Everyday

“Practice makes perfect” I was always told. Whether it meant extra layups for basketball or extra homework, repetition helps us learn, grow and remember…so we can get better and be “ready”. Will practice really make us “perfect”? Of course not, but I don’t think “being perfect” is what God wants. We should put God first, always do our best, confess our sins, pray for forgiveness, and leave the rest up to Him.

“He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6

As some of you know, my 2.5 year old son Matthew was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy 2.5 years ago. All of a sudden he began having uncontrollable seizures…up to 100 a day. We saw many doctors, at many local and out of state hospitals but no one knew what to do. No answers, led to no hope. The daily pain and unknowns of having a sick child consumed our time, thoughts and energy. So much so, that we forgot to turn to God for help, comfort and grace. We were left with an uncertain future and to handle things on our own… so we thought.

Thankfully, after another sleepless night of worry, I was channel surfing and came across a Christian program called “Enjoying Everyday Life” by Joyce Meyer.   From the beginning, her candid, no-nonsense approach and deep understanding of the Word caught my attention. She focused on helping people understand the Word and how it can help us “enjoy every day” life. She used her own painful past and life experiences to connect with the audience and show how God has and is working in her life. She has a unique ability to use humor, honesty and the Word to remind viewers to keep God at the center of their lives “everyday” and that the Bible is the only “self-help” book we will ever need through life’s challenges. More importantly, it gives viewers a daily way to reinforce the Word from their own home so that they too can “practice”.

One way my family and I “practice” every day is by watching “Joyce”, as my kids affectionately call her. It grounds us in the Word. It reminds daily us that God loves us and that He is with us through life’s challenges…whether we seek him or not. It reinforces the Christian messages we want our children to hear and helps us deepen our understanding of the Word in daily, digestible portions that are relevant to everyday living.

We asked God for help. He cured Matthew, who now has been seizure free since February 28, 2010. The doctors still cannot explain why it started or stopped. For us, we know….. God wanted to pull us closer. He wanted to open our eyes. It is all part of a greater plan he has for our lives. By reinforcing the Word daily, challenges in life are easier to accept, making us more likely to look to Him for help.

Issue 2