Everyday MattersThere's a reason for everyday.
Despite the bad and the good, everyday matters. |
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7/19/2019 Resting and Being StillFriday Matters-July 19, 2019
Everyday “NO” is my answer Hearing our children’s first words are memorable such as, “Dada,” “Nana,” or “Puppy.” The word “NO” is also among those words and it can be harsh. I remember telling our son Joey when I was nine months pregnant, “Joey look at Mama’s belly. There’s a baby inside.” “Ah NO, Mama that’s a ball,” said Joey. “No,” screamed at you by a child isn’t a fun word to hear. Yet I’ve found that the word “no” is one our hearts need to hear when the truth isn’t being told about us. Perhaps there’s ugly and untrue gossip about you and so you need to remember, “NO, that’s not who God says I am,” or maybe it’s “No, I cannot take on another volunteer position at school.” Jesus mostly used the word “no” when speaking to the religious leaders who were trying to boss everyone around. He came to fulfill the law by His grace, not by giving us more rules. The word “no” is a useful word when guided by God…everyday.
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7/18/2019 The enemy has NO power over youThursday Matters-July 18, 2019
Everyday Enemy Alert There’s evil in the world but often we don’t really think it’s something we have to be mindful of in our everyday lives. Oh but we do. The Garden of Eden was a perfect paradise God created for Adam and Eve until Satan got them to doubt and distrust God. The devil is still on the move working because he knows that the only way he can overcome a believer is through deception and intimidation. In the Bible in 1 Peter we’re told to be alert because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he will devour. Notice the verse doesn’t say “irritate” or “frustrate” but “DEVOUR!” A lion often scares up its dinner by roaring. Its prey freezes in fear simply due to fear thus becoming an easy meal for Mr. or Mrs. Lion. That is what we face. God is the king. The devil is an impostor. We have the power from God to tell him to get out of our face…everyday. 7/17/2019 Making ConnectionsWednesday Matters-July 17, 2019
Everyday Hair Stylist My hair is a big part of my life so how great it is that the relationship I have with my hair also spills over to the relationship I have with my hair stylist. Each time I have an appointment I’ve been able to tell my hairdresser what God is doing in my life. And sometimes I’m so surprised at how open my hair-person is in listening to me talk about God. In the past there were times I felt fearful, embarrassed or even defensive when sharing my faith but now I get excited because I’m sharing my relationship and not a religion. Sharing my relationship and the power of God’s love is fun because everything just seems to flow and come out naturally. Without love we really can’t communicate the freedom and peace God has for us. But by knowing 1 Corinthians 13:8; “Love never fails” we can actually have success and the style of communication is win-win for all involved…everyday. 7/16/2019 SelfishnessTuesday Matters-July 16, 2019
Everyday Recovering Addict As a recovering self-addict I try and focus on what God needs to change in me rather than asking Him to change everyone else and my circumstances that bother me. You see the self-involved person is always seeking a way to avoid pain whereas the God involved person embraces pain and they actually go to the Word of God to guide them through life. Instead of becoming bitter they become better. 1 Peter 5:10 really offers us hope and encouragement because it tells us that after we’ve suffered a little while, the God of all grace Who imparts all blessings and favor, Who has called us to His eternal glory will complete and make us what we ought to be. He’ll ground us securely, and strengthen, and settle us. That’s a great promise. And I want it! So ever so slowly I’m able to praise Him in the pain for I know that’s His will for me. Think about it. There are blessings and favor from Him in our trials…everyday. 7/15/2019 You are Beautiful just being YOU!Monday Matters-July 15, 2019
Everyday Backbone I don’t sew, bake or volunteer for craft projects at school. I could feel like a lousy mom because don’t the good moms have all of those skills? But let’s try and remember that God doesn’t make mistakes and He created us uniquely and for a specific purpose. Sure we get stuck wishing we were someone else or had their skills but how productive is that? How about we try this: If you experience a setback or failure don’t fall apart but believe God will use the experience to train you for the next step. Look at Ephesians 3:12 and we read that through faith in God we can approach Him with freedom and confidence. He loves us. “Plenty of people have wishbone but there are too few with not enough backbone.” Once we’re rooted and established in His love, we can have the backbone to step out and be the very best of who He created use to be…everyday. 7/12/2019 Loved and RedeemedFriday Matters-July 12, 2019
