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.
In high school I worked as a secretary at a small, locally owned oil company (for those of you in Texas, I do not mean OIL company – it was just a guy and his sons delivering heating oil to homes and businesses). We were in the midst of our annual “Pre-buy” program, which meant we were on the phone doing our sales pitches all day. We would leave messages if we didn’t reach someone. They RARELY called back.
Another gal in the office told me I had a call (which also RARELY happened) – she said it was “Dan.” Assuming it was “Dan, one of my dearest, bestest friends,” I answered “Hey, Bonehead!” To which I heard a gruff, “Excuse me?!”
Needless to say, it wasn’t the right Dan and this Dan changed his mind about signing up with us for that heating season.
Oops.
I always had a hard time not answering for my family when someone is talking to them. I got so bad at it that I would answer for other people too. I told myself it was just because I am so proud of them or because I already know the answer that I jump in, but God has shown me that it’s really my own need to be the center of attention that causes me to act like that. It’s taken a lot of prayer and practice to keep my mouth shut and let others answer for themselves. But I’ve found that I’ve actually learned more about them and am closer to them because I am giving them the respect of answering for themselves.
On a trip back to Houston from Waco, I was desperate for a bathroom. We stopped at a gas station/store and while my husband pumped gas I went in to use the ladies room. The line for the men’s room had 8 men in it, and amazingly there was no one in line for the women’s room. As I put my hand on the door for the women’s room, one of the men in line said that someone was in there and I would have to wait. After a very long, uncomfortable wait, the door to the women’s room finally opened and out stepped a HUGE man with overalls, a flannel shirt, and a thick, grizzled beard. Before I could stop myself, I said, “They did a TERRIBLE job on your sex change operation!” All the men waiting in line laughed hysterically. Praise God, the huge man had a wonderful sense of humor, because he smiled and said “Well ma’am, I raised the seat up before, and I lowered it down after.”
Goodness Beth, make us go there of all places! the things we try to forget. 🙂
Um, honestly, I think the most damage I’ve seen from my own mouth was when my 7 year old brother broke something precious of mine and lied about it. I chastised him with sharp words and tried to make him feel regret about it, ’cause I was infuriated that he didn’t care what he’d done. (7 year olds of course do not comprehend how their actions affect others.) Later on, after I’d had my spill, I heard him tell my mom, “Sissy hates me.” What i’d give to eat those words now.
My sweet daughter has ALWAYS hated having her beautiful long blonde hair combed. She has thrown some serious fits over it in her short life! Occasionally she would get so worked up and dramatic she would cause herself to gag and then throw up. There were times we were both in tears after me merely trying to get a bow in her hair!
Well, one of “those” times I got so frustrated with her that I said very harshly: “Elliott, if you don’t knock it off, I am going to cut all your hair off and everyone will laugh at you!”
The words were no sooner off my tongue than I reeled in horror. Fear of man! I was trying to manipulate my confident (albeit dramatic and over-reactive) daughter by the SIN of the fear of man!!!
She just stared at me then started crying harder saying “I don’t want people to make fun of me!”
Over the next few minutes as I hugged her and we both calmed down, I had to first apologize for what I had said and how I said it, AND second have a 5-year old age appropriate discussion on fear of man being a snare.
It ended something like this. “Elliott, there are going to be plenty of times in your life that people ARE going to laugh at you. And guess what? It is actually going to mean you are doing the RIGHT thing! It matters what GOD thinks, and if His heart is happy with you, that is all that matters!”
Fortunately my daughter graciously forgave me, and together we are journeying to live a life free of that snare.
Incidentally, we decided to get her hair cut into a chin-length bob about 4 weeks later… and she donated a lovely braid of blonde hair to locks of love. 🙂 She sure looks cute in her bob. And mommy learned a huge lesson!
Blessed day to you all!
