Everyday Matters
Monday Matters
Everyday Again the Enemy
“If God has such great plans for me, why is it, they all seem to be falling apart?” Everyone seems against me.
Everyday Again the Enemy
“If God has such great plans for me, why is it, they all seem to be falling apart?” Everyone seems against me. Some talk about a devil but is he even real? Does he have horns and carry a pitchfork? Yep, the devil is real. He’s not a Halloween costume and he has plans to destroy the ones God has.
Face the fact that there’s an enemy who’ll never leave us alone, but we don’t have to let him bother us. “Oh, it’s you again,” I’ve said, rather than caving into the temptation to give up. Satan throws garbage lies at us because it's the way he is able to hurt God. When someone attacks your kids, you take action to protect them because you’re on their side. God is on our side too. We are created in His image. “Be bold,” I told my son, David. “You can be aware of the devil, but you don’t have to let him get to you.” We have redemption through Christ and nothing that’s happened to us is so destructive that God can’t redeem it…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Crabby
I’ve been so crabby lately that I feel like saying words I wouldn’t normally say just for the shock to hear the words roll out of my mouth, but it is a conscious choice not to bite everyone's head off in my family because I'm so crabby.
Everyday Crabby
I’ve been so crabby lately that I feel like saying words I wouldn’t normally say just for the shock to hear the words roll out of my mouth, but it is a conscious choice not to bite everyone's head off in my family because I'm so crabby.
Disappointment is my problem right now. I want to be further along than I am. And then there’s these human being people that God created that I’m called to love but right now some of them are really disappointing me and we all know from Proverbs 13:12 that hope deferred makes the heart sick. But God reminded me of the verse I had memorized a year ago from Romans 10:11 which helped me to focus on who I should put my trust in; “The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.” Isn’t that good? God will NEVER disappoint you! So have a crabby day but don’t let it spiral you down because He’s here to lift you up…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Identity
Our identity is grounded in who and what we choose to identify with. If we identify with people and what they say about us, we will end up in trouble,
Everyday Identity
Our identity is grounded in who and what we choose to identify with. If we identify with people and what they say about us, we will end up in trouble, but if we identify with Jesus and His opinion of us, we will not have an identity crisis. Jesus addressed the religious leaders in John 8:14; “I know where I came from and where I am going.” Knowing who you are in Christ is so vital to your confidence and the freedom to be you.
I was in a disagreement with someone who chose to personally attack me and rather than argue back I simply said; “I don’t identity with that. That’s not who God says I am.” There are some religious organizations who spend a lot of time telling people what they need to do and not enough time telling them who they are in Christ. Trust who God says you are because you’ve accepted what He’s done for you…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday No Sin Recall
Listen! God not only forgives your sins completely, but He chooses not to recall or remember your sins. And it’s not memory failure on His part because HE’S GOD!
Everyday No Sin Recall
Listen! God not only forgives your sins completely, but He chooses not to recall or remember your sins. And it’s not memory failure on His part because HE’S GOD! Because sin is a barrier in having a relationship with Him, He chooses not to ever recall your sins, EVER. His promise in Isaiah 43:25 says, “I am God who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins."
In the Bible, great men of faith, Abraham, Moses, and David have none of their sins listed even though they were great sinners. God chose not to recall their sins. I know that others, including myself, like to recall my own past but God wants us to let go and receive His forgiveness. He also asks us to forgive others as He does, which means not recalling the sins of others who’ve hurt us. It’s a challenge. Yet, by God’s grace working in and through us, it is possible…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Marriage Well
Marriage Advice 101 from Proverbs 5:15; “Drink water from your own well--share your love only with your spouse, never share it with strangers.”
Everyday Marriage Well
Marriage Advice 101 from Proverbs 5:15; “Drink water from your own well--share your love only with your spouse, never share it with strangers.”
Problems with remaining faithful in marriage usually begin when a person doesn’t feel loved and think they deserve to be happy. The enemy creeps in with his lies telling us that marriage shouldn't be any work and if we really want to have a good time and feel good, we should maybe start drinking with someone we find more fun and attractive. When a person acts on those thoughts and feelings that’s usually the time when a marriage begins to dissolve. That’s why it's so important that couples work at making time for one another on a good ol’ fashioned date without their children. Find out your love language and begin communicating in the way each of you knows and feels loved. Validate and be refreshed from the well of love you both have. Marriage is work but it's absolutely wonderful when it is working…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Pure Air
A friend told me the story of a woman in Austria whose father locked her in the basement for over 20 years and in that time, she had children who had never seen the sun or even breathed fresh air.
