The Power of Words

Here is an excellent video about the power of our words and how to deal with the hurt that other’s words have caused us.  Have You Been Hurt By Words?

I am one who has used words in the past to hurt others.  I struggle still to keep from swinging that sword.  I know that I will always have this struggle, but I am grateful for the way God has been turning my heart.

Yes, Yes, Yes

Seeing a subject line like that, I bet you thought you were going to read about some great breakthrough with H. NOT.

Instead, you are going to read of God’s great love for me, and his desire to have an intimate relationship with me. “Come and listen, all you who fear the Lord, let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth, his praise was on my tongue…” So, I got the MP3 player, loaded it up, with messages about marriage and husbanding and such from John Piper, C.J. Mahaney and a few others. All excellent, all good. I listened to a couple over the weekend and back and forth to work. Each message I listened to got me excited about what marriage really symbolizes, and excited to share what I was learning with my wife. This was frustrating for me. Picture me, my heart freshly basted by a session focused on my marriage, approaching my stone faced wife. Not a pretty sight. Tuesday, I was really feeling like I needed to shift my focus to the Lord, my relationship with Him. So I started looking for messages focused on the character of God, on worship and prayer. Yesterday with Lane, he confirmed this, saying that the closer my spirit is lined up with the Holy Spirit, the more likely I will be given effective words and effective prayers that will speak to H’s spirit.
This morning I really tried to shift the focus of my quiet time, and I was met. My spirit cried “YES, YES, YES” as I spent time in meditation and worship. And this morning as I left for work, I told H “Do not be afraid.” Something it had never occurred to me to say before.

Thank you for your prayers,

After God,