Heather
Lewiston, Idaho
I was once out of state and talking to someone when I began “bad-mouthing” someone I knew back home. The person I was talking to said “that’s my sister-in-law!” I could have died! Who would have thought? It taught me that you never know who knows who. It’s a small world. Keep your mouth shut!
Well – unfortunately, this has happened to me so much in the past that I can’t think of one instance that stands out in my mind. Most of my trouble comes when I open my mouth.
In my case, my mouth problems are but a symptom of a deeper issue that I am trying desparately to address – and that is pride. Anytime I blurt things out that I shouldn’t, it’s either because I’m not being humble or because I’m not loving that other person like I should.
In fact, my Bible study group was in Isaiah 10 this week, and we were specifically talking about pride. During our discussion that evening, one of the other girls said something to me as a compliment – and (like the fool I am) I blurted out something prideful. The Lord immediately struck my heart, but the conversation moved on. I have already repented before God and committed to confess to the group that I committed the very sin we were discussing. And I did it with my mouth.
But I am beginning to see a coorelation in my life: when I use my mouth to sin, I inevitably must crawl on my belly to repent.
Beth, thank you for the Fall Forward lessons you gave. I was able to attend all 3 sessions and not only was I encouraged and given new depth to being made in the Imago Dei I also met so many Siesta’s and Godly women. I am so very blessed. I feel like a shining star this morning ready to testify to His love and who I am in Him. It causes me to LOL with joy as I feel LOL for what He has done for me. Have a blessed week Siesta’s I’ll be ready for talkin’ on Tuesday.
I caught myself blurting out these two compliments, 5 years ago and then 2 weeks ago, and then realized they were honest, but not particularly helpful:
“You look fantastic for your age!”
“I hope I’ll look half as good as you when I get to be your age!”
In our culture, women don’t like to be reminded that they are aging, even if they are aging extremely well. Their smiles faded at the end of my “compliment” each time I said those remarks, and then I realized it was too late to take the “compliments” back. If I want to tell a gracious older lady that she looks pretty, I need to “let my yes be yes and my no be no.” In other words, leave off any reference to them aging well, and just tell them they look gorgeous.
Several years ago I had a girl in my class who came from a rather sad background. She had experienced many tragedies in her life and needed all the support she could to get from her teachers and friends. I mentioned, during a parent/teacher conference, to the parents of one of her friends how much I appreciated their child’s friendship with this little girl. We talked about how tragic her life was and how the support and love she received from their daughter was so wonderful. Sadly, the next day, the parents went in to our head of school and demanded their daughter be moved from my class because they didn’t want their daughter around someone like this little girl. It really broke my heart and I felt terrible that I had shared with them how tragic her life was. Their daughter completely avoided this girl and the friendship was lost. Thanks be to God, that there were other children/families in the class who had a heart for the Lord and continued to be a good friend to her. It’s fascinating how the enemy can take something you say in complete honesty and turn it in to something to be used against you or someone else. It was an incredible lesson for me.
Jesus I ask specifically for both these little girls. Thank you for the boldness of the little girl who reached out to the little girl who came from so much hurt. May You keep that boldness flaming within her and for the little girl who came from such hurt…. may she KNOW your PRESENCE in her life.
Thank you, Kimberly!
Oh man…my mouth has gotten me into trouble way more times than I can count! One time I particularly remember was on a Sunday morning at church. I am not a fan of “twangy” music… whether it’s country or southern gospel… just not my thing. So, I walked into the sanctuary one morning before “big church” and this twangy music was playing…right out loud in front of the few people in there I said, ” what is that awful music?” Well..one of our dear friends who just heard what I said..then began to sing to the twangy music his “special music solo” for the service that morning! I felt horrible…tried to apologize after church but I don’t think he ever really forgave me. For the most part I do not voice my opinion anymore on music I hear playing in church!! Love you Beth..praying for you and Melissa as you continue on the James study… always praying for your family and the LP ministry!
