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Brenda Bradford Ottinger

Encouraging Women to Live Rooted in the Sacred

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Surviving on a Diet of Prayer and Tears

Slumping deep into his chair at a corner table for two, he ate waffle fries alone on a holiday evening.

The sun laid down quietly in the window behind him as snowy hair fell against a face that spilled secrets of sorrow. Vacant eyes and a somber spirit caught my heart.

The people-watcher in me wondered about his story; I was curious why his face wore a leathery shade of pain on a day reserved for joy. Who were his people, and where were they tonight? Most importantly, I wondered, did he know the One who heals broken hearts? 

My meal grew cold as appetite deferred to compassion. I might have stared.

They say it takes one to know one, and that night, while the world around us was a blur of festivity, I sat across from the mirror of a man who seemed familiar with a burden or two — just like me.

Please join us at Proverbs 31 Ministries to continue reading, friend…

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Oh, friend, if you too have ever cried the prayer, Oh, friend, if you too have ever cried the prayer, “Lord, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You,” …

I hope you’ll join me on the Proverbs 31 Ministries, Encouragement For Today Podcast today for this short 5 minute encouragement.
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You can find the Encouragement For Today Podcast  in your podcast app, or at: encouragement-for-today-podcast.transistor.fm/
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How can I pray for you today as you wait in worship for the Lord’s victory in you life? 💕🙏🏻
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I wonder how these same palms I lift in praise can I wonder how these same palms I lift in praise can grip so tightly to a thousand concerns.
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Long have I held my concerns close, because sometimes letting go feels like giving up, and often I confuse the restless management of life with perseverance.
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I ponder the familiar words of trust and hope and confidence…trying to remove them from my Sunday School vernacular; willing them to to become foreign to my vocabulary so they might become alive again to my understanding.
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…Oh, friend, if you have ever heard the familiar phrase, “Let go and let God,” and wondered…okay, but how?
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Me too.
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In today’s Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion, I share how the Lord met me in this struggle, and showed me how to trade constant concern for quiet relief.
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You can read the full devotion over at Proverbs31.org.
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How I pray that today dawns anew for you in this area, my friend, as you release the cares of your life to the God of your life.
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What cares are you gripping today? Praying for you, friend. 💕
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How did yesterday get so far away? . 35 years this How did yesterday get so far away?
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35 years this man and I have mini-golfed our way through Labor Day.
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We skipped “Selfie 101;” our photos are forever random. We’re fancy like that. 🙃
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I’d rather have a picture of a flower than a picture of my face every day of the week. 🌸
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Time, I don’t know how you do it. How you turn 1988 into 2023 with just a wink.
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But I do know that the best traditions are always the ones that choose you.
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Oh, for 35 more. 💕
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#firstdate #anniversary #yesteryear #yesterday #love #tradition #thankful #time #marriage #life #showup #makememories #onelife #liveyouronelife #choosehappy #makeeverymomentcount #grateful #blessed #anwriting #ministry #influence #christianwriter #serve #wifelife #family
Oh, friend, if you’re in a season of “trying” that’s making you just plain tired…
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Grab a copy of Tired of Trying, by @ashley.morgan.jackson . In this book, Ashley vulnerably shares her story of holding on to God when she felt forgotten by the world amidst a long season of hardship.
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So much goodness in these pages for understanding how to release the frustration of feeling tired and stuck.
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Plus layers of wisdom nestled chapter upon chapter, offering insight into the blessing that comes with the wrestle, as we hold on to the One who forever holds on to us.
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If you decide to read, I’d love to hear your thoughts! May the Lord meet you in its pages, my friend. 💕
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