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.
A lovely gal from my church who has 5 beautiful little ones, the youngest being 2 was chatting away with me last Wednesday night. She had a considerable bump on her front indicating she was obviously expecting again, so I asked when her next little one was due (I sooo know better!!!) I saw her face fall as she mumbled that she was not expecting just struggling to get rid of her middle. As I desperately tried to dig myself out of that hole, I knew she wasn’t buying it. I couldn’t believe I had actually gone and said that to this precious poor mom. She probably went home and sobbed all night. I know I would have. As a mother of 3 in my 40’s I know thats a taboo question — no matter how pregnant someone looks…and yet I still asked it. Unbelievable!!
Oh I know how you felt. I did the same thing a number of years ago. I felt so terrible. And then someone asked me that question. We were trying but weren’t expecting yet. Boy, then I knew how bad it felt to be asked that. Now, even when someone seems obviously pregnant, I never ask about it until they tell me first!
I totally get how you feel, April. I’ve made that mistake twice now, and each time, I just wanted to sink through the floor.
I’ve done the same thing twice myself!
April,
I can so relate. I was at a department store over 20 years ago chatting with another customer while we were standing at the counter. I had my infant firstborn with me. She had a rather large pooch, and I asked her when “she” was due? Of course, she was NOT due, but had a baby at home. I felt horrible. Ever since then, I have literally bitten my tongue when I want to ask….unless I see an”outie” belly button on that big bump!! Otherwise, I sometimes ask “So, do you have any children?”. xo rene
Ladies…here’s my most recent one!
I was talking to another mom while waiting for my boys to come out of school and I mentioned to her that I thought the substitute P.E. teacher was cute…just as the boys got to the car…well she and I laughed and went home!
The next day my son comes to the car and says “Hey Mom…I told the coach that you thought he was hot!” ***GULP*** Me: Really baby…what did he say? “He said Thank You!”
Boy were my cheeks red!!! Note to self…use caution when speaking before young children! LOL!
Donna (the mom of twin boys)
LOL!! Literally! I have SOOO been there. I’m convinced that kids have selective hearing. If we’re saying something that could remotely be taken out of context or elaborated upon, they selectively hear it. Love this! 🙂
Isn’t that the truth! I have learned my lesson! It was hysterical though! And boy oh boy did my husband laugh!!!
Haha that’s funny!
Well, I felt the Lord rebuke me to quiet it down in Sunday school. We have a small class and discuss our lessons. When I hear a topic a variety of Bible verses about that topic flood my brain and I get so excited. The Lord let me know that I ws stepping on people’s comfoprt zone. He asked me to fast saying anything in class for a few weeks until I could regain my balance. I half obeyed and fasted one Sunday. Within a few weks I found myself in the midst of conflict about this very issue God had forwarned me about. I didn’t realize He was watching my back, gently breaking it to me that I was rubbing people the wrong way in my zeal. If only I had listened! The Lord wanted me to make room for others who might need an extra minute or two to get their thoughts out. In hindsight I saw that I wasn’t walking in love.
Kara –
I wonder if the Lord had me read your sincere confession here for a reason! Tomorrow is my Bible Study group. Where I will strive to pray before SPEAKING rather than being satisfied with prayer before working the lesson. THANK YOU.
I’ve always been a shy person. Lately, I just cannot seem to keep my mouth quiet. Please, Lord, put a piece of duck tape on my mouth!!
Hope your class went well! I know God is always drawn to those who are desperate for Him. What a heart you have to please Him. So precious.
how i wish we could chat…
You can fb me. I’m Kara Akins in Chattanooga, TN!
This is always, always my problem. I have tried so hard, and yes even prayed so hard about it. Now, maybe if I think of the fasting thing. James is the one that puts me in my place, all throughout the book, but especially this tongue part. Prayer welcomed.
I’ll pray for you and you can pray for me! Also I wrote a little piece on this on the “Be Still, Get Real” website. Scroll down the page and you’ll see an article on the tongue/mouth.
I started attending a new church when I was a teenager. I was talking to this guy (not romantically, just an actual conversation). He was an acquaintance from high school, but I didn’t know him as well as my other friends did. Throughout the conversation I felt like he was terribly rude… he just kept looking PAST me like he wasn’t even listening to the conversation. And even when he was talking to me, I kept turning around because it seemed as though he was addressing someone BEHIND me. It was about on my last nerve, so I finally blurted out… “WHY WON’T YOU LOOK AT ME WHEN WE’RE TALKING???”
Turns out he is blind in one eye. So one eye was looking at me… the other not so much. oops.
Becca, this made me laugh out loud!
I was reminded at work the other day how I must choose words carefully. I made a comment in jest but my coworker took it as an insult. She told me that she felt I was being self righteous & thought I was better than her. I quickly apologized for wounding her but the rest of the day was tense. It reminded me that the world does watch us closely and may feel we look down on them if we do not speak in love and kindness!
This made me laugh so hard! Poor guy!
My mouth is what has always been my downfall. It started when I was little and still is my nemesis even when I try so hard to control it. I especially hate when I consciously think to myself “I will not say this or tell this to anyone,” and out it pops…. grrrrrrrr. Too many examples to tell…not unsavory language, just stupid or judgmental or gossipy things. (Though lately when I get frustrated with myself some very unsavory words come to mind and I don’t know why or how to keep them out.) Still, help me Jesus.
