Everyday MattersThere's a reason for everyday.
Despite the bad and the good, everyday matters. |
7/26/2024
July 26th, 2024Friday Matters- July 26, 2024
Everyday Woman Thirst Don’t stress yourself about your sin issues because God first pours out His love to you and then He gently exposes your sin, offering a way for you to change direction, to receive full pardon and freedom. This is what He did with the Samaritan woman we read about in John 4 who came to draw water at the well. He didn’t meet her with condemnation. He first met her thirst. He offered her living water (eternity with God), but also let her know He knew all about her. She ran back to town to tell others about Him, not because she felt condemned, but because she had been offered hope and a way out. People are not drawn to judgment. They are drawn to true friendship and that is what Jesus is, a real best friend. No greater love can a man have than to give His life for His friends (John 15:13). Think of the ways you are most loved, it’s when someone meets and loves you right where you’re at. Be that kind person who loves others like that…everyday. 7/25/2024
AuthenticityThursday Matters- July 25, 2024
Everyday Performing I am a theater major. I get how to portray characters on stage. I also know how to perform as if the world was the stage but it’s not the way I want to be. Who really wants to be around pretenders or performers? Don’t we all want REAL sincerity, honesty? The more I live life I see no benefits to performing or pretending like everything is okay when it isn’t. It doesn’t mean to walk around with a bad attitude if life is hard but being transparent in your hard place will help someone more than your sing-song performance that life is all butterflies and bunnies. Oh look how God loves you in it all. He’s not mad at you. He may be heartbroken over your choices in sin but with confession He takes your sin, offers forgiveness and frees you. No more pretending or hiding. His grace is always there. Look up. Be honest. Let go. Surrender and let the risen Christ live in you so you’re a new creation, the old life is gone and you’re made new…everyday. 7/24/2024
Heart MattersWednesday Matters- July 24, 2024
Everyday My Heart Take comfort in knowing only God knows your heart yet I know it stings when someone judges you harshly because they can’t see your heart. The human heart is arrogant, and often cares for itself above all, prone to judge others, prone to make demands of others. The heart is also needy and incomplete with holes that can only be repaired by God’s perfect love. Where’s the healing for it all? Jesus. He is it, His Word which is both justice and mercy. First, we must deeply understand and truly own our brokenness. 1 John 1:8 people, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The Bible doesn’t call us to judge others but it calls us to always be mindful and humbly recognize our own weakness. Whatever righteousness we possess was given to us by the victory of Christ’s death and resurrection. God is grieved when we use the Bible on others as a weapon. Humility. Ask God to give you the grace to love others as He does…everyday. 7/23/2024
ForgivenessTuesday Matters- July 23, 2024
Everyday Offense We can say we trust in God to avenge or defend us but when we take matters into our own hands we aren’t putting a lot of trust in God taking care of our hurt. A big challenge is not to pick up the offense of a friend or family member who’s been hurt. I’m guilty there. But when we take on someone else’s offense we’re sucking the poison of their sin and we become bitter along with them. I’ve seen this happen when a parent’s anger towards someone passes on to their children. Remember if only one side of the story is presented you don’t have the whole truth and may have a cocktail of lies. It’s the enemy’s plan to ruin relationships. God’s plan is to restore. Follow Deuteronomy 30:19 which tells us to make the choices which bring life so that we and generations to come may live meaningful lives. More is caught than taught and the way your children trust God will have a lot to do with the way you trusted God in relationship conflicts…everyday. 7/22/2024
Life’s TrialsMonday Matters-July 22, 2024
Everyday Waves My friend, Michelle, shared; “These waves of trials and circumstances are very real and overwhelming to me right now. But Debbie, the question is not whether or not I see them; the question is whether or not I see ONLY them. I know it's not about the waves; it's about walking forward toward Him because He says ‘Come!’” What honesty Michelle has, and I can’t say, I’m that mature in a storm situation. In the Bible we can read in Mark 4: where Jesus says to the disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” but a furious storm of hurricane proportions arises with waves crashing into the boat. Where’s Jesus? He’s asleep inside the boat. “Master, don’t You care that we’re dying,” the disciples ask. Without answering Jesus rises and rebukes the wind and sea, “Be still,” He says and a great calm comes. When Jesus says, “You’re gonna get to the other side,” believe Him. You’ll get to the other side no matter what stormy trial you’re facing. Go forward with Him…everyday. 7/19/2024
