Everyday MattersThere's a reason for everyday.
Despite the bad and the good, everyday matters. |
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9/18/2024
HopeWednesday Matters- September 18, 2024
Everyday Hope in Darkness I’m trying to focus on God but just can’t seem to do it while I’m in a dark pit,” someone wrote me. “I wish my spouse would give up this other person and want to reconcile, but they have no desire. I’m so sorry if that’s person is you. There’s ALWAYS HOPE. I clung to the words from Micah 7:7-8 when I was in a dark place. “As for me I will wait on the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch. I will wait with hope and expectancy in the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. So rejoice not against me, oh my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me.” Isn’t that powerful? There is light up ahead. Do what you can do while you wait and focus on helping someone else who may be in a dark place. You’ll end up helping yourself. Never give up. Always hope. It’s not because we’re faithful but because He is faithful… …everyday. 9/11/2024
PrayerWednesday Matters- September 11, 2024
Everyday Pray First I imagine when the future King David is dodging Saul, who’s hot on his trail to destroy him; he’s just like, “Really, can I just get a break here God?” God is on David’s side and no longer on Saul’s because Saul has walked away from God. David gets wind of Saul’s plans to kill him, his men and others in a town if David plans on going there. And I’m thinking as I read the story in 1 Samuel that David can certainly go to the town and then ask God for protection. BUT instead, David FIRST prays and asks God; “Will Saul destroy the town, and will the people hand me over to Saul?” The Lord simply replies; “He will, and they will,” so David goes back into hiding. I was really struck by this thinking how often I do the opposite. I decide on my plans and then ask God to bless me rather than asking for God’s direction first. Wisdom is going to God first because He always knows the best plan…everyday. 9/4/2024
LoveWednesday Matters- September 4, 2024
Everyday Guitar Love Relationships that rock your world in the worst way are ones we want ejected from our memory and our playlist of heartache. But the pain of the past doesn’t have to define your future. Janet shared; “It’s been ten years since my abusive ex-fiancé sold my favorite guitar. He sold it on the day I left him. When I went to claim my belongings, he was proud that he had sold it to a pawn shop. Luckily, I managed to track down the guy who bought it from the pawn shop. He was sweet, and gave it back to me for free, on the condition that I join him on his front porch to play guitar with him. We ended up sitting there on his porch for the rest of the afternoon playing music, and talking.” He’s been Janet’s husband for nine years now. With Jesus there’s redemption in all things. There really is. So if you’re like me you need to pray; “I do believe God just help me in my unbelief….everyday. 8/28/2024
GraceWednesday Matters- August 28, 2024
Everyday Give Grace Okay there’s this kind of Christians who is “stuck” outside the tension between law and grace – and specifically I’m talking about those who don’t know they need grace. I have been that girl at various times myself. When you don’t know you need grace you come to the counseling room in righteous indignation. You come with your “rights” and “it’s not fair because there’s a sinner worse than you. This may include the spouse who drags their partner along to get fixed, the partner who doesn’t think they need fixing, the person angry with God for failing to fulfill their dreams and the one who simply cannot forgive. They know they’re right and they want you to know it too. Accepting Christ means acknowledging deep sin and a need we have, in all areas of our lives for a lifetime. Jesus desires to confront the blackness of our hearts and change us to be set free. PRAY for yourself and others who need to KNOW and SEE how much we need His grace, because without it we can’t really love …everyday. 8/21/2024
LoveWednesday Matters- August 21, 2024
Everyday Loving Ice Cream I love Jesus. I would also say that I love ice cream. But did you know that 75 years ago people didn’t say they loved ice cream but instead they’d say they liked it? The word love was so special that it was only used to describe something that was worthy of loving...like another person or God! I mean really, how do we find words anymore to even begin to convey how great and awesome God really is? It’s actually kinda sad that words, like love, which really can only apply to God, get trivialized. But can I say, “I love the Psalms?” Nothing is more comforting than to read the Psalms aloud like Psalm 116:1; “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. God loves us so much, right where we’re at, not where we should be cuz we’ll never be where we should be. And there’s nothing trivial about that...everyday. 8/14/2024
