James 1:26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
James 3:5,8 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! . . . But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Ecclesiastes 23:1 “You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be a unrighteous witness.”
Psalm 15:3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; . . . He who does these things shall never be moved.
Proverbs 17:20 He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, and he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil.
Proverbs 20:19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
As you can see the Lord has a great deal to say about that nasty little muscle that resides within our mouths….
Our bodies are pretty impressive. There are all sorts of cells, different muscles, tendons, cartilage pieces, and all working together. We have so many muscles that we have to think about moving—it’s almost unconscious thinking, but not really. Our eyes–we can decide to not blink spontaneously if we are playing “stare down” with another. But many of our muscles move without any conscious thought from us. We do just get up and pour water from the faucet, flip a switch to turn on our electric, but even if we have not given much CONSCIOUS thought to this, we have thought out the process and moved on it. Those are actions that do require we give some thought to get those muscles moving.
But we have so many muscles that function without ANY conscious thought from us—unless there is a problem and something is not functioning properly. But your heart just beats, sending out oxygenated blood throughout your body, working in conjunction with your lungs which breathe in and out. Can you think about the action and control it? Maybe, a little. But 99% of the time it just happens, God has ordained we have normal breathing patterns, slow and fairly regular, which can increase as needed, slow when we don’t need the rapidness of blood flowing to muscles faster with exercise or stress. But generally, these muscles work without our conscious thought or control. Pretty remarkable machines we have!
Yet the most headstrong muscle we have is the tongue. It is not always obedient, kind, gracious or free of sin. It can lie, deceive, gossip, speak nasty things, say hateful judgments, and be a very unruly misbehaving muscle. I work at reining mine in often.
It is not often I spew out hateful things now. But I sometimes feel gossip wanting to leap from my mouth and have to mentally scold myself and remind myself that is not what God wants me to speak.
Gossip is hurtful, and often a lie, and it spreads like the awful California fires. Those words leap and fly far and often, creating more and more distortion. It does not absolve you if someone told you a story and you repeat it verbatim….it is gossip. It is something I struggle with, and yet I must say I thank the Holy Spirit much more often for reminding me to hold my tongue, than when I let it freely engage in this misbehavior.
It used to be fairly common for me to scold myself and confess even though God had already heard and probably cringed that I was still being disobedient. But I am reminded that I did not let anything slip, I did not engage in a gossip session, and usually will say I don’t want to talk about a certain subject or person. No kudos for me; this is totally the Holy Spirit reminding me of the mercy and grace shown me, and that I need to show that to others also. And engaging in gossip is ungraceful and hurtful. And most important, sinful.
Thank You for The Holy Spirit and hearing His reminders when I could slip into sin. You are helping ‘mybellaviews’ grow.
Matthew 12:37 by your words you will be justified and acquitted and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Ecclesiastes 12:11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well driven nails, given by one Shepherd. (I looked up ‘goads’ since it was an unknown word to me. Goads were sticks the shepherds used to steer and guide the cattle/sheep/oxen they were caring for to keep them on the correct paths.)
“The best way to get the last word is to apologize.” Marquee Messages, pg 93, Shirley Jones Garmon, Pathway Press, 2000
Our words can build up or tear down and apart. Often times we may spew something out in a moment of anger, and not realize the damage those gushing words may have caused. We can cause insecurity in others, hurt feelings, insult, defeat a person just as they are trying something new, and/or convince another they have no talent, cause them reason to believe the devil’s lies ‘they’ll always be worth nothing’… and so on. You get the message. A moment’s negative utterance can have lasting and damaging effects for years.
And of course, family members often can voice frustration, anger, stress out in a negative moment, and not realize just how much of an impact those words speared into another’s soul. And yes, all included– siblings, parents, grandparents all can impact into another’s view of themselves. There are always differences in family members and one may get on another’s nerves and frustration causes nasty thoughts to spew out.
But those same people can give more positive feedback and thereby increase the security, self-esteem, positive outlook and confidence. We all encounter frustrations and say things we should hold back when stressed. I hate it when I hear anything negative coming from my mouth now.
And believe me, I vomited some nasty words in fear, anger, frustration, hopelessness and all. I hate that it happened, and hope I have apologized for those times. But does the apology totally remove the awful feelings I may have caused? No.
But I hope my words and prayers to God asking for Him to show whomever I harmed that I love them, have good wishes for them, and never meant to cause hurt and damage, or if still there is damage to their hearts, that God will heal them and let me o apologize. My words of confession are just as important to and for them as they are that I confess to God.
I have been praying for years for God to teach me to tether my impatience and my words so I can demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit as patience. I pray not to become overwhelmed, stressed or fearful. I pray my words don’t ebb out into gossip, into judgment, and nothing passes in anger. Thinking before answering another is so important to me now. Never again do I want my words to injure another.
Always I have had a gift for encouragement and praise. Knowing that, I try to always use positive words or acknowledgments to someone so they receive a slight uplifting message. I know how much of a boost a quick positive word can give another.
