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Vienna, Austria — Churches Around the World
Traipsing around Europe has given my husband and I plenty of opportunity to see churches — and so far, this is my husband’s favorite one! St. Stephen’s Cathedral — Vienna, Austria We didn’t get the chance to go in, but honestly, the best pictures of most Cathedrals are taken outside. The architecture is just astounding. My husband also took a midnight stroll while I was at the hotel with O and checked it out at night, which was apparently very cool. He reported that the Cathedral looked like “a ghost church.” I really liked the gothic feel of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, too. It was very different from any church we’d seen…
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Infertility – Joy In The Darkness
[Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Naima Johnston Bush. Wow. This is an amazing story on infertility, and Naima has also blessed us with a song today! Thank you, Naima, for having the courage to share your story to spur others forward!] I’ve been blessed to work with students and the Lord, in his infinite wisdom has given me a mother’s heart. There are my college kids from the years I worked in higher education, who lovingly called me Momma, the kids from the youth group where I served as an adult leader who now have kids of their own. I’m so proud and honored to have played a…
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Foster Kids and Garbage Bags
A good friend of mine, Emily, is currently in the process of fostering and adopting two children. Through this process, she learned more about the foster care system and how scary it really is for the kids. Emily and her family felt led to start a project to fight a huge problem they saw: When foster kids are taken from foster house to foster house, most of the time, they just have to put their few belongings in garbage bags. So the project aims to put together duffel bags with items foster kids might need, like hygiene products, towels, clothes, books, stuffed animals, etc. Here is the link to the Davis Family Project.…
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Some Spring To-Do’s
This spring, I am in the US spending time with my family. (It’s just me and little O for this trip). We are here to be in another wedding and for my brother’s graduation at the end of May. Living in Italy is a great opportunity and at times a lot of fun, but there’s just nothing like being at home in the states. There’s things I can do here that I just can’t overseas. Like, obviously, throw a birthday party for O with all of our family. This brings me to my first spring to-do I wanted to share: 1.Plan the best Thomas the Tank Engine party I can!…
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Quieting My Mind
Quieting My Mind [Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Paige Magee. When Paige sent this devotional in, I instantly connected with it. Sometimes, it is so hard to shut off our busy minds. Thanks, Paige!] “Dear God, I desire to sit in silence with You, but I’m bringing a lot of noise along with me. Please help me set my thoughts aside. I give them to You, so I can hear You.” I remember being on a retreat in college when the leader told us to find a spot and take an hour for quiet reflection – pray, read and listen. I remember taking my Bible upstairs and…
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Grateful for My Body
Grateful for My Body [Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Leslie Uffman, who has an amazing fitness and body confidence story to share today! Leslie competed in triathlons (insert horror face emoji, then two “100” emoji’s here), but still wasn’t happy with her body. Read on for how she became grateful for her body!] “LESLIE, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” It was May of 2015 and I had been working toward this finish line moment since the summer of the previous year. For anyone who doesn’t know what an Ironman is, it is a long distance triathlon that combines a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and…
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The Proverbs 31 Superwoman
The Proverbs 31 Superwoman [Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Remi Roy — the second in her series of devotionals on people in the Bible! Please do check out the first, Priscilla and the Art of Focus. This one is a bit more general as it focuses on the Proverbs 31 Superwoman. You know her! Read on for Remi’s thoughts.] Have you ever read Proverbs 31 and thought “What is she? Superwoman?” I’m guilty too. When we read about the Proverbs 31 woman (or the Proverbs 31 Superwoman) and compare her life and the things she accomplishes to our own struggles and fumblings, we just might get…
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Fully Known & Truly Loved
Fully Known & Truly Loved [Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ana Nunez. When Ana sent this post in, I just felt it had to go up right before Easter! On Easter Sunday, I like to think about nothing else but Christ’s love for us all. Ana’s post sums it up so wonderfully. Thank you, Ana!] “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known & truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles…
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Finding Peace During Loss
Finding Peace During Loss [Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ivy Michelle. It is Maundy Thursday. I had Ivy’s beautiful post on grief and loss scheduled for today before I even realized this. When I did realize it, I thought that it was a perfect fit. When I go to Maundy Thursday services, they are always very solemn and moving and truly make me feel grieved.] It is popular belief that cloudy days make people sad and depressed. People tend to spend more time inside on cloudy, rainy days. While on sunny and bright days, people are more active and spend more time engaging in outdoor activities. It’s amazing…
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Anxiety in a Christian Woman’s Life
Anxiety in a Christian Woman’s Life [Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Melody Quinn. I really appreciated Melody’s outlook on anxiety in a Christian woman’s life and I hope you do, too. We have a few posts on Devotional Diva on this topic, because it is not uncommon and certainly nothing to be ashamed of! Be encouraged.] I am a Christian woman who has struggled with anxiety all of my life. It has only been in recent years that I have begun to explore my identity outside of this statement. In my search to understand my identity as the Lord created me, I began to look at how anxiety…
