-
Gossip is Not a Harmless Sin
[Guest Post by Jenee Day: I honestly used to think gossiping was okay, even though I was a Christian. As I got older, I realized, like Jenee, gossip is not a harmless sin. Here’s why.] Today I contributed to the destruction of a relationship. Contributed is probably the wrong word. Comparing the relationship to a skyscraper being demolished, I would be the person who provided the explosives. Not directly, not intentionally, but with a little bit of ‘harmless’ sin. I was having a difficult day, and I called my friend to talk about it. Disclosure: Gossip is a sin I struggle with. It’s easy for me to rationalize and honestly,…
-
Beauty Saturday: India
[Guest post by Kimberly Asia Hall: Welcome to the first official “Beauty Saturday” on Devotional Diva! Last week you were introduced to our new “Beauty Diva” and here is her first blog post! Every week, Asia will share the stories of women whose makeovers she has done!] Name: India I. Francis. Born: New Orleans, Louisiana Raised: Patterson, Louisiana. Occupation: Deposit Operations Representative & Entrepreneur Marital Status: Single “I was inspired to start my own business for a couple of reasons…first I’ve known for quite a while I am not destined to work for someone else for the rest of my life. I realized that God gifted me with a talent…
-
The Scarless Pledge
[Guest post by Takiela Bynum: Do you struggle with self-harm? Are you ready to take the scarless pledge? So glad God brought Takiela to Devotional Diva to share this!] Some people cut for relief, I cut because I wanted to die. She’d taken several pain killers to prevent her from feeling any pain. Besides, she needed a backup plan in case the other thing didn’t work out. She located the vein, turned her head and quickly slid the razor across her flesh. She winced at the sharp sting. The warm ooze drizzled down her hand and left its trail on the hard wood floor. She climbed into bed and hoped for…
-
Sink or Swim?
[Guest post by Sophia Reed: I hope you enjoy this inspiring story that shows no matter what, you can swim.] When I was 23 years old, I found myself in a situation that was going to change my life forever: I was going to be a mom. At 23 I was not doing bad for myself. I had a bachelor’s degree, my own place, and my own car; but I was far from being the ideal mother. My life up until that point consisted of living for myself, and although I considered myself a Christian, I was far from being Christlike, I still had a way to go in my…
-
Meet Our "Beauty Diva" Asia!
[Editor’s note: Asia approached me with the idea of becoming the “Beauty Diva” — As a professional makeup artist, she wanted to share photos of her makeovers and the stories of those women! I was pretty excited. I believe this will be a cool weekly feature to have on Devotional Diva, and I hope you will enjoy our “Beauty Saturdays!” In this post you will get to know her a little better, and next Saturday will be her first guest post!] Kimberly “Asia” Hall born April 29, 1988 in Columbia, SC is a makeup artist employed by Eastern TV/Vh1. She is the middle child of Pastor Jerry L. Hall and Wanda…
-
A Jonah Story
[Guest post by Onome. I love the way Onome looks at life’s situations and relates them back to the Lord. If you’ve ever felt like you’re in the belly of a giant fish, this is for you.] I was reading my five-year-old’s Bible one day when I ran into the Jonah story. Reading it through the eyes of a child gave me a better perspective. I was hit by the realization that Jonah was actually in the belly of a fish when he prayed and God heard him. I went back to read the passage from my Bible. In Jonah 1:17, the Bible recorded that God had prepared…
-
You Can Have a Peaceful Pregnancy
[Guest post by Sarah Coleman: Sarah was the first woman to reach out to me to submit a guest post when I became editor. I loved her writing and I could feel her kind and generous spirit through the computer screens that connected us. For those of you on the path of motherhood, be encouraged.] John 14:27 I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. I was fairly optimistic when it came to pregnancy. I mean, teenage girls don’t have a problem with it. Why would I? Of course…
-
Christians and Exclusivity
To preface: this post has more bite than usual because it’s a topic I’m very passionate about: exclusivity. Today is a special edition of Devotional Diva! This hiatus isn’t turning out to be much of a hiatus, is it? And we normally don’t even have posts on Mondays! Well, I just had to get this up today because this topic has been burning in my heart – and also because it coincides nicely with the publishing of my guest post on a pretty sweet blog called The Laundry Moms. First of all, the post on TLM means a lot to me because it’s sort of a tribute to my…
-
The 3 People You Need to Meet
[Maggie is on vacation so I thought I’d jump on and encourage you all with the three people you need to meet to achieve your dreams. My newest book, Dream Devotional, just released this month. Pick up a copy on Amazon for only $2.99!] Dreaming together is important because we are designed, commanded, and encouraged into a loving relationship with God and each other. I’ll never forget the day I was sitting at the front desk as the office receptionist when a woman walked in for an interview. She thought I was pregnant–say what??–and asked me when I was due. I was completely shocked and mortified. She felt really bad too…
-
I'm Moving On From A Painful Past
I have spent this summer introducing you to myself. Guest posting will return on September 2nd, but after today Devotional Diva is going on a short hiatus. I still have a lot of ideas for post topics, but last week I asked my husband what he thought I should write for my final post. Without asking for any of my ideas, he just replied, “You should write more about your life now.” He’s completely right. I’ve written quite a lot about my past this summer. It makes sense, because all of us draw on our past for hints on how to handle our futures. I’ve written about my physical assault at…
