Good morning, my favorite blog community! I was so thrilled to hug the necks of about 50 of you Siestas at the Spokane LPL. You can rest assured you are this teacher’s pets. Thank you so much for your participation here and for your genuine warmth when I get to meet you face to face. Your sincerity and reciprocal love comes across and makes me think again and again how God has blessed us here with something unusual and maybe not all together explainable. He’s so gracious and He meets our needs in all sorts of unexpected ways.
I have LOVED our Talk to Me Tuesdays! This topic ought to be fun, too. In fact, I might especially like this one since I am one who has often fallen victim to the malady that we are about to spotlight. Talk to me about a time your mouth got you in trouble. (Believe it or not, all of these have ties to the James study, whether subtle or outright.)
Ground rules:
*Keep it clean. Of course. In other words, if your mouth got you in trouble with profanity, please refrain from sharing it. Grin.
*If it involves someone else (and the nature of it means that it usually does) either don’t identify the other person(s) involved or make sure it’s fine with them for you to share it.
LET’S HEAR IT! I’m already smiling. Maybe that’s because misery loves company.
Lastly, you Houston area girls come to Living Proof Bible Study tonight if you can and help me welcome that darling young thing, Sarah Reeves, as our vocalist and worship leader for this event. Let’s make her so glad she came to serve us. We’ll also wrap up our series on Imago Dei and I’ll actually try to have more than one point we “get.” God help me. This session is very applicable and, if you haven’t attended either of the other two sessions, it would stand on it’s own. If you’ve never even come before on a Tuesday night, I think you’d get a word from the lesson. He’s spoken loud and clear to me even just this morning. May He be glorified.
I love loving Jesus with you, Siestas. Let’s press on toward the goal. He’ll be standing at the finish line.
Too many to count. Shoe leather seems to be my favorite flavor sometimes!
I was going to post the same thing. Sadly my mouth has gotten me into more trouble than I can count. Unfortunately, I think I have pasted it on to the next generation!
OH wow the mouth UGGGG My mouth gets me in trouble by speaking critical things about others or situations. The Holy Spirit will tell me – don’t say that – remember what the Word says – Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is good for building others up according to thier needs that is may benefit those who listen. How difficult it is to NOT speak things that are NOT beneficial to those listening. But what a reward when I do submit and SHUT MY MOUTH!!! Can’t wait to hear what your study has to say about this!!
Good morning Beth,
My mouth? When HASN’T it gotten me into trouble? Praise the Lord, less so now than it used to. It just seems I have an opinion about most everything. And it is my personality to want to fix things. Not just the normal, “woman wants to fix everything”, but really my ‘skill’ , is to see if there is anything about a process or environment that can be ‘bettered’. I am a through and through ‘change agent’. The kind people hate to have come into your business and evaluate things and tell them how to do them different/better/ more efficient…..people HATE THAT. My problem has always been my lack of differentiating the skill of critiquing at work from being critical with people…I pray everyday for the Lord to teach me to love people…not to ‘fix’ people…God help me…He is making progress!
People strongly dislike criticsm(good or not). We (me included) want to believe we are perfect lacking nothing. Sometimes God send people into our lives to challenge us and bring us to next level, but we don’t always perceive that way.
Well Beth, Funny you should ask for this to be shared. About 2 years ago I evidently ran my mouth and not sure what I said! Ever been in that situation? But whatever it was totally hurt someone very close to me however, she will not tell me what it was because she does not talk to me any more. Very sad because this is a family member, she holds a high position in her church, is a member of a group in her church who takes care of others and their needs but totally turned her back on me. I guess what hurts the most is she has time for everyone else in front of me but does not give me the time of day. She is a “Christian”. I decided to write a letter to her which turned out to be 4 pages long and it took me 4 months to send it to her and then with much prayer God directed me to send it but nothing changed! I pray for her that her heart will be changed toward me. I guess it hurts that she can be there for others but not for me. Any suggestions appreciated. By the way a group of us are doing your study on Revelation and it is awesome!
All I can say a similar thing happened to me with a fellow Believer. I asked several times over many months what I had said to upset her. I tried to apologize and she would leave the room. I prayed and prayed and cried and cried. I even tried to get other believers in our Bible study group to be mediators and again she just left. She did tell a few people, but they would not tell me, for they felt that would be gossipping. This happened 10 yrs ago, and it never got resolved. I have told God I was sorry, I told him I wanted a chance to make amends and it never happened. Just know when you have done all you can, some times God has to heal the hurt in His time and His way and we may never see the product of that moment this side of eternity. Hope it helps to know you are not alone.
Diana – thanks so much for your response. I have turned it over to God – NOT! It still hurts every time we have family together and I see her. Now she has grandchildren and does not want them to spend time with me. But knowing that I am not the only one who has tried to resolve the issue and it did not work means a lot to me. I guess God has to work in her heart and the only thing I can do is pray. Thanks again so much.