A time? One time? You mean I have to narrow it down? Goodness….that’s hard as my mouth as been my downfall so many times I cannot even begin to count. The first time I remember getting into big trouble with my mouth was when I was 13 years old. I had been mouthin’ off at my mom and she’d had enough of me. This otherwise rational, calm, and loving woman popped me one with her skinny, bony fist right on the mouth. I wouldn’t say that I condone doing this to your kids and she never did it again but she had simply had it with me and didn’t know how to get me to shut it. It stunned me, shut me up and well, kinda hurt because I had braces. Not sure it left a lasting impression (as my mouth continued to get me in trouble) but for the moment, I went silent with my jaw hangin’ open in shock! I look back now and it makes me laugh 27 years later. My mom still remembers it pretty well, too!!
Now, mostly I get in trouble when I use my mouth in ways that hurts my marriage. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the Holy Spirit urge me to not say whatever it was I wanted to say. Sometimes I listen and obey. And when I don’t….well, it’s never pretty.
Just came in from running and usually while running I am praying and just talking with God….I passed a lawn man and my intent was to say “hi” but I looked right at him and said “thank you…” as in “thank you, Lord for…” I and just the other day I opened my mouth to say something to my husband and out came “God,…”. I have started to say that many times to others too but caught myself. Does anyone else DO this?!
I have had occasion when my mouth has definitely gotten me in trouble. The one that really stands out is when I ran into a girl I was friends with when we were children. We went to the same church and our parents were good friends. Anyhow, we had not seen each other for a couple of years and were at a mutual friends party. While we were chatting she asked me if I remembered a certain boy I had gone to school with. I then said “oh yes, what a loser. He went to prom with my friend and he was sooo not a gentleman. He was such a jerk, never did like him” Well, there was a pause and then she told me they had just become ENGAGED! Oh yes, there I was with my brain trying to figure my way out of that comment. I simply stated “well I am sure he has changed so much since then”. YIKES!
As I stood in front of her, I asked a college friend of mine if she’d had her baby yet. (You know how you keep a little weight on for months after the birth? I couldn’t tell if she was pregnant or not. But why ask HER?!!!) She laughed thankfully, but I felt horrible right after the words left my mouth.
My most recent realization when my mouth has gotten me in trouble was when I opened my mouth to friends that I was interested in someone. I have come to the understanding that when you talk about thoughts or feelings it brings it to life, which can lead to the surfacing or wants or desires that should be just held close to your heart and left between you and God. Then it became a struggle to tame and lay those wants and feelings aside to truly enjoy the friendship I have with that someone and leave my future and present in God’s Hands. Because I know that is the best place to be; and now my focus is on Him and his Love for me and somehow that is all that matters.
Well, I struggle with this alot, so…I’ll share the most recent one!
I recently lost 70 lbs. and have been working hard at keeping it off! Working out, watching everything I eat and journaling it all!
I also work in a church office. We have lots of carry-ins and special breakfast meetings etc., and one day recently we were having a lunch meeting at the business managers home. I did eat, which elicited a number of comments (that I get tired of…warning sign #1!). But when it came to dessert, home-made blackberry cobbler with ice cream, I declined. My boss said, “Oh, come on 1 time you can’t let up and eat?!” To which I replied, “Ok, what sin are you willing to commit just one time?”…Of course all the connective words I could have/ should have used for comparison sake were not included…so needless to say, everyone ate their dessert in silence, & I had to apologize over & over! Not one of my finer moments!
No one tries to force me anymore though!
It’s silly, not serious.
I called one of my Bible study girls “button”, and she heard “butt”. Still won’t let me live it down. “You called me BUTT!!” Every day.
I overheard another one say, “Ms. Katie is stupid”. I jokingly called her a jerk. She had ACTUALLY said, “Mosquitos are stupid”…and 12 year old girls are not overly forgiving 😉
And I love them dearly!
