In the Bible, a man named Elkanah had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. The latter had baby after baby, but Hannah couldn't get pregnant. Worse, the story says, "Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to … Continue reading The Principles of Promise (and Another Test That Doesn’t Make Sense)
Just as many people became police officers because their father was a police officer, many people became Christians because they were raised as one. But most of us became Christians because we needed a miracle. That's when we learned about all the promises God tucked inside the Bible, but as Pastor Tony Evans said during … Continue reading God’s Promises and the Test That Doesn’t Make Sense
Do you know how to receive a miracle from God? Do you even believe miracles are possible? Pastor John Hagee asked his church these questions during a sermon that aired on TBN August 27 as God was choreographing a situation for me to need one. In the video below, Hagee shares 10 ways to ensure … Continue reading How to Receive a Miracle from God
If, like me, you hate when people refer you to the widow-and-oil story when you're broke because this isn't Biblical times; people go to Whole Foods for their olive oil these days, here's something to keep in mind for future reference: God gave you gifts instead of actual oil. He confirmed this via the following Steven … Continue reading God Gave You Gifts Instead of Actual Oil
[15-minute read] I have 279 sermons and secular movies recorded on my DVR. It's a little overwhelming. So, when I turned on my TV last Thursday, I mentally asked God what he wanted me to watch because I figure what he wants me to watch is what he wants me to convey to my readers. … Continue reading The Rhema Word About Rent Money
Until I transcribed the following Tony Evans sermon last Thursday, I had never heard the word "rhema," but the term explains all the coincidences and confirmations I've had while watching and listening to sermons since I became a Christian in 2014. Evans would call these divine encounters with God. Below, he illustrates how to have … Continue reading Divine Encounters with God (Rhema Words)
In yesterday's post, Tony Evans said God creates dilemmas that force us to trust him rather than ourselves and other people. "[A]nd that usually means it's a scenario that you can't solve yourself," he said. "'Cause if you could solve it yourself, he knows you would go to that earthly solution rather than his heavenly … Continue reading God Creates Dilemmas That Force Us to Trust Him
While I was homeless and sleeping on a former coworker's basement floor with my two cats and a broken foot last fall, I shared 12 reasons God may be allowing you to suffer. One, of course, is that you're facing the consequences of your decisions and addictions. But if you're still wondering why you're experiencing … Continue reading Why God Causes (or Allows) Lack: You Only Have One Source
If you haven't heeded the last several posts, God may be calling you a witch. Here's how to tell, according to James Davis, an elder at New Spirit Revival Center in Akron. "There is a teacher in you, but you won't change. There is a prophet in you, but you won't change. ... There is … Continue reading God May Be Calling You a Witch
On Monday, I wrote about the wrath of God. Yesterday's post quoted Joe Rogan, who said, "[D]iscomfort is your friend." An hour and a half later, Radio 1000 played the following sermon, which combined the two and confirmed that I'm still saying what God wants me to say. "It is hard for me to kick against … Continue reading Discomfort.
When God gave me food allergies at age 38 to curb the binge eating I'd begun as a teen, I had to give up just about every food I'd ever loved. Six years later, I still whimper as I pass Little Debbie Banana Twins, Swiss Rolls, and Pumpkin Flips or Little Caesars Pizza. When I … Continue reading How to Stop Doing Pretty Much Anything: Yield to God and Be the Hero of Your Story
Last Wednesday, I shared that 20+ years of binge eating caused kidney disease. Some Christians would blame the devil for that, but long before "Truth or Consequences" became a radio and television game show, it appeared in the Bible: Ron Carpenter drew my attention to the latter passage after church yesterday when I flopped in … Continue reading Truth or Consequences (The Wrath of God)
I've always said coincidences tell me I am where I'm supposed to be. Sometimes, they provide confirmation from God that I said what I was supposed to say. Eight hours after I published yesterday's post about binge eating, for example, I watched T.D. Jakes, and then I watched the Hagee Ministries program I'd DVRed earlier. When … Continue reading Confirmation from God
I hate daytime talk shows such as "The Talk," "The View," and "The Real," but I got sucked into TBN's "Better Together" before work July 19 because Laurie Crouch, Victoria Osteen, Deedee Freeman, and Holly Wagner were discussing bad habits. The fact the show aired the day after my birthday, when Charles Stanley started a … Continue reading My Default Settings (Part One)
