Thursday Matters

Everyday Medication

“Lisa,” I wrote, “I know exactly where you’re at. You’re not a “bad Christian” because you went on medication for your depression. God doesn’t think that. He loves you where you’re at.”

I went on meds for anxiety. It was hard. I felt; “Maybe I wasn't reading the right scripture, praying right or maybe I didn't have enough faith. We live in a fallen world with sickness and disease. The enemy wants us to believe we’re a failure when our sickness is mental but it’s a lie. We’re sick. We need healing and stability, and we limit God when we say He can only work on way. It was pride that kept me from wanting to take meds. I wanted to say; “God healed me without medication." Instead, He provided a way through meds. It’s a mind battle. It helped me to hear National Speaker Chonda Pierce dealt with medication and depression. She taped a message to her prescription bottle which read; “God loves you, Chonda. Take your medicine.” Don’t lose hope. You will get better…everyday.

Thursday 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. 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.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Flesh

I have a strong will. I’m sure someone listening right now can totally relate to the fact that while our spirits may be strong and willing our flesh fails us time and time again. Jesus tells us we do not "watch and pray". The flesh does not conquer the spirit. The flesh is weak - as Jesus said - and the flesh is a stumbling block to our spirit. I want to go to church on Sunday mornings but I’m tired, so my flesh gets its way and later I have regrets. I have to pray and set my mind and will the night before to get up in the morning.

My prayer is often this simple, “God You’re stronger and You live in me. Help. Amen.” Sharing areas of weaknesses with someone also helps with accountability and strength too. You can overcome. Jesus is here. He’s not mad at you and when you do fall, He will help you get back up. He loves you and He’ll never give up on you. Don’t give up on yourself…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Judging

It’s so easy to judge others, isn’t it? We often do it when we feel crummy about something inside of us, so we find someone else’s problems to judge. When we begin to sinfully judge others it is characterized by a feeling of superiority or resentment. Sinful judging often involves deciding what others’ motives may be. It reveals the absence of genuine love. We get together with others to discuss someone’s problems when instead we should be praying for them.

A listener wrote to me about this problem with, "The sad truth is that when we judge someone’s heart, perhaps because we’re angry and hurt, there is often gossip involved. The one judged, becomes what I call, ‘boxed and labeled’ by the accuser and the gossip-hearers.” Exactly. God promises us vindication. Isaiah 54:17 reads; “No weapon turned against you will succeed.” Wait on God and He we will silence those voices who stand to accuse you unjustly. God promises redemption and vindication…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Old

I am sitting in the coffee shop getting to know a new friend and I’m literally stunned to learn that she’s only 38 which means I’m twenty years older…like I could be her mom. “I thought we were in the same age zone,” I said as I headed to the bathroom. When I come out Shana asked, “Does this age difference bother you?” “Oh, I’m fine but I guess there’s part of me that hasn’t accepted the older me even though she’s wiser and more experienced.”

Real friendships of lasting value really aren’t about age; they’re about connection and give and take. I want my new friend to know that what she sees is someone that is genuinely interested in who she is regardless of really…anything. God’s friendship with us is one with no condemnation and He sees the worst of us but chooses to focus on the best of us. We all have varying degrees of decorating our outsides but just as much time, if not more, should be focused on our insides and living and walking in the grace God give us…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Blue Days

Sometimes I get stuck in blue, like I’m feeling down, sad and crabby. I wouldn’t say it’s depression but I lately I’ve been stuck a little longer in “The Land of Blue,” than I’d like. I texted my aunt this and she wrote back; “I’m sorry you’re blue. I hate that. I fight stupid insecure feelings all the time. Lies…but they feel real. Don’t feed them. Starve them.” She’s right. Feelings are powerful and sometimes so powerful that we don’t trust God’s voice and we listen to lies. So how in the world is it possible to receive a word such as “I love you,” if the lie, “I’m unlovable” thunders louder?

Ultimately, we must make a choice; either my relationship with God is real or it’s not. Setting our minds on truth, God gives us the grace to talk to Him by prayer and or sometimes singing songs aloud helps bring freedom and relief. God hears and understands you and He’s not surprised by your days of sorrow that might be blue. Psalm 16:8 says, He is right beside you all the way through…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Heaven

The older I get the more focused I get on sharing the Good News of the Gospel with others. I blurted out to my husband the other day, “we’re all gonna die.” What we do now is, of course, important, but nothing matters as much as knowing and accepting what Christ DID for us. We’re all sinners. There will never be enough good works we can do to merit heaven. Heaven is not getting angel wings because we don’t become angels. We are created in the image of God. It’s crazy to think that we continue living with a purpose and there’s eating and laughing and dancing. Heaven is perfect with no more tears or pain. The alternative place of eternity is hell, it’s not where all your friends will be because it’s eternal loneliness and despair.

