Poison or Fruit (You Choose).

I spend a lot of time thinking about words. Words for a blog post, words for a story, words for instagram captions. I love words. I think they can change the world. 

We've probably all been told at some point or another to be careful with our words. That they can hurt people. Sticks and stones, and all that.  

I've always paid attention to how parents talk to their kids, but now that I have a baby it's something I notice even more. I find it heartbreaking how easily it seems to come to some people to say belittling and hurtful things to their child. 

It's an election year, so we've all got those friends who feel the need to share their seemingly ignorant and unresearched opinions on the daily...the ones who will call you a range of colorful names when you disagree with them. 

It's likely that you daily see examples of people (including yourself, probably!) who should have been more careful with their words. And by that, I mean they probably just never should have said them. 

There's a verse that says "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit-you choose." I love that. I love viewing our words as something so powerful...they can nourish or they can kill. I think that sometimes, we remember that we should be careful with what we say, but we forget how much power our words are capable of. 

I think this is something I'll probably always struggle with. For most of my life I have been very nonconfrontational and avoided disrupting peace at all costs. Then some things happened where I really wish I would have spoken up and not been such a doormat, and that translated into me feeling like I had to say my opinion on everything, ever. Neither one of those sides is good. There's a middle ground in there somewhere. 

I strongly believe you should vaccinate your kids. But do I need to say that to every single parent I come in contact with? No. It makes my blood boil when I hear people so casually say they won't be voting, because I think that it's a precious right that came at a very high cost. But do I need to write a lengthy Facebook post about it every single day? Nope. Then there are some things (Ahem, Brock Turner) that are just too big and too important to stay silent on. 

So yes, we should be careful with our words. But in remembering how powerful they are, we can't forget to use them. 

Your words are a powerful sword that you get to choose how to wield. In the simplest sense, you can use them to build someone up or tear them down. In a deeper sense, you can use them to argue pointlessly, or you can use them to change the world. You choose. 

Don't put away the poison and forget to use the fruit. 

Quotes to Motivate You to Just Do it Already.

Sometimes we all need a little motivation. Something that taps us on the shoulder and whispers in our ear to stop being an idiot and to get up and do the things we keep talking about doing. 

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Now, I'm off to make all the things and write all the words. Happy Thursday!

just write: ocean dreams.

the ocean’s full of secrets, 
so salty from our tears. 
it’s full of bitter, broken dreams
swept off to better years.

when you lay your dream down
and choose to walk away, 
the ocean sweeps it out to sea
to make sure it stays safe.

until one day, years from now, 
you’ll visit the sea once more. 
you’ll have grown and changed in many ways
and won’t be as you were before. 

so when the waves lap at your feet
and you don’t feel so blue, 
that’s just your old dream that the ocean
is bringing back to you. 

just write: wild & free.

if all good things
are wild and free,
what does that say
of you and me?
too old to be wild,
too young to be free,
held here by these
responsibilities.
but maybe one day,
we'll wake up to find
being wild and free
is not about time
or how much has passed,
or how old you are,
because wild and free
both live in the heart.

9 Quotes to Read When You Forget How Amazing You Are.

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Something Special.

You guys.

It's been quite the week.

I have a lot of adjectives (and honestly, some expletives) that I'd like to put in front of that word, but we'll just keep it simple and say it's been a week. And I was really looking forward to a fresh start today.

So, I wake up early enough to write out my to-do list for the day, because being able to do that before work just makes all the difference. I have an extra cup of coffee. I start the new She Reads Truth plan. I am on it. 

And then I go to leave for work.

Annnndddd my car won't start.

So I ask a two or three people passing me if they can jump my car, and they say no. Which is totally fine--it's a Monday, we're all busy and trying to get to work. But then I wait by my car for thirty minutes and ask people to help me. And it wasn't just that they said no, because I totally get it. I probably wouldn't help a stranger if it was going to make me late either. So that wasn't what upset me, it was the way everyone said no.

"Do I look like I have time to help you?" 

"Nope--gotta go."

"Sorry, I don't have jumper cables." "Oh, I have jumper cables." "Sorry, I don't have a car." Proceeds to walk to his car.

"I seriously don't have time for this today." 

Okay, I get it. Everyone is busy. No one is obligated to help me. But seriously...a simple "I'm sorry, I don't have enough time. But good luck!" Or anything like that would have just made my morning a lot better.

So I do what anyone would do in this situation and cry and call my mom and decide that people are the worst.

Then I go back inside, in a much worse mood than I came out with. I'm waiting on the elevator and thinking about how people are the worst ever, and how everyone who just refused to help me has a black heart and I wonder how they would like it if their car wouldn't start when they were on their way to work and blah blah blah. 

This older man walks up just as the elevator dings, and he motions for me to go in front of him.

"It's elevator etiquette, you were here first." 

I made a joke about how elevator etiquette is so awkward and I never know what to do and he said, "You're a lady, you should always go first. 

Then we rode up in awkward elevator silence. When we got to his floor, he turned and waved to me and said, "It's a Monday. Make it something special." 

And just like that, my day got a lot better. Just because a little old man took the time to remind me that Mondays should be special.

We should all remember that our words and actions--no matter how small--can totally change someone's day. So be a little kinder than you feel like being. Choose to say something nice instead of something snarky. Just be nice, you know? It makes a difference.

