul with a beautiful story. Be encouraged.] “I need you to know that I forgive you. I forgive you for allowing this baggage to carry over into my marriage and mental health. I won’t let our past dictate my future–a future that is so much brighter without a man like you.” These were the words that I wrote in a “no-send letter” to a verbally abusive ex-boyfriend, as recommended by my biblical counselor. It took me 8 years to realize that…
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A Barren Wife
[Guest Post by Jessica Quinn – I had the pleasure of being introduced to her through Tyndale House Publishers. She is an amazing godly woman with a husband and a thriving PR career. I can’t wait for you to read her story about being a barren wife. And I have to wonder–if any of you can relate? Be encouraged today by her story!] Cinderella is my favorite princess. I think it has something to do with the fact that she rose up from feeling unwanted and unseen to meet her prince charming, and then went on to live happily ever after. That is the answer, right? Meet prince charming and…
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Your Love Can't Change Him
[Guest Post by Teryn O’Brien – Want to know why I appreciate her so much? She writes things I swear I could have written. It just makes me want to fly to Colorado Springs, CO and give her a big, BIG hug. If you didn’t already read her previous post, Follow God’s Heart–you should read that immediately after reading this post!] In many chick flicks and romance novels today, there is a common storyline. It goes like this: Bad boy meets awkward, shy girl. Girl’s innocent charm completely captivates boy. Her love heals him. Boy changes and they live happily ever after. As females, this dream is close to our…
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Single Mom by Choice
[Guest Post by Krista Pettiford – We met each other through the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild. She is a gifted and talented writer, and I am absolutely thrilled to have Krista share her story about her family. If you know of any broken families who might need encouragement, please pass this one along!] I was married and had four children when I became a Christian. Before that, I was very worldly. Though I had been raised by religious parents and even went to Catholic school for my early education I never had a real example of godly living. When I met my husband I was an unwed mother of…
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Forgiving My Rapist
[Guest Post by Amanda Espinoza – I can’t say thanks enough to those who are willing to share about something so deeply personal and painful. I want to personally thank Laura, the first person to share her story of rape on my blog. You can read her story here. Also, my friend Carla who shared her story of rape, and you can read her story here. If any of you are struggling on this topic I encourage you to reach out and get help. Jesus cares and He wants to help you process this painful event.] It is easy to forgive someone when they sincerely apologize and ask for that forgiveness.…
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My Relationship Idols
[Guest Post by Alyx Vergara – I’m pretty sure we met for five seconds at my former roommate bridal shower years ago, but have stayed connected via Facebook ever since. It’s been fun to watch her journey over to Hawaii and become the person God wants her to be. Today, if you’re struggling to let go of any relationship idols, be encouraged by Alyx’s story.] My name is Alyx, I am 22 and I live in Hawaii. My journey here started with heartbreak. Three months before my first semester of Bible college, my world was turned upside down when my best friend/ex-boyfriend decided to move on without me. Living without…
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God First Family Second
[Guest Post by Beth Berry – I am overjoyed to introduce my second mother-daughter blog duo on devotionaldiva.com. Rachel Berry, Beth’s daughter and I previously met at the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild. She shared her blog here about losing the Miss Oregon crown. Now, I bring you her mom. Please welcome Beth with open arms.] I left my office at 10:00 p.m. one cool September night, looking forward to crawling into my warm bed and snuggling up next to my husband of twenty four years. Like every evening, I looked forward to sharing my day with him and hearing about his. But that night was different than any other–instead…
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My Desert of Singleness
[Guest Post by Brooke – We met through iBelieve.com a site we both write for. When she approached me with her story, I couldn’t wait to share it with you all. For those of you who feel like you’re in the desert of singleness–please know that you’re NOT alone!!!] He planned the proposal perfectly—balloons, a trail of lights by the lake, Clair de Lune playing in the background, and him down on one knee asking me to be his wife. I had waited 33 years for this moment and I had begun to doubt it would ever happen–until I met him. We met online on a Christian dating site. I…
