Welcome! For those who are new, here’s a little intro so we can be friends faster before we dive in…

My name is Tara. (Most people call me T.) I am the author of Finding Everyday Fruit and Waiting On Wonders. I am also a contributing author in the 30-Day Devotional, Chosen, from Seacoast Sisterhood, and the 365-Day Devotional, A Year of Hope, from Hope*Books.

I couldn’t be happier that you’ve chosen to read what I’m putting into the world. I pour out my words here every week, and if you enjoy them, I’d love for you to leave a comment, restack/share with friends, or add a little heart to let me know it resonated with you.

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And, if you missed it, I am proud to announce that I am a contributing author in a 365-day devotional called A Year of Hope, which will release on December 1 with Hope*Books! There are over 60 authors who came together to write this devotional. (I wrote four of the 365 entries, which appear in January, April, October, and December.) You can pre-order signed and embossed copies on my website (limited quantities available), or you can order from Amazon starting December 1.

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Short and Sweet

It’s come to my attention that I have many words to say. I am, after all, an author, and words are kinda my thing. According to an old study (which has since been refuted), it was thought that women spoke more than three times the number of words per day than men. Modern studies put the numbers in a more equal perspective. Regardless, my dear husband would say I still have much more to say than he does, even with the cognitive slowdown of a brain injury on board.

That said, I’m going to make a New-Year's-In-November-Resolution to keep these weekly posts a bit more succinct. I want you to know that I value your time here, and I want to try to share whatever the Lord has put on my heart in a bite-sized way so that you will want to come back.

My beginning-of-the-month “Fruit of Wonder / Free-For-All” Newsletters will continue to be a little longer with more updates and a variety of media embeds. However, weekly posts like this one will simply contain a little thought or story and a question at the end that I’d love for you to engage with actively ◡̈ in the comments. That’s it!

So, for this week, let’s take a look at what the Word says about words:

“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:37 (ESV) “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (ESV)“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”
Proverbs 21:23 (ESV)

(…just to name a few.)

Oh, if we only knew what our words actually weighed. (And I love how this AI image proves it’s AI because it doesn’t know how to count.)

The book of James dedicates a large portion to taming the tongue and the destruction it can bring. (Seems like our mouths get us in a lot of trouble.) Yet from that same mouth, we also utter words of gratitude and praise to the Lord and encouragement to one another. (Seems tricky and maybe something we should work on.)

This is a reminder that your words can unlock potential in someone and bring life, or if used carelessly, can hurt and harm. I believe the difference is found in that simple mechanism of the pause. I’ve been talking about pausing in God’s presence for years now, but boy, do we need it when it comes to the things we say! Here are four little questions to ask yourself in a pause before opening your mouth:

Is it kind?

Is it necessary?

Is it true?

Does it need to be said by me?

Any “no” in this list is an automatic guard that should go over our mouths. (Psalm 141:3). Friend, not everything needs to be said (and I’m saying that to myself, too).

If all lights are green in the list, the words should be administered in a way that lifts the other person up (Ephesians 4:29) and should be slathered in love like butter on good southern cornbread, never spoken in self-centeredness or with an altered agenda. (I’ll dive into the “unwholesome talk” part of Ephesians 4:29 on another day.) The goal is to love with our words and remember the weight they carry.

Question of the day: What is one way this week you are going to work to speak words of encouragement to someone? What other ways do you “pause” before speaking?

I hope this (short) post reminds you that He always wants to teach you and point your heart toward His (even through stories about our words) and that His presence and the fruit of a Spirit-filled life are available to you if you’re willing to raise your awareness to them.

Much love,

-TLB

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Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my writing work.