God knows your heart and it breaks my heart that you were so hurt, that this person couldn’t or wouldn’t see your heart in your inquiries. “Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
I am so sorry to hear these kinds of rifts in relationships stretch over such wide spans of our lives! Unforgiveness is fertile ground for satan to lay his cunning, deceptive seeds and grow death snarls. It is unfathomable that a true believer chooses to hold on to a wound, a grudge for such a length of time as to destroy families. This is wrong and we all know it. We cannot expect forgiveness if we do not forgive. Please keep praying for her, her family, her success and her walk with the Lord, but break free of the guilt. Your apology was a genuine act of obedience; you cannot control her response. Sometimes people like to wear the ‘injustice’ like a badge, helping them to look better because of the offense. Knock the dust off your feet, sister. Walk on in the Lord and don’t look back. We are all human, we all make mistakes and we forgive just like God forgives us.
Once several years ago I was working as a church secretary. My immediate superior was the church administrator and she could be sort of prickly but she liked me a lot (at least in the beginning.) I’d been watching American Idol and she hadn’t and was trying to explain Clay Aiken to her. I said, “Well, he can sing but he’s nerdy looking! He has red hair and freckles and he wears glasses sometimes.” This comment was followed by stony silence on her part. I glanced up to see if she’d heard me and she had, of course. I’d TOTALLY forgotten that she had red hair and freckles and wore glasses sometimes. I wanted to die, but she was gracious about it.
Melaine, this one I could not help laughing!!
I bet we have all don’t things like that. Bless your heart.
Joyce, I was so mortified I thought about just grabbing my purse and making a run for it. I promise it was completely innocent! I wouldn’t have hurt her feelings for the world. My heart rate still goes up when I think about it.
Good morning Bethie!
So, you want to know about a time when my mouth got me in trouble…The thing that comes to mind right away is when I got a ticket for using my cell phone while driving. It was embarassing to say the least because I know the law and it is clear and definately unsafe to use the phone while driving. To make matters worse, I had my 3 year old nephew in the car with me. When the cop pulled me over he kept saying “aunt bethany a bad girl”. Yes, so my mouth or rather need for instant communication, has gotten me in trouble. So much so that I had to pay 100.00 to redeem myself. Have I learned my lesson? Yes and no. I still want to talk on the phone when I’m driving (why??? who knows!) but I do so with a hands free device. Still not totally safe and just writing about it has convicted me once again. It leads me to think that I need to just hang up and reserve my time in the car for what it is intended; driving!
Oh sweet Bethany…my time in the car is most precious to me. I use it for my daily prayer time or my praise and worship time! I have no doubt that some people look at me and wonder who in the world I am talking to! 🙂
Here is what my mouth/tongue is like sometimes: I open my mouth and before I can reign it in, my tongue unfurls like a bull-whip. Before it recoils back into my mouth, it has already slashed and stung my victim rendering them speechless and stunned before they even realize what hit them.
What is sad about this is that I am in some way proud of this ability. It comes in handy when I am the one with the razor-sharp wit who can analyze and make some situation analogous to another in a matter of seconds, but there are those times when it truly has hurt people I love, and for that I am not proud.
Seriously, I read “your time of the month got you in trouble”! Maybe because mine just did. Maybe not. 🙂 My mouth gets especially loud and sarcastic during that time, and I realized how bad when my 2 year old was trying to turn off the light, couldn’t reach the switch, and started grumbling, “You stinkin’ little light!” with intonation and inflection *exactly* like my mouth when it’s out of control. Ugh. It was hilarious, but then again, totally not (if that makes sense to anyone but me!).
I read it the same way, Melanie! I stopped and thought, “Now that’s a strange question. I better read it again.” When I did, I had my own little giggle moment. 🙂
Melanie & Angel,I saw the same thing! I even made a funny face because I thought it was really out of character for Beth to ask something of that ‘nature’! hahaha. 🙂
Mouth trouble is something with which I am quite familiar. Most recently, I disagreed with a work colleague who asserted that there are no bad ideas. I am a historian and I could list hundreds of bad ideas throughout history. We are trying to carry out some innovations in our institution and our group is the filtering committee for all ideas. I thought I was helping to sift through data by asserting that some or many of the ideas we receive will indefinitely be bad ones and therefore on a direct conveyor belt to the trash bin. Personally, I am working through your Bible study, To Live is Christ. Right after this event occurred at work, I had finished Day 2 in Week 2 about personal opinions that may have differed from the truth of the Word of God. It was all a divine appointment with the Lord for me. I believe that God revealed that standing on truth is not always going to be comfortable or easy or popular. It would’ve been more popular and comfortable to keep my mouth shut at that meeting. What else the Lord wants to show me about opinions versus truth, I do not yet know. Something is there. He’s working something out for me and in me.
Tiffany in Texas
I was at work. My work station had been moved around and the tech said after you leave I will reconnect everything-I came in and left before the tech. The next day the tech was not there and had not reconnected my computer. I had to do my report by hand.A lady I shared the office with came in after me and asked how it was going and I told her. I said I am not upset with you. I am upset with the tech. She helped me with the report. As we worked we discussed the situation. We were both OK. A lady who worked there went down the hall heard part of the conversation and went downstairs and told people we were fighting like cats and dogs. The other lady was as surprised as I was to find out about that. The lady who gossipped known to go behind behind people’s backs and cause dissention.