We were supposed to turn and greet our neighbor at church. My mom turned around to a man she knows is named Greg and says, “Hi, my name is Greg!” emmbarresed she smiles, shakes her head, and says “umm… no it’s not.”
I could tell so many stories on myself, but I couldn’t help but share this one.
One week we were at our couples Bible Study and one person took a cell phone call and carried on a lengthy conversation all within earshot of our study. I didn’t get very much out of the Bible study that night so the next time we met I had an agenda.
Just before we began I asked if everyone could please silence their cell phones and explained the problem from the week before (as if they were unaware). Two minutes later, the quietest person in the group, God bless him, gets a cell phone call. I blurt out “could I have been any clearer?” Two minutes later, my cell phone rings (yes, Miss Know It All had forgotten to silence her own cell phone). Needless to say the whole group laughed for 5 minutes over that one.
Two good lessons I learned: don’t be so judgemental and regularly check to make sure my cell phone is silent at meetings
You want this in a short paragraph?? I’ll do my best. I grew up in an atmosphere of mean spirited yellers, and that behavior was encouraged. My mouth use to get me into trouble almost every time I opened it!! Then, God really got a grip on my heart and my mouth. Many times I “heard” within my spirit “shut your mouth”! Over the years, God, through the power of His word, has smoothed down my mouth considerably. That’s not to say that I don’t relapse here and there, because I do. But, for those times, I have become quicker to recognize the transgress and repent. I have also learned several trigger points that will set my mouth off if a flash. When I know that I am coming up to a trigger, I bathe it in lots of prayer first. That helps a great deal.
Oh, Beth! You’re going to love this one.
When I was engaged to my wonderful husband, his family threw a wedding shower for us in the form of a fabulous brunch.
There were out-of-town relatives and family friends who I was meeting for the first time.
I finished my food and went to clear my plate. As I did so, I exclaimed loudly and with passion, “Sharon, The food was so GROSS!”
The room went completely silent. Stunned by what came out of my mouth (it was unintentional), I stumbled to say “Great. I mean great. The food was great.”
Nice first impression, eh?
My mother-in-law has forgiven me. 😉
Only had a few minutes to stop by the blog but wanted to say how excited (beyond excited) I am to see you here in the beautiful Black Hills November 19th and 20th. My mom is driving from Minnesota to attend the conference with me. I’ve prayed to get an opportunity like this to share with her for years. Thank you for that answered prayer.
My first response to this comment was, “OH NO!” 🙂
When I first started discovering God’s plan for my life – like the real one not just the one that got me out of hell – I was overwhelmed and could not help but spill out all God was doing-ad nauseum.
At Christmas I read a letter to my family that was purely for me… emotional, ugly, and self-serving… But I didn’t realize it at the time. Until… My daddy mentioned it in conversation. I spent five hours on the phone with my dad working it out… crying, yelling, venting and coming up against the greatest debater I’ve ever know.
Eventually we came to peace and change… Repentance. And, eventually my family realized that the overflow in my life really was God and not just a short-lived emotional response to God. It has been tough. It has required a lot of prayer and biting my tongue. But it has also begun to bring the fruit of harvest in my family.
I recently told my (other) brother – not the one from topic 2 – that it is not okay with me that there is still all this “YUCKY”/Gossiping stuff going on in our family. I want peace in our family but not at the expense of saying bad behavior is okay.
I later recounted my new dedication to being a peacemaker and not a peacekeeper to a pastor friend of mine. I recognized it will be hard for my family to accept this new role in my life-it may mean we are at odds for a season. But, I’m so excited to see God use it in my life and my family’s life and how it will bear fruit in the end. I’m praying it changes us all for His sake forever. But, only God knows and time will tell. In the meantime – I’m just going to love them. Love them all. I’m excited about being a peacemaker… Even if it is hard.
Blessings.