I pray my words will continue to always be positive to others, to Him and that I can always lift others to Him. Give me words You want me to speak to help others see You, and not a person who says negative thoughts, words, or gossip. Let my words always be for Your glory.
You know I like using words in ‘mybellaviews.’
Colossians 2:13,14 God made you alive with Christ, and He forgave all your sins. He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow.
John 1:16,17 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
When I was young, we attended a church in which you had a mediator you confessed sins to, there were strict rules to follow and I felt a fear and a certainty I could never reach a level of goodness and worth. I therefore always felt God was unattainable. I was afraid and positive I could never attain heaven. It would be nebulous for me. I tended to be pretty disobedient, especially if I think I can get away with something. I would break every rule so it seemed too dismal for me to ever make it. This tends to be the way the legalists look at religion. They like to lay down laws and make sure you, and you, and you are obeying…. The old judgmental pharisees Jesus had little tolerance for.
But I learned from other churches about having a relationship with God. A relationship?
But He is the Almighty, the creator, holding all power and punishment in His hands. Right?
And still, although apprehensive, I wanted to learn more. There was a need, a yearning to learn more, to get more, to fill myself. It had always felt like something was lacking. Just . . . something.
Having a relationship with God was a different, and initially, strange concept to me; and it felt to me, hmmm, disrespectful. I was not worthy to have a relationship with Him. I would never be good enough. Not ever. But I began going to different bible teaching churches and listening to different sermons. I liked the joy, the worship, the thankfulness I felt in many of them. Then I was touched and moved to accept the idea of a relationship. Would He really take me?
I sped up the aisle of the church and wanted to cry out for joy, although instead I wept as the feeling of peace, love, and nurturing entered my spirit. That day changed my life. Thank God!
Slowly, I began to learn more and more, and still continue to learn each day. It’s funny to me how I have read the same verse countless times, but “miss” it. Other times it strikes a chord, and it always makes me chuckle when that happens. It’s not just been added to the bible, its been there for years in the same spot, the same verse number, so it is nothing new, but it seems new then. The words have always been there, I’ve seen them, even underlined them sometimes, and occasionally, they are brand new concepts. Because it is SOMETHING I needed then, or I’ve grown enough that now I can progress further and deeper into knowing Him. Now my understanding is better.
It amazed me to realize that He loves me just because. He forgave me just because. He suffered, was tortured, was nailed to a tree and died the most horrific death…for me. His love, His mercy, His gifts…all freely given under grace. Wow, what a word, a concept. Grace.
As I learned more, got closer in my RELATIONSHIP with Him, I wanted to be more full of love and grace and goodness to others. That is such a wonderful way to live, to have a relationship with the creator. I want to be the best I can be toward all, love toward others, and know that I can go to Him and “chat” about anything. That’s grace. Grace is full of joy, full of love, full of forgiveness.
Legalism carries an undercurrent of fear, of judgment toward others, and does not live in love. There is an air of condemnation.
I choose grace for all of mybellaviews!
Genesis 1:1,2,20-22 (1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (20) Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living things that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind.And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
Psalm 8:6-9 You made them rulers over the works of your hands, you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds and the animals of the wild, the birds of the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Job 12:10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
I am blessed to live on the coast of NC, truly on the coast. It is a 60 second walk from my home to sitting in the sand on the beach. And every May through September, female turtles come ashore and lay their eggs, multiple eggs. There are dedicated folks who walk a specific section of the beach early each morning looking for the telltale signs of a turtle coming up and whether she actually laid eggs, or for some reason moved to a different place. The nests are then marked, roped off, and the wait begins.
Although there have been several nests in my neighborhood, the timing has never been quite right for me to witness turtle hatchlings springing up from the sand and scurrying about. They want to go toward the ocean, but are sometimes drawn away from the ocean and move toward bright lights. Of course, this is terrible, and one more danger of death for them.
God knows the witnessing of hatchlings coming forth is on my list of blessings, so I have no doubt I will see it eventually. I was able to rescue an escapee one early morning and the caretakers at the turtle hospital on the island said to keep it in a basin with dry sand and cover with a dishtowel to keep it quiet and to help it conserve its strength until evening.
The whole process amazes me. These females supposedly come back to the area of their birth and then lay the next generation. How miraculous is that? Somehow the area is imprinted for them, and they swim thousands of miles to return here to lay their eggs. After approximately 60 days, depending on several factors including heat, the hatchlings begin digging upwards toward the freedom of air, a trek to the ocean, and then a long swim. There are so many dangers the critters are subject to; gulls and other sea birds love this delicacy, confusion and disorientation if the lighting is too bright, perhaps going in a haphazard direction instead of head on to the ocean, and sometimes there are some which are not with the rest of the majority and when they make their way to freedom, it is not witnessed. These can be stepped on by an unsuspecting beach walker, snatched as breakfast for some bird, or lost in the sea oats and beach vegetation.