Hi Beth! Wow, you ask some strange questions, haha. Here’s one of many I have:
20 years ago I was a green Lieutenant in the Air Force, had only been active duty a few months. Our squadron was working on some construction projects around the base.
As an LT, I was in charge of about 30 people, including high ranking Sergeants that I respected and relied on. Above me, the Major was about as high ranking an officer as I would typically interact with.
One day during lunch, the Major called me on the walkie-talkie and asked me a question that my Chief Master Sergeant (code name Hotel2) would know. My Senior Master Sergeant, sitting with me, sarcastically quipped, “Why doesn’t he ask Hotel2?” Without thinking, I quickly replied on air to the Major, “Why don’t you ask Hotel2 sir.”
Deafening silence as my SMS looked at me with the “deer caught in the headlights” look and I realized what I had done. After a few seconds, the Major politely replied, “Why don’t YOU ask Hotel2 and get back to me.” I said, “Oh that’s a good idea, I’ll do that.” 🙂
Praying for your Bible study tonight and continued progress with James!
http://michelencindy.wordpress.com/
Cindy, I checked out your blog, love it. I will be reading it regularly.
Awesome, thanks Tracy! I’m writing another post today – Disposable Society! 🙂
Thank you for your service, Michele! After 22 years it became our family, one we miss, but dearly loved.
When haven’t I?? I’m good when I’m SLEEPING!
Ps 39:1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.
I love this. I am right there with you sister!
Yes but haven’t you ever gotten in trouble in your dreams? I have tons of times!
YES! And I wake up all freaked out.
Oh, boy.
A few months ago the benevolence ministry at my church was going through a time of finding its footing. One of the women involved called me and asked how a recent meeting had gone; I told her that the gentleman with whom I was supposed to meet had “flaked out,” simply meaning that he hadn’t shown up and I didn’t know why.
The next day I got a phone call from his wife. She was quite upset that I had called her husband a “flake.” After much apologizing, explaining and a confrontation with the woman who felt the need to pass this information along, I learned two valuable lessons: don’t talk to this woman about anything that I don’t want shared, and that I need to take the time to really consider what I’m saying!
My mouth regularly gets me in trouble. Sometimes, I’m just oblivious to the things I’m saying because I don’t think about how they impact other people. But the one that sticks out the most:
I was in high school, and I was commenting on how fat I was (didn’t we all do this in high school?!). A girl I know said, “I know. My three rolls really get in the way…” My comment? “Well, I don’t have THREE rolls…”
Was I meaning that I wasn’t as fat as her (she wasn’t fat, btw)? No. I was actually focused on the size of my fat rolls.
Oh what would’ve been saved had I only thought about that comment first…
I totally just lost it with this story! I’m sorry to laugh, but it really reminded me of high school and something I would TOTALLY say. (Accidently of course!)
This has happened to me so many times I finally just learned to not even bring it up!
My husband won a trip for us through work to Disneyland. The winners of the trip had special access into the park after hours and we got to ride the rides over and over without even getting off of the roller coaster. There was this girl who looked 5-6 months pregnant that kept riding the rides. I finally said when we were standing in line together, “how are you riding these rides when you are pregnant?”…her response, “I had my baby 3 months ago.”
FOOT IN MOUTH BIG TIME! Wanted to crawl under that roller coaster and not come out. The worst part was that I AM a mother and swore I would NEVER EVER do that to anyone. Needless to say I do NOT EVER say anything to a pregnant woman unless I am 110% positive she’s pregnant.
–sharing this still makes me sweaty.
haha I know what you mean, that’s a tough one – sometimes it is impossible to tell!
Well, I have to share this one. I was working a children’s consignment sale and a young lady I’d met once before said hello. I knew we had met in Sunday School, but couldn’t place her. In my ignorance, I tried to remember some connection we had made in our introduction. Seeing she was shopping for a young child’s clothes and since so many of the women in our class were expecting, I (shudder) asked when she’d be expecting hers. Answer: 14 months A-G-O. Instead of following her gracious lead and letting it go, I continued to stammer how great (and unpregnant) she looked. She was wearing nurse’s scrubs, but still. I couldn’t believe I had said that. Lesson: don’t assume! And just admit when you can’t remember someone!
This is a tough one for me. I am the quite type. I love to talk, but when it comes to my standing up for myself and my family, I find it challenging. I have always been one who maintains, ‘there are different strokes for different folks’. I am learning to speak my mind in a godly way, one of truth and love. I know He is leading me to do this. To speak of for what is right and just. To not let friends walk all over me with actions and/or words, even if they do not recognize it. He is calling me to grow in this area. So, a few months ago, I spoke up. I feel I was kind and loving. I lost a BIG part of the friendship. I know I did it in the right spirit…thank you, Jesus! But I find it still stings sometimes. So I am learning to discern when to speak up, how to speak up, no matter the consequence. I want to speak up and out for Jesus and His righteousness, no matter what the consequence.