Everyday Pure Air
A friend told me the story of a woman in Austria whose father locked her in the basement for over 20 years and in that time, she had children who had never seen the sun or even breathed fresh air. To them the basement was a normal world. When the police found them, the air was so vile they had to tear down walls and bring in fans just to breathe.
But it’s like we too are living in a basement, a world not perfect, one infected with sin. We don’t even realize we’re breathing putrid air because this is our “normal.” But through the acceptance of God’s love and forgiveness we can believe He’s a Redeemer, working all things for the good with a purpose for us to serve eternally… breathing pure air forever. Look to 1 Corinthians 2:9 with anticipation because “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him”…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Lies
The letter began, “Debbie I’m struggling. I’ve been unemployed since September; I have an aunt who is in the hospital and my husband is constantly reminding me that he’s the one who’s paying the bills. I feel frustrated and far away from God.
Everyday Lies
The letter began, “Debbie I’m struggling. I’ve been unemployed since September; I have an aunt who is in the hospital and my husband is constantly reminding me that he’s the one who’s paying the bills. I feel frustrated and far away from God.
Feeling far away from God and like He doesn’t care is what the devil wants you to feel and think. Satan is keen on feeding us lies and his two favorites are the “forever” lie and the “never” lie. He tells us about the negative things in our lives will never change and will forever be the way they are. He says the way you are right now will stay that way “forever.” Lies. The truth is God is good and He has plans to bring you wholeness from your brokenness of pain and regret. Trust in God because bad things ultimately give way to better things. Ecclesiastes 3:1; TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven…everyday!
Monday Matters
Everyday Good Shepherd
Sometimes my heart is so heavy I think it might explode. There are people I love who are hurting, people who have lost a loved one, or they’re estranged from their children
Everyday Good Shepherd
Sometimes my heart is so heavy I think it might explode. There are people I love who are hurting, people who have lost a loved one, or they’re estranged from their children, people that feel misunderstood or rejected, and people who have relapsed into addiction and who now are feeling shame and despair.
You know others are suffering deep wounds and so you think you can't lament about the heavy burden you're carrying yet the anxiety and loss is so great that it's hard to lift your head up and hope. Not that long ago I sobbed into the arms of my husband. And yet, as wonderful as my husband is, he is not the Good Shepherd who understands me completely.
When your feelings become overwhelming, and fear creeps in, it can be debilitating but Jesus, the Good Shepherd promise to carry you through. Don’t let the feelings decide your future but instead let God’s truth from Isiah 40:11 lead you, “He tends His flock like a Shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Seat at the Table
Come sit down. Let me hear your story, your heart. Tell me what you’re feeling because your feelings are valid, and you are welcome at my table.
Everyday Seat at the Table
Come sit down. Let me hear your story, your heart. Tell me what you’re feeling because your feelings are valid, and you are welcome at my table. We all are welcome at God’s table too because we’re all created and loved by Him. He will never reject or withdraw His love from us, but He does reject sin. Sin is not welcome at the table. It’s taken me years to really grasp that God fully knows me and yet He fully loves me, completely, just as am. What God doesn’t love is sin because it’s a barrier to us having a relationship with Him. Sin wins unless pardoned.
Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross to pay the full price for our sin. His resurrection proves He succeeded. Come and sit, invite others to sit at God’s table with you. Through God’s unconditional love He will show Himself with all we need to be filled with hope and peace…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Jealousy
Jealousy is one of the most dangerous poisons which can literally destroy us. It’s challenging because we know we shouldn’t be jealous so we pretend it’s not happening, and we find reasons why the other person shouldn’t have success.
Everyday Jealousy
Jealousy is one of the most dangerous poisons which can literally destroy us. It’s challenging because we know we shouldn’t be jealous so we pretend it’s not happening, and we find reasons why the other person shouldn’t have success.
A few years ago, I watched a video of a woman I was mentoring. I was amazed at the talent and beauty she displayed on screen. But instead of feeling happy for her, I was jealous; “Why her?” I called my husband and said, “I’m jealous.” As soon as I brought my jealousy to the light it no longer had power over me. I was able to congratulate my friend on her success, and the poison of envy did not infect me. I have a great friendship with this young woman and I’m proud of her. King Solomon asks; “Who can stand before jealousy?” No one can because it’s as cruel as the grave. Celebrate the successes of others and let God show you the gifts you have to celebrate YOU…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Mother Teresa
It’s so much easier to point out what’s wrong with everybody else rather than look at our own junk to clean up. We all need help
Everyday Mother Teresa
It’s so much easier to point out what’s wrong with everybody else rather than look at our own junk to clean up. We all need help which is why our first step toward reconciliation is to confess our sins, receive God’s pardon and walk forward in a relationship with Jesus.
