The person on the other end of the line did not know me. That person had never been in a position to experience my heart, my passion or my walk. The words spoken that day were about one moment in time. But the words that came from that person grabbed hold of my flesh and I just could not seem to shack them.

“Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.” – Proverbs 26:2

It never ceases to amaze me how God will put your answer in your heart long before you have need of that answer. Several weeks ago the verse about a curse without cause came up in our accountability group. I finally understood that it did not mean that curses would not come but that when I was doing what I know to do then the curse will not “alight” on me.

I have lots of sparrows that flitter around our back yard. Even when they come to the bird feeders, they never sit still. It is almost like they cannot find the perch that will make them comfortable.

“You need to learn how to speak words that are more uplifting.” I have not been able to loose that statement from my thoughts. It has followed me around all week and taunted me as I would try to sleep. Even as I provided research to a friend for “lifting up a fallen brother” and used my own writings, I still could hear those words echoing in my head.

Check Your Heart

1. Words that stick may have some validity to them. I intend to spend the next few weeks in my own personal study time looking at the words that I have been speaking, writing and thinking. There is a reason that this “curse” has managed to alight.

2. Words that stick may be driving you deeper. My gut reaction is to know that I am a good, positive and uplifting person. But my heart wonders if maybe I have grown comfortable where I am in my life. Just because I do try to lift people up does not mean I need to stop growing in that endeavor.

3. Words that stick may be preparing you for what lies ahead. Opportunities are opening up in my life for my walk in the church, my writing and my speaking. This “curse” that has alighted in my heart may be a wakeup call that I need to go further up and further in. I will never change the words that were poured out or the person that poured out the words, but I can choose to use the moment to grow my own life and my own heart and to push closer to the purpose for which I was woven.

4. Words that stick to not have to remain stuck. There have been things said of me in the past that were hurtful. Releasing those words through my own growth in the Holy Spirit has been some of the most refreshing acts I have ever experienced.

Do I need to work on being more uplifting with my words, thoughts and actions? The simple truth is that I do need to continue in my quest to live the good, positive and uplifting in every aspect of my life.

Have you checked your heart lately?

One of the challenges that I chose was to read more fiction. Every writer needs to be a reader and I had fallen short in that endeavor. More than once I have tried to make “read a book each week” part of my regular schedule. I’m a fast reader and that normally is about how long it takes me to read. I broke it down to just reading one hour a day. It’s much easier to do that.

Tips for Staying on Track

1. Do it today because trying to catch up tomorrow will only put you behind somewhere else.

2. Have a tangible measurement. Reading a book each week does nothing to break it down for me daily. Reading one hour each day is easy for me to schedule and fulfill.

3. Be a little flexible. Doing it completely may not always be an option. Do what you can do and do it to the best of your ability. After that just let it go because there is nothing more you can do anyway.

4. Get some sleep. Any schedule should have room for plenty of sleep. It’s best if you can include a thirty minute nap in there after lunch as well.

5. Start fresh each day. No matter what you accomplished the day before, today is a new day. Start today like there was no yesterday and finish like there is no tomorrow.

Building anything (even a new habit or a new focus for life) requires making a plan, making adjustments and completing one task at a time. The first step to a better life is to begin. Have you started your change?

1. I’m saying yes to my husband – any time of the day. He’s a much happier man than he was just a few weeks back. And he’s grinning a lot more than I’ve seen him do since we were dating.

2. I’m saying yes to the invitations – I’m keeping my calendar handy so that I don’t OVER schedule but unless there is an absolute conflict I am saying yes to the party invites, the play days and what ever else comes along.

3. I’m saying yes to muse – no matter what is on television I’m writing and amazingly I have yet to run into any conflicts. Apparently my muse wants a break just about the time the kids need mom or someone else needs me .

4. I’m saying yes to the person that I once was – the extrovert who always knew where the party was mostly because I was the one throwing the party. My husband and my family deserve the whole me and not the one that I’ve created because of the baby weight or other concerns.

5. I’m saying yes to new friends and to old – when someone invites me to go to lunch or have dinner then I make the date right then. All of our lives are so busy that if we don’t make definite plans right now then we likely never will.

Give it a try. Say yes to all the things that come into your life. Say yes to your spouse, your children and the opportunities that you have been letting pass up until now. You might be as amazed as I am at the difference one word can make I your life and in the lives of all those around you.