I have too many to mention BUT the most RECENT is…we are living in a foreign country. There is very little English spoken here and we are having a very hard time attempting to learn manners in the language here. I just worked up enough courage to drive and I scraped alongside another vehicle last week trying to move over for another car to pass. The young man who’s car I scraped starting speaking in English after I told him it was all I knew and he was very kind. I was trying to move my car and he was helping me and out of no where a lady came up screaming at me and also switched from her language to English (we didn’t know this many people spoke English here:) She gave me GRIEF for keeping her from getting her child home and I was so flustered I stuck my finger in her face and screamed back at her. I could kick myself over and over!! My 9 year old told me when I got back in the car that I handled it wonderfully, just like he would have-LOL! I told him, “oh baby, please don’t ever handle anything like mama just did!!” Praise God for His grace and forgiveness. I sat a terrible example for Christians and Americans!!!!!
I am laughing because I have done that before, with the same responses from my kids!! I too am thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness! And I doubt you did to much to ruin the American reputation, that is already down the drain!!
Beth,
Just wanted to say loved the daniel study! my little group has now moved on to the revelation (i really always thought it was revelations – with an s – lol) study and we are loving that! i am so looking forward to deeper still in december in bham! one of my friends couldn’t find her ticket (we bought them last dec) and so she said i’m just going to pray about it because i know God wants me to go and the first place she looked – there it was! thank you Jesus!
to answer the question: my mouth usually gets me in trouble when i am misunderstood. i.e. i say something and think it makes sense like i mean it too until the other person gets mad and then i realize “i obviously communicated something way different that what i meant to!” i have to rewind and see what was interpreted and then reexplain myself.
Blessings dear beth!
kimberly, al
I can certainly relate to THIS one! My big mouth is constantly getting me into trouble! The most memorable time though (the time that makes me constantly remind myself to STOP talking) happened just before my wedding. I was having the “test drive” done on my hair – when you go in a few days before the wedding to make sure all of the pieces are going to cooperate and to make sure you like the stylist’s idea of how you should look for you wedding day. I was fussing about how little my soon-to-be inlaws had committed to help financially with the wedding. When I finished making myself look like a spoiled brat, a lady who was having her hair done in the chair across the room asked who I was marrying. All smiles, I responded with my groom’s name. To my great surprise, she asked, “Oh! Is that xxxx’s son?” I about lost my lunch! I answered, “Yes”, at which point she informed me that we were about to become cousins!!! She was my husband’s second cousin. I was mortified! I had never met the lady before (we dated for 3 years prior to getting married), but have seen her about a dozen times since. She assured me she would never spill the beans of my blabber mouth. I could have croaked. Each time I see her, she always gives me a sly little smile, like she’s still holding on to my secret. BIG LESSON LEARNED!!
I’ve had quite a few of these in my lifetime. Once I was at a homeschool gathering potluck. My friends came and sat down by us and I noticed one had some of the same egg salad that I had just had a bite of. I warned her not to try that as it was yucky. She then said that she had brought it! I thought she was joking- unfortunately, she was not. But thankfully, my step father piped up saying he liked it! Now the egg salad story comes up quite a bit!
One other memorable story- I had a problem with the bank and had to go inside. They had incorrectly taken the money out of my account and I, without thinking, loudly said I would not leave until they corrected the problem. Hours later, I remember thinking- great, why did I say that, now I have to stay here all night and will be the headlines in tomorrow’s paper- “crazy lady refuses to leave bank”. Fortunately, they did resolve it and I was able to leave the bank after many hours.
A very sweet friend of mine and I were out shopping one Dec. afternoon. After exahusting our wallets and feet she asked me if I would drop her by her parents house instead of her apt. where I picked her up. While driving we were talking about tacky Christmas decorations and how folks went overboard, Griswold Christmas lights, etc. I told her my least favorite things were the wire deer with the lights on them, said I thought they were awful. She didn’t really comment, or maybe she did I was just gabbing on endlessly so I probably wouldn’t have heard anyway 🙂 Wouldn’t you know as we pull into her parents driveway there are about five of those tacky, wiry, reindeer with the lights all over them. Can you say red face mortification???? I was too stupified to even apologize, but she was sweet enough to hug my neck and tell me what a good day she’d had and never mentioned my guffaw. Is that a good friend or what? I loved this topic. Have a great day!