Words cut like a double-edged sword the bible says and boy have I done my share of sword fighting with family and friends from time to time. Nothing is worse than hurting someone you love. It’s my nature to make peace and make sure all is well with everyone around me. However, recently, God has been revealing to me a rather unpleasant characteristic about myself. GOSSIPING… He pointed out the times I was gossiping about someone I knew, barely knew, or even about myself. I found myself needing to tell all! Now, the Holy Spirit has been convicting me every time I feel the need to open my mouth and share or after I’ve already done the sharing. Immediately, I’m convicted!! Then I obsess over it. I play out every scenerio in my head of what would happen if it got back to the person I was talking about. Then guilt sets in and remorse. So, I’ve began praying through the temptation and boy have I done alot of praying, lol!! It’s tough sometimes, especially when someone wrongs me or someone I love. Out comes that double-edged sword, but I quietly place it back where it belongs all the while PRAYING!!! Now, I can’t sit here and say I haven’t gossiped since because that would be misleading. I will only say that with the help of the Holy Spirit whispering words of “Girl, BE QUIET!!”, (well, maybe shouting, lol), and prayer it has gotten easier to resist the temptation.
At least 10 years ago, while in High School, I was in an argument with my working-from-home-mom and I more or less told her that she didn’t do anything all day, inadvertently calling her lazy. *Cringe* I think I actually said, “What do you do all day anyway?” in a condescending tone, all the while she was doing everything for me! Man I wish I could take that one back, and there’s plenty others to go with it.
Remembering what I’ve said reminds me of my need to forgive others when they wrong me.
Okay…so I still blush and giggle every time I think of this! I was dating a man at the time who was living in a home he rented (or so I thought). It was on the market to be sold and I just “assumed” that he was renting until it sold. One day we were at his house having a movie night and I told him his kitchen was the ugliest kitchen I had ever seen (all decked out with wall paper border and everything) and he said “Uh….I decorated it!” Oops! There was no way to graciously insert foot and back peddle my way out of it. I still laugh out loud as I think of this. My son is sitting at the table and said “Mom, what’s so funny!?!?!”
Love you girls so very much!
Andrea 🙂
I went to the restroom at a restaurant and my husband was talking to a friend. In the bathroom I could hear someone’s small child SCREAMING so loud. I came out, went up to my husband and his friend and said,”DO you hear that child. I need to get out of hear that screaming is killing me and my nerves cannot take it!” (I teach school and had had enough of kids that day). So, of course it was my husbands friends child. He just looked at me and asked if I wanted one of his. Sigh Me and my big mouth.
Hi there, I’m brand new to all this but I am loving reading about how intertwined God is in all of your lives, it’s so encouraging!
It surprised me that I had to think a while about this topic to find times when my mouth has got me in trouble, but I can reel off a hundred times in my head when not opening my mouth has landed me in just as much if not more trouble! I’m something of an introvert (understatement!) and so nearly always choose not to speak over speaking out. However, that makes it all the worse when I actually do say things that I really should have thought more carefully about first, as I have much less opportunity to put it right.
I used to use sarcasm as, in hindsight, a major defence mechanism, especially at school. Over time I learnt the hard way that it can be really destructive. Thanks to some God-given sense and maturity I have cut back on this over the years and have seen the difference it has made to myself and to relationships with others.
Re-reading this and other posts, I also thought about the number of times my friends and I have put our collective feet in our mouths via email, text messages, facebook…in fact I can recall with clarity a number of times when I just wish I that hadn’t pressed ‘send’! We have so many more ways to ‘land ourselves in it’ now than before. Praise God that many friends accept and love us as we are!
Oh, boy – this is a tough one. Primarily because there are virtually thousands of examples I could give! I have the Bible verse: “Set a guard at my mouth, Lord; set a watch at the door of my lips” taped to my computer at work. We, unfortunately, have a family trait of complaining and did I ever inherit it! Ugh – I hate it. The older I get, the more I realize that it is one of the most toxic ways to use my mouth and have found that the less I speak, the better. Help us, Lord, to honor You with the words of our mouths and the meditations of our heart.
And, Beth – thanks for the admonition that He will be waiting for us at the finish line. What a beautiful picture!
Thought of a lighter one…
Don’t know if it was my mouth or my ears that got me in trouble. I spent a summer with a missionary family in Honduras. I was so excited since I had taken Spanish for four years in High School. Spanish 1 twice. LOL
This family had a helper named Hilda. I felt the most comfortable practicing my skills with her. She was a sweet teen age girl. I even tried to fumble through sharing the gospel with her. (who knows??)
This particular day. She was talking to me and telling me how sweet and kind the family I was staying with was. She was going on, and I was saying, “Si, si”. (Yes, yes, for those who know less than me) 🙂 The 13 year old daughter of my host family was listening. She had practically grown up there and knew the language inside and out. She said, “Do you know what Hilda just said? She was telling you how nice you are, and you were agreeing with her.”
