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Brenda Bradford Ottinger

Encouraging Women to Live Rooted in the Sacred

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When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough

I’m a woman of habit, so every morning, like a playlist on repeat, I make the bed, shower and dash downstairs to the automated grace that brews my cup of caffeine. One morning, as the water ran low in my single-serve brewer, I thought, Oh, how my weary spirit can relate. I, too, felt like I was running low—low on…
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Peace by Piece

The relentless heat of a late southern summer hung in the air as I cheered from the sidelines of my son’s football game. At half-time, while stretching beneath the searing sun, a curious wonder caught my eye. High above the field, like a vivid smile in the sky, I noticed an upside-down rainbow! Puzzled by this unusual sight, I did…
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To the One Who Longs to Feel Known

Songs of soft praise laced with the warm scent of coffee hovered in the air as cheerful ladies trickled through the doors and walked toward the sound of their names, beckoned by familiar voices. I was new in town and had barely talked myself into attending the Ladies’ Night at church, where no one knew my name. As I scanned…
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Letting Go of Clutter and Holding On to Peace

The Carolina clay has housed our family roots for over a decade now, but prior to settling here, we moved many times across many years. As exhausting as those moves were, they lent timely opportunities to shed excess belongings. Yet, as we settled into longterm living, I began to sense an unexpected weight of weariness. Amidst the bustle of a…
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When the Fear of Being Misunderstood Upsets Our Peace

Through a blur of tears I studied the message, confused by the words it contained. For years I’d served in a lovely women’s group and, sadly, a newer member of the group had mistaken something I’d said and filed a complaint. Instantly, the angst of misunderstanding upset my peace as I realized I’d been inaccurately accused. In hindsight, I should…
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When Life Doesn’t Follow Your Plans

Short on time and long on haste, I jotted a nearby address into my car’s GPS one morning and, to my surprise, the highlighted route stretched wide across the dashboard map. What ever happened to the shortest distance between two points being a straight line?, I thought, as I backed out of the driveway. But as my pace calmed and…
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God bless America. 🇺🇸 God bless America. 🇺🇸
I see You, God. 🙌 💗 . . . #glory #praise #wo I see You, God. 🙌 💗
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#glory #praise #worship #ocean #sky #creator #sustainer #lord #god #beauty #naturalbeauty #sunset #moon #rainbow #faithfulgod #peace #hope #life #onelife #faith #beach #christianwriter #nature #heavenandnaturesing #seegod #believe #photography #rejoice #witness #goodnessofgod
Fluent in the story of tomorrow, my heart envision Fluent in the story of tomorrow, my heart envisioned scene upon scene of a future where my little one grew and laughed and lived.
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Yet, dreams that once danced deep in the hollows of my heart now rest inside a slip of bygone time.
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One moment I was pregnant with life—the next, a heartbeat lost to eternity.
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Whether miscarriage or other aching loss, perhaps you, too, know this empty echo in your spirit as you grieve your beautiful dreams interrupted. I’m so sorry for your loss, dear friend.
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It’s okay to feel what you feel; God isn’t judging you for being human and heartbroken. The Lord understands your disappointment and confusion, and He doesn’t need you to filter your pain.
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Your God is right here, right now, loving you where you are.
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In times like these when there are no answers to the “whys” your heart cries, dear friend, may you rest in the tender love of God, who is forever with you.
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Curl up in His palm and be held in the comfort of His care.
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Full article live on Proverbs31.org. We’d love for you to join the conversation today, friend. 💗
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#loss #heartache #dreamsinterrupted #unexpected #motherhood #pregnancy #miscarriage #pain #pregnancyloss #children #family #fear #tomorrow #rest #trust #ache #empty #alone #darkvalley #neveralone #godiswithus #godslove #godspresence #comfort  #faithfulgod #why #p31 #christianwriter #godsgirl #peace
Dear friend, throughout the broken places of our s Dear friend, throughout the broken places of our stories, the hurt that left us feeling broken has never limited God’s power in our lives.
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You see, God’s activity isn’t limited by our understanding.
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Even when His hand isn’t visible from today’s perspective, our faithful God is working amid the scars of our stories, growing abundant life and purpose.
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Dear friend, the broken parts of your story don’t make you a broken person. You’re still the whole, cherished, purpose-filled woman God created you to be. 
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The wounds of your story aren’t lost on your God. Take heart—those scars you fear might limit you, become powerful testaments of the God who tenderly meets you in them, growing abundance in their midst.
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How can I pray for you today, friend?
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We’d love for you to join the conversation over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today! (Proverbs31.org) 💗
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#brokenness #brokenstory #broken #purpose #grief #pain #rejection #heartache #struggle #trust #faith #wounds #faithfulgod #whole #wellbeing #cherished #scars #redeem #strength #abundance #growth #provision #christianwriter #ministry #wounded #writersofinstagram #p31 #flourish #riseup #freedom
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