• Health & Body

    Lessons Learned from Fasting

    [Guest Post by Elise Boggs – We met many years at North Coast Church. She worked on staff with the College ministry, and I was serving as a volunteer in the 20-something ministry. It’s pretty amazing to see how far she has come. If you find yourself like Elise, unfamiliar with fasting — I think you will like to hear her story.] Miracles do happen. Last year was a challenging year. I made the decision to leave my role in ministry, I ended a two year relationship, and I became overwhelmed with anxiety to the point of being issued a mandatory three month sabbatical by my doctor. I felt like…

  • Devotionals,  Faith

    When Your World Comes Crashing Down

    [Guest Post by Rochelle Frazier – I met her through the Top 10 Blogs for Christian Women post I compiled. She was nominated for the list, and when I looked at her blog–I knew I had to have her share! For anyone who has seen their picture perfect like come crashing down, this is for you today. Be encouraged! You are not alone.] Is it possible to arrive at the place where you stop asking, “Is there more? Should I be more?” Is it possible that your restless heart could actually find rest right where you are? Satisfied? I dare to say “Yes!” I don’t have the story of overcoming an…

  • Faith,  Health & Body

    Why Not Celebrate?

    [Guest Post by Heather Von St. James – When Cameron, Heather’s husband, reached out to me asking if he could help share his wife’s story — I was inspired. I wish all husbands were excited to celebrate life with their wives. Today, if you are struggling with life — why not celebrate? Don’t wait for tragedy to strike! Celebrate today.] Fear – we’ve all faced a form of it at some point in our lives. I’ve learned that your fears don’t define the person you are, but rather how you deal with them. Humor is the way that my husband Cameron and I handled one of the most terrifying and…

  • Health & Body

    How to Treat Your Body as a Temple

    [Guest Post by Amy – I love this thought from Amy today, and if you haven’t read her first article entitled The Pit of Depression, you won’t want to miss that one either! I always appreciate it when guest posters ask to post again (hint hint).] I grew up in what I like to refer to as the “The Deep South Land of Southern Baptists”. I learned the books of the Bible, about Abraham and Moses and all the other Biblical heroes, and of course that drinking or dancing would lead to complete moral destruction. I also learned about the all important Pot-Luck Dinner. One of the main theological tenets…

  • Relationships

    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…

  • Devotionals

    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…

  • Devotionals

    Your Pain has a Purpose

    [Guest Post by Kate Motaung – We both write for iBelieve.com and it’s always nice to share a fellow writer’s story, especially when they write about one of my favorite Bible verses–Romans 8:28. Be encouraged my friends!] I have a limited threshold for listening to the news. My stomach churns and I swallow hard as I hear story after story of brokenness. Like shards of glass pieced together, the resulting mosaic has very few smooth edges. Shards of large scale calamities. Tsunamis swallowing entire villages. Hurricanes ripping through hearts and homes. Government corruption. Human trafficking. Missile attacks. Economic instability. School shootings. All stemming from the same source — a bite…

  • Devotionals,  Faith

    Does it Hurt to Hope?

    [Guest Post by Kelli McIntosh – When she asked to share about her son Kyle with special needs and why she’s not losing hope, I realized that I haven’t had anyone else share about that topic yet. If you struggle with being a mom or feel like losing hope–you are not alone!] With the intention of taking my mind off of everything, I settled on the couch for a few minutes to read my current novel. But as soon as I read what one of the characters in my book was thinking, I found myself lost in thought about Kyle. I realized that the book was not going to take my…

  • Faith,  Health & Body

    Keep Moving Forward

    Guest Post by Jayne Richards – How many of us have made a New Year’s Resolution or goal to lose weight this year? And how many of us have already given up? I am encouraged by this amazing woman who calls herself an old broad who runs, and I hope you are too!] My twenty-four year old daughter was digging around in one of our junk piles recently, and came upon what she thought was a treasure.  It was a beautiful hardcover book entitled “Our Christmas Memories”. She very excitedly sat down to reminisce, only to discover that just the first couple of pages had been completed. It had a…

  • Devotionals

    Walking the Plank

    Transition throws me for a loop every time – silly, of course. We all know that the only constant in life is change. But somehow my longing for comfort and control gets me to settle into a place with a deep, satisfying sigh. Close my eyes. Take a break from watchfulness. Then everything tips and I find myself rolling sideways, stumbling down a new ramp of transition. Looking for a new normal. Some transitions are instantaneous. In 2003 my husband collapsed on his favorite street in San Diego, Shelter Island Drive, just outside the bank. From that moment on, he never drove his truck, never wrote a check, dialed a…