From then on the joke, in Spanish no less, was about what a humble person I was! 🙂
This one still makes me laugh… I was recently divorced working 2 jobs. By day I was an office manager at an elementary school, by night I worked the front desk at the local Courtyard hotel until 11pm. I was getting about 4 hours of sleep on a daily basis and was pretty tired most of the time. It was winter and about half the school had been hit by a severe cold virus. The attendance clerk had a huge list of absentees to call and asked if I wouldn’t mind calling some of them since it was going to take her a while to do so. I happily volunteered since it was actually quiet in the office that day. After making a number of calls and getting mainly answering machines, I had memorized the script pretty well. “This is Josie the office manager at Wheeler Elementary, your child was absent from school today. Please call the office to excuse the absence. Thank you.” The next student on the list I knew well. He was a regular absentee and frequenter to our office. We knew the family and they knew us. I called the number only to get another answering machine. I listened and waited for the beep and began my script. “This is Josie the office manager…” somewhere in that script I dozed off and then heard the following coming out of my mouth… “and in the name of Jesus I pray…” (huge gasp) I froze. I didn’t know what to say next. I guess I had gotten so used to falling asleep in prayer also that my brain went into memory mode and I awoke uttering the end of a prayer. My mind scrambled to think how I could end this call and yet the silence and recorded message just continued. Silence on the recorder as I remember that I’ve already said my name and why I’m calling and definitely said the name Jesus. Oh how do I get out of this one? After what seemed an eternity, I finally ended the call with “umm, please call the office when you can. Thank you” and hung up. I put my head on my desk and started cracking up. Shoulders shaking, tears streaming down my face. Oh well, at least I spoke the name of Jesus on them. hee hee
Cracking up with you! =)
I have SO done that. Usually in the morning I will call and leave my Chris a message on his phone…then I will end with, “In Jesus’ Name. Amen.” Then I realize and laugh awkwardly…
Josie – I love this story! Bless your heart. I’ve worked in the school system for 23 years, now in our administrative offices – but LOVED working with the kids at the schools. This made me laugh!
Jan
OK!! I too work at a school, and this made me literally laugh out loud!!
So funny!!
As a school nurse who often has to make these calls, I loved this, totally LOL!!!
That is soooo funny!
Oh my goodness, Beth! I don’t know where to begin. There is a very LONG list. Most of the time it is in regards to commitments I have made in “service” that 1)Are not my forte(like gift wrapping) 2)I really had no desire to do or 3)I wasn’t supposed to do. I end up asking myself, “What was I thinking. I don’t even like that.” ( oh yeah, I wanted to look like the good humble(yeah right) person I am.
The other areas are usually in anger. Usually something said in true anger is the truth. Because anger is such a raw emotion it is difficult to lie. So my smiley face comes off and I let people around me have it lock stock and barrel even if they were not the offender.. Not nice. Not nice at all. I tend to be bold anyway.
Sarcasm. I call it quick wit but in reality it is teasing gone too far. I love to tease people and I try to keep within a boundry that doesn’t hurt them. Sometimes, it doesn’t quite work the way I intended. For example,
I remarked to a friend that my husband couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket he was right there. Although it had been a long standing joke within the family, saying it in front of someone else really hurt his feelings. I felt so bad about it. I most definitly need to pray a guard over my mouth.
As I have read these testimonies, I just had to share a story on the other side of pregnant.
I have always been a plus size person. I had just started attending a church and was 3 months pregnant.
Close to my due date, one kind soul came up to me and said that she noticed my expantion and would like me to consider joining weight watchers or another diet group. I just looked surprised and said well I am due in 2 weeks, she just patted my hand and said give it some thought. I did not see her until after my son was born, and the look on her face – priceless. She stammered oh you really were expecting, I just laughed and said would she like to hold my son.
How sweet of you to forgive so quickly!
oh….could it be when I YELL to my kids “Please stop YELLING!”. Or when I blog something that I have to quickly go delete? hmmmm….. or when I say “YES” when my plate is already too too full? so so many to choose from. I think of those words, practice what you preach….
bottom line, my mouth gets me in HEART trouble, especially with my kids, when I am not rested, not spending quiet time with God, and focused on my own stress levels. It is like a recipe of dry straw just waiting for that random spark to set the blaze. 🙁 Oh the things I have spewed that make me so sad. At times, I listen to my mouth and my mind is saying “shut up, shut up, just shut up and go to your room” to myself.
The stress and anger of a moment can wound little and big hearts so deep, and nothing is worth that. Jesus spare them. I find I need to be fully present and aware of God, or my mouth gets me in trouble.
Whoa!
More times than I could tell and as recently as this past Sunday. I saw a cute young couple come in church that were obviously visitors. I wanted to welcome them, but couldn’t catch them before they went in and the service was starting.( typical for me as I have infants for Sunday School and can’t get away until workers are settled in ) Did see them afterwards talking to another couple who were also visitors. I introduced myself explaining that I would love taking care of their little one after he/she got here. Before I finished getting the words out of my mouth I realized my wrong assessment due to the style of the dress she wore. They were very nice about it. Grin.
