Everyday MattersThere's a reason for everyday.
Despite the bad and the good, everyday matters. |
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5/29/2020 There is always HopeFriday Matters- May 29, 2020
Everyday Hope Ahead Life is hard. An unexpected death of someone you love is hard. Yep. I’m a Christian because I am convinced that only in Jesus Himself is there any adequate, calming useful, clear explanation of any of life’s tragedies. When a friend loses the life of a loved one, what can we offer? I’ve found simply sitting beside them to grieve the loss, the shortness of life or perhaps how it all feels unfair, is best. But surely our Savior can say to us in our loss, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” The Savior who has been there and back safely, who died and rose again and now can fully assure us. To say a loved one died because of some sin in our lives is not only unrealistic, distorted thinking for a Christian, in whom “the light of the world” lives, but is an insult to the forgiving heart of the Father. Love others as He does. Share the hope…everyday.
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5/22/2020 Life is HardFriday Matters- May 22, 2020
Everyday Earth Experience This earth is not our home. Good…because it’s so stinkin’ hard some days. I so often have to look up look & find the hope to move forward. Hope is basically the belief that something good is going to happen, there’s something better that’s ahead. We need hope for this earth experience now but we also have an eternal hope when we confess and profess that Jesus is Lord and the only one who can remove our guilty sins. One of the most helpful things I can do is to go public with my struggles while sharing the hope that I have. When I openly share my hard places and say a promise, say from Philippians 1:6, where God tells us, “He Who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day He returns,” I find that I’m not alone because someone else needed to hear exactly the same thing. The earth experience is hard but there’s always hope. Keep on keeping on…everyday. 5/15/2020 Choose to LIVE LifeFriday Matters- May 15, 2020
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. 5/8/2020 Thought LifeFriday Matters- May 8, 2020
Everyday Am I Crazy? 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 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. It’s not because we weren’t created with the ability to perceive in any of these ways. It’s the gunk of sin 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. 5/1/2020 Mental IllnessFriday Matters- May 1, 2020
Everyday Meds “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 meds 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. 4/24/2020 Church for SinnersFriday Matters- April 24, 2020
Everyday Get in the Van “Mom, why do we have to go to church? I don’t want to. Jesus loves us. Can’t we skip?” Years ago, getting four boys to Church on time with my husband and all buckled into the family van, was not on my “Favorite List.” I had similar complaining thoughts too. Church is people and people can be super irritating. And often when we get to church we begin judging; “Is the music good, the sermon effective, is Sunday school taught right, and what about the format in general, is it inviting and engaging? Yea, sure maybe those are good questions but the point is, thank God that He loves us right where we’re at and not where we should be. We need to remember we’re all gathering as sinners in need of a Savior and His grace. So when church complaints began on a Sunday morning I came up with this simple mantra, “Love God, Love others, and Get in the Van.” Church is not about you. It’s about God’s grace which we all need to receive and give…everyday. 4/17/2020 Trust the TruthFriday Matters- April 17, 2020
Everyday Believe Truth Who are you? Do you believe who others say you are or who Jesus says you are? So many of us hurt with this brokenness because we believe the lies the enemy shouts, telling us we’re not good enough. And guess what? We’ll never be good enough but GOD IS good and more than enough. HIS grace IS available for every situation, feeling and circumstance we go through. Romans 8:37 tells us; “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Shame has no place in our lives. Travel one day at a time and know that you’re not alone. You’re not a mistake and your past doesn’t define you. My life has been turned upside down and inside out. It has taken sharp turns that I never envisioned or planned for and that may be true for you too. But no matter how life tries to shake you, shame you or shock you, the unconditional love of God, with no condemnation, will do the same and make all things new and beautiful…everyday. 4/10/2020 Freedom in a RelationshipFriday Matters- April 10, 2020
Everyday Barrier My husband was explaining to our sons what forgiveness really is and I loved his explanation. When we forgive someone who’s sinned against us the barrier in the relationship is removed. We can again see the person as God sees them rather than looking at the hurt of the sin every time we picture or see them. God doesn’t ask us to forgive others to earn any favor with Him. There’s nothing we can do to earn His love. He loves us as we are. And when we realize it’s an act of our will and a choice to forgive rather than something we let our feelings decide it can make the process a whole lot easier. I know from experience that it’s my anger and hurt that makes me FEEL like I can’t forgive or I’ll never see justice. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can I let go and trust God to work in me to truly forgive and avenge me as He says He will….everyday. 4/3/2020 Connect with OthersFriday Matters- April 3, 2020
Everyday Sharing Your Heart Believe me I know what it means to hurt. The recovery from my scoliosis back surgery was horrendous both physically and emotionally. And I was surprised at how the issues resulting in my parent’s divorce of 44 years affected me emotionally and physically too. Hurt from someone you love is pure pain. But I’ve noticed that the more I open up and share my heart of pain the more people respond to share their own hurts of an unfaithful spouse, abuse, absent love from a parent and the pain from their own children. Oh, the sins of others have such painful consequences for so many of us. So more than ever I’ve been holding on to Zechariah 9:12 by returning to Jesus my stronghold of security and prosperity as a prisoner of hope; believing that God will restore double for my trouble. Real hope is a constant positive attitude that in trusting my Redeemer, and despite what may happen, things will change for the better…everyday. 3/27/2020 Jesus Bears Your BurdensFriday Matters- March 27, 2020
Everyday Carry Burden “Debbie, how do you apply scripture to your life and live it out?” This was a questions asked by a teenage friend who wanted to know how to live out God’s Word. Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters. Anna had shared how she was feeling so exhausted all the time but then it dawned on her she was trying to do and fix everything on her own strength. So she decided to surrender all her burdens to God. It was only a matter of days before a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. So I said, “Anna you’re applying God’s Word from Matthew 11:28. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." He won't give you more than you can bear although it can sure feel like it. If that’s the case you’re carrying more than you should so release the load that you weren’t meant to carry. Christ truly gives the right amount of grace every morning for what He calls us to carry…everyday |
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