Sharon Jaynes

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    When You Feel Worn Out

    I was so tired. I felt so empty. Ministering had worn me out. We’re all ministering to someone: toddlers, teens, parents, friends, co-workers, and the list goes on. On this day I was traveling to teach a group of women in another state, wondering if I had anything left to give. Have you ever felt that way? Read more...

    4 min read
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    To Speak or Not To Speak

    My son was about seven years old when we took him up to the mountains of North Carolina to go snow skiing for the first time. For hours I instructed him in my best teacher voice how to stand up, ski down, and get up once he fell. After several hours, it appeared he was not getting the hang of it at all. Read more...

    4 min read
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    When Worry Steals Your Joy

    My husband, Steve, and I sat anxiously in our seats. I wondered if I was going to be able to endure the ride, especially knowing my propensity for motion sickness. But we began nonetheless. The guide strapped all passengers into the tiny boats and gave last minute instructions. Of course there were life preservers, but what good would they do in the fierce rapids that threatened to suck its prey below the surface? Read more...

    4 min read
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    Are You Lying to Yourself about Yourself?

    For forty years, every weekday morning, my husband’s alarm clock went off at 5:30. He got up, showered, shaved, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and placed his jingling keys in his pocket. He cleared his throat, blew his nose, and, well, did other noisy things. When he opened and closed the door leading to the garage, the alarm in the bedroom beeped three times…loudly. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Leaving the Land of Disappointment

    I was so disappointed. I had worked really hard on a project, and to be honest, it was a flop. It seemed that not as many people loved it as much as I did. And it made me just want to pitch a tent in the land of disappointment and quit! Never write another word. I think the women on Jesus’s ministry team must have felt the same way. Read more...

    5 min read
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    When God Throws a Little Bit of “All Things” in Your Life

    I love Romans 8:28. Now, let me be honest…sometimes I don’t. When I am going through a dark time of loss or disappointment, and someone throws a sloppy coat of Romans 8:28 on my open wound, I just want to scream. There. I said it. Paul wrote: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, Read more...

    4 min read
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    Prayer Can Change a Person’s Heart

    We had a lot of prayer happening in the comment section of last week’s devotion. So today, let me share a story about the power of prayer in one family’s life. Allan was a tough man. Raised by a single mom with five siblings, he learned how to scrap his way through life and climb to the top of humanity’s heap through sheer determination and grit. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Struggling Together in Prayer

    I was in the restroom touching up my makeup before speaking to several hundred women. When I looked in the mirror, thoughts began swirling in my mind. What am I doing here? What do I possibly have to say to these women that could make any difference in their lives? I am not capable of walking to that podium tonight. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Crying in the Corner

    My son, Steven, was three years old when he contracted a severe case of the flu. His slumped body snuggled listlessly in my lap like a worn-out rag doll. When I carried him into the medical clinic, the doctor took one look at my boy and sent us straight to the hospital. Steven was dehydrated and needed fluids immediately. My heart ripped wide when the nurses taped a support board to Steven’s little arm and inserted the needle for the IV. Read more...

    5 min read
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    It’s Going to Be Okay

    It was one of the worst days of my life. Tragedy struck our family in the worst way and I was emotionally paralyzed. That’s when my friend, Mary, stepped in to do what I couldn’t. She made me a hotel reservation, called the necessary people, and said, “It’s going to be okay.” “It’s going to be okay” is one of the most hope-filled sentiments I can offer to others, Read more...

    4 min read
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    Am I Enjoying God?

    There she lay in her beautiful box. A two-foot bride doll dressed in a white chiffon, pearl-studded wedding gown with matching veil. Her short-cropped, curly brown hair fell softly around her delicate face; her pink, plump skin felt amazingly soft; and her movable eyelids lined with thick black lashes opened and closed with her changing positions. The bride doll had perfectly shaped lips and crystal-blue eyes that appeared strangely real. Read more...

    5 min read
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    You’ve Been Pre-Approved!

    I walked to the mailbox and then to the recycler. Don’t need this one, or this one, or this one I whispered as I dropped the shiny flyers in the red box. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of slick ads for things I don’t need and junk mail from services I don’t want. Read more...

    4 min read
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    The Day Grace Rode into Town

    (Let today’s devotion prepare your heart for Easter.) Suppose I knew ahead of time that the people who cheered for me one day, would sneer at me five days later. That the people who showered me with praise one day would hurl insults the next. How would I respond to the accolades, applause, and admiration of others on a Sunday…if I knew those same people would turn their backs on me and shake their raised fists at me the following Friday? Read more...