On a funnier note, I was speaking to a peer at church and told her a story about how I felt like such a ‘dingleberry’, meaning nerd or geek. This precious elder corrected me and told me the definition of dingleberry and I must have turned as red as a fire truck, but had enough sense to laugh out loud when I got in my car!!!!
I love you, LPM! You are a key part in spurring me on towards our wonderful Lord and Savior!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Beth and others, for your heartfelt dedication to our God and His wonderous ways!
Oh my word….my mouth can get me in trouble a lot…especially in marriage..sometimes it seems like my go to weapon when I feel a war on the verge of breakout, but then always leaves me feeling empty and broken. My mama didn’t put hot sauce on my tongue when I was younger for no reason…I can be sassy…but I so hope to be more holy than sassy…and I love that I cling to a proverbs verse that says ” A soft answer turns away wrath”…let me words be soft, gentle, true..not harsh, condenscending or critical!
Hot sauce on the tongue – we did that with my nephew
Me too Katie. Sometimes it falls off my tongue with such a bite that I SO did NOT intend! May my words be soft, gentle and true as well dear sister!
How about almost in trouble…
One Sunday morning a lady at church was wearing her “I love my husband shirt”. I commented that I had almost worn mine that morning and was about to say something like, “but I noticed my husband was wearing his ‘I love my wife’ shirt and I think being matchy-matchy is so tacky” just as her husband came around the corner wearing his “I love my wife shirt”. Thankfully the Spirit changed my words in a split second to say, “but decided not to.”! Whew – thank you Jesus!!!!!!
🙂
Years ago I was dating a guy and we went on a date to the Cheesecake Factory. The wait was incredibly ridiculous and yet, we waited. There was another couple there with a baby that we had been talking to; they had flown in for a conference of some sort. When we were finally called, I told my date that we ought to ask them to join us so they wouldn’t have to wait longer since they had a baby. We did, and they accepted. Over conversation, we found out she was a nurse…more conversation…then I turned back to her and asked if she was still nursing {meaning, working as a nurse}. She understood the question to be “are you still breastfeeding?” I was so embarrassed that she would think I was getting so personal with a complete stranger! So, lesson learned in how nouns becoming verbs can make the conversation a little more active than I intended. 🙂
My mouth use to ALWAYS get me in trouble! It came to a head when I was in my twenty’s (Im 40 now–eek. can’t believe that one). I was a supervisor in a 911 Center, very full of myself, a gossiper, and pretty much a lier on any given day. Oh, but ladies, I was a girl who loved Jesus and in my own self righteousness was on my knees every morning praying for these hideous people I worked with! Until One day, the entire center of subordinates got together in a nice big fat meeting with the higher ups to call me out on what a wretched woman I was! There allegations of me stabbing people in the back with my tongue were absolutely true. The LORD lovingly brought me down to my face that day and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I now pray earnestly to honor God with my mouth and try to NEVER gossip, judge or give any input but love (and truth when appropriate). I am so much a work in progress, but the LORD used the whole book of James to transform my life. HE has given me eyes to see people and a heart to love and a mouth to keep on a very tight reign. Praise Him!
Shelly in Fl
(yes the same one who escaped to the beach instead of going to your simulcast–but mom said it was awesome. love n prayers to you) PS-i got to keep my job and the Lord turned it all around and when I moved out of town in my 30’s the same people in that room showered me with love and gifts–redeemed by his Holy Name)
Him standing at the finish line is what keeps me going day to day!! Thanks for all the study YOU pour into your sharing with us, whether it’s on a Tuesday here at home, a written study or and LPL event! You’re awesome! I can’t wait to see and hear you tonight.
I, very often, ask God to keep His arm around my shoulders and His hand over MY MOUTH!! Unfortunately, many times my words are aimed at the most wonderful man in my life!! We’re getting ready for both our kids and their families (our 3 grandgirls) to come this weekend for a fun Aggie Football weekend. He was planning on washing the windows on Monday–he failed to tell me he was getting started on them at 6:00 ‘AM’!! Yes, it was dark! I still have sleepless hours in the middle of the night, Monday it was from 3:45 until 5:30! He came in our room to take the screens out at 6:45. Pour guy, the quieter he ‘tries’ to be the LOUDER he is. I was grumbling and all of a sudden realized I was now WIDE AWAKE!! I was as mad as an old wet hen….I railed on him (no profanity-grin) and then went quiet. After he left for work I heard God say, “Wow, girl, you had no reason to get that angry! He was helping you get ready for your family!” I went to my knees and asked God to forgive me and thanked Him for the hour extra sleep He gave me, then I called my man and apologized! I think more than anything I realized that God schedules our day the way HE wants it. I got more things done on Monday than I have in a long time…thanks to the LOVE of my life waking me up before the sun was up!!
Blessings to all of our Siestas!
Yikes! What a topic…and this has happened to me too many times to count, and yes James is very clear on what happens when a tiny member like the tongue lets loose and steers the ship off course. I am blushed and ashamed to relive one of those times. But, God gave me such a spanking over this one, it was a lesson I won’t forget.
