September 24, 2013

Speak Life...for real... wherever you go!


"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth,
but what is good for necessary edification,
that it may impart grace to the hearers."
                        
                                                                Eph 4:29 NKJV

When I was a baby new Christian... this verse was a hard one for me!

It's not that I had a potty mouth or that I let anger dictate my sentence structure (much).  It was more that I have this slightly twisted, dry, highly sarcastic sense of humor.

Like, HIGHLY.

I come from a long line of Quick-Wit... Sarcasm drips thick from our Family Tree.  We wear that 'badge' with honor and pride.  But I learned early on - partly from trial and error, and partly because I really am soft-hearted and loving... I learned how to be sarcastic while not (usually) cutting anyone down!  Still - this verse brought a little conviction and a lot of condemnation.

I spent more than a few years biting my tongue (not entirely a bad thing) and trying to change or hide who I really am (always a bad thing!).  I held up the mask of "Good Christian" while not saying a word (but still cracking myself up under my breath!) 

Now... I don't have a uber colorful vocabulary. I can swear like a sailor(ish?) but that is not how we roll.   Swearing is not common in this house, nor is it our fall back way of describing - well - anything... but it does happen once in awhile.

With that said, I gotta tell ya - I read this verse a little differently now... It's not limited to the occasional curse word or rant... oh no... it is harder than that!  When I read this verse now, I think back over those calm conversations as well as the confrontations. I think of the everyday tape that is on repeat - whether or not I speak it out loud or just let it play in my own head.  Are those things spoken corrupt?  Are they damaging?  Do they impart grace to the hearers?

We purposed as young parents to Speak Life to our girlie.  I wanted to raise her in an environment where she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she is loved and accepted and that we think she is awesome.  Not a false sense of self-esteem - but 'she is awesome' as in God made her that way... like He made all of us to be.

Whether it be with our kids, family, friends, pastors (let's be real, now!) or neighbors... it's EASIER to point out what is wrong; what is lacking.  Anyone can spot the dirt... but I believe we are called to bring out the treasure! 

Speak Life... tell them what they are doing RIGHT... when we do this, each word really can be a gift!

Here the verse is in The Message:

"Watch the way you talk.
Let nothing foul or dirty
come out of your mouth.
Say only what helps,
each word a gift."

I wrote more in depth about this on my Shine On page... (Is it weird to quote myself? Maybe a little... but either way - I am cutting and pasting:)

"It's in your Words... how they speak life and stir up hope and wrap up in safety the hearts of those around you...  how they speak truth in love, gently - not to wound, but to woo... to help birth dreams and grow hope...
It's in how you Act... in the grocery store, on the phone, in the car... at home, at work, at church...
It's in how you Fess Up and Live Real and Ask Forgiveness for the times when how you acted was not really the kind of Beacon of light you were hoping to be!
You see... to Shine On - you must be willing to be seen... on the good days and on those not so good days! The world doesn't need to see Pharisees... they are looking for honesty and messy truth... they are hungry for the authentic... for the real and the less than perfect!  We want to be Jesus with skin on... radiant and full of grace..."

We have purposed to live our lives this way!  We are far from perfect, and we blow it (often) - but we don't deny or hide anymore...  we live our life (sarcastic humor and all) out in the open... and we look for ways to Shine.

Which brings us to our photo for #BehindTheScenes.  This was taken when we were vacationing in the Spring and were roaming around Redding, CA. We were hoping that our girlie and her friend would have words spoken over them in a way that would impact them as they neared graduation and All the Things Changing... however instead of them getting prayed for... well - this happened:


After walking around the SunDial Bridge for awhile, this woman approached the girls and asked if they were from a local church there. (Bethel)  She said that they 'look like Bethel people... you look really happy.  Would you pray for me?"

And... as the creeper scrapbook Mom that I am, I snapped a photo!

Instead of receiving a word... they gifted some words.  They prayed for this stranger in search of answers and offered her encouragement and they imparted grace!

And really... is this not what we are all hoping for: words of encouragement... words full of grace?


Father God,
We want what comes out of our mouths to be imparting good...
we want them to be a gift to all who hear our voice!
We want all those who hear our voice...
to hear Your Heart!

Help us, Holy Spirit, to hold our tongues...
Partner with us to tame not only our tongues
but our thoughts, as well!
Help us to impart Grace...
to make each word
a Gift.

In Jesus Name!
~Amen~


Joining in today with these lovely Link Up's:

#BehindtheScenes
crystalstine.me

#GROWinHisWord
GrowLinkUp

#TellHisStory

34 comments :

  1. Hi Karrilee! We're twitter friends and somehow I am just getting over to your blog? So lame, I should have come over long ago! This place is great!
    I love your heart on words and I love that you looked at how we feel bogged down by these 'should do' sort of verses and yet, we still live 'out in the open' looking for ways to live it, instead of cower from it...

    Blessed to GROW with you!
    Heather

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    1. Heather... we are neighbors this week and I can't wait to read your words! It sounds like you are super busy... and today has been that way for me - so I will be reading your post with fresh eyes in the morning, my friend! Yes... even (oe especially) when we fail... we must live out loud - right out in the open! Blessings!

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  2. Speaking words of life over ourselves is so important. It's the only way it transfers to our children. I will admit my words aren't always kind towards myself, or towards my kids. My desire is to always build them up, never to tear them down. Blessings!