    4 min read
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    Don’t Stop Too Soon

    Can I make a confession? Sometimes I quit too soon. I’ve quit when what I really needed to do was press on and press through. Sometimes I’ve gotten tired of trying. Sometimes I’ve gotten tired of the struggle. And you know what? I’ve missed many blessings because I got tired of the battle. I don’t want to do that any longer. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Sometimes I Just Don’t Answer

    I’m writing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today and thought I’d share it with you too! This version has bonus content. I was combing the tangles out of the freshly shampooed hair of one of my favorite six-year-olds. We chatted about important things such as our favorite song in Frozen, do dogs go to heaven, and which is the prettiest color—pink or purple. Read more...

    4 min read
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    Turning “No I Can’t” into “Yes I Can”

    I can do it. No, I can’t. Yes, I can. No, I can’t. Have you ever had that conversation with yourself? You feel like God is calling you to reach out to someone, start a new venture, teach a Bible study, write a book, share a story about your past that you’ve never shared before. But then your fear shouts at your faith to keep quiet. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Healing on the Other Side of Heartbreak

    I watched my friend, Patricia, struggle through more than twenty years of a difficult marriage. Her husband left three times during the two decades—once before their three children were born, and twice after. They lived through nineteen different homes in multiple cities, revolving jobs, rumored affairs, cycles of financial plenty followed by financial deficiency. Eventually, after twenty-three years, Rodney packed his bags for the last time and left. Read more...

    5 min read
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    This is My Story. This is My Song

    Steve and I were headed to the coast and stopped for our usual lunch break, Chick-fil-A, just twenty minutes from our destination. It was one last time to fill up on sweet tea. While Steve purchased our nuggets, I took our Bernedoodle, Molly, for a walk in the grassy area between Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’. Molly sniffed, Read more...

    4 min read
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    It’s Written All Over Your Face

    Have you ever held a grudge? That’s a silly question. I think we all have. I remember when Nancy Davis asked the boy I had my eye on to the high school dance. Can we all say G-r-u-d-g-e with an extra grrrr? Esau, now that’s a biblical character who held a grudge…and rightly so. His brother Jacob and his momma grabbed the pen right out of God’s hand, Read more...

    4 min read
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    How to Have Big Faith

    Harry called it a dune buggy. I called it a death trap. My friend, Harry, invited me and some of my friends for a ride over beach sand dunes in his big wheel jeep. I like sand. I like rides. Sounded like fun. It was not. We buckled in and Harry revved up the engine. We did not ride over the sand dunes; Read more...

    4 min read
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    The Other Side of Why

    My son, Steven, and I sat on the floor in his room playing a card game. The summer was proving to be the best ever. Our golden retriever, Ginger, had just delivered seven adorable puppies, Steven was enjoying his sixth summer of life, and after four years of negative pregnancy tests, God had surprised us with a new life growing inside my womb. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Do You Want to Get Well?

    Five-year-old Brooke was sitting in the backseat of the minivan while her mom and I ran errands. “Mommy,” she asked, “Is it worse to pick a scab or pick a mosquito bite?” “You shouldn’t pick either one,” her mom replied. I glanced back at Brooke as she tried to wipe away the bloody evidence that she had done both. Read more...

    5 min read
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    What Do I Really Believe About the Bible?

    My mom wore a two-carat diamond necklace that hung from a gold chain around her neck. My dad had given it to her for an anniversary. Before you say, “Good for her,” keep reading. One day, when she was shopping in my little hometown, she walked through an alley separating two buildings. This spunky seventy-something year old held several packages and her purse looped over her wrist. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Loose Lips Sink Relation-ships

    I was having lunch with a group of friends when one gal made a derogatory comment about another from the group who was late. I gave her that “motherly look” that letting her know the comment wasn’t appropriate. “Well, it’s true,” she said. “Just because something is true doesn’t mean that you should say it,” I answered. Read more...

    4 min read
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    This is the Day!

    Heavenly Father, I am overcome with gratitude today. Help me to see past the daily to consider the divine. This is the day … this one right here … that You have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I praise You for who You are and what You do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

    4 min read
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    You Are Worth More

    As a little girl, I never felt I was worth very much. I always felt that I wasn’t pretty enough, smart enough, or good enough. I sensed my parents tolerated me, but certainly didn’t delight in me. And if your own parents couldn’t love you, then who could? Then there was the definitive day in the eleventh grade that took my self-worth to an all-time low. Read more...