My first day to my bible study group I was introduced to a woman who will remain nameless. She asked me what church I attended and I told her. Then she asked what campus as this was the same church she attended. I told her I attended the main campus since I had really connected with the pastor there. I told her I hadn’t really connected to the pastor at the site closest to my home. I later realized in class that she was that pastor’s wife! OMG!!! I have since connected to the pastor at the church closest to my home and now they are moving to Russia. Of course not because of me. LOL. Jeez…
I have a terrible case of “hoof-in-mouth”, but I often experience opening my mouth and I am talking normal and all of a sudden it is a whole different accent. So embarrasing. My family thinks its a riot and never lets me forget. Anyone relate!!!!…Rebecca
OMGosh….this happens to me everytime I go to mexican or chinese restaurants. My kids actually get mad at me….most of the time, I don’t even realize I’m doing it until I’m already in trouble. Geez, I wonder if there’s a medical term for this, there is for everything else. Help me, Lord!
The people I seem to get in the trouble with the most concerning my tongue is with my own family. I find that quite sad but I wonder sometimes, if it’s because we feel so comfortably with them and know they will always love us no matter what It doesn’t make it right what so ever but it happens! I do wish I could be better in that area!! 🙂
I’m afraid its only my mouth that gets me into trouble.
Interesting topic and one I’m sure everyone has experienced in some way. My mouth always seems to cause me trouble as I am very honest and open.
Our second daughter just got married on October 16th. All the girlfriends were in the bridal room “getting ready”. The bride was talking of her little brother(18 and 6:4″ and now the only one left at home) hugging her as she was leaving the house. And, he did it, she says, just to make me mad. I said, Now, bride, I don’t think he had that in mind. I think he knows things will never be the same. Immediately, she had tears in her eyes, and a voice from way down deep. HOW RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, you could hear a pin drop and the girlfriends were about to knock me over with their beady little eyes. It was a beautiful wedding day for her and I am pretty sure things will “never” be the same. But for now there is a dark, dark cloud for me over that beautiful wedding day. It really made the rest of the day difficult between us. Some day I must speak to her about it but for now I just talk to the Lord about healing my heart and covering the bad with the good. This is probably a trivial moment for some but right now it’s a big deal to me.
I’ll pray with you Lisa, that you’re heart will be healed and that your relationship with your daughter will not suffer.
Hi Beth!
I so wish we could be there to wrap up the Imago Dei teaching with you.
My mouth has gotten me into SO much trouble. I wish I had a funny incident to share but the truth is… my mouth has gotten me into trouble from gossiping! There is just something in me that loves being “in the know” about people and loves being the first to tell others about it.
I wish this were funnier but its honest. My constant prayers are:
“Set O Lord a guard over my mouth, keep watch at the door of my lips.” Ps 141:3
“O Lord open my lips that my mouth may proclaim Your praise (and nothing else!): Ps 51:15
Thankfully, the Lord has helped me overcome this horrible sin.
we love you dearly Beth! love, Sister Lynn et al
Thank you for that Sister! I am going to memorize those scriptures tonight….desperate to guard my mouth in marriage..please pray for me
Kelly
Oh boy… I think I even know WHERE in James this pertains to, because I’m pretty sure it was the place I received conviction from, when I blew it. Years ago, when my babies were babies, I was involved in a very tight circle of friends. My mouth got me into more trouble with those women because I felt “safe” within the group. Things would get said by each of us, about all kinds of topics, and feelings would spill out one way or the other from any one of the given five at any time! (We’re talking pregnancy hormones, nursing hormones, kid rivalries, baby weight comparisons and it went on and on. That pretty much explains everything I guess.) Each woman individually, were precious women who loved the Lord, yet for some reason, trusts were broken often, and the group eventually imploded. I had to go back and apologize several years ago for things I’d said. I believe the group was ultimately broken up by the Holy Spirit’s sword, for many of our unhealthy patterns, most pertaining to our mouths and the damage they caused one another. The things I’ve said in my life… sigh.
Praise the Lord that I’m forgiven and He’s not done with ME yet!
My mouth gets me in trouble ALL the time … too many instances to name even one. I say Psalm 19:14 to myself all the time … May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O God, my rock and my redeemer … but then my mouth opens and words fall out in the wrong order or with the wrong tone. I’m in my mid-40’s and it’s always been this way. I hope your James study will help me fix this before I’m OUT of my 40’s!
Oh my…..sadly, there is no way of narrowing my too-numerous foot-in-mouth (right up to my thigh) moments down to one story! My often-sarcastic sense of humor can be my downfall; before I think, something I will regret has rolled out of my mouth. Mercifully, more often than not it’s in the presence of my dear friends who know me and know that I mean no harm and take no offense, but at times it’s not been in that circumstance, and I say things that could be hurtful to others, and the fact that I mean no harm is not enough to take the sting from what I have said.
Suffice it to say, dear Beth, an uncontrolled tongue is one of the things I WILL “Break Free” from—- I’m in the 3rd week of your “Breaking Free” study with a wonderful group of women from my church, as well as a few from other churches in our community. It is an AWESOME study, and we’re all enjoying it so much—-our homework is done with great enthusiasm and anticipation for what the next day’s lesson holds!!! 🙂
God bless you, Beth—as one of my best friends (who is leading the study, with me helping quietly with such things as moving chairs and tables as needed—hee hee) says, you’re like the best girlfriend we haven’t met! YET!!! Next time you’re in Kentucky, we’re THERE!!!
