Words

I've done it.

You've done it.

I think it's pretty safe to say everyone has had this experience. You say something to someone and even while you are speaking the words, you wish you could hit the backspace or delete. If only you could somehow grab the text and shove it back!

Words are powerful. Once they are out of your mouth or written down, you can't take them back. Those words will forever spin in the head and heart of the listener. They become like a broken record or tape recorder, repeating over and over.

My son, Peyton, and I were talking recently and he reminded me of the adage, 'sticks and stones can break my bones, but words could never hurt me!'
Then he said, "Mom, that is NOT true!" He's right.

Emotions get the best of us. We are stressed out and too busy. Something doesn't go our way. We feel the need to defend ourselves or our family. These are all excuses why we use unkind words. There's really no good reason.

As Christians, we should be filled with Christ. Therefore, when we are squeezed or shoved or stressed out, what comes pouring out of us should be a Christlike response. In order to do this, we have to be daily walking with Him. Daily reading His Word. Daily praying. Daily asking Him to fill us with His love.

When God wants to place emphasis on a subject in the Bible, He repeats it for us. This is how we know we need to pay attention to these things. As you read the following passages, be encouraged. You can be filled with His words every day, so when life bumps you, you spill out what's inside.

Psalm 12:6
"God’s words are pure words,
Pure silver words refined seven times
In the fires of his word-kiln,
Pure on earth as well as in heaven." MSG

Matthew 12:37
"Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” MSG

Romans 10:8
"The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest. It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us." MSG

Colossians 3:16
"Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives." MSG

Hebrews 4:12-13
"God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what." MSG

James 1:21-24
"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like." NLT

There are many more passages of scripture about the power of words. Look them up, read them. Allow the truth of God's powerful words to saturate your heart and life.

Speak love.

m

The Peach Pit

Going to the grocery store with my son, Peyton, is always an adventure. He usually talks me in to buying more produce than we can eat in a week. This week, it was peaches. He just wanted to try some of that 'hairy fruit.' Peaches came home with us.
Today, Peyton carefully cut open one of the 'hairy fruits' with a knife. As he cautiously peeled away the skin, he commented how pretty the peach was and how delicious it looked. But when he cut down the center and cracked it open, he found what he thought was a rather disgusting sight. "Mom," he called out, "is this supposed to look all moldy and rough?" I laughed and explained to him that inside the beautiful, delicious looking fruit is a pit, a jagged and bumpy looking seed that is not really all that pretty. It was one of those teachable moments, so I took advantage of his interest! We continued the conversation relating how people look and how God sees us. Some are beautiful, polished and well presented on the outside, or maybe we look rugged and disheveled, sort of like produce that has outlived its shelf life. Whatever our condition on the outside, be encouraged. It's God's desire to grow the seed inside of you into something beautiful!

The Message 1 Thessalonians 4:7
"God hasn't invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and
beautiful--as beautiful on the inside as the outside."

If you allow Him to, God will take the raw, rough seed of your life and grow beautiful fruit. The magnificent thing about this growing seed, is that you want to share it. The fruit of your faith will be admired, more seeds will be sown adding more souls for His harvest.

Be beautiful fruit!

m

What and Why?!

I am the very last person I would ever think of to write a BLOG!  I don't really feel I have an interesting life or much to say about that.  I do, however, love to encourage the 'little' families that are in my life. And so, to that end, here I go.
We started a few years ago.  Just having a few people, now and again, to our home for dinner.  Mostly families with 'littles'.  (I call them littles because they are pre-school age.)  I realized it then.  People really don't do that very much anymore.  It's like we are all so concerned with having nice things and how they all look, nice and neat and everything in its place.  I am that way.  I like order.  But, that tendency was getting in the way of ministry and meeting people's needs.  I had to let it go.  We live in our house.  There is no way around it.  We live there, but we also love to have friends over.  Love to visit with people.  Every time we would invite someone, a little more of that OCD tendency to keep everything neat fell away.  Now, I just say, 'come on in, we live here.'  I love it.
With our visits increasing, several of my friends have asked me to write a book.  These people just love me more than most and for whatever reason believe I have some skills.  I love them for it.  My husband and I have a very, very, busy life, full-time ministry, 2 teenagers, which we are now homeschooling, and jobs.  Our life is crazy, just like most of yours.  We don't have all the answers.  We have made a lot of mistakes.  We are Christians.  We point to Jesus.  This is all we know to do. 
FINALLY, I am getting to the point.  This is my attempt to encourage those in my life who seek to walk with Jesus. 
We all need a little nudge.
Here it is.
I am using our life's verse as the heading for this blog.  We have it written on our bathroom mirror.  It is in the forefront of our minds and hearts.  God has a plan.  We need to follow it.  I love the verses that follows Jeremiah 29:11 as well, because that plan requires action on our part.

'When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I'll listen. When you come looking for Me, you'll find Me.  Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.'    --the Message

Awesome.  He has a plan.  I will find and follow Him.  I would love for you to join me.

m