I was the head of the VBS hostess, refreshment and food “Island”, and have loved serving the LORD, the staff and the kids for an intense one week each summer during VBS. We even do full dinners for the staff and families for our VBS weeks, so this is one of the most time consuming and intense workouts that takes a good 10 hours each day of the school to accomplish as the one in charge. We encouraged volunteers to come and help, but without a full nursery, we could only take the little ones of the “staff members.” A former church member decided she wanted to come and volunteer and she was baby sitting her neighbors daughter, so dropped the little one off at the nursery. Proper forms had not been filled out, permission to use the nursery had not been asked and the little one was crying incessantly, so the nursery sent up to me a call in the kitchen and complained of the “out of order” and they could not have this little one. Period. The ball was now in my court.
I was frazzeled, stressed, worn-out from a long week and when the word came, I saw red. And I don’t mean red flags over Texas. It just so happened, this former member of the church had taken it upon herself to come in and start bossing everyone around the kitchen like she was in charge of the whole show. Let me say,the fuse was lit with me and my mouth opened up and firewords and fireworks ensued. Even to remember this, I turn blush and am ashamed. (I don’t want it to sound like I was cussing, but I was meaning business!) To say I did not use wisdom is an understatement. The offended sister in Christ, ran out of the kitchen crying, and everyone in the kitchen went dead silent. (I know saints were praying.) I went running after her to try and douse the flames, but it was too late. She ran to the nursery, grabbed the infant and then straight home to her husband, and told him all about what an awful person I was, saying, “what kind of Christians are they anyway?” I tried to go over to the home and make amends, but her husband would not allow me to even talk to her. I had crossed a line, big time, and he was going to protect his wife.
After much prayer, repentance and tears, I received instruction from the blessed Holy Spirit to make an appeal to her husband based on Matthew 18, since I had offended her, I was the one who needed to speak to her in sincere sorrow for the manner in which I behaved, asking her forgiveness. I will never forget the sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach, to bring such heartache on one of God’s own children, and bring reproach on the body of Christ. I might have been in the right where the letter of the law was concerned, but my attitude and spirit was definately in error. Her husband was even leery to give me the time of day, but since I was humbled to the point of tears, he had pity on me, and allowed her to speak to me on the phone, but not in person! God moved and she was able to hear my heart, my shame and my sorrow. I didn’t even need to explain her offense, she already had that figured out from the nursery. The issue was my tongue! She forgave me, and shared some deep hurts in her life, and from that time on we shared a special bond. This was one lesson I never wanted to have repeated again, and by God’s grace I haven’t suffered such a shame again. James was the medicine I took, and I shall never forget it, and it worked to my good and God’s glory because of the blessed Holy Spirit at work within our hearts and the power He gives to control that little member than can and will get out of control!
Hugs to all who are coming clean in the Siestaville blog, LOL!
Pam H.
Buena Park, CA
Aahhh…my mouth getting me in trouble. The time that stands out was when I was in my first year of CEGEP in Montreal. I was on leadership in the Intervarsity group and we hung out quite a bit. I knew that a fellow student had a crush on the President, and I can’t remember how I did it, but I ended up sharing that info with the club president. I think it was in guise of a prayer request…which really is STUPID! Hindsight is 20/20 isn’t it? Unfortunately, this girl never quite forgave me, quit coming to club and quit going to church. I was devastated, and when I think about it, still hang my head in shame. I should have kept my mouth shut. Lesson learned! Don’t gossip disguised as prayer requests…don’t share gossip at all!
oh that just happens too often doesn’t it? don’t hang onto the guilt though, the Lord will bring that girl back, and the smallest of seeds can blossom in her.
Oh ha ha ha! Can’t wait to read these….
I’m actually pretty quiet and don’t tend to stick my foot in my mouth very often. Thank you Jesus!
But here a story from a time when I did. When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I was with my mother when she was doing some Christmas shopping. She bought new leather Brownie uniform belts for my two older sisters, and made me promise, multiple times, NOT TO TELL THEM what she had bought. And of course, as soon as we got home, I ran straight to their room and announced, “Guess what mommy got you for Christmas! Brownie belts!!!” Oh boy, I was in trouble over that for a long time….
Love and hugs,
Adrienne
Wish I was in Houston….I’m a middle school teacher, and a couple of weeks ago I had a slip of the tongue. When my son was a kinder, he was late to school one day. I asked him if he had to check in at the office and he said, “I had to get a tardy slipper.” Well, I’ve called tardy slips tardy slippers since then. In class recently I put the students in groups and gave them each a STRIP (not a slip) of paper with which to work. I got everyone’s attention and said, “When you’re finished with your STRIPPER….” Yep. They were all listening for once. sigh. I laughed along with them while praying for divine forgetfulness when they students got home to report on their day at school!
Kendal, your story sounds almost similar too mine.
So funny! I haven’t laughed this much in awhile, these stories are good.
Kendal…I can’t tell you much I have laughed at your story. I have worked with middle schoolers on and off for the past several years and can just see their reaction to that kind of a slip up. Too funny! Thanks for sharing 🙂
And we think they never listen to what we say! Your story made me LAUGH! Bless your sweet ‘teacher’ heart!
