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I love the old Andy Griffith Show. A gentler time...then.

In one of the first season episodes with the new regular star Elinor Donahue, Ellie, Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee are enjoying a picnic out in the woods. Opie and Aunt Bee decide to go for a walk, while Ellie cleans up and Andy lies back on the blanket, covering himself with the local newspaper.

An article catches Ellie’s eye: those running for city council. Ellie wonders why there are no women running. She gets huffy trying to defend womanhood as Andy tells her she’s taking it too personal.

“That’s a silly attitude!” he tells her.

“Silly?” she retorts.

“Ooh...ooh...I didn’t mean to say that. No, I didn’t mean to say that a bit. It just slipped right out of my mouth. Here, give it right back to me. (pretends to put it back in his mouth) (slurp!) It’s back. And it had a ba-a-a-ad taste. A whole lot of times, we do things and say things even though deep down we know they’re just plain silly.”

Ellie glares at him.

“Ooh, did that bad tastin’ word slip out again?”

How often do we let those bad tastin’ words slip out of our mouths?

Sometimes, we speak negatively, spewing out empty, worthless words, like death, fear, doubt, unbelief, defeat, hate, depression, and discouragement when we should be speaking Life-giving words, like peace, faith, hope, love, encouragement, and blessings?

Jesus said, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

Whew! That’s a lot to think about!

He also said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

What overflows your heart into speech? Do you have to say, “Ooh...did I say that?”



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There once was a man who bought a lush piece of property with an old shack on it. He decided to renovate it and worked hard to fix it up, spending a lot of money in the process.

When he was almost finished, a windstorm came and blew most of it down. When the man thought he would rebuild it one more time, he sent for the inspector to check out the remains of the house.

The inspector said, “You should have called me to look at this before you wasted your time, effort, and money fixing up this old shack. I would have told you that it wasn’t worth the effort. You should have torn it down and started a new structure on a sure foundation. I wouldn’t try rebuilding this again.”

How well built is the dwelling place we give our Beloved Bridegroom? Is it built on Him, as our sure Rock-foundation? Does it come crashing down in a storm of affliction?

Paul said, “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 TLB) So, if the old dwelling place of our hearts is cleansed and created anew, do we keep it that way, or do we allow the winds of worry or the storms of strife to revert it back to the same ol’ rickety shack?

Here’s what I asked the Lord...

~Lord, my heart is Your home. Let’s build it together and keep it clean together.

* Clean out the closet of my hidden thoughts and throw away the trash of wrong attitudes.
* Dust behind the doors where preconceived ideas accumulate like cobwebs.
* Sweep out the corners of my heart where the soil of unwillingness piles up.
* Dig into those deep crevices of my soul where stubbornness plants its roots.
* Take down from the shelves of my mind all the negative thoughts I cling to and replace them with all Your promises that they may be readily available whenever I need them.
* Scrub down the walls littered with the graffiti of my words that have blemished Your Spirit and Your Word.
* Repair the cracks in the walls so that the enemy cannot ooze in with his unwanted ideas.
* Fix the holes in the roof where the rains of difficulties leak in and threaten to dampen my soul-rest.
* Seal up the broken windows where the winds of discontent blow in so easily.
* Clean out the soot of wrong burning desires that have blackened my chimney and allow the vapors of praise to rise heavenward.
* Rekindle the embers of my heart’s passion that have grown cold.
* Use my tears to mop the floor of my soul where it has been trampled upon with the muddy feet of those who would rather walk over me than to see the hurt and pain within me.
* Shine Your light into the dark cellar of my emotions so nothing can remain hidden from Your forgiveness.
* Help me erect that exterior that holds all else in place, as I use my obedience to cement Your bricks of truth in place. May I not leave them lying useless on the ground.
* Help me build on the one sure Foundation that is unshakable and can withstand all storms and disasters.

Lord, may my heart always be a temple in which You may reside and always feel proud to bring others to visit. May it be a monument to Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your love.~~

What kind of home are you building for your precious Lord? Do you schedule regular maintenance projects? Do you allow the Master Craftsman to construct according to His divine plan?

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” (Ps. 127:1 NLT)

“Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot
my taste discern what is destructive?”(Job 6:30 Amp)
Wouldn’t it be nice if all the bad and negative words we say instantly left a terrible taste on your tongues? Maybe then, the next time, we wouldn’t speak them.

Do we ever stop to think about what we say?

Apparently not, for what do we do? We praise God, then turn around and spew out negative phrases.

James said, “Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My brothers, this should not happen!” (James 3:10 GNB) “Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?…No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool.” (James 3:11,12b NLT)

Or we speak blistering words about someone or to someone.

David said, “You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.” (Ps. 50:20 NKJV) Another version says, “You stab your own brother in the back.” (Ps. 50:20 Msg) Why do we do this?

Some say, “I don’t see that my words matter that much.” Well, our words do matter. James also said, “A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything - or destroy it!” (James 3:5 Msg) “What enormous damage it can do.” (James 3:5b TLB)

The words we speak can set our lives, or others, on fire for harm or for good. Our words can bring others to tears or lift their spirits.