My mouth got me in trouble, not for saying anything wrong, rude or unkind, but for speaking what I believed was the truth.
I was student teaching in a public school first grade classroom in the 6 weeks before Christmas. It was my big day, I was in charge of the entire classroom, lessons, etc. for the day. My supervising professor was there observing me for my grade. A little girl piped up and said, “Is there really a Santa?” Well, my parents told me and my siblings growing up that there was no Santa, so I opened my mouth and said (thinking I was doing this little girl a favor by telling her the truth), “If you mean is there really a man who really, truly lives at the North Pole and makes toys and flies around the world, no.” Nothing much more was said, UNTIL the next day. I had parents angry at me, sending me notes telling me I cared nothing for children and shouldn’t be a teacher, and that I had ruined their child’s Christmas. I had to meet with a group of parents who represented all the parents in the class and make nice. My professor prayed with me before the meeting and I’ll never forget her remark. “Mary Lou, some day these children will grow up and realize that you were telling them the truth.” Now, I’m not a Santa basher. My own kids watch movies, read stories, sing songs about him at Christmas, but I’ve never told them he’s real. He’s just a story book character like Peter Rabbit or Winnie the Pooh. Looking back 20 years later, I realize that I should have told the kids to go home and ask their parents, but that didn’t occur to me, an inexperienced student teacher. Needless to say, I learned my lesson and am really careful about what I say to children now who are not my own when I get asked that question.
Just last night I hosted a Tupperware party and had invited a bunch of friends that I know from different areas of my life. As they were arriving, I realized most of them were part of either my church small group or my weekly Bible study group that we have lovingly dubbed “Bible Babes”. So as I was introducing my lovely friends to one another, I for some reason decided I needed to explain my relationship with them to everyone. I started with my church small group friends, and then moved on to my Babes. Until I got to the last lady, who used to be a part of my Bible Babes group but has since moved on to a different group. I absolutely did not mean to make her feel left out, and for sure did not mean to start my introduction of her as “This is ______ – she used to be a Babe!”
I’m a fairly new writer. God has blessed me over the past few months w/ some (minor) success and I got prideful. About that same time, I did a book review of a book that I thought was awfully written and needed some major help. The review should have been directed elsewhere, but I was feeling qualified and posted the review. Online.
It took some shaking of a fist to get my attention, but God showed me where I went wrong and how it could affect my own ministry. I removed the review, apologized to many people, and felt immense shame. Remember in your “Daniel” study where you talked about being early in your ministry and saying something at a conference that shouldn’t have been said? I watched that video soon after my “fall.” You described my exact situation, and I’m still hurting from the pain of pride. But rest assured, God got my attention, he has forgiven me, and I will do EVERYTHING I can to not let it happen again.
Hi Melissa,
I’m AmyLynn and I’m 14.
I did my first Beth Moore study this past summer(i was 13) and it was Daniel,i’m now in the 2nd half of the Patriarchs and loved Daniel and really love the Patriarchs. I congratulate you on doing the right thing and being humble enough to share it. May God bring you closer to Him day by day:)
AmyLynn
I was a greeter at our church one Sunday, handing bulletins out at the door. A couple walked through, and I welcomed them and handed a bulletin to the guy, and his wife was using a walker. I knew she couldn’t handle carrying it so I gave it to him and said this is for your wife. He said, “she is my mother.” ugggg…I sure deflated that guys ego!
Oh I used to have some pretty profane language. It had become just a part of my everyday speech…egads. A lot of the time it I thought I was using it in a good way…one word in particular…a very not so nice word, I used as an adjective while describing things I liked. It was terrible and embarrassing. So often the word came out at really really awkward times, like while tasting someone’s cake and saying…wow this is blankety blank delicious.
Thankfully through being convicted and having my children ask mom why do you say that word so much…I finally now have some control over it or at least catch myself before the word leaves my mouth. Thank You Jesus.
Oh I am still just a work in progress.
Blessings all,
michelle in VT
I can so relate to that, Michelle. I was one of those really “good” teenagers that just didn’t feel the need to rebel in many of the ways that teenagers do. Frankly, my momma was the bomb diggity and I didn’t want to hurt her or be disobedient to her. However, my one really big rebellion was using curse words. (not where my momma could hear, of course!)
To this day, when I’m speaking publically, I still have this horrible fear that one of those words I said so profusely in my teens and early 20’s will just jump out before I even realize it. That fear will sometimes cause me to have an upset stomach the night before I speak!! It hasn’t ever happened, and while I know I’ve received forgiveness for that ugly mouth I used to have, the fragrance of sin still causes me shame.