We cannot do anything to merit grace, and yet we look at someone like Mother Teresa and think surely, she entered into heaven because of what she did. If we emulate her sacrificial love in some small fashion, we are lulled into a false sense of security that persuades us that we have no need of repentance today. When the little saint humbly confessed her brokenness and her desperate need for God, either we were uncomprehending, or we secretly suspect her of false modesty. Real love, real grace, receive it and then walk forward and give the same to others…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday God Hook
It’s so hard when someone has hurt you and, “It’s not fair. Why is this happening to me?” I want payback now!”
Everyday God Hook
It’s so hard when someone has hurt you and, “It’s not fair. Why is this happening to me?” I want payback now!” God IS taking care of things in HIS timing. He’s God and we’re not. Romans 12:19 is the promise from God saying. “I’ll take care of it because it’s Mine to avenge.”
But you’re having a hard time waiting and you’re angry. You know God loves you, but your anger prevents you from rational thought. You’re not alone here. We’ve all been “there.” Remember too that there’s an enemy and he will use others to get us riled up and sometimes in our anger we become sinful and downright mean. Let’s try to get in the habit of asking this question to ourselves, “Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve posted about it. Relationships are the meaning of life, with God and others. I continually need God’s grace, when someone has hurt me, for me to let the person be taken off my hook and placed on His…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Eeyore
If I mope around like an Eeyore on a sunny day saying, it’s probably going to rain,” chances are no one’s gonna want to hang around me.
Everyday Eeyore
If I mope around like an Eeyore on a sunny day saying, it’s probably going to rain,” chances are no one’s gonna want to hang around me. But if I choose to have fun and laugh in the dreary rainy days then the possibility of others wanting to “hang with me” is much greater. I’m not perfect. And if I try to pretend that I am or share a story to brag about how spiritual I am, I find it only serves to repel others not draw them towards me.
When I share my shortcomings with a sense of humor and point to who God is and how He works in my everyday life-whether rainy or sunny; it’s then that I become an encouragement and God gets noticed. Nehemiah 8:10 is seriously true for me; The joy of the Lord is my strength because no matter what is going on nothing can take away the truth that God is for us, loves us and will never leave us no matter what the circumstances or weather…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Camping
I came; I camped I conquered. I am not what you call “outdoorsy.” I am “indoorsy.” But in the way past, when my four boys and Dan and I were young, we camped.
Everyday Camping
I came; I camped I conquered. I am not what you call “outdoorsy.” I am “indoorsy.” But in the way past, when my four boys and Dan and I were young, we camped. What this means is for two days and nights in a tent, with no outlets, and an outhouse bathroom and our camp stove. We slept, ate, hiked, had great conversations and played under the waterfalls at a State Park. AND we HAD FUN! Who knew? I thought I was better suited for “Camp Hotel with all the amenities” and I actually am BUT then I made a decision about my attitude.
On this particular camping adventure, in the early 2000’s, I went camping with a bladder infection BUT it quickly cleared up because of the antibiotic I was taking BUT the best medicine for my overall camping experience was my heart that God changed which Proverbs 17:22 talks about in that a cheerful heart is good medicine. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it and we surrender to God for His grace and peace; we have a great adventure…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Teenage Discussion
If you’re a parent of a teenager, you know this; they know everything…just ask them. I remember years ago my 17-year-old son and I were in a heated discussion, and I was sure he’d be persuaded to take my advice because I had so many good stories and illustrations as to why I was right.
Everyday Teenage Discussion
If you’re a parent of a teenager, you know this; they know everything…just ask them. I remember years ago my 17-year-old son and I were in a heated discussion, and I was sure he’d be persuaded to take my advice because I had so many good stories and illustrations as to why I was right. I was just about ready to launch into another one when he stopped me; "Mom enough with the stories. Give me some scriptures on what God has to say." Oh, my, exactly, so I grabbed my Bible and found verses on what God had to say about what we were discussing. After reading I asked; "Does that help?" “Yes, Mom it does. Now I just have to process it.” I thought, “Yea, me too,”
How can we hear God when we don’t really know Him? To know Him is to know His Word, the Bible. Proverbs 3:7; Do not be wise in your own eyes,” which is what I was doing with my brilliant analogies. Wisdom come from the Word because God is the Word…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Jesus is God
Okay so you’re talking to a person who says they know and love Jesus. Great. But the more you talk the more you realize that you’re kinda saying the same thing but you’re not. I love to talk about Jesus. Jesus saves.
