Breaking News!!
Good Monday morning!
I just wanted to take a moment and share a couple of things with you, my wonderful friends!
First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU! I am humbled and amazed that you have all chosen to join me on this journey. When I started this blog in a moment of depression and loneliness, I never dreamed God would use it the way He has. I am overwhelmed at His goodness and grace.
Second, I have another huge THANK YOU! Last week, I posted Trust Me With Your Heart. Often, my posts are written weeks or months in advance and do not accurately reflect in real time the events in my life. However, right not I am in a gut-wrenching crisis of belief. Immediately after I published that post, I began to receive emails and comments designed to encourage me. I could not suppress the tears as I found myself surrounded by a throng of believers, reaching out to offer a word of hope and express their prayers for me.
Many of you have truly become friends. Even though we have never met in person, we communicate regularly through Facebook and email. You will never know how much your friendship means to me!
When this journey of adultery and divorce began nearly five years ago, God pierced my heart with the words from the song Voice of Truth: Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in, onto the crashing waves… I’ve known from day one that this journey was one to build an incredible faith in my life, one that God could use to do an amazing work in me so that He can do an amazing work through me. I’ve come to understand that faith only comes from testing and trials. I cling to the reality that God has a purpose in this pain and that one day I will see exactly what He is doing and why He chose this particular path. Right now, I can’t see it. I can’t see His hand working all around me. I can’t understand what He is doing. But, I can know that His ways are higher than my ways. I can trust His heart.
I wish that I could share with all of you the struggle in which I am currently engaged. I can’t, but when my God comes through and fulfills His promise to me, I guarantee that it will be a story I will shout from the mountaintops! I appreciate all of your prayers to give me the strength to stand strong on His promise.
Finally, I would like to share one final note. Last week I was asked to become a charter member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. BibleGateway.com has been my go-to site for many years when I needed to look up a passage, cut and paste scriptures, or look up additional resources. The plan is that every scripture will now be linked to BibleGateway.com so that you can click the link and look at the passage in its context. It may take me a while to work out all of the kinks and learn to do some of these technological things I put behind me when I left my job as a computer consultant years ago. I may have to hire my kids to be my own personal tech consultants!
Anyway, you might notice a few changes on my blog. For example, I will now have the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid seal on my page. Hopefully, you will be able to click on the seal and link to the network of approved blogs. I encourage you to check them out!
Member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid
Also, if you see the hashtag #bgbg2, you can know that it represents the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid. You can use it on social media accounts to search for content linked to Bible Gateway.
Please be patient with me as I learn these new things! I wish I could be a full-time writer and blogger, but right now this is something I do in my “spare” time. Those of you who are single parents know how much of that is available!
Again, you all have no idea how much you mean to me! I am so thankful to share my life–the good, the bad, and the ugly–with you all. Thank you for joining me on this crazy journey known as life!
The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. Psalm 19:7-9
Love and prayers,
Dena
I would love to know how you dealt with the rejection? Been almost two years for me. I have yet to meet the “new woman”. But I struggle with rejection from everyone and everything. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you! Teresa
On Mon, May 19, 2014 at 10:55 AM, Dena’s Devos
You’ve had my wheels turning ever since I read this comment over my lunch today. I think that is an absolutely essential topic to talk about! I will be working on it. I think the closest I’ve written to date is Beauty from Ashes. You might read it while I take the time to mull it over and write a piece on dealing with rejection. Thanks! And, hang in there. God has great plans for you!
Dear Dena,
Your site was given to me by my wonderful councelor who is helping me to deal with the adultering affair my husband of 37 years at the time, we are going on 40 yrs this June had over a 2- 3 yr period with a 22 yr younger, married, mother of 2 children in their 20’s. this demon possessed woman and “W”, came on to my husband at a time when we were going through a difficult period, it was easy for her to initiate the affair because as she told my husband, she has been having affairs all through her marriage every where she worked, going to hotels, motels, and taking these adultering men, including my husband “into” her husbands bed. It was in November of 2012 that I found out he was having an affair, of course he denied it until I proved that everything lied to me about, was in fact true… we are now both seeing this councelor as well as attending a Christian based Retrouvaille for troubled couples, and attending Core meetings every 3 weeks with other suffering couples. We have seen that it is possible to get through this nightmare, and being Christian, (he wasn’t for those 2 yrs, he allowed the demon into his soul) we are trying to get through this. And with our Lords guiding Hands, and wonderful people like yourself, we have Hope and Faith, that we will get through.. although the trials we face going through this very difficult time is a painful one, I continue to pray.. I will continue to follow your blog, Dena, and hope that we will also see the Light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
God Bless you for reaching out to help others like us,
Liliana
I am so sorry that you are having to walk this journey, but so glad that you are fighting through the pain. I am thankful that your husband is willing to submit to the hard work necessary to put your relationship back together. Hang in there!
I was thinking earlier about the one piece of advice I would give to anyone walking the path: Surrender to the journey. While this path is not one that anyone wants to walk, God can use it in your life in so many ways. It was the moment that I finally cried out to God, “Lord, I don’t want this! But, I am willing to surrender to you and the work you want to do in my life.” I can literally point back to that very moment in time as the turning point for me. Funny thing is, that moment of surrender seems to happen over and over again in life. I don’t like the new aspect of this journey that I am on…but when I finally surrendered and asked God to show me the purpose in this pain, everything changed.
I must admit that I’m a little (ok…a lot) shocked that a counselor found my blog and is using it as a resource. Wow! I am humbled, amazed, thankful, overwhelmed. I never would have dreamed five years ago that this pain would yield such an amazing opportunity for me. When I asked God to do an amazing work in me so He could do an amazing work through me, I never dreamed. He truly does do more than we could ever ask or imagine.
Please know that you will be in my prayers as you travel this journey. Cling tight to your Savior and experience a whole new dimension to your relationship with Him. Buckle up! It’s the ride of your life!
Dena,
God put you in my path at the time I needed it the most. I have grown to cherish the friendship we have made through our messaging. You are an inspiration to me as I fight my own fears and doubts along my journey. Thank you for allowing God to use you to minister to others. I love you, friend!
Stephanie Z
While I hate the trials that we have experienced, I am so glad that God has allowed our paths to cross! I look forward to actually meeting you in person one day! I love you, too! You know I’m always here!
You amaze me and I LOVE your blog. I too am traveling down this same road of my husband having an affair 5 years ago and divorce. You encourage me and keep me going. Thank you!
I am so sorry you are traveling this painful road. But remember…you are NEVER alone! God has promised to never leave you, to never forsake you. And, you always have a friend in me! So humbled that God could use me. God bless!
Praying God gives you strength and endurance!
Dena…Today was the first time I have read anything that you have penned. Your words from “How Wrestling with God will Change You Forever” were so amazing, especially since I have spent time with Jacob and his wrestling match with God and discovered very similar things on a personal level. Thank you for sharing but most of all for baring your soul! I see such an amazing anointing in your writing. I am so grateful to have found you and even more excited to read more of your awesome journey with Lord God. Blessings to you today. Ginni
Welcome to my little life! I am so glad that God allowed my words to minister to your heart. I am so glad that God has opened this little ministry, and I am so humbled that He can use me. I only want to be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to my Master, prepared for every good work. Thank you for joining me!