HA! I totally relate. My students were working on a paper, and I told them I wanted their bodies by the end of the hour (meaning the bodies of their papers). Oh the life of a teacher…
Hah! When has my mouth NOT got me in trouble?? Foot in mouth disease for this Siesta! Probably biggest area of concern for me – it reveals my areas of sin, it causes me to focus so much on myself when I think I’ve said something dumb (and in truth, no one else caught it!) which is sinful in itself, and it has caused others so much pain! Working through it with prayer and patience.
Oh my “word”. My mouth WAS a huge potty mouth not so many years ago. When it seemed that I would never be able to get control over it, I just gave it up to the Lord and said, “it ain’t happen’in if YOU don’t help and do it”!! I often used my tongue and obviously the mouth to be oh so critical and judgmental….(still do sometimes but the Holy Spirit is faithful to give me a check in the spirit). Where would I be without the Holy Spirit?? Many scriptures about the tongue and the heart immediately come to mind. I say a prayer heavenward, Father forgive me and please continue to work on that tongue.
One particular time came at work when a friend had khaki colored socks on and I said something to the effect of, “I really don’t like that color sock”. It should have only been thought, not said. It was my opinion, obviously not hers….well, she didn’t say much then, but sometime later she mentioned how that had hurt her…..I immediately apologized not really realizing how crude the remark was. Yes, she is still a very good friend. (An unsaved friend I am praying for.) My motto most of the time is “think before you speak”. If I don’t really have anything worthwhile, keep your mouth shut!!! The scripture about speaking kind words comes to mind often. Also the one about thinking about pure good things. So I KNOW God is continuing His good work.
Loved the vimeo on Spokane and the “Spokane” word!!
Wish I lived closer so I could come on Tuesday nights. Any chance this will turn into a mini Bible Study?????
The title “Fall Forward” is intriguing. Although I KNOW what it means.
Blessings for a great week of writing to both you and Melissa. I am off to homeschool the grandchildren.
Bible Bunny in NO MI
My then 5-year old had lately been bursting out with angry, hurtful words. So we began memorizing Proverbs 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.”
Fast forward a few weeks and we’re rushind around trying to get her to Kindergarten and her 3-year sister to pre-K. I told them to go get in the car because we were late, late, late and I had a conference call to be on. When I came out to the car, they were half-way down our long driveway playing with the dog. I lost it. Yelled, “I can’t believe you are not in the car. GET. IN. THIS. CAR. RIGHT! NOW!” Not just loud. Angry, spitting loud.
Their little wounded spirits came to the car. I was mortified at my hot words. We sat quiet for a minute. Then little sister says, “Oh Mommy. You piereced us.” And His Words began to piece me. Then older sister chimes in, “Yeah, you need to talk healing words to us.”
Words…they do cut, don’t they?
Oh, I love this! What a precious story!
Oh! How this mouth has gotten me in much trouble over the years! This is another area God has been working on in my life but really it’s a deeper issue of the heart He is showing me. My adult daughter is not walking with The Lord the way I think she ought to be and this mouth thinks it is obligated to remind her of all those ways. While I believe it is ok to confront in love as you said, last weekend Beth. God is showing me this mouth does not always need to be the one to do the confronting but if led to I need to say it,leave it and NOT lecture like this mouth tends to do. The Message James 3:5 says, “A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything-or destroy it”!
Warmest Greetings Siesta Mama Beth,
I remember a time. I was a new Christian, and it was not even a year after salvation. I was a middle schooler, and I was visiting my related family. Well, this particular family member and I had many issues with each other, and I felt like I had to walk on egg shells around them my whole childhood growing up. It was Christmas and they, in my mind, way overreacted to something I had done. I just lost it, and practically screamed at them that they made me want to “kill myself”. Ok, keep in mind I was a middle schooler. I didn’t mean that. I was trying to get across to them how much mental anguish I had to deal with around them. But what I didn’t know was that they had dealt with in their past a close loved one committing suicide. It was awful…it taught me that I do not know where people have come from and why they are the way they are. They may have had some horrific things in their past to deal with. Lord knows I had those things to deal with too. It taught me that I should set a guard over my mouth and that to love others in spite of how they treat me. I am glad to say that they seem to have forgiven me since then, praise the Lord for that!
Blessings to you always,
katiegfromtennessee
Katie,
I am glad you wrote this, because you are very wise to be so young and I commend you for what you had to say.
I have made similar mistakes also. In fact, two ladies at church talked among theirselves and I felt very left out. Finally, my mouth the best of me, and said something I did not mean to say. I later apologized. It was selfish of me and I realized that only God can feel that void. God never rejects us. He loves and accepts us as we are.
Katie, you are special to God. What a blessing you are! Thank you for your story.
I can totally relate to Melanie.
When either of my two daughters repeat something I said!
I have really been working on this issue.
My husband and I have really, really had a rough patch lately. I have watched other marriages go down, simply because of things that are said and can’t be taken back–no matter what apology follows. I have had to hold back my tongue on several ocassions in “the heat of battle”. I have really, really been trying to speak only what is true, with an attitude of making things better, not being spiteful.
I think I’m give the Holy Spirit a work out!!!