By accepting the atoning sacrifice of Jesus going to the cross and paying for your sins you’re forgiven and free. There’s a complete physical resurrection for us too, just like Christ. You are created for purpose, and you’ll continue with purpose in eternity in having a relationship with Christ (and not a religion)…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Frozen

What about the mornings you can’t get out of bed because you’re frozen?  I don’t mean because of the temperature but because of fear.  I’ve had those frozen mornings where I literally put the covers over my head and think, “I can’t do this.”

I read something that said, “Think of your life as a house with many rooms. Go through each "room" and surrender both the room and the contents to God. If you have a closet full of fears, let Him control that part of your life. Invite Him into the room where you hide your insecurities and hurts. Let Him take down that monument of pride in your own abilities and talents that you have displayed in your living room.  But even after I read this I still wanted to stay under the covers.  What gets me up and out is thinking about the truth like in 2 Timothy where I read that God lives in me and His spirit is one of power and a sound mind.  I can go forward with that truth and love, and not my feelings…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Refrigerator Peace

Isaiah 26:3 was a magnet on my refrigerator that I looked at everyday when I was raising our four young sons and it says, “Jesus keeps in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him.” I tried to be purposeful and ask myself; “What am I thinking about?” We choose what we think on. Many times, I’m worrying and thinking, “But what if…?” I know “more is caught than taught” so I wanted the words out of my mouth to be positive even if I needed them to be firm too.

A great responsibility as a parent is helping our kids fix their thoughts on what God says and not on their feelings or circumstances. I saw a poster which read; “It’s easier to build up a child than it is to repair an adult…choose your words wisely.” Of course, there are the times were negative thoughts lead to me speaking negatively but I hope that what was also observed was that God’s grace covered me. He cares, calms and carries us through…. everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Sign Language

It was his first day back on the job after more than a year on disability leave due to a freak explosion in the plant that, among other injuries, left him legally deaf in both ears. But when John walked into the plant that morning several of his colleagues used sign language to say; “Great to see you,” “Welcome back, John” and “We missed you.” It turns out that nine of his colleagues got together and took a sign language course, just like he did, over the several months he was absent. They did this so they could easily communicate with him when he returned.

This kind of compassion truly shows that people are what life is all about. Only people last forever and the way we treat others is the legacy we leave behind. I can’t help but think of that verse in 2 Corinthians 1:4 that says that with the compassion and love God’s shown to us; we too can show that to others…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Job Bedtime Story

I still remember years ago returning home from my son’s skating class and thinking it probably wasn’t a good time to tell my husband Dan that our "check engine soon" light was on again even though the next day I had to make a trip which was 200 miles away. I didn’t tell Dan about the engine light because he was in the basement shop-vacing water due to a plug in our sewer line. My journal indicates that Joey was 7 and he asked again for The Book of Job for his bedtime story. “Irony,” I wrote. But I was immediately struck by Job's response after all his belongings and children are taken away; "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD."

Eventually, I had all four boys in bed and while I was folding laundry, I had a peace wash over me as I repeated over and over, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” No matter what happens there is peace… not because all that happens is good, but because God always is good…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Drunk Righteousness

What does it mean to be righteous? Well, it means we are in right standing with God and that means we know who we are in Him…. loved, redeemed, not a mistake. Greater self-effort and determination will never liberate you. Shifting your focus will. This means letting God lead you and not your flesh.

Again, in the Bible, Ephesians 5, tells us not to be drunk with wine but instead to be drunk with the Holy Spirit. When a person is drunk on alcohol, they feel, think and act differently. I’ve been there, done that. But the exact same is true when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we feel think and act differently. The Christian life is not the result of trying to act like a Christian; that’s only frustrating. The secret is developing our relationship with God empowered by the Holy Spirit. As God's Spirit fills us, we better understand who God really is. Our lives are changed from the inside out and good behavior is the end product…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Step in Faith

In the Old Testament as the Israelites were soon to enter into the Promised Land they were faced with crossing the Jordan River during flood season with the Ark of the Covenant. God told them to go forward right into the middle of the river before the water would go down and because of the faith the people had in God they obeyed and trusted God. We read in Joshua 3:17 that; “All Israel passed through until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.”

I know I would’ve first wanted to test the water with my big toe to see some evidence of God’s promise of the water going down before I stepped into the middle of the river. But often God provides no solution to my problems until I trust Him and move ahead with what I know I should do. Sometimes God wants me to step forward into the unknown because it’s an opportunity for me to know Him better and trust Him with my faith and not my feelings...everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Hearing from God

I know I hear God’s voice but sometimes I feel crazy thinking, “Maybe it’s just me with what I want to hear. But if we have entered into a personal relationship with Christ, we then have the Holy Spirit making His home in us. I know…right!? His voice is His Word speaking truth to our hearts and mind and yea, we can actually hear from God.