They swim a very long distance where they finally can settle and eat. They will not return to coastal areas for a few years, when they are considered juvenile, no longer hatchlings. I’ve included part of the information gathered about turtle hatchlings from an internet site.
“After an adult female sea turtle nests, she returns to the sea, leaving her nest and the eggs within it to develop on their own. The amount of time the egg takes to hatch varies among the different species and is influenced by environmental conditions such as the temperature of the sand. The hatchlings do not have sex chromosomes so their gender is determined by the temperature within the nest.
THE PIVOTAL TEMPERATURE OF A BABY TURTLE
Whether hatchlings are male or female depends on the temperature where they are in the nest, known as the “pivotal temperature.” The temperature varies slightly among species, ranging between roughly 83-85 degrees Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees Celsius), at which embryos within a nest develop into a mix of males and females. Temperatures above this range produce females and colder temperatures produce males.
After 45 to 70 days (depending on the species), the hatchlings begin to pip, or break out of their eggs, using a small temporary tooth located on their snout called a caruncle. Once out of their eggs, they will remain in the nest for a number of days. During this time they will absorb their yolk, which is attached by an umbilical to their abdomen. This yolk will provide them the much-needed energy for their first few days while they make their way from the nest to offshore waters.” Copied from www.seeturtles.org
Female laying in early July in Atlantic Beach
I find it miraculous these critters make it. Eggs are laid and left unattended. Mother moves on; no maternal direction here. Hatchlings are born and make the strenuous and treacherous journey to the ocean, facing many dangers. It is a wonder to me there are any left in the world to come to the beach and carry on the next cycle of laying and birthing.
To me this is proof God has every little critter in His hands. Since so many of our days have been hovering near 90, I’m guessing we will have more female hatchlings. If you have the opportunity and blessing of seeing any part of this miracle, and live or vacation at the beach, please keep in mind turning off outside lights. Be respectful and quiet if you witness any of this. Our God is so great.
Thanks for these blessings to “mybellaviews.”
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 6:4 Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, (of our sins) that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Apotheses fragment my addition.
Somehow, when I was a new believer, I thought life would miraculously change. And it did not. I was so excited initially, and then realized I still had the same problems and there was not a significant difference.
I did not do any studying, content to go to church service most Sundays for an hour, listen attentively, be touched, but feel I’d done what was acceptable. After learning what I have learned and growing in the manner I have once I began truly seeking and studying on my own….I wish I had started years sooner. But no, I was a busy person; going to school, working full time, was a single parent, and owned a home that needed care and upkeep. Busy!
How selfish is that thinking! Yes, Jesus came to earth in human form, (although He was God, He did not appear as God), walked amongst the sinners and ill, teaching, healing, showing love and acceptance, performing many miracles, then WILLINGLY and KNOWINGLY surrendered to being beaten, mocked, scourged, then nailed to a cross until death. He died, was promptly buried so the time of the Sabbath would not be interrupted, sealed in a rock tomb, then three days later, rose, and ascended into heaven to again, sit on the right hand of God, creator.
And He did this for ME. For you too, and for ANY others who recognize He is God, and He chose to be the last sacrifice for us and OUR sins (not His; He was sinless, spotless, perfect), so we could be forgiven. We only have to believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, He was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again, then ascended into heaven. And is ALIVE.
We were definitely not going to heaven following the many laws God had given to Moses, and then the additional ones different priests tried to enforce. Many of us have a hard enough time trying to follow the TEN commandments, never mind over 600 laws. So Jesus came as a man, one who could sympathize, empathize, love, heal, travel, teach, and worship, and could demonstrate to others the proper way we should live while serving, living and worshiping God.
But I did not do that initially. In fact it tok several years for me to realize I needed to take RESPONSIBILITY for learning more, developing a RELATIONSHIP and seeking Him rather than trying to solve all issues myself. As people, that is what we try to do. We think we are in charge and frequently get ourselves into trouble.
God is in charge. He will not force Himself upon us, but He is there and willing if we reach out. He enjoys helping, but it is done in His timeframe. We are an impatient animal, us humans, and particularly in our country, we have the belief we are ENTITLED to immediate gratification, and should never be told NO, particularly if we want (and believe, we deserve) something.
That can lead to trouble. Voice of experience and example here, and details of my disobedience for this blog are unimportant, but I moved when told not to, and did what I thought for a brief moment was right, and have lived with results of the decision since. (Please do not think I am miserable, as I am NOT, but I did disobey and it has cost something).
And yet, although I disobeyed, I also know God will make the outcome improve in His timing. So once I started studying and learning more about patience, His timing, obedience, listening to His guidance, my anxiety and impatience improved, and things seemed less stressful and morbid. I truly wish I had started studying more of the bible earlier as I would be that much further ahead. Following God, learning Jesus is a lifelong process, and I did not become a gung-ho student until about 15 years ago, twenty some odd years after accepting Him as my personal savior.
So, to quote Joyce Meyer, “I am not where I want to be (with my walk with Him), but thank God, I am not where I used to be.”
I am so loving this journey for me and all “mybellaviews.”
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!