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    1. Oh sweet Barbie - we are all in process, yes? Grace and Goals... we need them both!
      Love you, friend! Praying you are feeling better!

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  3. I love that story of someone seeing the light of God shining from your girl and seeking prayer!

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    1. Thanks Helene! Is this not the best thing we can see and hear about our kids? That others see Jesus? Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  4. Oh wow, so much good in this one Karrilee. The way you are intentional about raising your daughter with life giving words and the way someone saw life in her without words exchanged. Then how she could offer words over someone as a blessing. What a gift. Lovely.

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    1. Thanks so much Shelly! These littles (or not so littles) of ours... they are gifts, are they not? Yet it can be so easy to lose sight of that in our daily lives... to be intentional in what we say and how we say it - this is what makes a good day better, and brings a bad day to my knees, ever thankful for His grace! To see people recognizing Light in us is humbling, but to see them see it in our kids? A lovely gift indeed!

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  5. Great points! I also think about the voice that speaks lies to your own heart. Like the one that tells you that you aren't valuable. Good food for thought here!

    Christy @ A Heartening Life
    www.ahearteninglife.com

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    1. Thanks Christy! Yes - it's that tape on constant replay... the voice that rarely if ever speaks life... Faith comes by hearing... and out of the abundance of our hearts, the mouth speaks, right? So - to stop that negative self talk - even if it never passes your lips... this is key! When we are able to tune out the lies, it is so much easier to Speak Life - to ourselves, and to others!

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  6. Oh Karrilee, this gave me chills! Speaking life... isn't that what this whole Christian walk is about? :) I love your insight and your heart here. (PS I tend to crack myself up under my breath, too...) So blessed by you and your words, friend!

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    1. Well Kelsey, that is because we are FUNNY... it's just that not everyone gets to know it! ;)

      Thanks for stopping by... yes - Speaking Life really IS what this Christian walk is all about!
      Bless you, my friend!

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  7. Keeping quoting yourself sister! You speak truth..good post, good reminder, and much needed by this reader today.

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    1. LOL - Thanks Dea! It felt odd - but I knew I had already said what I wanted to say! (I needed it too!)

      Blessings!

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  8. Your blog truly breaths life into my soul, when I need it most. Bless you, friend.

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    1. He is just so smart and I love that He connected us and is stitching our hearts together with His! Bless you right back, my friend!

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  9. Anonymous8:51 AM

    That was soooo good Karrilee! Sydney

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  10. Wow! Awesome post. I find that verse so convicting. I speak fluent sarcasm and sometimes it's so easy to let it fly. I love how you offer hope to the reader that we can be intentional and edifying with what flows from our mouths. So glad I found you and your fabulous blog.

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    1. Fluent sarcasm... as in - I am bilingual (or - if you count the TINY amount of Spanish and Italian I can muster up - maybe I am trilingual!?)

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  11. Karrilee, this is so good. And what an amazing story...someone seeking out prayer from the girls who looked happy (or joy-filled). I love what you say: "to Shine On - you must be willing to be seen." Isn't that true? Not bound up, simply trying not to do the wrong thing, but actively doing the loving, grace-filled thing. Thank you, friend!

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    1. Ashley... is this not our goal as Mama's? To raise them up to Shine so birghtly and live in such freedom and grace that people know there is something in them... some One...

      Love you, friend! Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. Beautiful post. Our words hold life and death, as the Scripture tell us. How wonderful to use them for life.

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    1. Yes Dayle! The power of life and death... I don't know about you - but when I let the power of death roll off my tongue, I always always regret it! That is never so when we choose to Speak Life! Thanks for stopping by today!

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  13. Speak Life. Yes. Such a good reminder for me today...thank you, friend! Beautiful post! :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Mel! It's a good reminder for me... every day! I love remembering the power of the spoken word and the fact that it is a choice! I want to choose Life! I want to Speak it forth!

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  14. Karrilee, Thanks so much for sharing with us and growing with us. :-) This is a beautiful posts. I LOVE that your girls were able to bless someone else with their words instead of receiving a word. Isn't it just like God to put a positive twist on our expectations. :-) He always has greater plans then our expectations. Loved reading. :-)

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    1. Thanks Faith! Yes... and in giving out, don't we just always get a blessing too? The girls did come home having rec'v from God - in more ways than one! (Because He's good like that!)

      Bless you!

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  15. Anonymous5:02 PM

    Thanks Kerrilee for your wisdom and insight. I've never read this verse in the NKJV before - I love it, especially the emphasis on Grace. Thanks for your Life Giving words.

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    1. Ah yes... imparting Grace to the hearers! Is that not what we want to do as writers? Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  16. Anonymous5:45 PM

    This post was really convicting to me, as I need to practice this more intentionally with my own children. Thanks for the encouragement, and for spurring me on to love and good deeds! (Heb. 10:24-25)

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    1. It's so easy to forget to be intentional, isn't it? ...and it's so easy to point out the negative... but we all know where we are falling short - what we long to hear is what we are doing right! Yes... we spur each other on to love and good deeds! Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Ah, sarcasm is spoken here as well, but always in jest and fun. When the boys were younger it wasn't so, but I learned that sarcasm can be anger cut hard, and that was when things changed. I agree that we must speak life.

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    1. Stacye - there IS a learning curve in sarcasm, isn't there? So glad we learned it while the kids were young... a sense of humor is a must - sarcasm is harder when we are speaking life - but it can still be done! ;) Glad to have you come by today!

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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