Proverbs 20:12 reminds us that the gifts from the Lord are ears to hear and eyes to see. Yes, He gives us physical sight and hearing, but He also created us to hear and see spiritually too. Unfortunately, our own sin blinds us and deafens us. blinding our vision and clogging our ears. I am so glad we get fresh mercy every morning cuz I use my allotted amount daily. Let’s stop, listen and hear from Jesus who makes the difference in our lives…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday New Creation

Here’s the deal of God’s good news from 2 Corinthians 5:17; " If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” However, that doesn’t mean our flesh isn’t at times screaming for what we found pleasurable in our old life. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us at the time we receive Christ, can we truly let the past be the past.

It’s not what we do, but what God does in and through us that sets us free. Our “do” is our choice to listen to His voice and His Word. James 4:4 tells us that if we choose to be a friend of the world, we take our stand as an enemy of God. Wow, that’s a truth statement. We may profess to be a Christian, but are we really “saved” when we choose to follow what the world has approved but God calls sin? Christ in us knows the way for us to walk. We still struggle with sin, but it’s important that we acknowledge sin as sin and then confess, change direction, and allow God to restore us…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Hairstyle Ministry

Someone who doesn’t understand the leading of the Holy Spirit and how He works in our lives could say, “Your decision doesn’t make any sense. What are you thinking?” And our reply back could be, “I understand what you mean, but by the Holy Spirit I looked to God in my heart and not my head for the answer.” Saying that might get us a weird look but it’s what 1 Corinthians 2:14 talks about, “The non-spiritual man does not accept into his heart the teachings of the Spirit of God, for they are silly to him; and he is incapable of knowing them.”

Satan will send lies to our minds and we can choose to believe them OR ask ourselves, “Am I hearing from God who speaks to my heart according to His Word?” When following Christ, we live by faith. The non-spiritual man lives by feelings and sight, but faith has nothing to do with it. By faith you begin to understand things not with your mind but instead through the intuition of the Holy Spirit who speaks truth from God...everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Spirit Sense

Someone who doesn’t understand the leading of the Holy Spirit and how He works in our lives could say, “Your decision doesn’t make any sense. What are you thinking?” And our reply back could be, “I understand what you mean, but by the Holy Spirit I looked to God in my heart and not my head for the answer.” Saying that might get us a weird look but it’s what 1 Corinthians 2:14 talks about, “The non-spiritual man does not accept into his heart the teachings of the Spirit of God, for they are silly to him; and he is incapable of knowing them.”

Satan will send lies to our minds and we can choose to believe them OR ask ourselves, “Am I hearing from God who speaks to my heart according to His Word?” When following Christ, we live by faith. The non-spiritual man lives by feelings and sight, but faith has nothing to do with it. By faith you begin to understand things not with your mind but instead through the intuition of the Holy Spirit who speaks truth from God...everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Religions

My husband Dan did not become a Christian until he in his 20’s and in college. He never grew up going to church so in college he wanted to know if there was a God. He studied the religions of the world and THEN saw the uniqueness of Jesus. Jesus claims to be the way, not just show the way. And there is an enormous difference in religion and the forever-relationship Jesus offers. It’s not based on what we do but what He’s done. ALL religions require us to do something or sacrifice to please God so we can earn heaven.

Most religions are intolerant of people who disagree with them. Some even hate and want to hurt those who disagree. Jesus' message is just the opposite He says, "Let your love be genuine, hate what is evil, hold on to what is good." "Love your enemies" not just tolerate them. What? The message of Jesus is to LOVE and forgive others, which you can only do once you have seen your bad self and accepted His forgiveness…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday God Said

I went through Genesis chapter one and underlined all the verses where I saw the words, "GOD SAID." It was amazing to realize that everything on this earth came into existence by the power of God’s words! God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God said, “Let there be stars and vegetation” and there was. And then the big finale’ when God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our image,” and man was created!

It just made me think about Hebrews 4:12 knowing that His Word is living and active and when spoken can have such power in our lives. Far too often I trust in my feelings over the truth of God in His Word, the Bible! He promises to work ALL things for the good and not just some. He promises to never leave us and to give us wisdom when we ask. There’s a lot of good from a loving God who is always good no matter the circumstances. Choose to trust He what God says over what you feel…everyday.

Thursday Matters

Everyday Titles

Years ago, I went through what I describe as a “stripping away” from titles that made me feel important. I stepped down as an artistic director for a children’s theater company, and a spokesperson for a women’s refuge center and I hadn’t really thought about how important these titles made me feel. In Colossians 3:4 God told me, be content with obscurity, like Christ. I was to be content with being unimportant.

When Jesus said, “Become like a “little child,” He meant we’re to be willing to accept ourselves as least in importance. The least is a symbol of those who have the lowest places in society; the poor and the oppressed, the prostitutes, the bank collectors. But Jesus concern was that these should not be despised or treated as inferior (Matthew 18:10). He was well aware of their feelings of shame, and because of their humility and His compassion they were of really great value. God’s grace falls on us not because of our titles in society, but because it’s His good pleasure to love us just as we are…everyday.