Hi, friends! I'm attempting to share a bit more via audio for those who prefer to listen rather than read, or who would like to be able to clean or wrap presents while drinking in the Word. I hope you enjoy! Peace. https://soundcloud.com/doni-owens/preparation-as-christs-lover-two-passages-and-a-few-thoughts
Christ’s Advent at Your Christmas Party [and on the last day of your achy body]
![Christ’s Advent at Your Christmas Party [and on the last day of your achy body]](https://doniellehart.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/christs-advent-at-your-christmas-party.jpg?w=474)
We prepare for who is coming. Many of you, I think, experience this: You set a date for a gathering. You envision friends or family at the table, their smiles. You picture soft lights and imagine breathing in delicious smells— so you make sure your star lights have batteries, make a grocery list, and pick [...]
Advent [Expectation, Prophesy, Hope]
![Advent [Expectation, Prophesy, Hope]](https://doniellehart.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/img_5545.jpg?w=720)
During the first week of Advent, we are invited to remember prophesy of Jesus' birth and the expectation and hope of a Messiah among the people of Israel. But, that is not all– WE have hope through Jesus' first coming because He paid for our sins and made a way for us to be reconciled [...]
Three Reasons Why Sharing Your Extra [and Living in Community] is Hard
![Three Reasons Why Sharing Your Extra [and Living in Community] is Hard](https://doniellehart.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/giving-away-extra-photo.jpeg?w=720)
How many times have you had food in the fridge and it ends up in the garbage? How many times have you had extra time and it ends up in the garbage? Yep, me too. It’s not something to be ashamed of— not eating all of your chicken does not mean you just took a [...]
Love Always Protects [Me Too]
![Love Always Protects [Me Too]](https://doniellehart.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/love-always-protects-1.png?w=720)
[Please note: This post includes some of my personal experiences of sexual harassment. I am not sharing these experiences out of spite or for shock value, but because I believe sharing them could be beneficial. Love keeps no record of wrongs— in fact, when I was keeping a record of these wrongs in my heart, [...]
The Metaphor and Blood-and-Guts Reality
For the last nine months I’ve been wrestling over the question, “If marriage never happens for me, will I be okay?”
And the answer varies day-to-day, I’ll be honest. But it struck me the other morning in a big way. I was lamenting the fact that I may never experience that kind of intimacy and then a new thought emerged. Maybe I was very wrong.
We seem forget that marriage is just the metaphor, reflecting a larger, universal reality.
Marriage is supposed to be a picture of Christ and his Church. But somewhere along the line, marriage became the reality—the concrete realness of things.
But marriage has become less permanent and the pretty picture seems to be fading, and here’s the problem with that:
Marriage is just the picture. It was never intended to be what Christ and his bride reflect. It is instead the reflection, the lesser…
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Dreams are Tawdry
Elisabeth Elliot’s voice, low and calm, read from a journal entry of her deceased beloved— the statement, bold and heavy with conviction, landed hot on my heart through the car speakers, “Dreams are tawdry compared with the leading of God.”[i] Not simply, “we must sacrifice our dreams for God’s dreams” or “our dreams must not [...]
Just Like Cain [Who am I and Who am I Worshiping?]
![Just Like Cain [Who am I and Who am I Worshiping?]](https://doniellehart.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/cain-and-abel.jpg?w=720)
[Painting by Mariotto Albertinelli] Cain— the first murderer— the guy with anger issues— the sinner of the Bible I have historically identified with the least. In the past, I've been quite appalled by Cain— appalled that his jealousy and anger over something seemingly easy to correct could escalate into the act of murdering his brother. [...]
Room
When I'm scared of what God has to say, I fill the spaces. Sometimes I fill the spaces with good things— Bible study, recited prayers, exercise, baking. God can speak to us through Bible study, when our hearts are open. God can transform us through prayer, when our hearts are open. Baking and exercise can [...]
John 3 “Do I lead people to love Jesus or to love me?”
If you are one of the many men and women who are participating in the international, interdenominational Bible study BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), the title of this post probably sounds familiar. This past week we studied the third chapter of John. In this chapter, we read about Nicodemus’ nighttime conversation with Jesus. Then, about John [...]
