The tag line of my blog is "Inspiring Winsome Homes and Hearts". Our hearts hold what we put there--what we read, listen to, and watch.
Taking inventory, I ask myself: What books are on my night stand?
If you are a reader, check your nightstand. If you don't like to read, check your playlist.
What channel comes on when you push "play" on the remote? What topics dominate your blog list? What magazines do you buy?
Jesus said, "Out of the heart, the mouth speaks." So, we must choose wisely what we input into our hearts, if we want our words to be winsome.
To work on my words, last week, I attended a Speak Up seminar. Even though I taught public speaking for eleven years, by the end of four days, I was excited to be able to more effectively share my story, biblical narratives, and practical tips for developing winsome homes and hearts. The founder of Speak Up, Carol Kent, joked, “We won’t remove your butterflies entirely; we’ll just get them to fly in formation.” She has written her own moving story in several books: 
When I Lay My Isaac Down...
A New Kind of Normal...
and Between a Rock and a Grace Place.
I'd highly recommend both the seminar and the books; they are good input for our hearts, inspiring us to speak winsome words.
Posts
I saw Carol Kent speak at a Women of Faith conference. Her message and story are so powerful!
ReplyDeleteA for my reading, I just finished reading Guardian of the Flame by T.L. Higley. I was previewing it for Chelsea's reading list for the new school year. I approve.....
Becky K.
Thank you for the winsome reminder, Marcia. Even more important for those of us who trade in words to be sure the soil from which they spring is well-tended.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I'm very careful of which blogs I follow. I can't imagine listening to anything but praise music. I hope that anyone visiting my blog will be pointed to Jesus and Him alone. Have been following for awhile, I hope you will come and visit.
ReplyDeleteTamara
http://hisperfectpromises.blogspot.com/