Growing up, a lesson my parents taught me over and over again was “think before you speak.” Emotion-driven and selfishly seeking to be heard over others, there was a reason this was a constant point of discipline for me. ...
When I was young there was a popular commercial about razors on TV. It featured men and women going about their usual way of daily shaving, when all of a sudden— Gotcha! —the razor would cut them, and they would wince in visible, marked pain....
I enjoy cooking. I don’t particularly have exceptional knowledge or skills in this area, but I can get a meal on the table with the general good disposition that comes from having enjoyed the process. Often I’m surprised by how many things I cook that...
At the beginning of this past semester, I moved into an apartment with five girls. Approaching this season of living with new roommates and living in a location that would likely become a hub for many friends on a regular basis, I began to pray...
I have been subscribing to a workout video streaming service for a while now, and one of the reasons I love and hate it is because of a mantra they always use:“Work to your edge.” They don’t mean “work to your strength” by that....
My husband and I were cast suddenly into a very difficult season of life four and a half years ago when not just one but both of his parents had major life-threatening health crises within a month of each other. It has taken a long...
College is a season in life when you have the most independence and the least responsibility. Over the past three and a half years, I’ve found that statement to be entirely true. I would suggest that you could replace the word “independence” with “energy” and...
Our words—they can bring life or death to another person, encouragement or discouragement. Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue can bring life or death; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." ...
I am a person who values truth. I cannot stand being lied to. I believe the best relationships are built on honesty and it is one of my goals in life to be as honest as I can possibly be. All of that being said,...
Driving to lunch yesterday I saw a frightening thing. Another car had made a very wrong turn and was traveling the wrong way down an exit ramp of a major interstate, about to enter the wrong side of oncoming traffic! My first reaction was to...
“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction” (Proverbs 13:3). The word of God speaks clearly about the power of the tongue to wound or heal. Throughout my life I have used the written word...
Have you ever received an email or text that was so delicately worded, so saturated with cordial fluff, that you had to really filter through every sentence to find the main point? The book of James is the opposite of this. James is as straight-up...
Words. They are a necessity in life. From the time the alarm clock sounds in the morning, until it is set again in the evening, we use words. Our words help us navigate life, express our basic needs, and articulate our heart’s deepest desires. Whether...
This weekend we took a look at what James has to say on taming the tongue. James begins chapter 3 by addressing teachers and reminding readers that those who teach are judged with a greater strictness. James doesn’t say this to scare people away from...