Thanks for sharing so openly. Somehow, it’s less fearful knowing I’m not the only siesta who’s been there! 🙂
Kristi
Kristi,
Your welcome…:) Thanks for sharing also!
michelle
Hey Beth! I have only commented once on here a very long time ago but read your blog as often as possible. I guess this particular topic is especially close to home for me, because I have always said that in the body of Christ I am partially mouth and partially foot – usually in very close proximity to each other, if you know what I mean. One of my favorites was a couple of years back when I was working out in a gym in NZ (where I live now). I was on a treadmill next to a younger guy who – and I’m not kidding – smelled worse than any human being I’ve ever been around – dead OR alive! I couldn’t take it and so went back to the bike where I had been previously riding next to a good friend of mine. She asked why I came back so fast and I told her about the guy gagging me so bad, I had to leave. We laughed. Then one of the personal trainers came over who I had sort of struck up a friendship with over the past few months, and so I decided to ask her about their policies for wearing deodorant, etc when you work out. I explained how in the States there are rules about these sort of things. She asked me why… so I said, “See that guy over there on the treadmill? Well, he smells worse than anything I’ve ever smelled before in my life… and seriously – it just shouldn’t be like that in here!! Somebody should talk to him!” I continued to expound on my personal feelings about stench like that in closed quarters. When I was done, the trainer looked over, pointed and said, “THAT guy on the treadmill….? He’s my son”. OH NO!!!! OH GOSH!!! At about this same time, my friend, who was on the other bike next to me, having been fully engaged in listening to our conversation up to that point, immediately looked away and acted like she had never seen me before in her life. I very quickly made some crack about how now the trainer would know what to get him for Christmas…. or something like that… was too stunned to respond with anything brilliant. Yikes. All in a day’s workout! 🙂
My husband (a pastor) had two deacons that were brothers. They were great fun. We had served with them for a few years when it dawned on me who they reminded me of. At dinner one night, I shared with my husband and kids that the older one looked exactly like Cindy-lou-who’s dad Lou? on Jim Carrey’s The Grinch and the other one EXACTLY like The Grinch.
{And I’m not kidding about the similarities}
I never meant it disrespectfully {I MEAN IT!!}.
My family agreed and laughed about it.
The next week at Wednesday night Bible study….both of them called me on it!!!
I ALMOST CRIED!! I’ve never felt more embarrassed. They of course thought it was quite funny…..me, not so much!
I couldn’t help but feel they would think I was insulting them. I genuinely loved both men and admired them too.
Note to self: Never share with ANYONE your opinion of others! SOMEONE will always blab! (Eph 4:29)
I could share so many! ME & MY BIG MOUTH!!
Hi,
I’m not Beth,
but I’m 14 and a pastor’s daughter in Chicago:)
I’m sure it was extremly embarresing at the time, but I’m glad you can share and laugh about it with the rest of us bloggers:)
AmyLynn
My mouth, or, actually my lack of self control WITH my mouth, seems to get me in trouble a lot. If I’m in trouble, 99.9999999% of the time it’s because of my mouth. Ugh, when will I choose self control??
Here’s the most embarrassing–
I was having a telephone conversation with a girl friend and we just happened to be talking about a guy (Todd) I was dating at the time. I was telling her that I just wasn’t that into him and I didn’t really know how to break it to him that I didn’t want to date him anymore. (I had a feeling he had always liked me more than I liked him, and to be brutally honest with you, I was a major user. I played on his affections for me, especially when there wasn’t anyone better around. Harsh.) During our conversation my call waiting rang and I clicked over to find Todd on the other line. I had been blowing him off (the way I dealt with confrontational situations at the age of 19!) and didn’t really want to talk to him, had caller ID been available at the time it would have saved me a ton of misery! HA! Anyway, I blew off Todd again, in my passive aggressive way–here’s the way the conversation went–
Me: (Cheerfully) Hello?
Him: (Apprehensive) Hey, how’s it goin’?
Me: (Still cheerful sounding, but faking it.) Oh, good, hey, can I call you back? I’m on the other line with Jenny?
Him: (Disappointed) Yeah, sure.
Me: Okay, bye!
Click. (Back to Jenny)
Me: (Disgustingly) Oh my gosh Jenny, guess who that was? Todd! When is he ever going to get the hint??
HIM: Uh, huh? This isn’t Jenny.
Me: What?
Click.
So…that’s my most embarrassing mouth story.
Bless my heart!
Haha! Thank God for GRACE!
love,
Teri
Issues of the mouth is something I’m always praying about. I can’t think of just one time I’ve gotten into trouble. I’m ashamed to say there has been many. I’m one of those people with their foot in their mouth most of the time. I’ve read what James has to say on the subject…
UHHH When havn’t I got into trouble with my mouth.??
My husband just told me tonight ” There is a reason you have only one mouth and 2 ears… you need to listen more than you talk.”.. haha So true. He said it in gest so my daughter could listen because she was being sassy.
I think I get into the most trouble when I react towards my husband with anger and the true source of that anger woould be related to my ex-husband. I bring up all my issues and lay it out on him when he is not the person who hurt me in the first place. He has to remind me that we are on the same team.
love ya siestas.
Shannon
Kissimmee, Florida
I have had a depressing day…and this post has cheered me up some…thanks y’all
Glad to know I’m not the only one who speaks when they should keep their big mouth shut. :0/
GEEEE Beth, really strange, my mouth has always been used to edify……NOT! Let’s just say that I could write a book or encyclopedia or maybe there is a section at Barnes and Noble mmmmmm all the volumes of the world could not contain it.