    5 min read
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    God, What Do You Want from Me?

    As we are headed into a New Year, perhaps, like me, you’re wondering what God really wants from you this year. But I wonder…could we be asking the wrong question?

    4 min read
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    And the Greatest of These is Love

    Every Christmas, I pull out a piece that I wrote many years ago to help me keep the focus of Christmas where it needs to be. And each year, I share it with you as well. Hope you enjoy!

    1 min read
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    The Mall or the Manger?

    Much has changed since the God of the universe decorated the night sky with the star of Bethlehem and directed the choir of angels in a chorus announcing the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. But the commercialism doesn’t have to rule in our hearts and homes. This year let’s focus on the Christ Child and remember the true meaning of the holiday season. As we turn our eyes to the Babe in the manger, we will not view Christmas as a dreaded obligation or a major retail event. It will be a time of joyous celebration, honoring the One Who came to give us eternal life and worshipping our Heavenly Father.

    4 min read
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    God Is Still Writing Your Story

    We are all going to have good chapters and bad chapters. We’re going to have times when we think, I do not like this story and other times we think, I do like this story. The key is to not get stuck in life’s difficult chapters but keep moving to the flow of the Author’s pen. God is still writing your story.Father, some chapters of my story that are so difficult. However, I know You can use all the broken pieces to make a magnificent masterpiece. Help me not get stuck in a bad chapter due to disappointment or discouragement, but to keep moving forward, knowing there is more to be written. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.Where are you right now?

    4 min read
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    Gratitude Changes Everything

    Thanksgiving is just a few days away and so I’ve been thinking about gratitude a lot lately. What is it? When should we show it? What does God say about it?

    3 min read
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    When Pain Makes You Comfort-Able

    Dear friend, God may very well send someone your way who needs a person who understands. No one can help a woman who is struggling with a wayward teenager like the mother who has welcomed a prodigal home.No one can encourage a woman struggling with depression like the woman who has come out of that same darkness and into the light.No one can help a woman struggling with the pain of a shameful past like the woman who has exchanged her tattered sackcloth for a princess’s robe.That’s why your story matters.

    4 min read
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    Hanging on to Jesus

    Have you ever felt like you were walking a tightrope through life…just trying to balance everything and not fall into a pit? I have. Let’s think about this story…

    5 min read
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    Grumpy and Grateful? We Get to Choose.

    A few months ago, I was in the airport headed to New Jersey. It was a typical rush, rush, rush morning. Grab the bags, trudge through traffic, hunt for a parking space, follow the herd, wade through security, dash to the gate.Folks aren’t usually very friendly in airports. Eyes look straight ahead. Purposed feet slap the floor. Overstuffed bags roll behind. It’s not that people are grumpy. They’re just “flatish.” (That’s a new word for today.)On this particular morning, I looked just like everyone else: “flatish.” Before settling in at my gate, I decided to make one last trip to the restroom. I’m so glad I did. It was one of the most joy-filled places I had been in a long time.

    5 min read
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    The Dancing Church…It’s Not What You Think

    I don’t know about you, but a few of my greatest lessons on how to love other people haven’t come from church folks. For example: Nestled 50 feet off Highway 17 in Pawley’s Island, S.C., used to rest C.J.’s Beach Club. For years, Steve and I eyed the clapboard building tucked in the grove of myrtle trees, but it wasn’t the sort of place we would tend to visit. Read more...

    4 min read
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    Disqualified? Says Who?

    After I got him home, I wanted to climb back into that mailbox and GET THAT BOOK OUT OF THERE! Who did I think I was writing a book on parenting? What was I thinking? What an idiot! I am so disqualified! I called the publisher and told them the story, giving them an out. The vice president just said with a smile in his voice, “Welcome to the real world.”

    5 min read
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    When You Feel Empty

    A sign was posted on a telephone pole by the grocery store: “LOST DOG with three legs, blind in left eye, missing right ear, tail broken, and recently castrated. Answers to the name of Lucky!” Perhaps you feel just about as “lucky” as that lost dog. Hobbling along. Impaired vision. Broken tail. Well, you get the picture. There was a woman in the Bible who also felt like she was out of luck and had nothing to give. Read more...

