The Power of Our Words

After the comments on my last post, I want to say for the record that what was said to me was not unkind or demeaning in any way - it really made me think. People who know me understand what I say, the words I use and how I say them, but others may not. It is for the sake of getting to know those people better that I want to be more cautious. Two and a half years of having predominately online friends has been rough. There is a lot that can be shared here, and I value these friendships immensely - but I can never sacrifice the opportunity of having real life relationships by needing to recklessly say whatever comes to my mind without thought of how it may effect or be perceived by others - especially those that it specifically involves. I didn't say anything wrong, but I was misunderstood. There was a conflicted understanding in terminology. The only option is to bridge the gap between what I said and someone's understanding of it - which I can only do from my end. If I am standing on one side of an expanse, I can't start from the other side, I can only start building from here.
I was thinking this morning about the verse in James where he tells us the tongue is such a small part and yet it has so much control to steer us where it will. Sometimes it is easy to forget that even though words are not being spoken, they are an overflow of the abundance of our hearts. I want my words to be a blessing, a gift, something to make people think and laugh and know that they aren't alone. These words, the gift of God to each of us have power to bless or curse, to heal or wound. It is not any less true of written words.

My Dear Friend Jack

I find it interesting that a young C.S. Lewis insisted on being called Jack. When I was younger and had inconsistent male role models in my life, I would go and spend summers with my grandmother and step-grandfather. He was one of my most positive "father figures". He would take time to talk to me, we would go and get ice cream together, and I never ceased to be able to put a smile on his face. He called me "Jack". It is another connection with this spiritual mentor who died seven years before I was even born.
I was looking back through some of my archives and was surprised to find quite a few posts either quoting or about C.S. Lewis. Here are some blasts from the past:

Demons, Devils and Ghouls - Oh My!
On the Screwtape Letters and Superstition

Prince Caspian Book and Movie
War rhetoric aside, I love the Narnia stories for their literary excellence

The Power of Love
This quote from A Grief Observed may belong in our discussion on The Four Loves

Thinking - Out of the Mouths of Babes

My son is 10. Yesterday morning he wrote this down:

If everyone is thinking the same, then someone isn't thinking.

Profound.

Preplexed

My dinner out with Melody last night was terrific. I love the conversation. We come from two totally different places and have found ourselves companions in that we are both strangers here. She is an intelligent and insightful person. You just love being with someone who has your thoughts stirred, and your faith challenged.
At one point in the evening our conversation turned to politics. Sometimes I scare myself. I get so engrossed in a topic, that I forget to shut up, chew with my mouth closed, and take a breath. I have to remind myself to stop and listen. I get so passionate about things, or even about the exploration of things, that I am like a train bumping along faster and faster on uneven ground, sure to derail.
While talking with her I realized that two things of importance, politically speaking are diametrically opposed to one another. I want less government on one hand, and yet I want them to foot the bill so that poor or indigent people can have the health care that the middle and upper classes enjoy. (Thank you to my friend Amy who pointed out *duh* that this means more Big Brother! Sometimes I require an iron skillet in the head!) What to do.
I have also stumbled onto some terrific blogs lately that have taken my poor brain to the point of almost melting. I am loving it - and yet, if I spend all day reading blogs, people around here would be eating Fruity Pebbles and running naked in the streets. (I am sure we can stir up some deep thoughts about that!) I thought I'd use that as a lighthearted segue to sharing some linky love:

iamjoshbrown
Josh Brown on Immigration (I loved this post!)
He is also an excellent photographer -
and as he put it in his most recent post he.... . . never misses a chance to be political and antagonistic

Quirky Grace
Quirky Grace a/k/a Jamila Kwon on Lust
and a Poem by a Zen Chic Who is a Christian

Give them a read, and maybe a shout out - and tell 'em Jewlsntexas sent ya!

I Choose to Believe

Tonight, I feel like Leah. You know, from the Bible. She’s the one whose father tricked Jacob into marrying her. That is pretty much how I have felt most of my life. Deep down it is my secret fear that nobody would be with me unless they had to - parent, friend, spouse, children. There’s that warm fuzzy word – obligation. Ugh. Is there anyone as familiar as I am with this intense struggle with insecurity? I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Most days I am a happy-go-lucky person, but these attacks on my heart come with a vengeance. I know that it is spiritual in nature. I know that the goal of the enemy is bigger than just my personal discouragement. I would like to turn the tables on him - I know who I am in Christ. He has told me I am His child. He loves me and wants me. I have to totally and completely make this statement in faith – because truly most times I don’t believe it in my heart of hearts. And I know my thinking is flawed. Just as soon as I begin to think to myself – “why would He want me?” there is a preconceived notion that He would want me for anything that I myself can offer. The truth is that I cannot do anything to earn His love. In my life this insecurity has taken on many facets. It has made me bail on relationships before they could bail on me. It has made me hurt others who have truly loved me, in complete and utter panic to make a quick escape. I am thankful that since I have become a Christian the acting out of these episodes has become almost non-existent. However, the working them out of my own heart and mind seems a bit more complicated. I will pray to take captive every thought that sets itself up against the knowledge of Christ. I believe His word to be true – even when my feelings go completely against it – I will choose to believe that HE loves me, and that no matter what may come in life, HE will never leave me or forsake me.

This is real life blogging here people - I couldn't make this up. Pollyanna didn't show up tonight!

What Does a Good Blog Make?

That was a pretty backwards way to ask the question inspired by an email conversation I have been having with my friend Leslie at Raise the Cup. We were discussing blog traffic and what keeps people coming to your blog. She has several blogs and prefers blogs that are singularly focused on - politics, homeschooling, home-making, homesteading, current events, etc. I personally get bored with these blogs (not hers of course - I read ALL of them!). I do not repeat visit blogs that are about the same thing all the time, generally. There are some that have drawn me in, but I tend to visit, skim, and leave. The Google Reader has made this easy - I just glance the content and decide if I want to read more, visit, leave a comment, etc. Leslie and I both agreed that we find it ever so boring to visit a blog that is nothing more than memes - with nothing in between. I enjoy Thursday Thirteen and Slow Cookin' Thursday (evidently Thursday is my day for memes!) but there seems to be themes for every day of the week. I only participate in the ones that I find personally enjoyable. But if I stumble on a blog that is nothing but Secret Sunday, Manic Monday, Ta Da Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday...(you get the picture) - I likely won't return. I like memes - don't get me wrong - I'm even starting my own - but if that's all there is it gets rather boring. I like things that are a little more personal than that. Everybody is different, but I was wondering if I could get some input from readers - what do you like or dislike about certain blogs? Does finding someone's household schedule make you want to pluck your eyes out with a spoon, or does it encourage you to get your own act together? Do you find the rantings of political blogs monotonous or are they inspiring? What brings you back to a blog and makes you want to read more? Do you like one theme or a variety? Just thought maybe you would like to join our conversation and that we could all learn from each other.