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)
[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
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
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
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)
When I was a kid, a character on a "Night Court" episode thought God was communicating to her through her TV. Everyone else thought she was crazy. Likewise, you probably thought I was crazy last week when I said God showed me who I'm supposed to marry seven years ago, but God still speaks to … Continue reading God Still Speaks to Us
I titled Monday night's post "God Probably Wants You to Finish What You Started" and repeated the word "probably" three more times because it's possible you're dating someone that God doesn't want you to be dating, as I did two years after I became a Christian even though God showed me who I'm supposed to … Continue reading Commitment to God’s Will for Your Life May Mean Breaking up with Your Boo
Just when I was about to turn off and delete a T.D. Jakes sermon I'd recorded on TBN because I heard it on Radio 1000 a long time ago, he said something that pertains to last night's post, "God Probably Wants You to Finish What You Started." Since everything happens for a reason, here's the … Continue reading God Promised Not to Leave You Nor Forsake You
These days, people often break up with boyfriends or girlfriends or file for divorce because they aren't happy, as T.D. Jakes said during a sermon titled "Defying the Urge to Quit." But if you're a Christian, God probably wants you to finish what you started. After all, as Jakes said, the Bible says, "Love beareth … Continue reading God Probably Wants You to Finish What You Started
"I believe that fathers are ... the most valuable players on the home team," Pastor Matt Hagee said during a sermon that aired on TBN before Father's Day. "We need you to remember that the home team is the important team. Your home team is not the people you work with. Your home team is … Continue reading God’s Fundamentals for Husbands and Fathers
Over the past five years, people -- and I mean heathens as well as Christians who attend church regularly -- have said to me some variation of, "God wouldn't want you to be in an unhealthy relationship. He wants you to be happy." That never ceases to astound me. God didn't put us on this … Continue reading How God Wants You to Fix Your Family
My last post revealed two types of people to avoid dating. But sometimes God puts those people in your life and won't let you run from them. This morning, Joel Osteen explained why during a sermon titled "Don't Fight It." "We all face situations that we don't like," he said. "Somebody's not treating us right. … Continue reading People God Won’t Let You Avoid
Earlier this month, I began sharing Christian dating advice, including how to tell if you're dating a Christian. Here are two types of people to avoid dating. You may be one of them, according to a Dr. Charles Stanley sermon that aired on Sunday. The First Type: People Who Lack Self-Control "Is there any area … Continue reading Two Types of People to Avoid Dating
Did King David have an affair with Bathsheba because he was immature? If so, he wouldn't be the first. "He doesn't know how to control the kid in him," T.D. Jakes said during a sermon TBN aired May 28. So, he slept with Bathsheba "a lot. For quite a while." When she got pregnant, King … Continue reading The Affair: A Story of Sex and the Immature Man
Four years ago, I started writing a blog/memoir to talk about the on-again-off-again relationship that sent me running to God in 2014. Before I finally tell that story, I thought I'd share the following excerpts from one of T.D. Jakes' ManPower conferences because I'm not the only one who's been involved with a sick man. #metoo #timesup … Continue reading The Second Reason I Became a Christian: A Sick Man Sent Me Running to God
Last night, I offered Christian dating advice from Pastor Matt Hagee. Tonight's tips come from Bishop Noel Jones. If you're in a relationship, pay attention to the person's words and actions to determine whether you're equally yoked. Six Quick Ways to Tell If You're Dating a Christian "You can't tell me that you really love … Continue reading How to Tell If You’re Dating a Christian
Recently, a fellow Christian blogger asked for dating advice. I could -- and am about to -- spend days writing about the type of man she shouldn't date. Here's the man she should, according to Pastor Matt Hagee who provided the following "Six C's of Masculinity" last Wednesday. A Confident Man "The first C is … Continue reading Christian Dating Advice
Today, Pastor John Hagee shared the following reasons you don't hear from God. You Don't Hear from God Because You Consult Other People Rather Than Your Conscience What is conscience? Conscience is a God-given instrument so that we can determine right from wrong in a spiritual matter. Conscience is the lamp of God saying, "This … Continue reading Why You Don’t Hear from God
While reading “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” last night, I stumbled upon two reasons I still binge eat despite the fact God delivered me from a frosting addiction that escalated as I worked part time for a bakery last summer. First, to break a bad habit, you … Continue reading Two Reasons I Still Binge Eat After God Delivered Me from a Frosting Addiction
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