I told these people that claimed to be “phophets” their were false phophets. Although true… it didn’t go over well with them. They started to write strange letters with my picture in them, followed me etc. It was scarey.
More often than I care to recount!
But the one I remember most vividly was when I was a teenager working at OshKosh B’Gosh and we offered a “Grandparent’s discount” on Tuesdays and I made the mistake of offering that discount to a woman buying Grandma-like things. She looked horrified at me and said, “No, but thanks for ruining my day.” :o( OOPS! Pretty sad that 10 years later I still remember that day!!
I’ve just got to share!!! GOD IS SOOOOO GREAT!!!! This really doesn’t go along with your topic – at least in a negative way……to make a LONG story short, I’ve been asking area churches (we live in a community of about 2500) to donate $100 (the goal is 10 churches but we won’t turn anyone down) so that we could be a host “town” for your simulcast on 9/10/11 at our high school theater (holds 400). I’ve been using “my big mouth” and telling everyone about this project. So far, 3 churches have committed and GLORY TO GOD – I just recieved $100 from an anonymous donor!!!! Only $600 to go!!!! There’s been alot of “GodStops” since starting this project! (Can you tell I’m now studying “Believing God”?) I can’t wait to see what else He has in store! THANK YOU for your ministry and teachings! I pray that your writing is God Inspired and will teach millions!!!! Luv Ya!!!
my mouth gets me in trouble almost every day. I got a LOT out of my pastor’s recent sermon series on James….and Psalm 141:3 is a mantra for me. But I’ll give a nice fun example.
I was attending a wedding with my boyfriend. The wedding was one for of his fraternity brothers, so I knew no one at the wedding. Except my boyfriend of course.
lovely wedding. great reception. And the bride and groom had changed into comfortable clothing between the wedding and reception. (keep this in mind)
As we were dancing, one of the ladies near me said something about how great Kathy was dancing. Apparently she had taken lessons or something.
She seemed to expect some reply from me so I said “who is Kathy?”
anyone see where this is going?
From behind me came the response “Well I’m the Bride, of course”
me – “oh. um….hi! nice to meet you”
Years ago I went with a friend to get her hair done. The salon was in an unfamiliar part of town and it was after dark when we were done. The business next to the salon was closed/dark because it was under renovation and a man was just coming out of the door. I didn’t like the looks of him and told her, in the German dialect that we both spoke, “Unlock the car door quick, this guy is giving me the creeps.” We both just about died of embarrassment when he looked at us and spoke to us in the same language we were speaking.
Lesson learned – don’t assume that you are safe speaking another language out in public – no matter how uncommon the dialect may be. You never know when someone around will understand!!
I have had so many opportunities to stick my foot in my mouth & for whatever reason I usually refrain and am able to think before I speak.
If there was one I WISH I could take back, however, it would be this one….
My young strong-willed & demanding daughter was giving me fits about something. Seemed like she was only demanding to me & was quite often when she was younger. Anyway…..one day when we were fussing back & forth I told her I wished she would act like her cousin (my sister’s daughter who was her same age)! I know…..it’s terrible and believe me she has still not forgotten it to this day. 🙂
I’m presently staying with my daughter this whole week after the birth of her first child. I was talking to her just last night about the subject this week and how I really couldn’t think of that many times my mouth has gotten me in trouble. Then I thought of his incident & brought it up. She smiled & shook her head. I still feel really bad & guilty over this one. : /
Beth,
I know you will love this one. And, by the way, my mouth gets me in trouble a lot. I try to always use it in love and fun, but some people just don’t get it like others.
This time revolves around big hair….that’s why I knew you’d love it.
