Welcome to My Mouth, Despida Dos

"Oh be careful little mouth what you say...."

Okay, so I called my friend. Things were fixed. Yet, it saddens me that I let my mouth run wild. As we grow together, I know that offensive things will be said. However, I need not be so cavalier with my words.

Look at this scripture:

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and
its fruit bad,for the tree is known by its fruit.You brood of vipers! How
can you speak good, when you are evil?For out of the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings
forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every
careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by
your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:33-36 (ESV)

The tough thing here is that, for me, if I don't recognize the problem now, what will I say later? What do "idle words" look or sound like? While I can flippantly (I really like this word--flippantly) say, "It's about my motivation", what about times when I've said I would pray for someone and never did? What about those times that I've actually used God, through my words, as a means to accomplish a purely selfish end? What about those times I said nothing when a statement demanded to flow from my lips?

I can either glorify God with my words or I can be selfish. What a responsibility. Yet, the blessed thing about all of this is that I have a growing community who lovingly allow me to fail and are there to give me a hand when my stupid mouth says too much.

Father, thank you for community. Thank you for your word, despite the times it corrects me. I am reminded that I will be accountable for each word out of my mouth. I pray that I remember to use my words to glorify you at all times.

Welcome to My Mouth

"My stupid mouth
Has Got Me in Trouble
I Said Too Much Again"--John Mayer

Honestly, I do not have enough fingers and toes to count how many times over the years I have suffered from "Foot-in mouth-disease". There are times that I lack a filter. Sometimes I am bothered by it, other days I'm not.

However, as the challenge to become more intentional about my relationship with God and others, I find that my sensitivity to my words has become greater. As a matter of fact, I really need to stop blogging and call a friend of mine to apologize. Let me get back with you....

Jerry Reed's wisdom

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'
We're gonna do what they say can't be done.

We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run

Shockingly, Jerry Reed sounded good to me at this moment.

Opening up a few weeks ago about needing to practice humility and learning that I really lack gentleness and patience was cathartic. Yet, exposing some of the dark places in my life to people that I do not know well is scary. It has also been trying. Submission is a topic that has pervaded my mind over the last few days, too. Consequently, I went to New York last week with a bunch of strangers, and I learned that skin is much thinner that I thought, and that control is something I horde. It is disturbing.

I read a passage in the book, Spiritual Classics on the plane last week from A.W. Tozer on submission. He used Genesis 22:1-19 when God tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac. The blessing in this passage was when Tozer discussed that God brought Abraham to the point where he knew Abraham had submitted and there would be no retreat. Sadly, I do not if I'm completely there yet. Oh, that God finds me completely surrendered. I can state emphatically that is the desire of my heart to hear God say, "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God...." It is amazing that this declaration is made because Abraham did not withhold his son from sacrifice. What "sons" do I need to sacrifice? There are many.

So, what does Jerry Reed have to do with this? I have a long way to go, and "this life is but a span". Meaning, I have a short time to get there, and a sense of urgency overwhelms me to the point of depression and guilt sometimes. Yet, I am Eastbound, so keep watching this "'ol Bandit run"!