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How to Share the Gospel
[Guest Post by Gail Davis – Some of my favorite bloggers are from South Africa, so when I heard from Gail Davis I couldn’t wait to post her with you. If you struggle with sharing your faith to others, be encouraged today!] Watching the world change, people are in fewer relationships. They are isolated. This should not be the case for Christians. Jesus commands them (Christians) to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey Him (Matthew 28:18-20). Christians are supposed to be relational. They are to talk with people. Make disciples. And teach them. Believers often find this difficult because of the non-relational way the world exists. They…
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I never wanted a bruised heart
[Guest Post by Laura – I appreciate how brave Laura is! This is the second time she has shared her story of rape on DevotionalDiva.com, and I love seeing how far she has come and how her story continues to encourage others. If you struggle with a bruised, broken, or shattered heart — be encouraged today!] Bruised. I bruise easily. Bruises seem to appear randomly on my knees or shins, and I can’t remember bumping into anything. To make matters worse, I can be a little klutzy. On the bright side, I’ve never broken a bone. But I’m fairly sure that a broken bone hurts exponentially more than a bruise. And…
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When You Harbor Bitterness
[Guest Post by Lindsey Meeker – It’s kind of amazing how much bitterness can hinder us from God’s best — even about something as simple as going to the dentist. I hope her story encourages you to let go!] I’ve always thought that to have a real testimony you had to have been set free from alcohol or gone to jail. But. This last year I’ve learned that doesn’t mean anything. A month before I started my freshman year of high school, I visited my local orthodontist to see about getting braces. I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. I went through all of the moldings and x-rays and the…
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Why is it that Christians Hurt Me the Most?
[Guest Post by Mary DeMuth – If you or anyone you know has been hurt by Christians, the church, or anyone who claims to love God–please forward this to them! Be encouraged.] I wish it weren’t true. But I can honestly say being hurt by other Christians, particularly Christian leaders, has devastated me. I don’t have a category for the grief because of all the shoulds. (Those leaders should know better than to act that way. They should not have said those hateful words.) In the aftermath of the pain, I’ve not always processed it well. I’ve been angry. I’ve wanted vengeance. The writer in me wanted to craft a…
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Mental Health Boot Camp
[Guest Post by Anonymous – My heart goes out to people who feel like they have to hide their story. Obviously it’s a good thing to protect your child(ren) or family, but I hope this person’s courage will help you find true healing in Christ.] As a mom with a physical chronic condition I am familiar with the complexities of having a demanding disease. I have long admitted that although I could see how God has worked through my physical ailment, I still did not understand mental illness. It was a world I had not been a participant of, a language I did not speak. And then my young sons’s struggles…
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Why Sexual Harassment at Work is Wrong
Two things happened today that have caused me to write this blog immediately. The first is that Mayor Filner of San Diego is resigning as of 5 PM on August 30th. The second is that I ate at the restaurant Karl Strauss for the first time since I was sexually harassed in their parking lot many years ago by a former coworker. I am infuriated that men like Mayor Bob Filner think it’s okay and appropriate behavior to sexually harass women in the work place. As a woman who has been sexually harassed in the work place twice, I am not only offended–I am downright angry. Some of you may…
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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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Why Married Sex is the Best
[Guest Post by Aurora Vilchis – I love my friend’s heart. Not only has she has experienced both kinds of sex, but she knows which one is best and shares why. *This post was originally featured on Girls Using Their Strengths blog here).] I like sex. There, I said it. We live in a culture that leads us, as women, to believe that men are visual creatures who want to unclothe us by any means, and we just have to accept that even if we don’t want to. We have heard that women are forced to have sex and would rather be doing anything else but the act itself. I’m here…
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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…
