Faith
-
Forgiving the Church
Today, I am honored to be a part of Quarter Life Conference by speaking on a topic close to my heart–forgiving the church. When it comes to my heart for the church–I’d say it has been growing since I was 5 years old! That’s the day I asked God to come into my heart, forgive me of my sin, and make me new! In the 25 years since I became a Christian–I’ve encountered many hurts from people who call themselves followers. People who go to church. And I’ve also hurt other people. None of us are perfect, and in light of my new book Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me, I wanted to…
-
Church is
[Guest Post by Laura – When we were first introduced, her story startled me. Not only has she experienced the joy of serving God and the church overseas, but overwhelming heartbreak. If you want to read her previous guest post on anxiety, rape, and kidnapping please click here. I’m encouraged to learn that she is now safe in Ireland and still serving God. Let’s praise God with Laura today!] Church is the body of Christ–it’s about His people. Currently I’m serving in my third country, which means it’s also the third time I’ve been involved in a church in a foreign country. Each church has looked different, yet each church…
-
Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me Blog Tour
Welcome to the Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me blog tour! I’ve been waiting to say this for so many years, and I can’t wait to finally share bits and pieces with you on the blogosphere. + Mind Blowing Forgiveness (via iBelieve.com) + Forgiveness, A Good Place to Start (via Church 4 Chicks!) + The Greater Good of Forgiveness (via Songine’ Clark) + Forgiveness is Not The End! (via Ed Cyzewski) + Forgiveness is a Personal Choice (via Ungrind) + Review: Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me (via Emily Miller) + Prayer Changes Things (via Wendy van Eyck) + The Importance of Forgiveness and Prayer (via Dawn Wilson) + Real Reconciliation (via Daniel Darling) + Why Is…
-
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…
-
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.…
-
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…
-
Couples Therapy
[Guest Post by Angela McNeil – I have had the privilege of getting together with her a few times. She’s taken our family portraits, headshots of mine, and of course her daily dose of sarcasm on her Facebook status’. What I appreciate most about my friend Angela, is she’s never afraid to be honest about her past. If you have ever been in an abusive relationship, I hope you will be encouraged by her story.] You mean not all relationships are like this? When I was in High School 1993-1994 my father worked for a software company that was on the Online community craze, like AOL chat rooms and IMing.…
-
Unrealistic Expectations in a Relationship
[Guest Post by Sarah Melton – I really appreciate how much she is willing to share about her unrealistic expectations. That is also what killed my first serious relationship, and took me years to figure out–that God is supposed to fill me not a boyfriend. If you or anyone you know is struggling–please pass this one along!] “I knew I shouldn’t have asked you out in the first place.” That sentence was the first tough blow I ever received from my first boyfriend breaking up with me when I was 20 years old. Sure, we weren’t together long, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. One year later,…
-
Just Thank God and Move On
[Guest Post by Brett Wilson – I met her through our mutual friend Sarah Martin. She is a fun, single lady who writes fairy tales of faith, single-hood, and coffee. If you have recently gone through a breakup, I hope her story will encourage you to thank God and move on.] “Hey, baby! Wanna be our guest?” I snapped my head to see where the voices were calling from. I was at a stoplight on a citrus-sunny road somewhere between Virginia Beach and North Carolina. There, simultaneously stopped on my left was a group of baseball-capped men in a dirty white pickup truck. “Really, Lord?” I thought as I tried…
-
How to Write an eBook
I’ve received more than a few requests over the past weeks on how to write an eBook. The printing and publishing business is changing–and fast! Yesterday as I was watching the movie The Help, I was reminded just how far our culture has come with putting words on a page. Not only are we allowed to write about all things including race or sex, but we have religious freedoms as well. As a Christian and as a writer I believe we have a responsibility to seek and speak the truth. Clearly one is much harder than the other. My favorite verse (pertaining to writing) in the Bible is from 1…