Here is the truth, I know for sure my husband loves me unconditionally because he has heard it A_L_L! I think the worst was arguing with my child over her boyfriend. I just lost it in a BIG WAY, thank Jesus for His Mercy to heal our relationship. James is very pointed and had never let me get away with this teeney and dangerous part of the body. Jesus binding up the broken hearted helps me to hold back a little and my face brightens when I see Him do it.
I am enjoying this too and looked forward to today’s topic! and it is a kick knowing Jesus with you. I saw Revelation 12 lecture today and wondered why people aren’t jumping up and down and turning cartwheels, I want to, but would be a little out of place there! I love you siestas and Moore clan oooooo I want to squeeze you all! So I’ll go to church and get the squeezes out there with my tribe here in Colorado.
In the Beloved,
~A~
This is my first time to post, and I’m really excited to now be a participating Siesta! I read this question earlier today and have been “mulling” over it and praying about it, and God really used it to bring something to my attention. Although I’m defintely prone to bouts of foot in mouth disease, what God showed me today is that my “tongue trouble” tends to show up when I let my insecurity take control. I’ve been known to say all kinds of things out of insecurity. I agree to liking things that I don’t always like, just so I don’t look different (and I thought I had left junior high!). And the silliest one: I have a pretty soft speaking voice and people don’t always hear me correctly. But instead of being bold and correcting them, on occasion I just let them say the thing they mistakenly heard. For example, I let my 90 year old grandfather who is hard of hearing think I was someone named “Wendy” on the phone instead of correcting him and telling him it was me. I feel so embarrased just writing that, but I praise God for his redeeming power that sets me free from the foolishness I get tangled up in.
I thought I was being obedient. I thought I was doing the right thing, but…
Our pastor was preparing us for communion and read the verse, Mark 11:25-“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’
It just so happened that I was sitting next to a woman that I had heard lots of gossip about and was under the impression that she thought she “was all that” and her kids “were all that” and I didn’t really think I liked her in all her self absorbed righteousness, so I leaned over to her during a time of self absolution before we took communion and said…( and I really thought I was being obedient) “I have thought ill of you in the past (I actually used the word ill because I had been reading Jane Austin ‘of late’) because of what I have heard from other people, so I need to ask your forgiveness and hope we can be friends in the future.”
Talk about dropping a bomb on someone before the Lords table!!! I knew the moment I had spoken that it was not the right thing to do and I have not been able to have a relationship with this woman, who is truly a godly woman, and I have regretted this moment for the past…12 years? Maybe someday soon I can go to her and say…”ya know what? In my youthfull righteous foolishness I made a big mistake!” I am 51 now and maybe I can be vulnerable enough to seek her out and make ammends. I know she was mortified when I said it because she took off like a bat out of… after the service. I was left with a feeling of…what in the world have I done!!!
So…guess I should have gone to the cross with my confession instead of the woman. When the sin is in us,(listening to gossip) it doesn’t need to be spewed out to the innocent. God forgive me for my tongue that sought purification from a vulnerable human. It should have been taken directly to the Lord. Thank you Father that we can come directly to you and ask forgiveness.
Prepared for firey coal,
Pam
Last week I was chatting with some classmates and student “K” thanked student “H” for giving her a ride to class. I asked if she was having car trouble and she said that normally she took the city bus to school. Knowing that this student was from New York I made some comment about how that was very ‘New York’ of her. (I do not live in a large city where everyone takes a bus, subway, etc. Most people drive.)After that I continued to poke around as to why she rode the bus(for no good reason, because it was none of my business. Sometimes I just get nosey without realizing it). Student “K” finally pointed out that she did not have a car. Then without thinking and before I could stop the word vomit I asked “Why?” She replied because she could not afford it. Duh. I felt about 2 inches tall. I was embarassed and humbled all at the same time. I spoke without thinking. I know better. I should have acted better. I imediatly apologized. The student was very gracious about it and said that it was just how it was. I was again humbled by the way she accepted it and did not complain. I complain if I have to leave my car in the shop for a day. I left class that night feeling very grateful for what I have and with another reminder to think before I speak.
One a teenage lesson – and another one I’m still paying for.
First: on a highschool church retreat in a facility where the dorm rooms had a STRICT NO FOOD rule. We were playing a game where all the kids were seated in a giant circle and the chaperones were hovering behind the circle. An ‘it’ would call out some criterion and all for whom it applied would jump up and run across the circle. Meanwhile several seats would be pulled musical-chair style by the chaperones while we were running. SO, my turn comes up and I don’t call ‘all wearing izods’ or some other silly thing, NO, I blurt out “all with candy stashed in their rooms” which got the HUGE response I was hoping for (imagine every kid save a handful jumping up to run laughing around the circle) and also resulted in a massive parental room purge after the game. I was so embarassed and didn’t exactly bond with folks after that!
Second: I never, ever should have told my husband after a particularly hard season of our brand of ‘intense fellowship’ that I had been praying for him to have a new wife and it to be me and for me to have a new husband and it to be him. That is confusing enough on its own but in man speak I basically told him I prayed for a divorce. That was as far from the truth as possible but he, to this day, somehow thinks I prayed for a totally different human being to be my husband. What a mess.
