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Wednesday, September 16, 2020

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Carol James @CarolJamesAuth

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.....

 

       Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I can’t remember the first time I heard or even said these words, but years and wisdom have proven their falseness. Words may not cut or bruise, but the pain they inflict often lasts years longer than the six weeks required to mend a broken arm.

            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, Id 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 wasnt being successful, maybe I hadnt 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....

www.carol-james.com

Facebook.com/CarolJamesAuthor

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

Get your copy of Carol's newest release, Season of Hope at Amazon, Pelican Book Group (Ebook), and Barnes & Noble (Nook)

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:

Mary Preston said...

Words are indeed very powerful.

Carol James said...

Pam, thanks so much for letting me visit today.

D. V. STONE said...

Wonderful post. Words do have lasting consequences and once said we can never take them back. Thank you for sharing your story.

Carol James said...

Yes, they are. And sometimes we forget just how much.

Carol James said...

Oh, yes. And yet it’s so easy to ket them fly.

Sharon Ervin said...

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."

Carol James said...

Amen, Sharon!

Barbara Britton said...

Thank you for sharing with us, Carol. What an encouragement for all of us.
I enjoyed "Seasons of Hope."

Kelly Goshorn said...

Beautiful post, Carol! Words do have the power to lift us up or tear us down -- especially the ones we whisper to ourselves.

Carol James said...

Thanks so much, Barb. I appreciate your encouragement.

Carol James said...

Thanks, Kelly. So true about that little inner voice.

LoRee Peery said...

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.

Carol James said...

Mine, too, LoRee. I’m so glad you enjoyed Season of Hope.

Kara O'Neal said...

Such a beautiful post. God whispers to us often, and we have to be listening. I'm glad you had such a good experience.

Carol James said...

Thanks for stopping by, Kara.

Karen Malley said...

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.

Carol James said...

Thanks for stopping by, Karen. Yes. God is amazing!

Alina K. Field said...

The power of words to harm or heal--so true! Thanks for sharing your story.

Carol James said...

Yes! Yes! Thanks for your comment.