BeautyFriday Matters- July 19, 2024
Everyday Tabernacle When I read all the verses in Exodus describing the different colors, stones, metals, woods, etc. that were to be used to build the tabernacle I thought, "Why take so much space in the Bible for that? Why not devote more time to guidelines in dating or parenting, something a little more helpful?" But by these chapters God showed me how much He cares about detail and beauty. I realized He cares even more about the detail and beauty of the people He created in His image to honor His name! God’s perfectly happy with us enjoying beauty by the way we dress and decorate our homes and gardens. Of course, there needs to be balance but how freeing to know God made us unique, so He certainly doesn't want to take that away from us. In accepting Christ as Savior, we have the hope from Revelation 21 where every tear will be removed and we’ll belong in a place more beautiful than we can imagine; heaven…everyday. 7/18/2024
BreakthroughThursday Matters- July 18, 2024
Everyday Breakthrough I get to share Cindy’s breakthrough in giving real forgiveness. I had been mentoring Cindy and even though she said she’d forgiven her father she continued negatively talking about him and avoided him. “I did forgive him,” said Cindy, “but you don’t know how much he hurt me.” She had become bitter. So, I shared; “Based on what the Bible says it doesn’t matter how great the offense was. We serve a God Who is greater and if we will handle the offense in the right way, He’ll bring justice and recompense when we allow Him to.” God says in Isaiah 61:7, “Instead of your former shame you shall have a twofold recompense.” A recompense is a reward. It’s payback for past hurts. Think of it like worker’s compensation. You work and serve God and if you get hurt on the job, HE WILL PAY YOU BACK! It was a process, but Cindy finally let go and forgave her dad. She’s set boundaries but they’ve reconciled. Let God be your comfort and your Vindicator…everyday. 7/17/2024
Jesus ResurrectionWednesday Matters- July 17, 2024
Everyday Easter Cross I’m a mom of four sons and one husband and I’m grateful. A couple of years ago at Eastertime we were all together but for our one son who is in the Navy (he would’ve been like minded). We went out for pancakes, French fries, and bacon and there we talked about the meaning of “The Cross. And all of us in agreement know we are made worthy, NOT by what we do, or how we perform, and certainly not by our righteousness but we’re made worthy by God’s great mercy. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross washes away our sins and His resurrection secures our future. Sitting at the table we all said, “YES” and “AMEN.” It was great. Paul speaking to the Colossians said, “God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.” Receive this gift Jesus offers you too with the hope to live …everyday. 7/16/2024
WisdomTuesday Matters- July 16, 2024
Everyday Sharp Do you know someone who’s served in the military? I know many and one of them is my husband, Dan. Military persons serve as an act of love for others. I remember Dan telling me that in the army they were constantly drilled that they needed to keep their weapons clean and ready for use. A useless weapon not only made the soldier useless, but also a liability because now someone else needs to pick up the slack. In Ephesian 6 God gives us a list of armor, but only one weapon—the Bible which is the Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon of the six God’s calls us to “put on.” Our knowledge of the Word is its sharpness. There are so MANY things screaming for our attention and I’m sure, like me, you are being pulled in many directions. But God never changes no matter what the direction of our day is. So Let the Word of God be in your head and heart; sharpened…everyday. 7/15/2024
Serving OthersMonday Matters-July 15, 2024
Everyday Jesus Servant Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an act of servanthood to show them how very much He loved them. (John 13:3-15) In a culture where people’s sandals did not protect their feet from the dirt of the road servants, not masters, were supposed to wash feet. But Jesus fully knowing who He was, being the greatest of all, became the servant of all. When the Lord came to Simon Peter to wash his feet, Peter resisted him saying, “Lord are my feet to be washed by You?” I would have been hesitant too, “Jesus serving me?” How did Jesus respond to Peter's rash vow of never letting Jesus wash his feet? Jesus said that unless Peter let him do this Peter would have no part in Him. So, after Jesus completed washing all the disciples’ feet, He told them they needed to follow His example as their Lord and Teacher and wash one another's feet. I believe just Jesus was saying that unless we're willing to serve one another, we have no part in Him or in each other. If we love someone to the highest degree, we'll be willing to serve that person…everyday. |
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