This mornings email devotional newsletter from Debbie Griffith

This morning I was laying in bed chanting about specific sandpaper people in my life whom I have to be around regularly, "They are made in God's image and I will not think negative thoughts about them." It was a chant only because every time a negative thought began to emerge I would replace the thought with that phrase. So you can imagine the flow of negative thoughts. This morning I got an email newsletter from Debbie Griffith and I was flabbergasted at how God had heard me and responded in encouragement. I am going to copy and paste the devotion for you.


One of the most difficult things to do is to forgive a family member who has hurt us deeply. We want to make them understand how much they've hurt us and then we want them to ask for forgiveness and change their behavior. Yes, I'm there. That's what I want. But as I was gathering God's truth from the Bible the other day I came across 1 Peter 3:9 and it really spoke to my hurting heart. God laid out for me what I needed to do.

"Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing." "Wow," I thought, "It's actually part of God's plan for me to bless this family member and pray for their happiness and protection which means truly loving and feeling sorry that they haven't accepted the grace of God...everyday."

I want everyone to experience the awesome, intimate friendship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is the safest, most intimate relationship anyone could ever have. He knows my thoughts and loves me anyways. The coolest things about the Holy Spirit are that He will show us God's plan. He will be Jesus in us if we let Him. He is God. He has the whole power of God and resides inside us-- we are the Tabernacle in which God takes up residence.

This was my first interaction with the Holy Spirit today and what an awesome way to start off my day-- praying for the sandpaper people in my life. I’m praying that God will bless them today and show them His mercy and grace.

I owe anons an apology.

I was much convicted about a certain behavior towards you of which you are completely unaware. I goaded you. I posted the pictures of my sweet girls having fun with their friends on this blog as opposed to my Highlighting Moments one just to get you going so I could get a laugh. I WAS WRONG to do this. I am sorry. I should have never been a stumbling block to you. I am supposed to show the love of Jesus and I don't think Jesus ever did something seemingly innocent in order to get a rise out of the Pharisees. His life was enough to do that. Apparently mine is too and I just went a step further to egg you on instead of praying for you and mostly MYSELF to be strong and sincere and a light. James 5:1 says when there is trouble in your life (or as my preacher put it-- people who rub you the wrong way) you should pray. Pray to God. NOT to go to your spouse, friend, mother, daughter... and complain and gossip about the annoyance. When I go to these alternate gods I am bowing at the thrown of Satan and not Jesus. So I am writing to officially say I was wrong to post my photos in the hopes to get you going again. I was also wrong to goad you with sports. Yes, I figured that too and was wrong to do it. I will never again purposefully post things in effort to amuse myself. I am sorry.