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Brenda Bradford Ottinger

Encouraging Women to Live Rooted in the Sacred

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God Has No Grandchildren

Exactly one minute ago, my eldest son was learning to drive — according to Mom-Time, that is. Now here we are, cruising the back roads of Surreal-ville, as my third son has found his way behind a wheel. These are the moments when I sigh in solidarity with Dr. Seuss: How did it get so late so soon?

Oh, how far the Lord and I have come.

Back in the early years of surrendering a driver to the roads, any notion of relaxation before my child returned was a fancy of futility. I longed for bygone days when I could see my children’s faces in the rearview mirror as I drove them everywhere their sweet feet needed to be.

But once upon an ordinary Thursday while awaiting my son’s return (in full-on anxious mom mode — and why didn’t he text me when he got there, anyway?), the Lord interrupted my nerves, etching a tender truth on my peace-parched heart.

Sweet Daughter, His whisper cut through the noise, it’s not you who’s been protecting them. From the swaddled womb to the steering wheel, all along it’s been Me.

And in the newfound calm of that moment, tears and chains began to fall.

While I’d tried to control their safety with my worry (Lord, forgive), He’d been holding their lives in His palm, giving His angels charge over these children of mine … children of His.

That day, God granted wings to my worry-worn soul, shattering longstanding chains that bound my psyche to the lie that panic provides protection.

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As the days march on and the seasons of our lives As the days march on and the seasons of our lives stack up, we can sometimes wonder how life became so full and time so cramped.
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If you're like me, it can be easy to forget there's abundance in a life flowing to the gentle stream of His sovereign schedule.
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You can read "The Quiet Strength of Slowing Down" on Proverbs31. org . I'd love for you to share your thoughts, friend! 💗
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(P.S., if you don't already, you can sign up to receive free short daily devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministries at Proverbs31 .org!)
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#rest #weary #peace #proverbs31ministries #christianwriter
It never gets old, this glory that rises in my fro It never gets old, this glory that rises in my front yard & sets in my back yard day upon day. ☀️🙌
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Worthy is the One whose glory is greater. ✨
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These sky eyes of mine can’t not watch the beauty He sketches on the canvas above. 💕
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Thank You, Lord. 🤍
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#sunset #glory #god #beauty #christianwriter
Dear friend, are you living in a season of hope up Dear friend, are you living in a season of hope upon hope? If so, I understand. 💗
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The relentlessness of some seasons has a way of tethering our threadbare hearts to hope.
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Unlike other holy hallmarks, sometimes hope can feel hard to define. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 feels wild and strong; 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, grounded and secure. Yet, hope can seem wistful, intangible.
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But, more and more I'm realizing that even though hope seems an elegant mystery—Hope is a force unto itself.
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In today's Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion, 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴, I share how God meets us inside this beautiful mystery of hope with all of Himself. His power has not lost its authority. 🙌 
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Dear friend, I'm here alongside you as together we hold hope inside the lingering heavy seasons of life. 💗
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You can read and join the conversation today at Proverbs31. org . Would love to hear from you, friend. 💕
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#hope #heartache #Proverbs31Ministries #christianwriter
The neon numbers on my nightstand clock insisted i The neon numbers on my nightstand clock insisted it was midnight, yet it may as well have been midday as far as my active mind was concerned.
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Weariness swept my spirit as the enemy nagged notions of angst. 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵? I begged softly into the night.
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Turns out, trying to fill every moment of opportunity can leave you feeling empty of rest.
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Dear friend, can you relate to being in that place of striving to do it all, lest you miss out on something meaningful, while quietly feeling weary and worn?
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We often hear the acronym FOMO—the “fear of missing out.” But what a lullaby it would sing to our weary spirits, if instead we embraced a different kind of FOMO—the “freedom of missing out.” 🙌
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You can read the full devotion live today at Proverbs 31 Ministries! ✨
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I’d love to hear your story, friend. Have you ever felt similarly? 💕
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#FOMO #freedom #weary #christianwriter #proverbs31ministries
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