Five Minute Friday – Impactful Words

Why your words matter…what a powerful and thought provoking idea. 

Immediately it brings to mind memories, both good and bad, of words spoken by me and others. 

Words that…

Sting

        Hurt

                Crush the spirit

                        Kill

                                Teardown

Injure

        Cut

                Are Harsh

                        Graceless

                                Bitter

Wrath-filled

        Rage

                Destroy

                        Steal

                                Unforgiving

Words that will be remembered for a lifetime. 

Words of life

        and death

                Good

                        and evil

Words that…

Encourage

        Build up

                Heal

                        Strengthen

                                Tender

Grace filled

        Hope

                Thankful

                        Gratitude

                                Peace

Joy

        Forgiveness

                Life giving

Christ centered words

        Other centered words

                Self-centered words

Words I should never have said

        Words I wished I had never heard

Words I regret

        Words I wished I had said

Words that can’t be taken back

        Words that can never be said

Timely words

        Timeless words

Truth

        Lies

Opportune time

        The wrong time

Words that reveal the darkness of soul without Christ

Words that reveal the transforming work of Christ in our lives

Words that honor and glorify God

Words that bring reproach from unbelievers

Even now, 40 years later, I can still remember words I wish I had never heard.  Words that impacted me for life.  I also remember the words of those who sow life giving, timeless truth from God’s word into my life.

What words will I choose today?  I need to remember that words really do matter. 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s FiveMinute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Alone Yet Not Alone Performed by Joni Eareckson Tada

1/11/14 Five Minute Friday – This Tapestry Called Life

Thank You Lord

For helping me to see

That I’m viewing this tapestry called life

From the back side

That which appears

Nothing more than a tangled mess of threads

Ugly, random and without purpose

Looks much different from the other side

There is a day coming

When I will view this tapestry

From Your side

From God’s perspective

It is then I will see purpose and meaning

In trials and tribulation

I will comprehend that which I could not see

This side of heaven

What seems like justice delayed

Is not justice denied

All Your accounts are not settled

Here on earth

You are patient, merciful and compassionate

To the ungodly and unrighteous

You desire for all to come to repentance

That no one would perish

Those who have been declared righteous

Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross

One day their pain will cease

Their suffering will be redeemed

It is not so with the ungodly and unrighteous

Those who reject Christ’s perfect sacrifice for sin

For they will give an account to God

To the One who is holy, righteous and just

One day I will see

How You perfectly wove the dark threads

Along with the bright and beautiful colors

In this tapestry called life

By Susan Wachtel

January 11, 2014

Yesterday morning I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  After writing, I had to head out the door for a busy day after a long week.  But I still wanted to post something for this week’s submission.  If you would like to try your hand at the five minute challenge, head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from aGypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Overshadow

While ironing this evening I realized I continue to think about and focus on a difficult person in my life.  I’ve been more focused on the person than on God. 

I’ve let this person eclipse and overshadow and what God is able to do in my situation, including dealing with people who are too difficult for me to handle.  They are not too much for Him.

If perchance God continues to allow this person to misbehave, He will give me the wisdom on how to respond, the grace to respond with grace, even when it’s undeserved, just like He does with me.

More than anything, I need to be fully focused on the Lord, not my circumstances or people…but God.  May God overshadow all that concerns me today. 

2014 One Word…Trust

Last year I participated in choosing one word to focus on for the New Year.  That word was Worship.  For 2014, I considered keeping my one word the same since I didn’t really make worship of God my main focus as much as I should have and wanted to.

After prayer and thinking about what I should focus on this year…I do believe my focus will be on Trust.  If there is one area I struggle with more than anything, its trust.  Trust of God and trusting people. 

Trust

In Hebrew the word is batach and means to trust, trust in, to have confidence in, to be bold, to be secure.  To cause to trust, make secure.  To feel safe and be careless. 

In the Greek the word is elpizō and means to hope and to hopefully trust in.

If I can learn to trust God more this year that will be a huge and I think it will have a trickle over effect in trusting people.

Perhaps part of trusting God is knowing that He is worthy and I can reinforce that through worship. 

What would the Lord have you focus on this year? 

OneWord 365