Everyday Jesus is God
Okay so you’re talking to a person who says they know and love Jesus. Great. But the more you talk the more you realize that you’re kinda saying the same thing but you’re not. I love to talk about Jesus. Jesus saves. As Christians we are not only follow His teachings but follow Him for He alone is God.
Pastor and theologian Warren Wiersbe said. “False teachers deny the inspiration of the Bible, the sinfulness of man, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross, salvation by faith alone, and even the reality of eternal judgment. They deny the deity of Jesus Christ, for they know that if they do away with His deity, they can ignore the entire body of Christian truth.
Christianity is Christ, and if He is not who He claims to be, there is no Christian faith.” Christ is our Savior and through Him dying in our place to cover our dept of sin are we free. It’s respecting His holiness and Love to understand why He came and how deeply He loves us…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Words
It's important to remember that we fight a spiritual battle. In the Bible in Luke 4:1-12, we read that Jesus when addressing the devil, repeatedly said, "It is written..." and then quoted scriptures that directly addressed the enemy's lies and temptations to doubt God.
Everyday Words
It's important to remember that we fight a spiritual battle. In the Bible in Luke 4:1-12, we read that Jesus when addressing the devil, repeatedly said, "It is written..." and then quoted scriptures that directly addressed the enemy's lies and temptations to doubt God. We may start to fight the devil with the Word of God, but when we do not see quick results, many times, we stop speaking or trusting what the Bible says and begin talking about our feelings or our circumstances.
By God’s strength let us be persistent as we wage war against the enemy by speaking the Word. A stonecutter may strike a rock 99 times without even making a crack in the rock. But the hundredth strike he may split the rock in two. Each blow weakened the rock, even though there were no outward signs of it. Persistence is vital to victory in our lives just as it is in the stonecutter's work. Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit may we not relent in speaking the Word against the enemy. We need Your Words and what You say for the victory…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Success Key
A post on Instagram read; “A key to success is playing the hand you were dealt like it was the hand you wanted.”
Everyday Success Key
A post on Instagram read; “A key to success is playing the hand you were dealt like it was the hand you wanted.”
I had to really think if there was truth to that. Yes, I may not have wanted what was dealt but “here it is” so what am I gonna do with it? My choices: scream, cry, complain and hide or I make the best of the situation and find the lesson, and blessing in it. We can let experiences change us for the better or ruin us. Character more often is developed in crisis when we stop focusing on the hurt and search out a good that can come where success may be hidden. During my recovery of scoliosis back surgery in 2002 I was miserable, yet I don’t regret what I went through. God taught me things I could have never learned any other way. Christ is the only one who can change our hearts when we are broken so we can become beautiful and find success like never before…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Poor Sinners
When I honestly accepted who God said I was, loved, redeemed and not a mistake, I felt I could stop pretending and performing.
Everyday Poor Sinners
When I honestly accepted who God said I was, loved, redeemed and not a mistake, I felt I could stop pretending and performing. I need Him desperately. It is not the “they” who are poor, sinful and lost. It’s awareness that we ourselves are the primary target.
Unless we acknowledge that we are the sinners, the sick ones and the lost sheep for whom Jesus came, we do not belong to the “blessed” who know that they are poor and inherit the Kingdom. Do you ever try and appear righteous before God and others with your performance. I have and it’s exhausting. It’s a dangerous zone when we get our assurance from wealth or our status. Oh, my goodness…” they” is me, wretched, pitiably poor and so often blind. Isaiah 64 lays things out clearly when we begin to think, “I’m doing really well here.” “We’re all unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy garbage. It’s what Jesus did on the cross that cleans us up and sets us free…everyday.
Monday Matters
Everyday Prayers
Often our prayers are ones where we cry about all that is wrong, and we list what needs fixing. Just so you know, it’s more than OK to do this. God cares about our pain and all that happens to us.
Everyday Prayers
Often our prayers are ones where we cry about all that is wrong, and we list what needs fixing. Just so you know, it’s more than OK to do this. God cares about our pain and all that happens to us. But sometimes we stop praying and give up on God because He didn’t answer the prayer like we thought – our sick friend got sicker and the marriage we prayed would stay together ended in divorce. That’s hard.
I’m sorry if that’s been the outcome for you in a prayer, but please remember this; GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU. Nothing you do or don’t will cause Him to withdraw His love and nothing is too small or too big for Him to take care of. He loves us personally. There is something redeemable in your mess and pain right now and if you can manage to get up and serve someone else who’s having a hard time, you’ll find hope. We all need a cup of hope and encouragement no matter who we are…everyday.