Everyday Matters by Debbie Griffith

3/20/2025

Shame

Thursday Matters- March 20, 2025
Everyday Shame

Of course I think it’s helpful to hear how others learn, grow and receive comfort from life’s experiences but after taking quite a bit of time to read what other women were saying in their blogs, I started to feel kinda anxious.
Hey this is Debbie Griffith with Everyday Matters.

A friend invited me to read her blog and through it I was connected to many other bloggers sharing their thoughts on marriage, motherhood and life. True, there’s comfort knowing others are questioning and trying to figure out life too but none of what I read brought me peace. Maybe because there were too many unanswered questions or maybe because none really seemed to point to the source of all peace…JESUS! He not only knows everything we think and feel BUT He has the answers for everything we need too.

In Psalm 27:8 when God said, “Seek My face, my heart said, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” And the place to seek Him; is by reading His blog, the Bible…everyday

3/13/2025

Sin

Thursday Matters- March 13, 2025
Everyday Saviors Club

God is love. God is holy. Sometimes we can get out of balance with bott, too liberal in our definition of love or we become too legalistic in keeping God’s commands. Don’t miss the point; ABOVE ALL is God’s love.

We think since God has the power to do something, unless He does it, He does not love. Yet, because God is pure love, He cannot accept evil in any form. God's holiness demands consequences for sin. Today, many people want to run from consequences. The lack of teaching on true morality has lowered the bar. Sometimes we tell God; "Our sins are not so wrong. What others do is much worse." I’ve been there…done that. Ecclesiastes 12 tells us; “Everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” will come before Him. And no matter what mistakes you’ve made, you’re not a mistake. God can redeem all things. We are all in the sinner’s club and we all need to be in the Savior’s club …everyday.

3/6/2025

Hearing from God

Thursday Matters- March 6, 2025
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 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 because I use my allotted amount daily. Let’s stop, listen and hear from Jesus who makes the difference in our lives…everyday.

2/27/2025

The Enemy

Thursday Matters- February 27, 2025
Everyday Enemy Lion

Ah, The Garden of Eden what a wonderful and perfect paradise except for the fact that the devil was sliding around (or walking) as some sort of beautiful serpent who eventually got Adam and Eve to doubt the perfect goodness of their Creator. Well Mr. Evil One is still on the move, working as hard as he can to get us to doubt because he knows that the only way, he can overcome a believer is through deception (that we can be our own god) and intimidation. That’s why God cautions us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be alert because our great enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But notice the verse doesn’t say “irritate” or “frustrate” but “DEVOUR!”

A lion often scares up its dinner by roaring. Its prey has a heart attack simply due to fear thus becoming an easy meal for Mr. or Mrs. lion. That is what we face. Will you believe the roar or the still assurance of God’s voice…everyday!?

2/20/2025

Body Image

Thursday Matters- February 20, 2025
Everyday Eating

Over ten years ago I never really ate breakfast, unless you counted Diet Coke and chips. I ate what I wanted when I wanted. I even remember standing in my kitchen one morning at age 41; eating chips and drinking my Coke thinking, “I feel so great! I wonder how long I will be able to keep this diet going?!” And I thought because I was healthy in my relationship with God, reading the Bible and doing Pilates occasionally I’d be just fine. “Who needs green leafy vegetables?” But five months after having these thoughts I started getting sick with a lot of different infections and then came emotional anxiety and… well…I kinda crashed.

There were other factors that played into my “crash”, but I heard God clearly speak to me. Yes, He had great plans for me, but I needed to take care of my diet. 1 Corinthians 6:19; I don’t just belong to myself; I’m God’s girl and I honor Him by the way I live my life and take care of myself…. everyday.

2/13/2025

Obedience

Thursday Matters- February 13, 2025
Everyday Crazy Obey

Crazy enough, Jonah finds himself in the belly of a whale and the reason he lands inside the belly of a big fish is because he didn’t want to deliver a message to the people of Ninevah. But, after three days inside to contemplate his situation, he cries out to God, in obedience, saying, “I will sacrifice to You with praise, and I’ll fulfill my vows because salvation comes from the Lord!” Jonah then delivers his message to the evil people of Ninevah, and they repent and change.

On an anniversary dinner date over 15 years ago in Minneapolis my husband I listened to a wonderful jazz singer, and I signed up for her emails. Every time I received one, I would send a prayer. It was crazy and Christine was not a Christian. But we developed a friendship, which continued for two years and then shockingly I was contacted by her stepmom that she had suddenly passed away. I was stunned but also in awe of how God uniquely reaches into over lives with love. I shared the Gospel with Christine and my hope is that I see her again in eternity…everyday.

2/6/2025

Hearing God

Thursday Matters- February 6, 2025
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 you’ve entered into a personal relationship with Christ then you 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 when He’s speaking from His Word through scripture.

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. blinding our vision and clogging our ears. I am so glad we get fresh mercy every morning because I use my allotted amount daily. Let’s stop, listen and hear from Jesus and His Word. Pray for wisdom and discernment which come from the Holy Spirit, and you will begin to see a difference in your life because you seek Him over the voices of others…everyday.

1/30/2025

Christianity

Thursday Matters- January 30, 2024
Everyday Bumper Stickers

A guy and his car are standing at the pearly gates. The car is covered with Christian bumper stickers. The guy is trying to talk his way into heaven, but Peter won't budge. The guy says, "But look at my car!" Peter finally compromises and says, "OK, your car can come in..."

Much of the time people don't realize what forgiveness truly means in their lives. They really believe the sin that separates them from God in the first place, is worth it. And sometimes they look at forgiveness as a license to keep on living in the flesh while expecting God to jump through hoops they’ve set up. When we have a relationship with God, we get the Holy Spirit living in us and THAT is what keeps us from staying comfortable in our sins. You look at Paul talking to the Romans, and he says, “I sometimes fall and do what I don’t want but with Jesus I don’t have to stay down.” We can walk and drive in freedom when we let God’s forgiveness change us…everyday.

1/23/2025

God’s Grace

Thursday Matters- January 23, 2024
Everyday Cake Mercy

“Dan, c’mon, please pay the bill. My allowance won’t cover it.” I was asking for grace from my husband as I handed him the bill for spending too much at J. Crew Clothing. Whew…he forgave and paid the bill. But when I went home, I discovered that a stick of butter, my special cake plate and a container of frosting was missing. My nephew had baked a cake while I was away. I called and scolded him for not replacing my supplies.

When I hung up the phone, I realized I was acting like the ungrateful servant in Matthew 18. A king was about to punish this servant for a debt of millions but instead had pity and forgave. The servant, not grateful, instantly found his friend who owed him thousands and had him thrown in prison. I got the memo. God gives fresh mercy to us so how can we afford to withhold mercy from others …everyday.

1/16/2025

Thought Life

Thursday Matters- January 16, 2024
Everyday Thinking

We live in some dark times and a lot of that darkness is in our own thought life. The best way to overcome the enemy and his dark lies is to think on truth and light. We choose what we think on. I chose to memorize Ephesians 3:16 which goes, “God grant me out of the rich treasury of Your glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power by the Holy Spirit Himself indwelling my innermost being and personality,” I think of that verse as a “sign-me-up” verse. Don’t you want that in your life too?

God gives us His Holy Spirit to make His home in us by the relationship we have with Christ. When the Spirit is stirred in us then there is no place for dark and destructive thoughts. God is good, with good truth and promises. Let Him direct your thoughts. Choose what you think on…everyday.