by Sharon O | Aug 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
I often look up words…
and even subscribe to the word of the day on dictionary.com.
It has challenged me to think of what to say and how to say it so the words on this blog can bring life to the story that is trying to be written.
A new word I have discovered is frangible – it’s meaning:
Capable of being broken; brittle; fragile; easily broken or to break; frail; delicate; brittle; dainty; feeble; flimsy; weak.
I moved this meaning or definition into relationships.
How we treat each other should reflect how we see ‘the power of a word’ within our souls and our hearts and the hearts of others around us.
When I was growing up my maiden name was Nichols. I would often hear from someone…”you don’t have enough sense to be a nickel.” I don’t remember who that someone was or where they were in my story but that doesn’t matter. They said it to me and I didn’t understand it for a long time until one day it hit me….”That was not a nice thing to say to a child.’
Perhaps it is the reason why I question my ability to be smart or able or capable of doing something even now as an adult. It became a core issue that was buried deeply and placed on me by someone who carelessly threw out words not realizing the impact they would have on a childs sense of themselves.
God’s word tells us over and over….
be gentle with what you say –
be careful and wise –
for what you say goes into the spirit of another and it is not easy to retract it once it has been said.
I see relationships as frangible.
They are capable of being broken.
They are fragile and delicate.
They can be frail and flimsy.
The balance between caring for each other’s hearts and soul shows us how we are to love.
I don’t think we should be so ‘brittle’ that we shatter at any harsh word said to us…
if that was the case we would all be shattered and broken people.
We will receive criticism at times.
We will receive reviews at work or at home that are not what we want to hear.
We will receive a ticket if we are in violation of the law.
It is all about perspective in the way we see ourselves
and how we let the words affect us.
The truth is: the words we say to one another have the power
to build up or break down the confidence and belief in oneself.
How you see yourself now often is a direct shadow of how you were seen as a child.
My shadow was invisible. If I could be unseen the ‘pain’ level would be less.
My world would be safer and it was easier to cope within the ’empty’ void.
I don’t think it is a sign of weakness to be easily broken.
I think it is the way God created our heart.
If someone hurts us with words it is normal to create a distance
between that person and ourselves.
The saying ‘sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me’ is completely untrue and it is false teaching.
It only takes a second to build up or break down.
Shall we purpose in our ‘hearts and minds’ to become people builders and realize the power of our words.
My challenge for us is to stop… pray… think and listen to what we are about to say.
Is it helpful or hurtful…
does it build or break… is it toxic or healing.
Let this be our prayer:
Psalm 19:14 {Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer}
by Sharon O | Aug 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
Our grand daughter Faith Elizabeth had her first showing at the county fair.
Her rabbit Max and her … you can see she is a bit nervous. He is doing ok he has been shown before.
She took best in show for her blue rabbit in the category of blue’s and she got three ribbons for Max.
Grandma just had to take a break from her normal blog and brag a bit.
It was fun and I loved seeing her do a good job after her rabbit presentation she did a presentation in front of about 15 people on the blue rabbit’s history. Talking and taking questions for about 15 minutes. Not bad for a first fair event. Next year she will be more sure of herself more able to handle the rabbit with a bit less fear and of course grandma will be there to be her cheer leader.
by Sharon O | Aug 18, 2010 | Uncategorized
Continuing about the Sunday service…
Scotty the Scottish preacher spoke on Psalm 19… I love the psalms so I immediately jumped into it with a desire to listen to what he had to share.
Psalm 19: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run its course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The Statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from the willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Scotty said if you read it and break it down it repeats itself with different meanings telling us about God’s word …. How God is constantly revealing Himself to us as He delights in showing us ‘His Glory.’ He said all of creation is constantly communicating to us without sound or voice.
Look up and see the Glory of the Lord…Look at the skies… feel the wind… touch a babies face… see the beauty of a rose. God is all around us… waiting for us to listen.
In the beginning was God…In the beginning was God… In the beginning…
Do we need a new beginning to see Him?
by Sharon O | Aug 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzfPHnoT0-0
The morning was not our usual…
we woke up late and went to the second service instead of the first.
I felt unsettled because of the change.
The music was quieter…
The atmosphere different…
We had a guest speaker who was incredible in his teaching and his Scottish accent was wonderful to listen to.
He shared the word so intensely and so detailed.
It was a LOVE story…
a teaching of words so precise they cut into ones soul.
The Spirit was in the room…
one could sense the quiet movement of hearts repenting and prayerful petitions.
As I stood in the room I could feel my own heart calming down into a worshipful place.
The song began…
OH HOW HE LOVES US…
I sang with everyone else till my throat tightened and the tears welled up in my eyes.
The song was one of LOVE… His love for us…
He died for us.
DIED…because of his LOVE for us.
He is jealous for you… the singers sing… God wants us to ‘rest in Him’ and Him alone…
I hear a quiet whisper;
You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart soul and mind….
He is jealous for you….
loves like a hurricane… I am like a tree…
bending beneath the waves of his mercy…
That speaks of power, glory and might a
Gentle Love from a MIGHTY power.
Oh HOW He loves us so… Oh how HE loves us.
It was awesome… it was healing…
I wanted to cry…
and I knew there was deep work taking place within my heart.
The whispering continued;
{I know your heart has been deeply hurt but remember the Father loves you}.
Oh HOW He Loves us so…
my friends~
I hope you leave this post and remember those three words…
HE LOVES YOU… OH how HE LOVES YOU.
by Sharon O | Aug 14, 2010 | Uncategorized
Continuing from my last writing…
The serenity prayer had an original writing that was more detailed than the short version.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen
Then there was another FULL original copy of the Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with you forever in the next.
Amen.
The other edited version:
O God and Heavenly Father,
Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed; the courage to change that which can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Reinhold Niebuhr’s daughter, Elisabeth Sifton, wrote a book about her father’s famous serenity prayer entitled, The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Peace and War.
The prayer has been printed on small cards and given out to soldiers on the battle field and also in alcoholics anonymous groups.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think we all can say this prayer as we deal with life’s many difficulties.
Many times there are things we cannot change, people we cannot change or circumstances we have no control over.
Through that process we are asking…Lord God…
give us wisdom…
as we realize and accept what can be changed and what cannot.
Help us to ‘let go’ as we know the difference…
and be at peace with it.