Everyday Accepting Who You Are Sometimes I get disgusted with myself. It’s when I’m in this place of self-pity and I feel stuck. The way to peace begins with accepting the truth of myself—the whole truth. My struggle to cope with certain people has a simple explanation: they represent to me precisely those things that I have refused to acknowledge and accept in myself. To accept the truth of my brokenness is unbearable if not impossible, without turning to Jesus. If my vision of myself is not purified by the mercy and compassion of Jesus, I have to get dishonest, camouflage my warts, and present to you a self that is mostly admirable, fault free, and superficially happy. When I accept the truth of me, shipwrecked and saved, and give it over to the person of Jesus, I am at peace even if I don’t feel it. The peace that comes from God and surpasses all understanding, (Philippians 4:7) was provided by Christ on the cross and doesn’t depend on our shifting feelings …everyday. 7/11/2019 What Does God Think?Thursday Matters-July 11, 2019
Everyday Acknowledge God Wouldn’t it be nice if every time we asked God a question we could just randomly open our Bibles and there’d be our answer? Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. But the thing is, our answers are in the Bible and when we spend time there everyday we begin to learn the ways of God. We also begin to trust God knowing from Proverbs 3:6 that if we acknowledge God in all of our ways, He will direct our paths. Acknowledging God really means to care about what He thinks. In the Bible in I Chronicles Prophet Nathan told David that he could go ahead and build a house for God. But the next day Nathan got word that one of David’s sons would build instead. What’s cool is that because David had a heart for God he could praise God for this answer even though he might have been a little bummed. Caring what God thinks makes a huge difference in how we respond to things…everyday. 7/10/2019 God is Alive!Wednesday Matters-July 10, 2019
Everyday The Real Question I know Jesus lives. He died and rose again. I can say it and I believe it. But the real question is; “Do I live my life as evidence that I believe Jesus is alive in me? Jesus died and He rose again and from His greatest act of love, His greatest power flows. The living Christ is then certainly not a dead hero. The Christian lives in Christ and Christ lives in the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit. Think about it; we are empowered to lead a new life where sin has no place and if we don’t really believe or live this way then where is our faith? When I woke up today I was worrying about our son’s college tuition and then I was stressing about the choices of our surly teen. But I certainly wasn’t acknowledging the power of the resurrected Christ who lives in me. How often are we unwilling to believe that we have been transformed and that the impossible has become possible …everyday. 7/9/2019 Listening to GodTuesday Matters-July 9, 2019
Everyday Advice from God Should I do it? What do you think? Maybe I should put a poll out on social media? Sure, it is wise to ask advice from others and in Proverbs 15 we can read that plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisers they succeed. But it’s also important to care most about what God thinks. Often when we pray we make all these requests but then fail to wait and LISTEN. God knows your heart and loves you. He has the best advice. In the Bible when Paul was talking to the Colossians, he told them that they could have a peace in their heart when a decision was made. It’s important that we aren’t seeking the approval of others or just relying on our feelings. God does answer us. Sometimes the answer is “no” and sometimes we can’t hear because we tell God what we want and ask Him to bless it rather than asking Him if it’s a direction He even wants us to take. Feelings come and go but the peace of God will remain…everyday. 7/8/2019 Perfectionism #nothappeningMonday Matters-July 8, 2019
Everyday Perfection Addict It’s exhausting trying to run the treadmill to perfection. I got off it. It goes nowhere. Most of us, to some extent, need to be delivered from the fear of people and from caring too much about what others think. People who always need the approval of others desperately want everyone to look at them from head to toe and say, “Perfect.” In everything they do-the way they look, the things they say, every action they take—they want people to say, “Perfect.” If we try to be perfect, we’ll be disappointed. You and I are imperfect human beings. Attitude change is where change happens even though I told my husband earlier; “Today I feel like complaining and blaming someone else.” THAT’S always easier than taking personal responsibility but certainly not healthier. We need to be confident that God accepts us with our imperfections. He will continue to work in us but we don’t have to struggle to win His approval or the approval of others. God is for us…everyday. |
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