Speak Life

Words matter.

The way we arrange and inflect them matters.

Who, when, how, and why we share them with matters.

Because the moment we give them our breath they have power.

It goes so far beyond "political correctness," "mindfulness," and "the law of attraction." Each human being can affect and be affected by the influence of words. They not only shape our perspectives and emotions, but our thoughts themselves and how we decide to act on them.

Especially the big ones: change, acceptance, can't, relationship, love.

What these words mean to us, and how we choose to use them accordingly impacts our entire reality.

Recently, I realized that the way I had been choosing to use words, at some point between when I began writing this on January 24th and when I published it on March 19th, stopped reflecting the responsibility that I know them to hold.

I'd used them for my own devices and vindication. I used them to express frustration, up to the point of "getting even," under the guise of "balancing the scales."

I've used acceptance when I really meant weakness. I've used change when I really meant move. I've used can't when I really meant won't. I've used relationship when I really meant usefulness. I've used love when I really meant comfort.

But, as I said in a recent email regarding a precarious situation regarding law enforcement, "lack of clarity & understanding of purpose often makes just enough room to pave the way for further standards of harm."

And when we use words like love and acceptance when they aren't actually what we mean, then we're not using synonyms--we're using powerful words of healing to cause harm, and diluting their innate power for positive, transformative impact.

So consider, when you speak to those you know and love (or "hate" for that matter), as well as those with whom you may only ever hold one conversation with--that your words have the power to do things far beyond your expectations (or limitations). So when you do open your mouth (or keep it closed)--choose wisely. You never know what could be accomplished as the result of your choice to (or not to) speak life.

With (full, care-taking, covering, supporting, accountability-holding, sacrificial) Love,

K. Marie <3

Every Single Day

People are dying.

In streets.

In schools.

In hospitals.

In churches.

In coffee shops.

In airplanes.

In mosques.

In government buildings.

In buses.

In department stores.

In boats.

In movie theaters.

In cars.

In homes.

Think about the last argument you had. Picture the person you disagreed with in an open casket. Now was it worth it?

Life is too short to be petty.

Life is too short for anything but forgiveness, care, & love.

Organizations Over People?

When did we start to choose entities over individuals?

And why does that remain to be okay?

Our lives should have Christ at the center, then family & intimate relationships, THEN all other institutions created for the purpose of coming together for a common goal?

When did serving our churches become of greater priority than serving our families?

There is a very distinct difference between placing God before all else & placing “church” above all other things.

There is an order that we must begin to restore to our communities or else the foundation of our society will remain shaky. Our relationship with God allows us to build families & relationships with one another. And our churches are built upon those relationships.

Now I’m not saying that we should stop going to church in order to have “family day” every week at Chuck-E-Cheese. But what I am saying is that the needs of individuals who are closest to us should surpass the wants of our church institutions. In fact, the desires & actions of our churches should be rooted & determined -by- the needs of our relationships, just as our relationships are rooted & determined by our relationship with God.

I mean honestly, how will people you love feel if you continually choose church (not God, but church itself), over them? And, of course, that’s the same way God feels when we choose people over Him. Everything suffers if we neglect the building of one level & simply move on to the next. Think Jenga–but with your life.

Our churches reflect our relationships, which reflect our relationship with God–because they are built upon one another. Is it any wonder that in a time of such separation & deviation from intimate relationships with God that we have so many broken homes, resulting in so many ineffective churches?

If we refuse to make our family & core relationships our number 2 priority after God himself, then our churches will never be strong enough to successfully replenish, restore, rebuild, & refresh our communities–or our world.

Reconstruction

Engulfed in flames.

No way out.

We are charred.

Bridges demolished.

Forces us to entertain the question, "Is it worth rebuilding?"

If the answer is yes, then we must start from scratch, one step at a time. But sometimes the answer is no. When one route is wiped out, you come to find out how badly you need it, or find another trail.

Sometimes that trail is actually a better route to your destination, or even more, leads to a better destination altogether.

It is only after a roadway has been demolished that we can allow ourselves to realize that some bridges are better off burned.