Avalon Chronicles #122: Taming the Tongue

      The Evidence Bible (NKJV) James 3: 5-10. "...See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell....But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God."

     The Everyday Life Bible with notes and commentary by Joyce Meyer has some incredible thoughts about our tongues. Life Point(2055) in James 1: "Our words are verbal expressions of our souls. Until our mouths are brought under control and submitted to the Lord, He usually does not redeem and restore our souls-our minds, wills, and motions." Her commentary (2056): "There is power in the tongue indeed for good or evil. We can bless ourselves or curse ourselves by the way we speak. When we bless, we speak well of something; when we curse, we speak evil of something. By the words of our mouth, you and I can bless our own lives and bring joy to them, or we can curse them and bring misery upon ourselves."

     What we say, when we say it and how we say it, is one of the most critical aspects of everyone's life. How often do we get home or after a conversation look back and question how we spoke? Sometimes our tongue can hold the power to uplift or embarrass, lose a career, lose friendships or just place us in an unfavorable light. It establishes positively or negatively who we are and what is our reputation. Better to hold our tongue than to perhaps be known in a negative light. Each day we are prone to express ourselves in supposedly innocent conversation and hurt someone or even ourselves. It is a natural human instinct to desire to express our opinion, especially in supposedly innocent personal conversations, but those are the ones that are most liable to be misunderstood or worse to be understood!

     Remember we learn nothing when we speak and do not listen. 

Avalon Chronicles #121: How to Pray for Others

      Admittedly it is not every day I pray for others within all the following categories; Provision, Comforting, Blessing, Healing and Recovery, but, as I reflect on relationships and friendships, I do bring before our Father prayers for others. I do not leave out myself!

     My first and overriding prayer for others is that they know Jesus as Savior. He died on the cross at Calvary 2000 years ago so that we, believing in the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins, can very attain eternal life at earthly death. It takes a proclamation by each of us that we believe He is the Son of God and we desire to live by His standards proclaimed in the Bible, not by the example of the world's standards. To walk and behave by His guidance requires a giving up of much for most of us to gain much more in peace and tranquility every day. We must confess sin and forgive all others!

PROVISION: There are so many individuals in each of our lives that need more earthly substance, a more satisfying and fulfilling career or life's purpose, a life mate to overcome loneliness, a raise to be more comfortable financially or a myriad of other needs. Many of my friends are very forthright in indicating their needs. I pray with them in person and on the phone immediately, when I become informed of their needs. I do not leave them and say, "I will pray for you!" I do it there and then.

COMFORTING: When one of my friends indicates a malaise of spirit perhaps for a loss or a need, it is time for a prayer of comfort. That is simply a prayer of consoling, one of "I cannot really understand, because I have not personally faced that, but I can empathize with you."

BLESSING: One day I spoke at the Dallas County, Texas Jail to perhaps fifty incarcerated men. I spoke and related my own blessings from God that I was spared death on June 17, 1967 at my Green Beret camp in Vietnam, where a mortar round shredded my legs, causing their amputation. Afterwards two men, much younger than I, approached me and asked, "Will you bless me?" I put my hand on their head and called for blessings on them for the multitude of their needs. 

PROTECTION: This need is predominant at a time when there is much lawlessness, criminality and danger.. I pray protection from one's own benign neglect, malignant intent to one from another, intersection of evil and our own "stupids.'

HEALING and RECOVERY: At age 81 I find so many with ills of body, soul and spirit. Each may be brought before the Father in the Name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit for healing.

Avalon Chronicles #120: Parenting

      Early in August 2023 I was awaiting a plane and in front of me walked a mother and six children, beginning perhaps early teens down to age four or so. I observed them for perhaps an hour and the entire group of children were quiet, well-behaved and close. A couple at a time would share a chair in the waiting area. They were active, but remained very contained in the area near their mother. After a period of time, I could no longer confine myself in not inquiring of the mother as to what was her secret to parenting success as evidenced by the model behavior of her children. I went over to her, introduced myself and indicated how I had been noticing her well-behaved children. She introduced herself as the wife of a pastor. That indicated a probable explanation for her children and their calmness and peace. In retrospect I recognized that it would not take being a ministerial family only to raise children with their degree of extraordinary behavior. I asked her to relate, if she would, three reasons for the apparent success she exhibited with her children. She expressed her principles.

     CONSISTENCY: She said she and her pastor husband proclaimed the same uniformity and constancy in their oversight and communication with their children. They did not deviate from what they believed should be how they raised their children. Simply put, they set standards and stuck with them together so the children always knew what their standards were and there was no questioning. 

     DISCIPLINE: They were not reticent in the youth of each child to "Spare the rod and spoil the child." (Proverbs 13:24). She indicated they spanked the children, when they were young, and the children recognized there were consequences to misbehavior.

     PARENTAL AGREEMENT: Together they maintained the same standards for guiding the lives of their children. They agreed to preserve cooperation and express together the same level of expected behavior to impart to their children. None of this "Go ask your mother or your father" to avoid taking a stand on morals, scruples, ethics or behavior. 

     PRAYERS: As a parent couple they prayed often for and with the children and were committed to raise their children in a Godly fashion.

     Simple response full of wisdom. The proof of their success was exhibited in the six children I watched for perhaps two hours!