I had an internship in Dallas, my first BIG job, and my boss was always telling me about the “Solo Project” and how it was the gold standard on what not to do, how he had messed the job up royally and he wanted me to learn from his mistakes. One day a client cam in and he was very chummy with her and kidding around. I heard him say right next to me, “No that wouldn’t look good.” And in the spirit of good old fashioned office banter I replied, “Yeah you don’t want another Solo project do you?”
The room was quiet, the client smiled and said, “That was my old company, what was wrong with that project?” I was mortified and thought I would be fired but they all laughed so hard AFTER she left and he had assured her the project had been satisfactory!
My tongue has gotten me in trouble more times than I can remember. But, there is one that stands out:
My husband was home on leave from Iraq and we were having two different open houses since our house was too small to have everyone there at once. The first party was for our friends and the second for our extended family. What I hadn’t anticipated and planned for were the family members who would have to travel and would arrive several days early. One of those was my husband’s sister and her daughter who would be staying with us the entire time they were in town. Don’t get me wrong we loved having them stay with us.
Friday evening was the party for our friends and we all had a great time. When Saturday morning arrived and it was time to clean up and get ready for the family party that afternoon. Our boys were 11 & 12 at the time and after everyone was up the boys and I dove into cleaning. When my sister-in-law came out from her shower one of the boys was vacuuming and the other was gathering up trash and taking it outside. She stood there in amazement. When I gave one of the boys instructions on what I wanted him to do next, he did exactly what I had asked with no whining or complaining. That’s when she piped up and said, “I’m going to send my two, to you for a couple of weeks this summer. You can teach them to do their chores without whining.” Without even a moments hesitation I said, “Oh, it would take a lot longer than two weeks to train your kids.”
I hadn’t even realized what I had said until I looked up and she was in tears. I tried to explain that I wasn’t making a comment about her children and that my boys responded the way they did because I had been working on this for years, but that just made it worse and she ran away in tears. My husband walked in about then and wanted to know what I had said to upset her. Seems my tongue’s reputation preceded me. Thankfully he was able to smooth things over so that I could apologize.
Ouch. I have repeated confidences . In one case a person told me a deep secret for which we prayed over . Then a month later I heard myself sharing the person’s name and story as an illustration to someone who knew the person. . And when I heard it months later repeated again in general group conversation I was truly mortified. I am learning to have discretion, wholesome and uplifting talk or be quiet.
Yay…finally I actually get to be online on Tuesday! I love this topic as I have always been the person who puts her foot in her mouth. It’s the thing God continues to work with me on. It’s obvious how badly I deal with this as the last time it happened was IN A DREAM just a week or so ago. I dreamed that someone close to me died and that I found out through a flippant comment from someone else. Later in my dream I was discussing with my mom how upset I was with the person who told me. I was just going off on her poor behavior when I turned around and saw she was standing right behind me. Even in my dream I was completely embarrassed. Lessons learned even while I sleep!
Kimberly
There’s no blog big enough for me to answer this question but let’s try this.
Friends talk about growing up and getting spankings. They are often shocked to hear I didn’t get spankings but rather a swat on my face/cheek. One time the soap came out. My mother believed the consequence needed to match the sin and 99.9% of the time my disobedience was verbal. Sadly I’d say it is still my biggest struggle! I tend to say what I think and forget the filter. I’m now 39 years old and those closest to me whom I’ve asked to hold me accountable in this area tell me often how I’ve grown so at least I can be encouraged in that, right?
Oh yes!!! It’s happened. 🙂 Just wanted to let you know that I’m doing a scripture verse challenge where I’m going to memorize a scripture a day for this month of November. Inspired by your scripture challenges, of course. I’m posting my daily scriptures on my blog, and have several friends and family joining with me in this endeavor. Hopefully this will put some good stuff in our minds…where good stuff can come out of our mouths. 🙂
It’s hard to just pick one!! Seems I’m always getting myself into trouble, even though I try so hard to prevent any conflict! One such time, was while I was working at a former job. Lets just say conditions were poor (verbally, treatment, etc etc)… and I was commiserating with a fellow employee, nothing too major, just basically venting to someone who understood. I KNEW better than to trust anyone there, but alas, my emotions/heart were overflowing in frustration with the injustices going on all around me. Next thing I know, my boss, my “supervisor” and I had a meeting. One of those kinds of meetings you just wanna go curl up in a corner and die even though you dont quite know what its all about in the first place. Basically, the person causing the injustices ended up blaming it all on me, the “friend” I spoke with spilled everything I told her in confidence (in her dramatized slightly doctored up, stretch the truth, version), and I was told to “stop complaining, you asked for for it” and if I didnt watch myself, I’d be out of a job before I could blink. Even though the employer had no grounds for firing me, as I worked my heart out for them and then some, I was working in a state where either party could terminate with or without notice for any reason. I ended up leaving that job a few weeks later, saving them the trouble. I wish I weren’t so trusting with my heart sometimes. Praise God, that particular job is in the past!
My mouth seems to get me into trouble at work! I say things that I would never say out loud, but I actually did say them out loud! So far, I have not totally embarassed myself or needed to apologize, but thank you for the reminder to watch what I say!