    5 min read
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    Knocked Down by Words

    Have you ever felt like someone just knocked you over with words…not caring how it made you feel? I know I have. One day my Golden Retriever showed me just how it’s done.

    5 min read
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    What If Your Worst “What If” Does Happen

    Some people just seem happy and positive all the time. They appear to never worry and fret. These people act like they eat rainbows for breakfast and ride a unicorn to work. But life isn’t all lucky charms. Sometimes it is just plain hard. We should anticipate trials. Jesus promised trouble. “In this world you will have trouble,” He warned (John 16:33). Read more...

    4 min read
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    Woman, Your Faith Is Really Something

    Today’s devotion is an excerpt from Momma Moments with God: A 90-Day Devotional. If you are a mom, this book will encourage your soul to know that you have the most important job on earth…and God is right there with you. If you’re not a mom, I bet you know someone who needs this encouragement too! (Make sure and take a look at the interior of this beautiful gift book!)

    4 min readFaith WomenArticles
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    Let Me Tell You Who I Am and Who You Are

    Do the voices in your head say you’re not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough…or just not enough, period? If so, the Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence is just for you! t’s time to stop listening to lies that sabotage your confidence and embrace the truth of who God says you! Today is the day to embrace your incredible worth as a woman who is uniquely fashioned and spiritually empowered! Also, check out the Laminated Prayer card filled front and back with verses about your true identity in Christ.

    4 min readArticlesIdentity in God
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    Sometimes You Just Need to Breathe

    It was one of my favorite trees. And it was dying. We live on a lake, and my dying tree was truly a “tree planted by streams of water.” So how could it be dying? How could branches right in the smack dab middle of the bushy green be turning into kindling? It didn’t make sense. I called an arborist to come out and take a look. Read more...

    5 min readInspirationalArticles
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    Hearing God’s Still Small Voice in a Noisy World

    This made me wonder, whose voice am I listening to today?Here’s a truth: The voice we listen to will determine the path we take and the decisions we make.The Bible says that we are in a spiritual battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:2-3). All three are whispering to lead us in the opposite direction of where God wants us to go. When I say whispering, I’m not talking about an audible voice, but an inner inkling.How do we tell if the voice we’re hearing is the world’s, the flesh (the way we’ve been programed to get our needs met apart from Christ), the devil’s, or God’s?By knowing the Truth of Scripture.

    5 min readHearing God's VoiceDevotional
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    One Day It Will All Make Sense

    I sat on the floor playing a card game with my young son. It was shaping up to be one of the best summers ever. Steven was savoring every minute of the long hot days, our Golden Retriever, Ginger, had delivered seven adorable puppies, and after years of negative pregnancy tests and doctor visits, I had a new life growing in my womb. Read more...

    5 min readDisappointmentTrust GodArticles
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    Why Your Story Matters

    I was 16 years old and about 100 pounds soaking wet. My friend’s dad, Mr. Evans, gathered up a few of us teenagers and drove us to a church just outside my hometown. We were going to give our testimonies at a Saturday night gathering of strangers. I’d never stood behind a podium, spoken into a mic, or stared at a sea of faces thinking I had something to say. Read more...

    5 min readArticlesEncouragement
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    Do You Believe God Tells the Truth?

    Have you ever had trouble believing God’s Word is true? That God is tells the truth? Yikes! Not many of us would throw up our hand and say, “Yes!” And yet, my emotions and actions often tell a different story. (Last week I posted a devotion about how God not only loves you, but He also likes you. Read more...

    5 min readTrust GodFaithDevotional
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    God Loves You and Likes You

    Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).I don’t like to struggle, and I don’t like to see my child, my husband or my friends struggle. I like for life to be easy. I want all my friends to love me all the time, my husband to agree with my every decision, and God to answer every prayer with a checkmark.

    4 min readThe Love of GodDevotional
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    When a Dream Dies

    I sat on my porch with my Bible in my lap and a hot mug of steamy coffee in my hand. Early morning is my favorite time of day. Just me, Jesus, and a smattering of birds.I closed my Bible and looked out across the backyard. My eyes landed on a rounded mound of fur nestled in the grass under the willow tree.I got up and moved in for a closer look. My heart sank as I discovered what appeared to be a curled-up baby fawn lying lifeless in the grass. Probably the same fawn my neighbor had seen nursing from its mom the day before. My heart broke. I understand the circle of life, but still. A baby fawn lay dead in my yard. Most likely the target of the coyote I’d seen the day before.I couldn’t get close enough to see the wound. Sometimes that is the way of things.

