Sounds So Dramatic.

Goodbye Cruel World from "The Wall"

I thought to name this post "Goodbye Cruel World," but then I thought, What if people think I'm suicidal?! (I'm not, by the way. I still love Jesus and life.)

Long post made short: I've attempted to blog since I was in high school and somehow my mouth and fingers have always caused trouble.

I'm going to go back and print some of my favorite posts, especially this one. Then, I'll be done. No more blogging for me. I have a journal and a God who hears in secret. Blogging is too public, and I'm too open.

Meh. Perhaps when I'm old, I'll write an autobiography. Someone can publish it postmortem. No one can fuss if you're dead. It's disrespectful.
_________

As I've been printing past posts, I've realized that's going to waste a lot of trees. I won't be blogging, but neither will I delete this blog.

I will not blog in anger.

But it will be difficult.

King Solomon once wrote, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." (Proverbs 10:19 ESV) In this case, I'll be prudent and restrain my fingers.

I googled that Camping guy to find out how his followers are doing the Sunday after the Non-Rapture. I saw how his organization is $80 million richer. I immediately thought of an Old Testament prophecy from Ezekiel:

"And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice." (Ezekiel 22:28-29 ESV)

My heart filled with (hopefully) righteous indignation. I could feel heat inside my chest and face.

Part of me wants to rejoice that God will have His vengeance. That is sinful and unmerciful and nothing like Jesus. If I were in his shoes, I'd desire mercy and compassion and forgiveness, not justice.

The other part of me want to pray that God kindly shows Camping his sin and lovingly draws him to repentance. That's what I  want from God for myself--loving kindness that leads to repentance.

I'm off to write in my journal a prayer. Well, really two prayers--one for Camping's heart and the other for my own.

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

(Ephesians 4:31-5:2 ESV)

Okay, Pastor Paul. I'll do that. No, God will do that in me.

7 Days of Kindness: A Challenge in Words

I can't remember a time when I didn't talk too much. I got NI's on my report cards in elementary school with "talks excessively" circled in red. In middle school, I lost weight from talking on the phone instead of eating dinner. If I wasn't talking, I was writing. Note passing or blogging in high school, I was always communicating to others far more than necessary. 

I decided Thursday to take one week and only speak kind words kindly. That may sound redundant, but I can speak kind words and not speak them in a kind. I can can also speak kindly without saying kind things. 


What have I learned since Thursday? Allow me to type this in kind words: It is incredibly difficult for me to slow down and think and then speak kind words in a kind way. 


I like graphically organized information, so I'm going to begin a tally table of the following:

• the number of times I speak before thinking and am unkind
• times that I think or speak unkind words toward myself
• times I am tempted to speak rashly but don't

I know that God's brought me a long way since I became a Christian nearly ten years ago, and I know He'll continue changing me. This little challenge is a practical, tangible way to "work out my salvation." 

Some encouragement and exhortation:

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" ~King David (Psalm 141:3)

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." ~King Solomon (Proverbs 10:19)

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." ~King Jesus (Matthew 15:18-19)

Be not rash with your mouth, Mrs. Erven.

I'm trying my hand at blogging once more. I blogged in high school, college, and a little after I got married. However, I always ran into a problem: "when words are many, transgression is not lacking." (Proverb 10:19) I talk too much. I write too much. Sin sits nearby ready to leap into my conversations and soliloquies.

God has sanctified me greatly in this area. I've been humbled more times than I care to recall. I've learned three things: I need to listen far more than I speak or write. I need to ask questions. I need to let God have reign over my mouth.

I want this blog to glorify the Lord. "Everything is an affair of the spirit. If eating and drinking can be done 'to the glory of God,' so can everything else." (Elisabeth Elliot) I include blogging under the heading of "everything." Therefore, I plan to use this blog to update the world on my little life--homemaking; loving my hubby, my soon-to-arrive Baby Caleb, and our puppies; discipling other women, and growing in godliness slowly but surely.

This may seem cheesy to some, but I want to end this first post with prayer.

Father in heaven, I'm giving this little blog to you. Words can do much damage and words can build others up. I want only to glorify you and edify my few readers. Keep my fingers from typing anything that would dishonor You or anyone else. Each time I post remind me of King Solomon's wisdom, "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few." In the precious, necessary Name of Jesus, Amen.

you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.