Comments

 Your comments are pure honey to my soul.  This was the reply from the writer of this blog, ( http://totheafterthought.wordpress.com/) to a comment I made on her blog post.

I try hard not to flatter falsely or give out words of affirmation just to gain a positive response.

We have heard how words can kill or build up, make or break us, leave us in a pile drowning from the hurt they caused or take us to the honey pot.

“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.”
Yehuda Berg

If we really believe the above quote by Yehda Berg then we must discipline ourselves to speak only honey words. Taking time to think about what we should say and how we say it is takes discipline. Learning discipline is a life long project. I am 73 and I still speak before I think at times. It’s a sign of maturing to think before we speak, so we can respond instead of react.

In the blogging world usually we do not know the person personally or have met them face to face. So their words are the only things we can comment on. I don’t mind that because for me with the Holy Spirit living in me for discernment and my Bible as my guide I usually can know if this writer is someone I want to follow or not. It’s a walk of faith I enjoy because I love to write and read other blog.

If your words make me feel small or disrespected I probably will not visit your site again. There are those who like to dump the contents of their negative mind without regard to those who read their words, I will not re-visit their site.

Gary Chapman in his book, Love as a Way of Life uses the vivid metaphor for words as being either ‘bullets or seeds’. If we use our words as bullets with a feeling of superiority and condemnation, we are not going to be able to restore a relationship to love. If we use our words as seeds with a feeling of supportiveness and sincere good will, we can build a relationship in positive and life-affirming ways.

To get honey from a bee hives takes a lot of work, proper clothing at times, having an understanding of bees first of all. If the bees are not treated right you will not get much of a honey harvest. Interesting read on how to have bee hives and harvest honey. The enemy of our soul does not want us to be honey to others and it’s an ongoing battle sometimes to continue on writing a blog. He tells me, it’s not worth it, who am I to think others would want to read what I write. If I get offended by someone I want to stop it from happening again so the urge to withdraw from reading and commenting on blogs is strong. I love this quote from Margaret Thatcher, “You may have to fight a battle more then once to win it”.

This is what I am doing right now, fighting the battle again. I may land on your site next and drip a little honey on it. You see, I think you are worth my time to stop and read your words. Nothing I like better then to gather honey from others.

"Even If/Right Now"

                                           

This song has never resonated as much to me as it does right now.  I have several friends who are hurting greatly and need a touch from the Lord right now.  Right now I am, along with so many praying for healing, physically, emotionally, mentally, in every way one can be healed, they need it, right now.  

And I know God can do it too, right now, believe it in the deepest part of my soul. Yet I know some will not get what they need, here on this earth.  

I am also into a book titled,  "I've Seen The End Of You", by W. Lee Warren, MD.  He is a neurosurgeon who writes about his look at faith, doubt, and the things we think we know.   

In the Prologue, titled, Life Gets Messy he quotes Psalm 78: 35 After all they endured, they remembered that God, the Most High was their Rock, their Redeemer.  

He continues to say, "often the things we think we know are just that, things we only think we know".   As a surgeon, he has looked at a patients brain scan and sees cancer, knowing what is coming in the months ahead.   This is where the title of the book becomes real. He coins the phrase, "I've seen the end of you."  He goes on to say, he has also seen the end of himself due to serving as a doctor in a war, going through a divorce and then unimaginable loss at the deathbed of his shattered faith.  

It's such a sad, helpless feeling to talk to someone whose faith has been broken by pain so deep, loss of whatever kind has stripped their faith down to the bone.  This kind of brokenness can come no matter how strong they have stood on the rock of Jesus.  The three parts of us, body, mind,  and spirit all can be tested, tried, and found wanting.     

In his words, "what happens when our messy lives mess with what we think we believe?"

I love this quote by Graig Groeschel:  If you have questions, ask away.  Just be prepared when God answers.  

I have had, a couple times questions for  God to answered and was totally blown away from His answer.  I have wished I had not asked, wished He had not answered.  Sometimes His answers are hard and leave wounds that leave a scar or never heal.  What God wants is for the hard times, the wounds and scars to be used as a platform for us to reach others.  

The song speaks to that, even if there is no healing, even if divorce comes, even if we lose our job, even if we question.  He does not have to question our ways, our questions, He is the only answer for all the even if's.