|
______________________________________
{HeartTouchers.com} *Defeating the Tongue* ______________________________________ If you enjoy this email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration the lives of many! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, join us by visiting: http://www.HeartTouchers.com Be sure to check out our inspirational list just for teenagers! http://www.Heart4Teens.com ____________________________________________ Michael's updated book Heart Touchers "Life-Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter," is finally here! ($13.95) Visit the link below to preview the book! Personalized autographed copies are available at no extra charge and we pay the shipping for you! An E-book version is also available for just $3.25! http://www.hearttouchers.com/books Be sure to let us know who you would like it autographed for and then allow about two weeks for us to sign it and send it on its way to you.Credit card, PayPal, Checks, and Money orders accepted! The book is also available through Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Booklocker.com _____________________________________ DEFEAT OF THE TONGUE by Max Lucado Insensitivity makes a wound that heals slowly. If someone hurts your feelings intentionally you know how to react. You know the source of the pain. But if someone accidentally bruises your soul, it's difficult to know how to respond. Someone at work criticizes the new boss who also happens to be your dear friend. "Oh, I'm sorry-I forgot the two of you were so close." A joke is told at a party about overweight people. You're overweight. You hear the joke. You smile politely while your heart sinks. What was intended to be a reprimand for a decision or action becomes a personal attack. "You have a history of poor decisions, John." Someone chooses to wash your dirty laundry in public. "Sue, is it true that you and Jim are separated?" Insensitive comments. Thoughts that should have remained thoughts. Feelings which had no business being expressed. Opinions carelessly tossed like a grenade into a crowd. And if you were to tell the one who threw these thoughtless darts about the pain they caused, his response would be "Oh, but I had no intention.I didn't realize you were so sensitive!" or "I forgot you were here." Listed under the title of subterfuge is the poison of insensitivity. It's called subterfuge because it's so subtle. Just a slip of the tongue. Just a blank of memory. No one is at fault. No harm done. Perhaps. And, perhaps not. For as the innocent attackers go on their way excusing themselves for things done without hurtful intention, a wounded soul is left in the dust, utterly confused. "If no one intended to hurt me, then why do I hurt so badly?" God's Word has strong medicine for those who carelessly wag their tongues. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6) He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23) He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. (Proverbs 13:3) When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. (Proverbs 10:19) The message is clear: He who dares to call himself God's ambassador is not afforded the luxury of idle words. Excuses such as "I didn't know you were here" or "I didn't realize this was so touchy" are shallow when they come from those who claim to be followers and imitators of the Great Physician. We have an added responsibility to guard our tongues. These practical steps will purge careless words from your talk. 1. Never tell jokes that slander. 2. Never criticize in public unless you: have already expressed your disappointment with the other person in private, have already taken someone with you to discuss the grievance with the person, and are absolutely convinced that public reprimand is necessary and will be helpful. 3. Never say anything about anyone in their absence that you wouldn't say in their presence. Insensitive slurs may be accidental, but they are not excusable. Max Lucado Source: "From God Came Near" Copyright (c) 2004 (Used by Permission) With more than 39 million books in print, Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times -- 1999 for Just Like Jesus, 1997 for In the Grip of Grace and 1995 for When God Whispers Your Name. Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists - a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past eight years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. His newest book, Come Thirsty, was released in October 2004, and Next Door Savior recently won a Gold Medallion award in the Inspirational category. Max serves as the pulpit minister of the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas. But he says his greatest accomplishment is finding a one-in-a-million wife in Denalyn and having three unbelievable daughters: Jenna, Andrea, and Sara. You can visit his web site at: http://www.maxlucado.com _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "Isolation is the worst possible counselor." --Miguel de Unamuno Verse for the Day: "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." --Proverbs 11:14 Kid's Thought For The Day: "The school bus is never running late the same day you are." Parent's Thought For The Day "My kids would never share anything of their own free will - except germs." --Bruce Lansky Coach's Thought For The Day "As a coach I need to be able to laugh at myself. When you're able to do that you usually end up laughing with someone, not at someone, and you build camaraderie." --Joe Broeker Writer's Thought For The Day: "I'm one of those writers who plans everything out in advance. It's just so much easier to get from New York to LA if you have a map, and route planned out, and money for gas in your wallet. Which isn't to say that characters don't surprise me sometimes, or that I don't have to change my basic route to encompass a few side roads that appear along the way, but I always know where I'm going, and how I plan to get there." --Hilari Bell Deep Thought For The Day: "Why do people put the window down when they smoke in the car alone? Are they afraid of breathing the smoke?" _________________________________________ Inspired Audio -- Inspirational Audio Message of the Week! Inspired Audio is a brand new offshoot of HeartTouchers.com. Every week we will offer a different audio message that you can listen to right on your computer as you are surfing the net or just getting things done around the house. Be sure to come back and visit each week! This Week: Looking For Loopholes -- The DaVinci Code by Jeff Williams http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Inspired_Audio _________________________________________ Over 84,000 people have listened to popular Chicken Soup Author Michael T. Powers' free inspirational message entitled: "Breathing Life into Others". If you aren't one of them just visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com and click on the link to listen to the free streaming audio message! __________________________________________ Video Imagery --Michael's Video Production Business Dear Michael, I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for the beautiful video you made for me! It was so special to see both of my parents in tears as they watched their children grow up in pictures before their eyes! I loved the way you made Estania's part set aside from the rest--that was the part that really got them! The music was beautiful. My mom kept blubbering, "What song is that?" I don't know how you did such a beautiful job with the video in such a short time. I really appreciate your doing it so quickly. You have a wonderful gift, and I thank God that you are using it to create such sentimental memories. I hope that I can find my niche like that in an area that I love. Your video gave us one of our most lasting Christmas memories! I hope yours was filled with moments to be treasured forever! Love, Trisha Silverhill, AL Let me make you a video from your photos! Check out my video production business by visiting: http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery __________________________________________ Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm |
 |
|
Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
|