-
How to Love Your Body Through the Holidays
[Guest Post by Rebekah Snyder – We tend to judge our bodies most during the holidays. It’s supposed to be a time to celebrate with family and friends, so why are we so quick to judge ourselves and weigh ourselves? Maybe it’s because we eat too much. Maybe it’s because we can’t help but enjoy those Christmas cookies or Thanksgiving turkey. No matter what happens this holiday season, I hope you are able to stay focused on how to love your body. No matter your body type. Because your body is good! Right, Rebekah?] Please don’t judge me for my skinny body. “Oh my gosh, Rebekah, you are sooo skinny!” She said…
-
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…
-
On Relationships: Don't Settle For Less
[Guest Post by Alice Sullivan – I always appreciate it when a former guest poster asks to write again. This site is only possible by you all, and it is my pleasure to share your stories. Be encouraged.] Fall has always been my favorite time of year. From the beautiful autumn leaves and corn mazes, to campfires and hayrides, there’s nothing I don’t love about the cooler weather that signals the beginning of the holiday season. And this year, I was even more excited about it because after being single for several years, I had a boyfriend to share the season with. (Keyword: had.) We dated for only four months…
-
My Christian Boyfriend is Gay
[Guest Post by Brenda Rodgers – I appreciate her honesty on a topic that is super sensitive. I know she’s not the only one who’s broken up with someone only to find out that their ex turned gay. I hope you are encouraged by her honesty.] I found out a year after the four year facade. Overlooking over the railing on the second floor of the mall, right outside of J. Crew, I heard the words on the other end of my cell phone. A friend was telling me my ex-boyfriend was gay. Even though that was the not-so-secret-secret in my mind, a stabbing piercing went through my chest. I…
-
Discontent With Singleness
[Guest Post by Debra K. Fileta, M.A., LPC – My new friend Deb launches her first book True Love Dates tomorrow. Check it out here on Amazon, and read below of what she says about how to get over your discontent with singleness. ****The month of October is themed Relationship Awareness. The months of November and December will have no theme because Devotional Diva is going on its first break in five years! Read why here.] Since the launch of TrueLoveDates.com at the end of March, I’ve had the honor and privilege of hearing from hundreds of men and women. Though I’ve noticed that sometimes these men and women across our country and world,…
-
The Daily Struggle With Anxiety
[Guest Post by Angela McNeil – My friend has been through so much and I always appreciate when she shares parts of her story because I just know it will encourage at least one person.] Most of my childhood memories are of my sick mother working 2-3 jobs, and my dad sitting in his Lazy boy recliner. Starting at the age of 8, I picked up most of the chores around the house like cleaning and cooking, while my father sat in his recliner drinking a beer or a Jack n Coke. I remember one day my mom was in tears. My father was arrested for stealing drugs from the…
-
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…
-
Clinical Depression: From Curse to Blessing
[Guest Post by Celine Diaz – I always appreciate it when when people are brave enough to come forward and share their story. Here’s Celine’s story. Be encouraged.] I could hardly recognize myself. I had gone from a spirited 19 year old, passionate and ambitious, on fire with life and always progressing, to a paralyzed, immobile wraith, numb to joy, and suddenly so fearful and exhausted that I lapsed into inactivity. I hid from my loved ones, locking myself up in shame, afraid of dragging others down with my low mood. I was like a flower that had been cut from its roots: devoid of vibrancy and life, now wilted,…
-
Panic Attacks: My Fight Against Fear
[Guest Post by Dr. Gail Bones – We met through our mutual friend and mentor Pam Farrel. I appreciate Gail for her heart of integrating ministry between older women and younger women. Also, this is an excerpt from her new book that JUST RELEASED this month on Living Cross Wise. Hope you are encouraged!!] I’d just put my baby down for a nap when a tsunami of irrational dread and fear swept over me. A feeling of impending doom, accompanied by a terrifying sense of unreality took hold, and my heart began to pound. As the room spun, a suffocating panic gripped me. My mind raced to find an explanation…
-
The Pit of Depression
[Guest Post by Amy Schaffner – This post is for anyone, like Amy, who has ever felt trapped in the pit of depression. Be encouraged.] There is a pit of depression that I sometimes desire to fall into. The lure can sometimes be so overwhelming that I don’t know how to combat it. The days that nothing seems to go my way, when I my body feels like an 80 year old woman, when the kids just won’t stop yelling, my bed calls to me. Tears call to me. Do I like this? No. Is it my personality to battle this daily? Yes. For the longest time I thought struggling with depression…