I once made the mistake of telling my supervisor that our team was slacking off on a particular task out of embarrassment for my own laziness on the project. Needless to say my teammates were not thrilled that I had thrown ALL of us under the bus. Next time I will “man up” and admit ONLY my own faults.
I was introduced to someone my husband knew in a restaurant. This gentleman said he knew where I went to high school and asked if I knew a certain other guy. Now, this other guy had a bad reputation, a criminal record and often got in fights. Definitely not in the crowd of my friends. So without thinking, I replied that yes, I knew him, when he wasn’t in jail. And that’s when the gentleman said, “Yeah, he’s my brother.”
My mouth has gotten me in trouble many times, but I decline to share specifics for several different reasons. Wish I was able to make it to LP tonight in Houston, but since it’s a weeknight, 2 hours to drive is very hard. God’s blessings!
We’ll miss you, April!
I made a very poorly timed comment about a guy that my friend had just started dating, because he had just broken up with another friend of mine. About a month later, I’m thankful to say she brought up my comment, telling me how much it hurt her to have me say that. I did apologized knowing that I hating seeing one friend hurt, but that my comment was also hurtful.
My mouth gets me in trouble … not with people so much, but with the Holy Spirit. This pertains to saying negative things about a particular family member. It is definitely getting better!
For some reason I was just mulling this one over yesterday morning as I awoke. I was remembering the agony of a…a…apologizing. Eeeww. It has provided though, just the speed bump my mouth has required in certain desperate situations. Sarcasm has often been my weapon of choice. Funny? Depends on who you ask. Hurtful? Almost always when shot out of my angry mouth.
A certain phone conversation comes to mind. About the time I realized I had lost my temper, I felt perfectly justified since I was responding in kind. It took one of my (small @ the time) children to pierce me through with conviction. When they asked why I was yelling at “so and so” on the phone, the answer “I didn’t start it” just didn’t seem appropriate anymore. Rats.
After my blood pressure returned to normal, God gave me the grace to crawl through a mortifying apology. I get nauseous just thinking about it. Perhaps that’s exactly how I’m supposed to feel. It sure gave me pause the next time I was tempted to strike out.
Eating your words is why I usually refrain from talking trash to any Ohio State people before the big game. But if we win, then I take full advantage, haha!!
So true! I’ve been known to where a Mich shirt to church the next morning–we have some Buckeye fans in our SS class. And if they win, they do the same 🙂 I’m still impressed that you were a Lt in the airforce. You’re just full of surprises. How’s Cindy?
She had a rough time last week, I thought she was close to “falling asleep,” but is better today.
I’ve never been through this before, but I can’t imagine she’ll be around much longer the way she is losing weight – down to 28 lbs (from 53).
But today her eyes are bright, she has been eating well, and walked pretty well in the park this afternoon.
Thanks for asking! 🙂
If I didn’t have a mouth, I’d never be in trouble and you want me to share ONE time? Let’s see there was the time I said to two co-workers, “I have a question, Mark and Welcome Matt.” Then, “Hey, what’s up Chuck?” None of them were especially thrilled.
My main problem is I tend to speak first, think later. I often say things I haven’t thought of before. Sometimes it’s good, most often though it’s not.
Or there was the time I was meeting friends for the first time and I was extremely sleep deprived and could fall asleep without a moments notice. I wanted to tell them I was narcoleptic and instead said I was a kleptomaniac. Whooops!
So fun, Virginia! My mom switched words like that often and we love to quote her in our family.
Oh goodness, how relevant is this question in my christian growth!! My mouth. Let’s just say, thanks to the loving, gracious and tender way the God touches my soul after I’ve dove tongue first into thick mud…surely I grow! People have said I tend to be straight to the point, painfully so. Often times, in my head, and surely out of love, I try to talk to a sister about what the word of God says, in truth and it’s not always gently. It is me and the word, battling the “emotion” that is in a topic or even the things people believe growing up that end up not being scriptural. But, Mama Beth, in God’s name, you have taught me about things not being “deal breakers” and how to love for love’s sake because of Jesus, and encouraged me very much to always be on the ready to draw the sword of truth. Now, I end these conversations with, “let’s study this out and then come back together, in love, and see what God reveals to both of us”.
After this weekend and God Spokaned about being ONE, I had one of these conversations on the way home. Then Sunday morning my Pastor preached in Colossians 2 starting at verse 8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” And wow, yes Lord, I hear you and thanks be to His faithfulness and the directness of His word. I am constantly reminded by God to know the word, for I will be called to draw the sword of truth, but always in love. Thank you Jesus for the forgiving power of your blood and the unity of ONE!
Well, aren’t you the timely one! It just so happens that our pastor preached on the tongue this past Sunday. It was part of his current series on marriage, called Operation Enduring Marriage. He challenged us to only speak blessings this week, especially to our spouses, and if we could not speak blessing to just keep our mouths shut. As he said there might be, there has been a little more silence in the house this week. Since my mouth seems to be the main way I get into hot water, a specific instance is hard to come up with. I will share some “constructive” criticism I’ve received from my sweet hubby along the way….”It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it.” OUCH!