Besides the fact that I have been around you too long and love all the “big hair” joking, I had been doing a presentation on the different generations. One of the responses in the presentation had to do with the big bangs of the 80’s.
I work with a girl who still has hair from the 80’s. She’s beautiful and I love her. One day, I rounded a corner and she was standing there and I said, “Wow! Now that’s some big hair!”
She didn’t think it was funny. I told her I meant it as a joke, but then had to apologize because she didn’t think it was funny. (And she hasn’t had any Beth Moore bible studies to understand.)
In Him, Carol
I told someone that I had been told that a local doctor in our small town was performing abortions. Somehow, it got back to him and he called me. I was also a professional and should have known better, that is, to check information before I share it. He denied that he was doing abortions and I had to eat very big crow.
My mouth seems to get me into SO much trouble. I do not have a story to share…oh were to begin with that one! Too many to count!! Something the other day that my daughter said to me made me think that I really need to watch what I say. Not just what I say around my children but what I say around anyone who is listening. This is my first time posting and it feels good to know that I am not alone. God is so good!
THIS IS MY SPECIALTY! I used to visit a chiropractor who was not a believer and I was going to theological school at the time so he was often curious about what I was doing. He had visited a few churches and would tell me about them. One day as the assistant was hooking me up to electrical stimulation he said he was considering visiting a church of a “non-christian” denomination. I begged and pleaded for him not to, to which he responded, “why not, LXXXX (the assistant) goes there.” I was mortified and fell deadly silent.
So to “fix” the situation, as I was sitting in the chair at eye level of the assistants belly, I patted it and asked “when is your baby due?” She was not pregnant!
Oh, my goodness! I could go on for days! That’s why I wish God had decided not to use my voice to glorify Him, but all the people who know me well say God intended to use my “Gift Of Gab” but it’s also gotten me into so much trouble, especially when I’m in a bad mood and since I suffer from Clinical Depression happens more often than I like to admit. Even on my blog! Ugh! The ones that absolutely could never bless anyone I’ve deleted soon after writing them, but I hate to admit that I even published them first! I’m ashamed sometimes that I share my challenges at all! But then maybe some of that I suppose could help someone by letting them know they’re not alone which is why I leave some of the not totally upbeat stuff on there, but take off anything that is totally inappropriate. I’m getting better (I hope) about not posting things that are clearly either going to hurt someone else or just shouldn’t be shared for other reasons. Can’t really think of any other reason right now, but I’m sure there are some. And Beth, I’m happy to say I was one of those necks that you hugged!
My mouth has gotten me into trouble too many times! One particular time was back when the nextel walkie talkie cell phones were popular. I was trying to make an employee feel better about her son being kicked out of pre-k and mentioned that another one of our co-workers’s kids got kicked out of pre-k as well and that her son had not behaved nearly as bad as the other employee. Well, we were talking over the walkie talkie portion and the other employee was in the car with her!
That has caused me to stop and think a lot more about what I am about to say. It doesn’t always stop me, but I did learn a very good lesson. Looking forward to James!
Hey Richmond Seistas,
you guys may have already heard but sweet Lydia Byrd (Stacy Byrd’s young daughter with a brain tumor that Beth prayed for at Richmond) had a MRI yesterday and the tumor is stable, no growth. PTL! Keep praying!
Tracy L.
Richlands, NC
Hey Beth!
So, a time my mouth’s gotten me in trouble, well i can assure you it has many times, but I like this time best(although I sure didn’t appreciate it then!)
It is kinda a play on words, with my mouth.
Well, I’m 14 now but when I was 4, just moved to Chicago from small town Essex, Iowa, parents didn’t quite know much of the city, you know hospitals, dentists….
my sister and I had a friend over and were playing tag outside around the swing set. Well, there was a bar across the main posts for the swing set, right at the height of my mouth…..
