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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?Β 

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 β€” just like me.

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

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God bless America. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ . And, Go Noles! β€” (All the God bless America. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
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And, Go Noles! β€” (All the best to Coach Norvell, but the tribe has spoken.)
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#vote #usa #fsu
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! πŸ’—
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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. β˜€οΈπŸ™Œ
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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. πŸ’•
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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. πŸ’—
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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. π˜“π˜°π˜·π˜¦ feels wild and strong; 𝘧𝘒π˜ͺ𝘡𝘩, 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 mysteryβ€”Hope is a force unto itself.
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In today's Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion, 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘦𝘒𝘳𝘡𝘒𝘀𝘩𝘦 π˜“π˜ͺ𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴, I share how God meets us inside this beautiful mystery of hope with all of Himself. His power has not lost its authority. πŸ™Œ 
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Dear friend, I'm here alongside you as together we hold hope inside the lingering heavy seasons of life. πŸ’—
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You can read and join the conversation today at Proverbs31. org . Would love to hear from you, friend. πŸ’•
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#hope #heartache #Proverbs31Ministries #christianwriter
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