DepressionWednesday Matters- August 14, 2024
Everyday Depression Valley I had a season of depression and anxiety that I walked in for over three months in 2009 and it was so wretched that I actually had thoughts of, “Maybe it would be better if I wasn’t around.” But God brought me through this time and now I can honestly say I’m thankful for that season of darkness. It’s like the words I read by Dr. Timothy Laniak, “This journey through the shadows purges the soul of its pride and earthly attachment. Our challenge in dry and dark times is to respond in simple faith--to believe that the unseen Divine Shepherd is with us in our unlit valley. We grope in hope until rays of light begin to push the night away. Eventually, as Job confessed, 'He reveals mysteries from the darkness, and brings us into the light.’" Job 12:22 Having emerged from the dark valley I now have a more balanced response to the mountain tops. And I’m ready for more valleys, and I can help others through their dark valleys. Jesus will never leave us…everyday. 8/7/2024
ArtWednesday Matters- August 7, 2024
Everyday Detailed Beauty When I read all the verses in Exodus describing the different colors, stones, metals, woods, etc. that were to be used to build the tabernacle I thought, "Why take so much space in the Bible for that? Why not devote more time to guidelines in dating or parenting, something a little more helpful?" But by these chapters God showed me how much He cares about detail and beauty. I realized He cares even more about the detail and beauty of the people He created in His image to honor His name! God’s perfectly happy with us enjoying beauty by the way we dress and decorate our homes and gardens. Of course, there needs to be balance but how freeing to know God made us unique, so He certainly doesn't want to take that away from us. In accepting Christ as Savior, we have the hope from Revelation 21 where every tear will be removed and we’ll belong in a place more beautiful than we can imagine; heaven…everyday. 7/31/2024
MarriageWednesday Matters- July 31, 2024
Everyday Marriage Hope My friend Kelly struggled early on in her marriage and years after we met, I asked her, “What was the beginning like,” thinking they were in love. “You kiddin’ me,” said Kelly. Early on I felt I was in a disaster pit, so I filed for divorce but not before screaming to God; ‘Fix my husband!’ I thought I was the perfect wife and couldn’t understand why my husband wasn’t apologizing for his horrible behavior. With only a few days before the divorce was final God stopped me. I was reading; “A Woman After God's Own Heart,” and God was clear; “You let me worry about your husband. You and I need to talk.” “Remember, he married a sinner too” the author wrote. Stop looking at all that is wrong with your husband and start at looking what you can change. That realization and marriage counseling brought Kelly and her husband together and he actually owned up to his part too. It will be humbling but major change happens when we die to self. It’s not easy but worth it. Let God change you…everyday. 7/24/2024
Heart MattersWednesday Matters- July 24, 2024
Everyday My Heart Take comfort in knowing only God knows your heart yet I know it stings when someone judges you harshly because they can’t see your heart. The human heart is arrogant, and often cares for itself above all, prone to judge others, prone to make demands of others. The heart is also needy and incomplete with holes that can only be repaired by God’s perfect love. Where’s the healing for it all? Jesus. He is it, His Word which is both justice and mercy. First, we must deeply understand and truly own our brokenness. 1 John 1:8 people, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The Bible doesn’t call us to judge others but it calls us to always be mindful and humbly recognize our own weakness. Whatever righteousness we possess was given to us by the victory of Christ’s death and resurrection. God is grieved when we use the Bible on others as a weapon. Humility. Ask God to give you the grace to love others as He does…everyday. 7/17/2024
Jesus ResurrectionWednesday Matters- July 17, 2024
Everyday Easter Cross I’m a mom of four sons and one husband and I’m grateful. A couple of years ago at Eastertime we were all together but for our one son who is in the Navy (he would’ve been like minded). We went out for pancakes, French fries, and bacon and there we talked about the meaning of “The Cross. And all of us in agreement know we are made worthy, NOT by what we do, or how we perform, and certainly not by our righteousness but we’re made worthy by God’s great mercy. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross washes away our sins and His resurrection secures our future. Sitting at the table we all said, “YES” and “AMEN.” It was great. Paul speaking to the Colossians said, “God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.” Receive this gift Jesus offers you too with the hope to live …everyday. |
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