The majority of life is made up of one mundane moment followed by another. Occasionally, we have exceptionally exciting events, but then, as surely as autumn follows summer, ‘normal life’ kicks back in. Floors need sweeping, plants need watering, food needs cooking and messages need responding to. I wonder, which are the moments that truly …
“…But Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,In proving foresight may be vain:The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ MenGang aft agley,An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,For promis’d joy! Still, thou art blest, compar’d wi’ me!The present only toucheth thee:But Och! I backward cast my e’e,On prospects drear!An’ forward tho’ I canna see,I guess an’ …
This series on words is coming to end. However, we would be wise to never stop seeking to improve how we speak. As the Bible says: “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” (James 3:2) Speaking without fault might …
Gentle words can turn away anger. They can make a person feel welcome, bring healing to the hurting and hope to the shamed. Yet, in our culture, gentleness is often associated with weakness. In fact, one of the definitions in the Oxford dictionary for gentle is ‘not strong’. In 1 Peter 3:4, Paul says that …
One way we must use our words daily, is when disciplining our children. Discipline is a difficult process for both the person disciplining and the person being disciplined. Having to decide on and set clear expectations, and then come up with reasonable consequences for when those expectations are not met, is no easy task. Add …
Francoise Fenelon, a writer, poet and Archbishop in France, in the 17th Century, once said: “The more you say, the less people remember.” I recently discovered this was one of my Grandpa’s favourite quotes. My Grandpa passed away when I was a teenager. From what I remember of him, he didn’t say very much at …
If you followed the recent Wagatha Christie case, you will have seen how far a person might go, and how much they are willing to spend, simply to try and protect their reputation. In a way, it is not that surprising, considering what it says in Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is more desirable than …
One of the most positive ways in which we can use our words, is to encourage others. Therefore, this is the first topic I would like to look at in this blog series – What’s in a Word? I’ll be exploring the following: (1) what encouragement actually is, (2) how we can get better at …
Words matter – a lot. In fact, Jesus said that, one day, all will have to give an account, for each careless word they have spoken. Matthew 12:36 That includes the words spoken on an evening out. Words muttered under our breath. Words shouted in anger, when we’ve reached our limits. Every word, spoken without …
I thought everything would feel easier after Christmas, once the colossal to-do list had been completed. However, our first couple of weeks back into school work have not been easy. Rather than a completed to-do list, I now have a list of all the ‘do after Christmas’ items, that got pushed back to make way …