    5 min readDevotionalFaithEncouragement
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    It Rarely “Is What It Is”

    I often hear people say, “It is what it is.” What they mean is, the situation is not going to change, so just accept it; get over it! Let me tell you why I don’t like the saying. “It” rarely is what “it” looks like it is. In fact, what...

    4 min readBibleDevotionalGod's Plan
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    When You Don’t Like God’s Answer

    I’ll admit, I don’t like it when someone tells me no. I especially don’t like it when God tells me no. At the same time, I’m so thankful that He does. What a mess my life would be if God gave me everything I thought I wanted when I wanted it. What a spoiled rotten child I would have become.

    3 min readPrayersTrust GodDevotional
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    Jesus Sees a Woman’s Tears

    Today is release day for Momma Moments with God. I’m writing over a Proverbs 31 Ministries and thought you might enjoy it too! I was crying. It was a hard day. I wondered if God really cared. But then a memory popped into my head about a woman in the Bible who felt about as low as a woman could go. Read more...

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    Celebrate the Small Victories!

    It was a long day with a longer to-do list. I was chipping away at it but running out of emotional and physical steam. What I needed was a large sweet tea. When I pulled into the Chick-fil-A drive through, I heard the flapping noise of a flat tire.I turned into a parking space and called for roadside assistance. Then I opened a book, unwrapped my straw, and took a sip of tea.

    3 min readInspirationalBookWomen
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    When Hope Is Walking Right Beside You

    Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20 nltThe phone rang. It was my ninth-grade son calling in the middle of the day…never a good sign. “Mom, I’m in the principal’s office. You need to come to school.”I drove to school and found a stranger sitting in the office wearing my son’s clothes. He was facing a week of in school suspension. It was not a good week in the Jaynes’ household.

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    The Gift of Struggle

    We’ll all struggle in some form or fashion. No one is immune to suffering. But rather than viewing pain as a burden to bear, what if we considered it a gift for growing? What if we saw every trial as training? When we see our children, grandchildren, spouse or friends struggling, rather than trying to fix their problems, what if we prayed that God would use the difficult circumstance to make them stronger, wiser, and more mature in Christ?

    3 min readStruggle & PainTrust God
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    Can I Really Trust God?

    Have you ever asked God to take care of a situation, but then found yourself holding on to it so tightly you got in His way? I sure have. I’ve prayed for various situations and then tried to fix them myself. Not a good idea. I saw a great example of that when my son was in elementary school. Read more...

    5 min readTrust GodEncouragement
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    When Impossible Situations Meet a Powerful God

    Mamma friend, you need a break! Sharon Jaynes has a new 90-day devotional, “Mamma Moments with God.” In this beautiful hardback book, Sharon Jaynes shares highly relatable stories—momma moments—from her own life, as well as Bible verses, prayers, reflection questions, and journaling pages. Every day invites a time to pause and focus on a parenting theme such as dealing with disappointment, relying on God, receiving and offering grace, and having courage to move into a new season.

    3 min readEncouragementHopeGod is Able
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    It’s Not How You Start. It’s How You Finish

    I sat by her bed. Her hand swollen…full…unmoving. Feet that danced just a few weeks ago now stilled. Arms that lifted just a short time ago now limp. Words that spilled easily just a moment ago now halted. How could life seep away so quickly, right before my eyes? Mom was ready. But I wasn’t. Read more...

    4 min readFaithPerseverance
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    When Your Rooster Crows

    I sat on my back porch, wrapped in my fuzzy worn robe—the one that’s twenty years old that I just can’t seem to get rid of. The birch trees waved “good morning,” and the newly planted gerbera daisies stretched their faces to the sun…just a bit higher than the day before. Then I heard him. The rooster.

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    Momma Moments with God - Sharon Jaynes

    Take a Peek Inside! Mamma friend, you need a break! From newborn days through the teen years, mothering is a rewarding, but sometimes lonely, calling. Moms struggle with discouragement, disappointment, and disillusionment along the journey. The short, daily doses of biblical wisdom and sisterly camaraderie in Momma Moments with God encourage moms to find strength from their heavenly Father, knowing she's not alone. In these 90 heartwarming devotions, Sharon Jaynes shares highly relatable stories--momma moments--from her own life, as well as Bible verses, prayers, reflection questions, and journaling pages. Every day invites a time to pause and focus on a parenting theme such as relying on God, receiving and offering grace, and readjusting to courageously move into a new season. An ideal gift for baby showers, adoption parties, or for any mom who needs to know she is never alone in her parenting struggles, Momma Moments with God brings moms back to God's Word alongside someone who understands. Take a Peek Inside!

