What a Woman #Two

I wonder what you would think if you heard me speak today. Would I make sounds that you'd consider helpful? Gracious? Kind? Wise?

This mouth of mine can get me into all sorts of trouble. Sometimes I gossip...telling people things they do not need to know, things I do not have permission to share. Sometimes I use words meanly...to have a go, dig, put someone in their place. Sometimes my words are dark...I whinge, complain, swear, make fun, criticise. Sometimes I just use too many words....preferring the sound of my own voice rather than taking the time to listen. Sometimes I talk over others, or butt in. Sometimes, it's not the words that do the damage, it's the way I say them. I speak in anger....annoyance....frustration. I yell at the silly driver who failed to indicate. I raise my voice to the wrong people.

How about you? Do you ever find yourself regretting what you just said? Wishing you could take it back? Or do you ever kick yourself for using THAT tone?

It's likely that the woman of excellence we read about in Proverbs 31 had a few 'ooopps' moments with her words, but verse 26 suggests she used her words well...often. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

What a nice idea...to be a woman who speaks with wisdom. What a powerful idea....that my words would be wise, impacting for all the right reasons and in ways that help, not harm. Words that encourage and comfort. Words that communicate hope, joy, love and bring peace. I want that to be the case for my words...and it can be.

The Bible also says that out of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 15:18). So it's logical to assume that if my heart is dirty, upset, cold.....my words will be unclean....unhelpful.

So my new goal?  To make it a priority prayer each day to bring my heart to God and ask for Him to clean it. And then, ask for His wisdom to fill it, so that when I speak, wisdom will be heard.

I do like the sound of that.

Listen to the Lyrics #4

Unspoken - Jaci Velasquez

• I wake up in the morning and I have a choice about what attitude I take into the day.
• My husband questions something I have done, I have a choice about how I react to his doubts.
• Someone cuts me off as I drive to the shops, I have a choice about what my response will be.
• The sermon on Sunday morning challenges my thinking about giving. I can make a few different choices about what to do now...what will I choose?

Every day we are faced with so many choices. It is the one guaranteed event in our days...to face decisions and make choices. Some are easy....which cereal I'll have for breaky? Some are more difficult....why is Baby j crying? Some are downright hard....how do I tell my friend something she doesn't want to hear?


But one choice I can make every step of the way is one that will influence all the rest of the choices and help me make the best ones. This choice is sung about by Jaci V in Unspoken:
He is there, use your voice
Reach for Him, make a choice
None of us are alone
Don't leave your heart unspoken

God heals us when we're broken
Don't leave your heart unspoken


God is ready, waiting, desiring us to make Him part of each day and each decision. Let's commit to including Him...not just when we feel like it...but every step of every day. Write yourself notes and post them around the house if you are like me and need reminders to do just that. What better way to live than with the God of all wisdom directing our thinking and influencing our choices? 

A retrospective....

From a recent jkvani blogpost.....

On more than on occasion in the past 10 days Jon has uttered these words: 

"We have a baby in the house." 

Each time he says it...there's a sense of awe and responsibility in his voice. And I totally agree. We have been given this priceless gift of a baby boy and wow! He is ours to look after and raise in God's ways....now that IS an awesome responsibility. 

I was encouraged by reading II Chronicles yesterday. Solomon cried out to God for wisdom and God loved that prayer and blessed him abundantly. So as I tackle the 3am feeds, that's my prayer too...that God would bestow upon us as Jacob's parents, great wisdom to raise our son well..in a way that honours the One who gave him to us in the first place. If you are a parent reading this, may you be encouraged to petition God for the wisdom of Solomon (even a small % of what he had would help) in doing the most important job on the planet....loving your husband/wife and raising your children.