Dena Johnson

Emotional Abuse | Faith | Grace | Hope | marriage | Ministry | Pain and suffering | prayer | promises | Surviving Adultery and Divorce

An Open Letter to Lysa TerKeurst Revisited
January 3, 2022

On New Year’s Eve, Lysa TerKeurst, founder of Proverbs 31 ministries, announced her marriage is ending after nearly 30 years. It’s been several years since she made a similar announcement and I penned the following words to her. You see, in 2017 she announced her husband had been unfaithful and she was pursuing a legal…

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Hope | marriage | promises | Spiritual Growth

One Word for 2022
December 29, 2021

We are on the cusp of a new year, filled with 365 brand new days. A new beginning. A fresh start. New opportunities. Full of promise. New mercies every single day. These last two years have been difficult for so many. We’ve seen so much pain, so much loss, so much division. Many of us…

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Christmas | Faith | Hope | promises | Spiritual Growth

The Truth About a Silent Night
December 22, 2021

Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright As my daughter led the congregation in worship with these words, my heart was heavy and burdened. Yes, it’s that time where we celebrate the peace brought into the world by our Savior, God incarnate who came into the world as a precious baby wrapped…

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Faith | Grace | Hope | marriage | Pain and suffering | prayer | promises | Spiritual Growth

Five Reasons the Christian Life is Hard
November 29, 2021

Recently, I was reading an old blog post from when Roy and I were first married. In case you don’t know, our first couple of years were HARD…and that might be the understatement of the year! As if marriage isn’t hard enough, remarriages are even harder. When you take two people who have baggage from…

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Faith | friendship | Hope | promises | Spiritual Growth

Let’s Be Thankful!
November 23, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving! Have you contemplated those things for which you are thankful? I know I have many things. My health. My family. My job. Redemption. Purpose. Relationships. And, of course, my Savior whose love and forgiveness and faithfulness is the one constant in this life. Where would I be without Him? Today, though. Today, I…

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Faith | Grace | Hope | promises | Spiritual Growth

Four Ways Cultural Change Can Make Us Better Christians
November 2, 2021

This weekend, I took my daughter on her first true college tour. Can I start by saying I’m not sure how we reached this place in life? My baby is a high school senior! I know she will do well in college, and I know SHE is ready. I, however, am not. But, I digress….

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Emotional Abuse | Grace | Hope | marriage | Ministry | promises | sexual purity

One Size Does Not Fit All
October 25, 2021

One size does not fit all. I recently republished a post about purity. In it, I mentioned the book Every Young Man’s Battle. A reader asked me to do some research and look into the damage this book has done to marriages and families, and she put a link to a video by Sheila Wray…

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Faith | Hope | marriage | Ministry | promises | Spiritual Growth | Surviving Adultery and Divorce | Uncategorized

My Five Wishes for Christian Teachings on Sex and Marriage
October 19, 2021

Since I frequently write about adultery, divorce, and abuse, I also follow a number of Christian writers who focus on these topics. Most of the time, I find great compassion and a desire to help the church better understand the plight of those of us who have experienced this type of victimization. I have used…

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Anger | Faith | Forgiveness | Grace | Hope | Pain and suffering | promises | Spiritual Growth | Surviving Adultery and Divorce

You Want Me to Forgive Her?
October 12, 2021

As I sat through the funeral service, I couldn’t concentrate on the words being spoken. I kept hearing a still, small voice in my head. “Extend forgiveness,” the voice urged. It was my first time back in this church building since my husband had resigned his position as pastor of the congregation nearly five months…

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Emotional Abuse | Faith | Grace | Hope | marriage | Pain and suffering | promises | Surviving Adultery and Divorce

Advice for Divorce
October 5, 2021

Divorce. The word alone strikes fear into the heart of people. Maybe you lived through your parents’ divorce. Maybe you watched friends’ marriages suffer the ultimate destruction. Maybe you’ve walked that dreaded path…or you fear your marriage is heading down that road now. I’m not sure there’s another pain in this life that compares to…

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Faith | Forgiveness | Hope | promises | Spiritual Growth

Did He Know?
September 28, 2021

Does the Bible ever leave you scratching your head? Do you ever feel like you end up with more questions than answers? The story of Joseph has left me wondering for years. As I was out for my morning walk, I was listening to a sermon about Joseph. Once again, I found myself wondering one…

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Faith | Grace | Hope | promises | sexual purity | temptation

Living in Purity
September 16, 2021

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven (Karen Sunde). I’ve spent a lot of time lately contemplating sexual purity. Before I was married, I held to very high standards of purity. I never allowed myself to be in a situation where I might be tempted to compromise my standards. I filled my mind with…

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