Think of the millions of children and spouses who receive tongue-lashings by those who little realize the wounds they inflict with their razor-sharp words. Being verbally abused, they are told, “You’re stupid!” Or “Can’t you ever do anything right?” Or “Why can’t you be like your brother (or sister)?” Or “You’ll never amount to anything.” Or “I never wanted you in the first place.” Or “You’re no good.”

Words leave scars, scars that have never felt the wound of a weapon, to paraphrase Romeo. How many hearts have been injured by insensitive or ill-chosen words, wrecking havoc in their lives and shattering their self-confidence and self-worth?

If these negative words become etched upon the surface of another’s soul, they will play back throughout the rest of that one’s life unless he or she is taught how to deal with them.

Jesus warned, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.” (Matt. 7:102 Msg)

All those words we carelessly let loose are like homing pigeons, coming home to roost on us as they wound others on their flight and ultimately wound the Lord.

The Lord once said to me, “Do not wound My Heart by saying unkind things about those I love, things you could not say to their faces.” We grieve the Lord by what we say, and think, about the ones He loves. Our love for Christ must prevent us from hurting Him with our criticism and judgment of others, whether vocalized or silent.

God is very particular about how we treat His sons and daughters. Would you get upset if someone verbally mistreated your child?

Jesus told the Pharisees, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

If we are required to answer for our speech, then we need to be cautious of what fills our hearts and overflows out of our mouths, for, as Jesus said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

If our tongues speak from the abundance of our hearts, and if Jesus and scripture say our words are critical, then our words truly have extraordinary power and effect. They embody life and death, just as Solomon said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Prov. 18:21a NKJV)

Especially in today’s climate, as home foreclosures abound, jobs dwindle and are lost, bank accounts become emptied, and sickness spreads, words of encouragement, comfort, and blessing are vital to each person’s mental well being.

Do you care how your words affect others? Do you “kill” others with your toxic tongue or do you speak hope and support into them with words of life? Do you speak harshly to your children or your spouse? How would you talk if Jesus were standing next to you or your pastor came to visit?

Solomon wrote, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit - you choose.” (Prov. 18:21 Msg)

Knowing the consequences of his thoughts and words, David was wise to pray, “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Ps. 141:3 NLT)

Do you have a guard set to catch any nasty tasting words from slipping off the end of your tongue?

It's spring! Finally! And the thoughts of many turn to gardening. Have you ever planted a garden? Are you a prolific gardener, producing a bumper crop of everything you sow, or are you a threat to nature, killing even artificial plants? I tend to be somewhat closer to a threat!

If you love to garden, what vegetables will you plant this year? Tomatoes, green beans, lettuce? What about flowers? Cosmos, Sweet Peas, sunflowers? How about herbs? Basil, thyme, rosemary?

If you are a good gardener, when you plant seeds in your garden, you will incorporate all the necessary elements to make them grow…planting for the best sun, providing water, critter repellent, bug spray, and tossing in some fertilizer and plant food, all in order to have strong, healthy plants. After the proper care, you know that, in time, you will have the fruits of your labor, the product of what you have sown.

No matter what size your garden, whether it is a pot on your balcony, a small plot in your backyard, or a farm-size field, the harvest depends on your choice of seeds.

When a farmer wants oranges, he does not plant tomatoes, and when he wants zucchini, he does not plant an apple tree. He has confidence that what he plants will be produced. Seems basic enough; whatever is sown is reaped.

That is Basic Bible Principles 101. This basic truth is applicable to every area of our lives. As the Bible says, “For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.” (Gal. 6:7 AMP)

Our everyday lives are our gardens. What we sow into it grows up around us.

Do we sow the things of the world each day as negative, worthless seeds? The weed seeds of pride, fear, doubt, unbelief, defeat, depression, and complaining?

Do we spread fertilizer on their soil in the form of gossiping to others, hatred magnified by prejudice, lust fueled by flirting around at work, unforgiveness inflated into bitterness, or whining so much that others don’t want to be around us?

Paul said, “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.” (Gal. 6:8-9 NLT)

So, do you sow positive, flourishing seeds of the Word? Like the seeds of faith, hope, strength, health, forgiveness, humility, and praise? Do you water them with joy, peace, love, encouragement, and blessing?

In what amounts do you sow them? In whatever amount you sow, it will come back to you, as Paul said, “A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much.” (2 Cor. 9:6b TLB)

The Received Greek Text says it this way, “The one sowing on hope of blessing will also reap on blessing.” Consequently, a bumper crop of anything is proportionate to its sowing. Therefore, consciously sow to the end result desired.

That verse also says that he who sows sparingly doesn’t get much in return. If you are stingy with the good seeds, retaining them to yourself, they produce nothing. Seeds have no intrinsic value in and of themselves. Therefore, seeds hoarded in the seed packet never produced another seed packet! They must be sown!

At the end of each day, do you end up with more positive or negative seeds? Or do you have a mixture of blessings and cursings?

Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant,” not only in thoughts and words but also in deeds.

What kind of seeds will you plant this day?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~