Light & Momentary Troubles: I Put my Foot in my Mouth!

People often say they admire someone who speaks his or her mind.  But is that really a quality to admire?  The thoughts in our minds don't always need to come out of our mouths.  The bible says that even a fool who holds his tongue and keeps silent is wise and discerning (Proverbs 17::28).  We risk putting our "foot in our mouth" when we fail to practice verbal restraint.  It is far more admirable to consider how your words may offend people than to always want to get the last word in.

MEMORY VERSE: Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech (1 Peter 3:10)

Light & Momentary Troubles: Afraid of the Storms

I'll be the first to admit that I am guilty of freaking out over the proverbial storms in my life.  The moment I hear the rumbling of thunder, I retreat.  Sound familiar?  In Matthew 8:26 when a storm came upon the lake, Jesus asked the disciples: why are you so afraid?  In the natural world, tornadoes occur abruptly with little or no warning, and even in shelter we're not completely safe from their wrath.  Tornadoes have notorious reputations and we fear them because of the risk of serious injury or catastrophic devastation.  When tornadoes enter your life, do you automatically fear the worse?  Perhaps we should take the advice of disaster experts who concur that planning and preparing ahead can greatly reduce your risk for injury during a major storm.  Planning ahead means spending daily time in prayer and scripture well before the skies turn black and the wind speed accelerates.  By doing so, we greatly reduce our risk for serious injury or catastrophic devastation!  Tap into your spiritual resources when a storm arrives, and take refuge by seeking shelter in the Lord (Psalm 61:4).

MEMORY VERSE: When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. (Proverbs 10:25)