As last night's post stated, repentance is one of the keys to getting God to answer your prayers. Below, Bishop T.D. Jakes explains how to repent and how not to repent. How Not to Repent "Esau did something stupid. Now, everybody in here has made a dumb choice about something or someone or some moment, … Continue reading How to Repent (God Wants You to Change Your Default Settings)
Today on TBN, John Hagee provided seven possible reasons God isn't answering your prayers. First, it might be helpful to know what prayer is and why you should pray. What Is Prayer? "Prayer is not getting God prepared to do your will. Prayer is getting you ready to do God's will," Hagee said. "Not my … Continue reading 7 Possible Reasons God Isn’t Answering Your Prayers
In April 2017, I began working for Marshalls despite graduating summa cum laude as an English and communication double major and having a letter of recommendation that described me as one of five or six of the most naturally talented writers my university's creative writing program director had met in 20 years of teaching. People who … Continue reading A Post About Cats to Men Who Don’t Like Them
I've always tried to live up to the name Miranda, which my mom bestowed because her book of baby names defined it as "deserving of admiration," but I have some flaws. First of all, writers' grammar and punctuation mistakes nearly give me an aneurysm. Second, I spent over 20 years bouncing from one relationship to … Continue reading How I Sinned Against God (and Became His Home Improvement Project)
Last Friday, Facebook page "Humans of New York" reminded me of two more reasons God sends us to scary places. Reason 1: He Wants Us to Know Him A woman told "Humans of New York" photographer Brandon Stanton that she wants to meet her father, but her mother isn't volunteering information about him. “I hardly … Continue reading Two More Reasons God Sends Us to Scary Places
A lot of people ask why God would do this to a child or why God would do that to a child. After I returned home from a trip to Maui in 2013, I wrote the following Facebook post about my brother, whose August 1 birthday didn't just make him an outlier in my family, … Continue reading The Outlier – Why God Put My Brother on This Earth
Thus far, dozens of people have read the previous two posts, but very few people have liked them. I get it. We don't like to think that God would send us back to someone who hurt us or might hurt us. But as Joyce Meyer said during a program that aired July 4, 2019, the … Continue reading Why God Sends Us to Scary Places
While writing my July 9 post about things that have happened because God ordered my steps, I mentioned that God sometimes sends us to scary places. For me, that was my father's doorstep last July. If you read chapters 1, 5, and 6 of this memoir, you know he had some anger management issues. For … Continue reading God Sometimes Sends Us to Scary Places
Despite graduating summa cum laude as an English and communication double major in 2009, I worked a $10/hour retail job for the last four months. To make the best of a bad situation, I used my creativity and organizational skills to improve the store's appearance because, pre-me, Google reviews described it as sad, decrepit, and … Continue reading Judgmental Christians (My Story – How God Led Me to Become a Christian)
This week, I'm supposed to tell you that God causes all things to work together for the good of those he called. That doesn't mean it feels good. For example, one year ago today I became homeless after taking a bus partway to a tire store, walking the rest of the way, renting a U-Haul … Continue reading God Causes All Things to Work Together for the Good of Those He Called (Part 1)
Last night, I shared a few examples of what happens when God orders my steps. This morning, Facebook reminded me of two more that occurred one year ago today. One was the Canada goose incident. The second was something that happens often as I work in retail and couldn't happen if I were still freelancing … Continue reading What Happens When God Orders My Steps (A Flashback)
Sunday, I spent most of the afternoon writing a 2,000-word post. Today, I watched a sermon that made me question whether I should schedule it. "I'm confused," I told God silently. "If you don't want me to post it, you've gotta tell me in no uncertain terms." When I turned on Radio 1000 at 6 … Continue reading What Happens When God Orders My Steps
Several years ago, to celebrate July 4th, I flew to Philadelphia with an ex who complained every night because I wouldn't sleep in the same bed with him. Weeks later, at a Cleveland Indians game, I discovered he'd been sexting a coworker in another city while we were there. This morning, as I walked to … Continue reading How Happily Single Cat Ladies Celebrate Independence Day
As I've said before in this blog/memoir, people have strange ideas about God. For example, some would dispute yesterday's "God Still Speaks to Us" post by saying he gave us the Bible so he wouldn't have to. Others say God doesn't have the same rules and expectations he had in the Old Testament because Jesus … Continue reading God Is God. (Part 1: Signs and Wonders)
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