I receive a daily e-devotional from Cru’s ministry to families, FamilyLife. The other day, I was struck by the words of the post about watching what we say and why. Around our house, we don’t allow vulgar language. I have never heard my kids use bad language, my husband and I don’t use bad language, and we even had a foul-language filter for our T.V. for movies that otherwise would be entertaining for our family. I can’t say it any better than FamilyLife founder, Dennis Rainey, so please read his words and think about what might issue forth from your lips. Is it from a clean well or a dirty one?

Potty Mouths

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

Dennis Rainey

Fifty years ago, censors were allowed to delete crude terms from books before they were published. When James Jones, for example, included more than 250 vulgar words in his final manuscript of From Here to Eternity, censors eliminated 208 of them from the original hardcover edition. When the book came out in paperback, they deleted all the rest. They simply didn’t want the masses reading profane words. Read more

I’ve gotten behind on my thankfulness list, so I need to step up the pace to make 1,000 by the end of the year. But there is so much to be thankful for, that shouldn’t be too hard. Maybe at the end I’ll compile them all and see what it looks like all together. I know there have been repeats, but that just means I’m extra thankful for those things 🙂

Thankful today for:

710. light

711. the smell of gingerbread

712. glitter

713. Christmas cookies

714. God’s provision for not just us, but others

715. peace

716. mercy

717. grace

718. not having to be in a rush

719. love

720. laughter

721. compassion

722. silly jokes

723. open windows in December

724. the state of my electric bill because of the warmer weather

725. innocence

726. handmade ornaments

727. generosity growing in my children’s hearts

728. natural healing aids

729. a smoke-free environment

730. much to celebrate