Everyday MattersThere's a reason for everyday.
Despite the bad and the good, everyday matters. |
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. 7/18/2024
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. 7/11/2024
Hope in TrialsThursday Matters- July 11, 2024
Everyday Water and Fire Sometimes when I find myself in a difficult place, I just wanna cry out, “God, get me out of here!” But if I want to fulfill the purpose God has for me, I have to be prepared to go through trials; that means facing difficult people; difficult circumstances. God uses difficult challenges in our lives to strengthen us and develop our character. Through trials we are taught the unique lessons of suffering and the benefits of discipline and sacrifice, making us better individuals. Our third son of four, Joey, is in a challenging season and I said to him, “God has allowed this trial in your life and should you be surprised? As a follower of Christ, He promise us that we will go through trials. But He also tells us in Isaiah 43:2 that He’ll be with us as we pass through the waters and go through the fires and we’ll not be overwhelmed or will we be burned. Godly character is developed most often when we are tested by the waters and the fire. Acknowledge the trial and the pain and then acknowledge that God is walking and with you through it all…everyday. 7/4/2024
RedemptionThursday Matters- July 4, 2024
Everyday Payback It’s so hard when someone has hurt you and, “It’s not fair. Why is this happening to me?” I want payback now!” God IS taking care of things in HIS timing. He’s God and we’re not. Romans 12:19 is the promise from God saying. “I’ll take care of it because it’s Mine to avenge.” You know God loves you but your anger prevents you from rational thought. You’re not alone here. We’ve all been “there.” Let’s try to get in the habit of asking this question to ourselves, “Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve posted about it. Let the person be taken off your hook and placed on His. In the meantime, you may need to set healthy boundaries and forgive which is necessary for our FREEDOM. Reconciliation may take longer because both parties need to own the truth and stop blaming each other. But don’t worry. God promises to avenge you because He sees and knows your feelings and above all He knows your heart…everyday. 6/27/2024
Life is HardThursday Matters- June 27, 2024
Everyday Burden Carrier “Debbie, how do you apply scripture to your life and live it out?” This was a question asked by a teenage friend who wanted to know how to live out God’s Word. 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. 6/20/2024
RighteousnessThursday Matters- June 20, 2024
Everyday God’s Righteousness “Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith,” that’s it! Words of truth from Philippians 3:9. Be like Jesus. I be like Paul so MANY times. In the beginning Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees and outwardly keeping the Law of Moses, self-righteous with a religious mind-set. Paul’s righteousness was works-based righteousness, but only true and cleansing righteousness comes from God’s work on the cross. Paul had to come to that truth, that all we need to come to, that his sin was inherited and only by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ could cleanse his heart and wash away his sins. By God’s grace, He sent His only Son to pay the full price of our sins. Believe and receive what Christ has done for you and be clothed in the righteousness of God and never again be enslaved by sin. Oh, how free and hopeful this is…everyday. 6/13/2024
SinnersThursday Matters- June 13, 2024
Everyday Poor Sinners I mean honestly, when I began to really grasp what Jesus was offering me with complete forgiveness and no condemnation I could stop pretending and performing. I need Him desperately. It is not the “they” who are poor, sinful and lost. It’s awareness that we ourselves are the primary target. Unless we acknowledge that we are the sinners, the sick ones and the lost sheep for whom Jesus came, we do not belong to the “blessed” who know that they are poor and inherit the Kingdom. Let’s stop trying to appear righteous before God and others. It’s a dangerous zone when get our assurance from wealth or our status. “I’m good. I have all I want.” We must realize that we’re wretchedly and pitiably poor and we’re blind and naked too. Isaiah 64 often comes to me when I think, “I’m doing really well here.” “We’re all unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. It’s His blood shed for us which cleans, covers and redeems us…everyday. 6/6/2024
MotherhoodThursday Matters- June 6, 2024
Everyday Oxygen When I first heard the flight attendants say, “In the event of an emergency, where an oxygen mask is needed, please first secure the mask to your own mouth before placing it on any of your children,” I thought it seemed selfish. I’d risk my life for my children so shouldn’t I help them first? But here’s the point; if I really want to help my children survive then I first better get my own mask on so I can think more clearly to save both our lives. Raising kids is not for wimps. I’m not a wimp. If you’re a parent, you aren’t either. We need to dive into the Bible and follow God first before expecting our kids to do the same. Proverbs 6:20 works; “Children don’t forsake the teaching of your mother,” and with that comes the jingle, “More is caught then taught.” The most effective way for our kids to trust and follow God is for them to see us following Him no matter what’s going on…everyday. 5/30/2024
MotheringThursday Matters- May 30, 2024
Everyday Tired Mom Last week after attending a “mom’s group” a friend wrote and said, “I realize my strength is in God and I know the verses I should apply but sometimes I just need to vent about how tired I am in being a mom! I wanna scream, ‘My joy is being robbed!’” I’m so glad she felt safe enough to share her heart and vent! She didn’t want a solution or a string of Bible verses from me. What she needed was a friend who had been there too. She needed to be heard. That’s it. And how many times has God told me, “Sometimes Debbie the best way to love someone is for you to keep your mouth shut!” This is the advice from Ephesians 4:2; “Be completely humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love.” Communicate love for a friend by simply letting them know you’re there for them, ready to listen, ready to pray. …everyday. 5/23/2024
HealingThursday Matters- May 23, 2024
Everyday Burned Healing I did something stupid. I put a cup of hot water in the microwave to heat for tea. When I went get the mug the boiling water spilled on my hand, and I had a second-degree burn. After two weeks I still had scabs and it was disgusting. It throbbed with pain the first four days and when I’d look at it, I’d think; “It will always hurt this much. It will never get better.” Of course, it wasn’t true, but I felt it. But time and prayer bring healing. In Genesis 8 God says that as long as the earth remains, there will be “seedtime and harvest.” When you walk in God’s path, you must be patient like the farmer who plants the seed and expectantly waits for the harvest and then looks forward to reaping the harvest. But there is a time between seed planting and harvest. Don’t become frustrated in that process. Galatians 6:9; “Don’t give up.” God is on it. He knows…everyday. |
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