We have a huge dairy farm near here called Mayfield Dairy. The owner, a man named Scottie, has been doing their commercials for YEARS now. He appears in a bow-tie and talks about their products.
So, a couple of years ago, I was speaking at 11 churches in a five county radius about the ministry I led at the time. During the week of speaking, the denomination leaders took me and the other speakers on “fun” activities during the day before we’d speak at church that night. One happened to be a tour of that dairy farm and the tour was led by Scottie himself (this doesn’t typically happen, for the record).
At the end of the week, I was supposed to finish off everything by speaking at a women’s brunch that had women there from all 11 churches in the five counties. When I began speaking, I started by thanking the denomination for such a great week and all the places they had taken me to. Attempting to be funny, I mentioned how it wasn’t normal for me to get to spend an afternoon touring a dairy farm, especially with “Scottie-the-Hottie as my very own tour guide!”
During the meet and greet afterwards, guess who was waiting to meet me? Scottie-the-Hottie’s aunt. DANG IT.
Haha! Amy Beth, that is HYSTERICAL! I grew up in Sweetwater and my G-parents live in Athens so I know ALL about Mayfields! I miss it here in Nashville. That good ice cream and milk…mmm! My dad has done some survey work for Scottie and his farm so it’s funny to hear you call him Scottie-the-Hottie! Him and his lil bow ties! 🙂
“He’ll be standing at the finish line.” Oh, how I want to make Him proud!
I learned my lesson about the mouth, painfully, at a college formal. Standing in the lobby with my roommate, I sighed (loudly), “I wish I were here with E instead of K!” because I had a crush on a guy other than my date. I happened to look up, and there just above me on the balcony were both E and K. I.was.mortified. Still am, over 30 years later, every time I think about it. That moment, more than any other, made me realize how words could wound. I’ll not forget it!
There have been so many instances. One of the most embarrassing was when my son was about 3 or 4, he was so skinny and had trouble keeping his jeans up. We were walking up some steps and his britches slid down, and I could see his cartoon underwear. I said, “OH sweetie, I see your Incredible Hulk!” and my then inlaws stopped and stared at me…. and I almost DIED. They thought I was using that as a euphemism for a body part and that it was funny and all I could do was turn beet red and pray for the floor to open up and swallow me.
Oh my – that is hilarious!
Too funny!
Last week I was meeting with one of my pastors about volunteering in the office to help with administrative stuff that he personally has been having to do. I said something weird like “I’m happy to help out around here so you don’t have to do anything.” I looked at him and said, “wait that didn’t come out right”. We both laughed, but oh Heavens….that was so not what I meant. I meant that He needed to be a pastor and not an administrative assistant. Whew…. open mouth, insert foot.
I am afflicted with DOM… Diarrhea Of the Mouth. All too often I let my thoughts fly out with out filtering… My latest one was when I was asked to help out with children’s activities at a fundraiser and I replied to a total stranger “That sounds awful”. No explanation, no history, just plain old blunt opinion. I decided to revisit proverbs 31:26 (NKJV) and to start memorizing Psalm 141:3 so that the holy spirit can be my filter! ;).
Wow!!! Where to begin…
My mouth goes even faster than my brain and it’s been a struggle and a half to keep it reigned in as I have drawn closer and closer to God and have been working to watch what a think, say and do. After a lifetime of running my mouth, the only real weakness I have still left (where my mouth is concerned) is in anger. I work VERY hard to be slow to anger and to speak because let me tell you, if I speak in anger, I ALWAYS regret the words that fly out of my BIG mouth!
Make it a great day,
Marilyn Horton
Waaaay back when I was a fairly new mom with a 3 year old, I said something (not very nice) about another woman to my friend. Well, just so happened, that we had a big group dinner that very night and my delightful three year old walked right up to that woman and told her what I thought of her! Talk about wanting to crawl under the dinner table!
God has worked huge miracles with my mouth but needless to say He isn’t finished with me yet!
Have a wonderful, fruitful week. I love you.
Lawan
Phil 4:8
Although God has spared me from a catastrophic outburst from out of my mouth, there were many, many times as a very young christian where my mouth told the tale of my immaturity. I was quick to find fault, judge others and gossip, gossip, gossip!!! it was only when God brought me to my knees through circumstances in my life, and showed me who I was in Him, that my tongue became tame. But boy it was not as easy as it sounds. My testimony was affected by my unfair words, but through the grace of God I am now reaching out instead of lashing out. how great is our God!!!!!!
The only time my tongue doesn’t get me in trouble is when I’m not wagging it! Mostly it gets me in trouble when I’m saying “yes” to something I have no business being involved in. This usually happens when I’m caught up in the people pleasing trap… “Oh, I know how do that”…and the next thing I know I’m singlehandedly planning next year’s annual bake off/fundraiser/car wash/spring fling/women’s retreat/pancake breakfast/etc, etc…you get the picture. When I was younger the “yes” word took me to some very dark places just because I thought it would bring me love. Very rarely do I get in trouble when I remember to Zip it! Zap it! Pray on it! Listening NEVER gets me in trouble and very rarely has the word “no”.