Everyday MattersThere's a reason for everyday.
Despite the bad and the good, everyday matters. |
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12/16/2018
Where is God when I'm struggling?Thursday Matters
Everyday Forever & Never 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 favorite are the “forever” lie and the “never” lie. He tells us 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! 12/16/2018
Everyday Oh, You AgainWednesday Matters
Everyday Oh, You Again “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. 11/9/2018
Only God Can Take Our Desires AwayFriday Matters
Everyday Itch Hidden sin is attractive but once exposed, we see how ugly it really is. But often a person acting in sin can’t see the truth of how what they’re doing is not only hurting themselves but also others around them. C.S. Lewis in, The Great Divorce says sin is like an itch that needs to be scratched. At first it’s small but the more it’s scratched the better it feels. After a while the itch becomes less, but you actually long to have it back. Sin is that way, when you aren't being satisfied by it anymore, you still long to have it. Only God can take that desire away. Sin costs us and the real loss isn’t just on earth but the loss of eternal life. Good news is that if we’re sorry, change our ways and accept Christ we have life, which is what 1 John 5:12 talks about. It’s called repentance and it brings true freedom. Without Christ and His forgiveness, there is no life...everyday. For more encouragement in Everyday Matters visit DebbieGriffith.com 11/8/2018
Everyday FlowersThursday Matters
Everyday Flowers I still remember the “just because I care” flowers from my husband sent a few years ago. I had called my husband at his office to lament about some unresolved drama that I had so Dan told me to come to his office. I did. But… then out of nowhere a “stress arrow” hit my husband and he began speaking from his book of Lamentations. He began talking about our finances, his work load, and health stuff. It was unusual for me but I sat SILENTLY and prayed while tears ran down my cheeks. I left the office with a hug and knew that this is life and it would be okay. An hour later a beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived and a card from my husband saying; “I love you.” At the same moment a dear friend called and said, “I was praying for you and thought you might need to talk.” That’s JUST like God, supplying what we need when we need it…everyday. For more encouragement in Everyday Matters visit DebbieGriffith.com 11/7/2018
Everyday Sit and WaitWednesday Matters
Everyday Sit and Wait The Sunday morning message was that of a prodigal daughter so afterward there was an invitation to come forward to pray for a child we had or knew who was perhaps “lost.” I went forward deciding to pray for a few friends my heart was aching for. When I finished I turned around and sat on the bottom step and looked vacantly down the aisle, feeling numb. The small group that had gathered up front was now dispersing with tears and “thanks for praying with me” hugs. I sat alone. But suddenly, a woman, who could be described as the exact opposite of me, gentle and quiet, put her arm around me. It was quiet and not a word was said but gradually tears started rolling down my face and then I started to sob. This woman, with the love and understanding you can read about in 2 Corinthians put both her arms around me because she knew what my heart must be feeling. She was like Jesus sitting at the well with me, waiting to just love others as they are and ready to meet their thirst …everyday. For more encouragement in Everyday Matters visit DebbieGriffith.com 11/6/2018
Pray Before You SpeakTuesday Matters
Everyday Life Choice My husband Dan and I were on the couch once again having “the talk.” Oh ya know the talk about finances and getting out of debt? Dan proceeded in a serious tone talking about what “we” needed to do but it sounded more like a lecture about what “I” needed to do. I wanted to shout; “If you don’t like the way things are, look at the changes you can make. Don’t wait for me to change.” I even had a verse to go with “my talk”; Deuteronomy 30:19; “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” But for some reason I sat silently and prayed. And by the end of Dan’s lamentation he actually said, “I guess I need to look at the choices I can make and not put it all on you.” And I think, “Why don’t I shut my mouth more often and simply pray? It’s a life giving choice to make…everyday. For more encouragement in Everyday Matters visit DebbieGriffith.com 11/5/2018
Forgiveness MattersMonday Matters
Everyday Breakthrough Cindy was a gal I mentored 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’s hurt me.” She had become bitter. I sat with her as she cried and said, “I get it and no matter how great the offense is, we serve a God Who is greater and He promises to handle the offense in His perfect way. He’ll give us the grace we need while we wait for His justice. In Isaiah 61:7 we are told that, “Instead of our former shame we’ll have a twofold recompense.” How great is that because recompense is a reward, it’s payback for past hurts. So think of it like worker’s compensation. You work for God and if you get hurt on the job, He will pay you back! With God’s grace and time Cindy finally let go and forgave her dad, and with boundaries in place they’ve reconciled. God wants restoration for you too…everyday. For more encouragement in Everyday Matters visit DebbieGriffith.com |
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