Good Morning and Welcome!
Hurricane cleanup again today. We're in a RV park so far away it's difficult to go in every day but I do my best to go every other day. Alas, life goes on....
Carol James returns to share some insight on The Power of Words. Take it away, Carol.....
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” I
do remember the first time I heard these words in history class. We discussed
how, in using words to influence a person’s
thoughts, you can transform someone. Words, not swords, have the power to cause
true heart-change. That one idea began my love affair with words.
Several
years ago, a friend invited me to a women’s
conference. It was a time when my life was in a drought. Certain God had called
me into a new ministry, I’d
begun writing. After numerous rejections and some harsh critiques, which all
writers receive, I began to question my decision. Writing was too much work.
Too hard. Too painful. If I wasn’t
being successful, maybe I hadn’t
really been called.
In addition
to the mental pain, I’d
been having unexplained back problems, and the thought of sitting for hours in
a stadium seat was torturous. But I went. Because time with my friend was
priceless.
As we
entered the huge arena, I recognized the background music. Sovereign Over Us, a song written and sung by my church’s
worship pastor, Aaron Keyes. What a fun coincidence! Of all the recordings they
could have chosen, one by a person I knew. A song I’d sung many times in
church. A reminder of God’s sovereignty.
We found
our seats. Mine had an envelope on it. I glanced around the huge convention
center. Each seat held an envelope. Thousands of seats, thousands of envelopes.
I opened
mine. Snoopy. I love Snoopy! And he was sitting at a typewriter struggling to
find the right words.
Then I
opened the card. Someone had handwritten a Bible verse inside. “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed.
Save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. Jeremiah 17:14”
The song
about God’s
sovereignty, the verse about healing, even the typewriter, of all things. I can’t
remember the teaching from that weekend. I’m sure it was fabulous. But I will
never forget what God said to me through the song and the card. The words were
streams in my wasteland.
Oh, the
power of words! We all have the responsibility to use our words for good. To
build up rather than tear down. To heal rather than hurt. As a Christian
writer, my task is to use words not only to tell a story but also to show God’s love.
The woman who volunteered her time to
inscribe my card most likely had no idea the depth of truth the words would
speak to my heart. But she was obedient, and the words she wrote were powerful,
life-changing.
Words.
Powerful. Life-changing. Heart-changing. Maybe that’s why John tells us Jesus is the
Word.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:1,14
Carol James is an author of inspirational fiction, in particular redemptive romance. She lives in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Jim, and a perky Jack Russell "Terrorist," Zoe.Having always loved intriguing stories with happy endings, she was moved to begin writing to encourage others as she'd been encouraged by the works of other authors of inspirational fiction.
Her debut novel, Rescuing Faith, was an Amazon number one best seller.
Carol enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, traveling with friends, and serving in the production department at her church. And most days, in the late hours of the night or the wee hours of the morning, she can be found bringing her newest novel to life.
Connect with Carol at the following locations....
https://www.instagram.com/caroljamesauthor
https://twitter.com/CarolJamesAuth
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19149238.Carol_James
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carol-james
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3duHqKc
Oh, Carol what a lovely story. I adore it when God speaks to me like this! Thank you so much for sharing!
Good luck and God's blessings
PamT
19 comments:
Words are indeed very powerful.
Pam, thanks so much for letting me visit today.
Wonderful post. Words do have lasting consequences and once said we can never take them back. Thank you for sharing your story.
Yes, they are. And sometimes we forget just how much.
Oh, yes. And yet it’s so easy to ket them fly.
I call those Godly coincidences "nudges." They often are subtle, but clear, like the familiar hymn at your conference. Confirmation. It's good to stay in close touch with The Almighty, even when His answer is "No."
Amen, Sharon!
Thank you for sharing with us, Carol. What an encouragement for all of us.
I enjoyed "Seasons of Hope."
Beautiful post, Carol! Words do have the power to lift us up or tear us down -- especially the ones we whisper to ourselves.
Thanks so much, Barb. I appreciate your encouragement.
Thanks, Kelly. So true about that little inner voice.
Season of Hope was one of my favorite reads of the year. Thanks for the great reminder about words, Carol. So often mine are spontaneous and later regretted.
Mine, too, LoRee. I’m so glad you enjoyed Season of Hope.
Such a beautiful post. God whispers to us often, and we have to be listening. I'm glad you had such a good experience.
Thanks for stopping by, Kara.
Thanks for sharing this story, Carol. Words do have so much power, and it's so heartwarming to see the special ways God speaks to us.
Thanks for stopping by, Karen. Yes. God is amazing!
The power of words to harm or heal--so true! Thanks for sharing your story.
Yes! Yes! Thanks for your comment.
Post a Comment