It's a Monday. Make it something special. 

Freedom.

I had an amazing time celebrating yesterday, as I know the majority of America did.

my amazing parents.

fourth of july snuggles. 

just chillin' in the pool, no big. 

Why did we celebrate?
Well, most of us were taking advantage of a day off.
But the reason we celebrate?
We celebrate our freedom.
We live in a beautiful and place were we have freedom that is not given in many other places because of the sacrifices that many made on our behalf.
So we celebrate.
We eat hotdogs and go swimming and watch fireworks and spend the day with the people we love.
Because we are free, and that is worth celebrating.

I had an amazing day yesterday, and I am so thankful for the freedom I have.
It made me think of how I am not only free because of the country I live in, but I am free in another aspect, too.
I have an ultimate freedom because of an ultimate sacrifice.

The Bible reminds us over and over again that we have freedom. That we have been set free.

I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free. 

-Psalm 119:32

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 

-John 8:36

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

-2 Corinthians 3:17

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

-Galatians 5:1

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

-Ephesians 3:12

I am so incredibly thankful for that freedom.  That is a freedom worth celebrating.  
Remember that.  
You have been given the incredibly precious gift of ultimate freedom. 
So celebrate.
Not just sometimes, on special occassions. 
Not just on Sundays. 
Live a life of celebration because of the freedom you have been given. 
Jesus didn't come so we could have stuffy, boring lives that don't really amount to anything. 
He came so we could have life. 
Not only life, but abundant life. 
And abundant life is worth celebrating. 
An abundant life is a life celebrated. 
So celebrate. 

susie & sally.

We live in a time where it's super easy to talk about people.
I think a lot of that has to do what we're constantly exposed to.  Stand in line at the grocery store for 30 seconds, and you pretty much have a list of negative qualities of every current celebrity right in front of you.  The news, the internet, people in general. . .all eager to spill juicy details of how someone has screwed up their life.  We're constantly exposed to these types of stories, and have even learned to be attracted to these details.
And really, how long can that go on before it starts making its way into your day to day life?

People are going to hurt you.  Be nasty to you.  Lie and say mean things.
And we live in a time where its just so easy to retaliate with some of our own ammo.
Hop on twitter and deliver your judgement on someone's character in 140 letters or less.
And since you didn't really say anything, you feel satisfaction without having to have confrontation.
[Side note: don't be a bully.  And if you just can't help but to retaliate, say your piece to someone's face, not online where everyone can see and add in on.  That's being cowardly and rude.  Stop it.]

Here's a thought:

What Susie says of Sally says more of Susie that of Sally.

In other words, what you say about someone else says more about you than it says about whoever you're talking about.

If we all honestly kept that in our mind when we spoke, we would all be a heck of a lot happier.

And really, do you want to be perceived as a crazy, frantic, mean, vindictive person?  No?  Good, then we're on the same page.  So I'll go ahead and give you a tiny bit of advice here.
There is a very fine line between talking about someone and being mean, vindictive, and--let's just say it--crazy.  And most of us don't even realize when we cross it.  In fact, we're usually miles from the line before we even think we may have gone too far.

I wrote a post a few months ago on how important your words are for the sake of other's.
But your words are also important for the sake of yourself.

Be careful what you say, because what better judgement could people make on you than a judgement based on the things coming out of your own mouth?

Do you want to be known as a loving person?
Speak in love.
Do you want to be known as a kind person?
Speak kindly about others.
Speak the way you want others to perceive you as. 
And remember that the words you speak say way more about you than they do about whatever you are talking about.

Words.

Let me just start off by saying that never have I hated the internet and social media more than I have this month.  It just seems to offer a giant platform for people to say things they have not thought about, make claims about issues they have not researched, and jump on bandwagons that they have no idea what direction are headed in.

People lobbying for and against marriage equality, hurtful and unnecessary words exchanged on both sides.

People slandering the CEO of Starbucks and publicly boycotting the company {in the name of Christianity, no less} posting a fake article as their basis for doing so.

And so much more.

Let me just say this.

I love words.  Words are beautiful.  Words are a gift.

Your words are important.

No one else will ever be able to speak your words, so it is important that you speak them.

However. 

It is so incredibly important to think about your words. 

There are so many reason for you to consider your words before you use them, but I think there are two main reasons.

One:  Once your words are out there, you can never take them back. 

This is especially true on social media.  Sure, you can delete your post.  You can say you're sorry, or that you've changed your mind.  But you can never truly take back the words that you spoke, or the words that you posted.  They are out there to stay, and they are attached to your name.

Two:  You never know how your words are going to influence someone.  

You don't know who all looks up to you.  You don't know who will choose to believe your words as truth.  So consider them carefully.

Did you know that it is possible to disagree with someone's views without going crazy and dragging their name through the mud?

Did you know that it is completely okay to have an opinion and not tell everyone about it?

Did you know that it is possible to disagree with others in love, and not hate?

Did you know that just because you disagree with someone's beliefs, you do not have to use your words to berate them in anger?

Your words are important, and they matter.

Your beliefs are important, and they matter.

Both can be conveyed in love. 

Choose your words wisely, friends.  Because they will either bring help or harm, there is no in-between.