    1 min read
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    No Prayer is Too Small

    Have you ever felt that your concerns were too small to bother God with—that they seemed frivolous in comparison to what’s going on in the world? A friend has breast cancer. A parent has dementia. A neighbor’s house burned to the ground. Then there’s world hunger, climate change, and devastating natural disasters around the world. It’s easy to fall into the false trap of thinking that those are the only types of prayers worth mentioning…and the smaller ones we need to keep to ourselves.

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    Momma Moments with God - Sharon Jaynes

    The story-based devotions, Bible verses, reflection questions, prayers, and space for journaling in this 90-day devotional help mothers know they are not alone- even on their toughest parenting days.In these 90 heartwarming devotions, Sharon Jaynes shares highly relatable stories—momma moments—from her own life, as well as Bible verses, prayers, reflection questions, and journaling pages. Every day invites a time to pause and focus on a parenting theme such as relying on God, receiving and offering grace, and readjusting to courageously move into a new season.An ideal gift for baby showers, adoption parties, or for any mom who needs to know she is never alone in her parenting struggles, Momma Moments with God brings moms back to God’s Word alongside someone who understands.Pre Order Momma Moments with God When you pre order Momma Moments, you'll receive all of our fun bonuses including the audio version of the book (when it becomes available). Just fill in the form and you'll be on the list!

    1 min readWomenBooks
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    What Are You Afraid Of?

    How do you react to fear of the unknown when it comes to stepping out in faith or living boldly? I remember the first time I spoke with a microphone in front of a crowd. I was terrified! My topic was Unshakable Confidence in Christ, but my knees were knocking!

    4 min readFaithCourageTrust GodFear
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    Big Assignments begin with Tiny “Yeses”

    When people ask me how I got started in ministry, I tell them I started by writing for free publications for free for 10 years. This is not what most people want to hear.When I tell them I started by folding newsletters in the den of my home for several years, they seem crestfallen.When I tell them I started out by cleaning the bathrooms in our first little ministry office, they seem confused.

    5 min readMinistryGod's calling
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    When the Devil Tries to Sneak Up On You

    Did you know the devil wants to sneak up on you? He prowls around like a lion just looking for the right opportunity.If Satan came to you in a little red suit with a pitchfork and announced himself as the devil, you wouldn’t believe a word he said. I wish he would, but he is cunning and disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). When he deceived Eve, he even quoted Scripture—albeit twisted and distorted.He has a collection of old tapes from your past, and he pushes rewind and play, rewind and play. Oh yes, he knows which buttons to push. He also uses personal pronouns like “I” instead of “you.” The thoughts sound something like this: I am a failure. I am a loser. I can’t do anything right. I’m ugly. The thoughts sound like you, feel like you, and before you know it, you think they are you. That’s the reason it’s so difficult to detect the lies. They sound just like us.

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    The Day Grace Road into Town

    Suppose I knew ahead of time that the people who cheered for me one day, would sneer at me five days later. That the people who showered me with praise one day would hurl insults the next. How would I respond to the accolades, applause, and admiration of others on a Sunday…if I knew those same people would turn their backs on me and shake their raised fists at me the following Friday?

    4 min readJesus ChristWorshipEaster & Lent
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    When You Feel as Though You Just Don’t Matter

    For years we were joined at the hip. Not a day went by when we didn’t talk on the phone at least once. But sometimes friendships come unhinged. People change. Perspectives change. Purposes change. Passions change. While nothing went terribly wrong, and no hurtful words were exchanged, the void was vast beyond bridging. I felt tossed away. Discarded. Read more...

    5 min readDevotionalThe Love of GodHealing
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    Trusting God is Enough for Today

    You could smell the fried chicken as we walked out of the restaurant, but we pranced out as if nothing was unusual.When I was in college my friends and I never had enough money to go out to dinner…unless it was all-you-can-eat night at Wilbur’s Barbeque. On those nights, we gathered our pennies and ate until we hurt. We filled our tummies with fried chicken, hushpuppies, barbequed potatoes, coleslaw and banana pudding. I can almost taste it years later. Then, when we thought no one was looking, we slipped the leftover chicken and hushpuppies into our oversized purses…enough to last for a few days. I’m sure we weren’t fooling anyone as the aroma followed us out the door.