I wasn’t looking and banged into it, biting through my tongue. Part of it just hanging, a 4 year old. Ouch!
We went to the emergency care and got it stitched up, for 3 days, all I could eat was ice cream, Popsicles, and shakes:) Well,aside from the pain and difficulty of one of the stitches disappearing, the 4 year old in me didn’t complain one bit. Although my mom didn’t say anything, I’m sure that she was praying for the 3 days to go quicker, until her 4 year old wouldn’t only be filled with sugar:)
So, kinda a play on words, but my mouth got me into big trouble, ha,ha,ha,ha.
Your little siesta,
AmyLynn
Usually, I get in trouble for saying something stupid and putting my foot in my mouth. But just recently a teacher did something that was wrong. It really got under the skin of a younger teacher. She let me and the other teacher know about it right away. I couldn’t change anything about the situation. About 30 minutes later, I was with a group of 4th grade teachers talking about how wrong it was and just bashing the other teacher. In walks the other teacher and I felt so ashamed because it was a choice I made to participate in that behavior. Terrible choice and I felt bad for days. I couldn’t even look the other teacher in the face.
Jan
Quite challenging to pick just one. Just recently I said a swear word and my almost-three year old repeated it. If that isn’t a reality check I don’t know what is. Awful
I’m not so sure there’s a week that goes by where my mouth doesn’t get me in trouble… Typically it’s by speaking too fast or in a tone that isn’t how I really meant for it to come out. I manage to say things I didn’t mean and mean things I didn’t say… if that makes sense. That being said… likely my biggest flub up was when I asked a woman if she was expecting and she wasn’t. I know not to ask this question – especially since I struggle with my weight – and I felt horrible about it… I work with the person and have to see her often which makes it very difficult.
I’ve done the “are you expecting?” thing way more times than I can count. I assume a lot too. A couple things I can specifically think of didn’t actually cause me trouble, they’re just funny.
– For a little background, I was born with Spina Bifida and use a wheelchair. When I was about 3-4, my mom and I had gone shopping and were leaving the store with the help of an employee who wheeled me out. As we were walking along he asked my mom “What’s wrong with her anyway?” Quick as anything I looked at him and
said “Nothin’, what’s wrong with you?”
– Once when I was still fairly new in my receptionist job and very much an agreeable people pleaser, I got a call from a very disgruntled (sp?)caller. She ranted and raved. I tried to assist her as best I could. She couldn’t be consoled. The last thing she said was “and I’m gonna come there and show ya my big ole behind.”(my word, not hers.) Not thinking, I said “OH…that’s fine.” After I said it I worried it might happen. 🙂
Well not that my lil ole mouth would ever in a million years get me into trouble …. lol
I was a new member at church .. I didnt know everyone very well .. my husband and i were invited to another couple from church’s home .. we were playing cards and laughing and talking .. i asked the lady a question about the gentleman that sat in front of us at church and his “daughter” .. next thing i know they were both on the floor laughing their heads off .. i, feeling a lil unaware, asked “what did i say?” .. she looked at me and dried her tears and said oh honey .. thats his wife .. lol
My mouth gets me in the most trouble when I type. For some reason my nonverbal communication just doesn’t get intertwined with my direct style over cyberspace. 🙂 I have offended more than a few people with my direct commentary, it originated from working in healthcare and being to the point about plans for patients. I have been working on this for a few years now, particularly after sensing I may have offended some in blog world. Please forgive me if it ever was one of you! My heart is really in a place to encourage and admonish in the Lord.
The examples I have come up with would take far too much space to develop. Lord, please give me more of your ears as I write to sisters in Christ. I want to be one who builds up and doesn’t tear down.
Blessings,
Jina
and oh yeah .. a side note to beth .. i did your daniel study at that same church .. it dramatically changed my life and has to this day helped me thru many a rough day.
if God brings you to he will 1. deliver you from it
2. deliver you thru it
3. deliver you to him.
when i became sick that was my mantra.