Taming Your Tongue

I have a problem. I love writing. But I’m not very good at writing meaningful words to the ones I love. What do I write besides, “I love you”? My husband is especially talented at this. I save all the cards that he gives me…

My mouth often gets me in trouble. I speak before I think things through. I say something without considering the other person’s point of view. I open my mouth before engaging my brain. Here are my Top Ten Ways to get my mouth in trouble:…

My ears burned. My heart hurt. I had just received a thirty-minute toungue-lashing over the phone. I wanted to ignore the person on the other end. I wanted to hang up. But deep inside I felt God wanted me to not turn away. He didn’t…

For years my son picked up his grandmother Shirley from her senior apartment and brought her to church. Now Nathaniel is one of those strong, silent types and typically not too talkative before noon. One Sunday morning Shirley entered the church vestibule complaining that Nathaniel…

Where can you take your complaints? I mean, is it alright to complain to God? An incident with my dishwasher helped me understand this better.  It all started with a box of dishwasher detergent. We bought a new box of the stuff and soon began…

A few years ago I went to a cosmetics expert at a department store and asked for a mouth makeover. Patty, my makeup artist for the day, first used an exfoliator that softened my lips by removing dead skin and rough spots. Then she used…

When we’re discouraged, disappointed, or frustrated, we need a great encourager. Someone like a the little girl I saw at a Cubs baseball game. I was at the Cubs game with my two favorite men: my husband, John, and son, Nathaniel, when a girl sporting…

Sometimes, as moms, it seems all we do is nag. Pick up your shoes. Finish your homework. Make your bed. We don’t want to, but kids are kids. They need instruction. They need guidance. They need reminders!   When my kids were young, one of…