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    If You Feel Like a Hot Mess, You’re Not Alone!

    You know what’s amazing? Most of these men and women are listed as people of great faith who “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (Hebrews 11:33-34, emphasis added).

    4 min readDevotionalEncouragementFaith
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    Shaping Worries into Prayers

    Harper and I were having a visit on Facetime. This five-year-old bundle of love, my niece’s daughter, was telling me all about her Guinea pig, Skitters. Skitters was her new best friend. He went down the sliding board with her, nibbled on baby carrots at tea parties across from her, and nestled in the mini stroller in front of her during walks. Oh, how she loved Skitters.

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    I Am the One Jesus Loves…and So Are You

    I’ll be honest, for most of my life I felt like I was in second place, an alternate, an also ran, not quite as good as everybody else.I was a cheerleader my junior year in high school, but I was what they called an alternate. That meant I was on the squad and did everything that the other girls did, but it was clear I wasn’t quite as good as the other cartwheeling, high-jumping, pompom shakers. Barely made it. Last one chosen.

    4 min readThe Love of GodInspirational
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    The Name You Call Yourself

    I held Harper’s hand as we walked into the restaurant to place our name on the waiting list. Actually, I walked; my 7-year-old grandniece skipped. I gave the hostess the number in our party, expressed the desire for an outside table, and told her yes, crayons, please. Then the hostess asked my name. I replied, “Sharon.” Harper quickly corrected me: “No. Read more...

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    God is Pursuing You

    I think God made sure this story was included for every woman who has ever felt less than because of rejection, discrimination, or a sullied reputation. And for you…and for me. God’s pursuit began in the Garden of Eden with the words, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) and continued with the words “He had to go through Samaria.” Listen closely. They continue even now.He pursues you still.Jesus, thank You for pursuing me. I am caught. I am loved. It is forever. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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    A Time to Speak Up and A Time to Zip Up

    My best-selling book and Bible study guide, The Power of a Woman’s Words: How the Words You Speak Shape the Lives of Others is perfect for your 2024 Bible study with a group or on your own.Words are one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and God has entrusted them to you! They echo in hearts and minds long after they are spoken. How will we use this gift? Your words can change the course of someone’s day…even someone’s life. Learn how to:exchange careless words that hurt for intentional words that help others succeed

    4 min read
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    Overcoming the January Blues

    There’s something about January that gets me down. While others are setting New Year’s resolutions and goals for the months ahead, I tend to feel sorry for myself because some areas of my life aren’t where I hoped they’d be by now. My tendency is to give in to discouragement for what I didn’t accomplish rather than look ahead to what God has planned.

    4 min readObediencePrayerFaithTrust God
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    God Puts to Use What He’s Put Us Through

    One of the greatest ways God puts to use what he puts us through is by creating in us a deeper sense of compassion than we would have ever known without the trauma. The word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, meaning “to suffer with.” Compassion for brokenness comes from brokenness. There’s really no other way.

    5 min readBrokennessDisappointmentPrayer
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    Ten Trash Bags

    If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:1-8 ESV).

    5 min readNew YearDevotionalsPrayer
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    When Christmas Never Ends

    In just a few days, you will most likely be taking down those Christmas decorations and packing them up until next year…when you will be pulling them out and decorating all over again! Yes, Christmas is coming again…unless Jesus comes back before then.

    3 min readChristmas & Advent
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    When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn…What We Can Learn from Mary

    Life wasn’t turning out like I thought it would. There would be no gaggle of laughing children filling my home, no crowded kitchen table at mealtimes, no juggling of kids’ busy schedules. My first child would be my only child. And while I was so grateful to have this walking, talking, bundle of love, this wasn’t the way I had envisioned life unfolding. Read more...

    5 min readMaryFaithObedience
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    Living Free of Holiday Envy

    I was checking out my Facebook posts and feeling a little bit left out. It seemed everyone was having a big ole time with family and friends, and well, I wasn’t. It was the holiday season and it appeared all the family gatherings were picture perfect…and mine wasn’t.

    3 min readPrayerEnvyChristmas & Advent
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    When Family Gets Messy

    Family can get really messy over the holidays. My family growing up was one big mess on every-days. Fighting. Arguing. Yelling. Crying. And eventually, a lot of forgiving. If ever there is a place to learn about forgiveness…to practice forgiveness…to struggle with forgiveness…it is in the context of family. And interestingly, it is in the context of family where the word forgiveness first shows up in the Bible. Read more...

