Book Review // Keep it Shut

One of my goals for the month of February, just like in January, was to read two books. I am so happy to announce that I met this goal (but unfortunately, I didn't do so well on some of the others...)! The second book I read this month was Keep it Shut by Karen Ehman, and it is a must read for anyone who struggles with words. Even though going into this book I didn't really think I struggled with my words that much, I was definitely convicted of how many sins can be committed with my words.
There are so many different aspects that impact our words, and many different ways that the choice of words, or rather lack of words, can impact situations.
There are a few main points from this book that I wanted to share today because they really challenged me to think about the way I interact with other people with my words. Because I sure sin in the area of words all the time. 

1. The tongue speaks what the heart is full of.  
Yes, a lot of times words can just fly out of our mouth without us giving much thought to them, but that does not subtract the fact that those words are coming from our heart.
When our heart is reflecting on Christ and not the world, our words will be life giving. When our heart is focused on Christ, our words will reflect that.

2. Stop filling the gap & learn to listen
Oh, this. How I needed to be reminded of this. I need to obey the command in James 1 that commands us to be "slow to speak and quick to listen". Our words will mean more to other people when we use them sparingly and really listen to what they have to say. Not to mention, it shows that we love and respect them.

3. Talk to God before others
More prayer means less gossip. How easy it is to fall into the trap of either gossip or slander! (If you haven't really thought about slander and the way our words can be used in a sinful way through it, you should definitely pick this book up!)
One of the ways we can accomplish this is by surrounding ourselves with like-minded friends, watch our intake and also making prayer a daily priority. (Check out the example of Daniel!)

4. Contain Your Anger
I had never really thought about the verse in Ephesians 4:26 that says in your anger, do not sin. 
Yes, it is possible to have righteous anger, and anger is not always a negative emotion. However, anger often leads to sin. If you tend to use your words harshly when you are angry, one of the reminders in this book was to say, Hang on a second. I gotta die. Take a moment and die to the sinful ways you may react to the anger in your heart. Daily dying to yourself is something you have to do in order to use your words in a way that is glorifying to God.

5. Use your words in wonderful ways
"The character quality I admire most..."
"You remind me of Jesus when you..."
One of the things the author had done was to pierce her ears/wear a toe ring to remind her to use her words to glorify Christ and the idea of being a slave to righteousness. (There's a lot of history behind this idea found in the book, and I loved the idea so much!)


2 Timothy 2:16, "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." 
Proverbs 17:28, "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues." 

Proverbs 16:24, "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." 

Colossians 4:5-6, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  

This book was such a challenging reminder to be praying, keeping quiet and using only words filled with grace. This was especially an important reminder for me since I have a dry sense of humor that can sometimes have a negative underlying tone, therefore I really need to be careful. I also need to be more careful with gossip and not talking about others in way that will cause others to look upon others in a negative way.

What books have you been reading this month? 

Book Review // Writing in the Margins

One of my goals for the month of January was to read two books, which has been completed. One of the titles I chose to read this month was Writing in the Margins by Lisa Nichols Hickman.
This book has been an amazing resource in opening my eyes to a new form of studying and connecting to God's written word through writing in the margins of my Bible.
Did you know that writing in the margins of your Bible could be a form of worship?

We don't always think about the different forms of worship that exist. Yeah, we always think of praise and singing as a form of worship and often reading our Bible and praying as forms of worship.

What about writing in the margins of your Bible and personally connecting to the Word, writing prayers and more of the art forms of worship?

reading a book should not be a passive exercise but rather a raucous conversation.

Reading God's word can become a conversation with the writer of it because, as Hickman described:

Scripture is a living text-intersecting all of life with words of prayer." 

I loved this book because it encouraged me to personally connect with the text and gave real life examples of other individuals who wrote in the margins of their Bibles and had a continuous, daily filled communion with Christ. When you are taking time to really interact with the text, it really impacts you and will cause you to think on Him more. 

It encouraged me to write questions in my Bible of the sections of scriptures that I was confused about. It encouraged me to write down deep prayers based on my personal journey.

One of the things I loved the most that described the Bible was the way the Bible was described, 

as place for our restless hearts to find their rest and to be called home.

Some of the things that can be written in the margins of your Bible include:

 ~names of people
 ~lists (journey's, seasons, struggles, faith development, year)
~discernment (what kind of daughter, sister, friend, etc. does God want me to be?)

~songs

 ~prayers for other people

~attributes of God

 ~blessings and thanksgiving 

Not only did this book encourage me with writing in the margins of my Bible, but it also encouraged me with one truth overall that stuck with me:

Acknowledge whatever conflict, doubt, frustration or anxiety that ate at your day and name it in a realized prayer, not pushing it away as a hassle." 

I loved this book and the way it opened up a new form of worship that I had never thought about before. I would highly encourage you to check it out and see for yourself the many ways we can use the margins of our Bible's to grow closer to Him and to create a vision statement for living. 

I did think that some of the sections were kind of boring with some of the history and very specific details of this art, but besides that, I felt like it was very worthwhile. 

What books have you been reading this month?

Have you read Writing in the Margins?