    5 min readFaithIntimacyPatience
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    When You Feel Stuck in Your Faith

    Have you ever felt stuck in your faith? Like you can’t seem to grow any deeper? Stand any stronger? Believe any better? I know I have. Sometimes I feel like a trapeze artist who’s stuck hanging over the vast expanse in a circus tent, wondering why I can’t fly through the spiritual life with the greatest of ease like so many others seem to. Read more...

    4 min readFaithPurposeGod's Providence
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    I AM is the God Who Fills in Your Gaps

    Do you remember the first Rocky movie? (I just looked it up and there have been eight.) In the very first film about the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa falls madly in love with the very demur Adrian who works at a Tropical Fish pet store.Adrian is a very intelligent, shy, and cautious. Rocky is, well, none of those things. In one scene, Adrian’s brother, Paulie, asked Rocky what he sees in his sister. Rocky answers, “She’s got gaps, I got gaps. Together we fill gaps.”

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    Hurdles Are Not Stop Signs

    Have you ever felt rejection? I have. It’s not easy, is it?I sent my first book proposal off to a publisher several months before that fateful day. It was a step of faith walking to that mailbox and dropping it in the slot. However, I knew this was what God was calling me to do. Then the rejection letter came. “We like your writing, but nobody knows who you are. It will never sell. It does not meet our needs at this time. Thanks, but no thanks.”I wondered: Did I hear God wrong?

    4 min readFaithTrust GodGod's Providence
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    How Long Am I Going to Be Mad About It?

    I was really upset with her. I don’t need to tell you the details because I want you to fill in the blanks yourself.I was really mad at _______ for ________. I’m not worried about you not having anything to put in those blanks because you’re human. We’ve all been really irked at someone for hurting our feelings, hampering our plans or a whole lot worse.There were two brothers in the bible that had a falling out: Easu and Jacob. Esau was really angry at his younger brother, Jacob, for stealing his birthright, aka, his inheritance. That was a lot more than hurting his feelings.

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    There’s a Reason for Every Season

    In the South, we name our beach cottages. Barb’s Folly was one of our favorites to rent. Her screened-in back porch on the second floor overlooked a weather-worn dock jutting out over a lazy canal, and fuchsia myrtle bushes dotted the landscape like splashes of paint. The outdoor back stairway wrapped around a palm tree that reached for the sky, Read more...

    5 min readPurposeBooksGod's will
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    Jesus is Cheering for You!

    Have you ever felt like you just wanted to quit this thing called the “great race” of life? That’s your spiritual legs ache and you would much rather sit on the side of the road and have a good pity party than take one more step? I certainly have. And then I think of my nephew Stu and his mom, Read more...

    5 min readJesus ChristThe Love of GodJoy
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    Pressing On When You Feel Like Giving Up

    I had been praying for a family member for over four decades, yet I’d seen little or no progress. I’m wondering if you have anyone in your life like that. Part of me wanted to give up. Another part of me knew to press on. If you’ve been praying about something for years and have not seen any hint of an answer, Read more...

    4 min readFaithSeek God FirstPerseverance
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    Struggling Together in Prayer

    One night I was in the restroom touching up my makeup before speaking to several hundred women. I was having one of those moments when I looked in the mirror and thoughts began to swirl in my mind. What am I doing here? What do I possibly have to say to these women that could make any difference in their lives? Read more...

    5 min readPrayerFaithPerseverance
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    Ignored by Man, Chosen by God

    Have you ever felt that you were overlooked or ignored…like you were a nobody? Well, take heart sister. You are not alone. Most of us have felt that way at one time or another.I’ve been the girl not invited to the party, the kid not chosen for the team, the applicant not chosen for the job, the writer not chosen by the publisher, and the child not chosen by the parent.

    4 min readFaithGod's FavorThe Love of God
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    Shame Off You!

    I remember as a little girl, hiding under the covers of my bed, trying to shut out my parents’ yelling and screaming in the next room. I heard bad words. I didn’t know what some of them meant, but I did know how they made me feel. Dirty. The next morning, I awoke to the aftermath of the night’s tirade—Mom’s black eye, Dad’s crying remorse, furniture tossed and broken—and those bad words bouncing around my little-girl head.