The Power of Words

Until recently, I hadn't thought much about how important words -- both written and spoken -- are to God. Words are one of the most tangible ways He communicates with us (the Bible), and one of the most intimate ways we communicate with Him (through prayer). "Word" appears 962 times in the Bible (NIV version, at least).


The book of Proverbs likely has the most to say about our words and how we use them. For example:


Wise words are like deep waters. Prov. 18:4 (NLT)


Wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies. Prov. 20:15 (NLT)


In the book of John, God describes Jesus as "the Word."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.


But I think my favorite passage about the power of words is in 2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV):


You are a letter from Christ ... written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

I pray that the letter I am displaying to others is one of compassion, hope, and faith in a God whose love for His children is not limited to words, but speaks volumes.

Hiatus or Facebook Addiction?

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

OK, I'll be honest. I've been on a hiatus from my blog recently for one reason -- Facebook. Who knew tracking down long lost friends and relatives could be so much fun? If I didn't police myself, I could probably spend 8 hours a day on Facebook, just looking at everyone's pictures and profiles. OK, maybe I need to get a life. No, actually, I probably need to spend more time writing than surfing Facebook. Now there's a novel idea! (Pun intended. :-)


Speaking of writing, my agent forwarded me a rejection letter from a large NYC publishing house. Keep in mind, the book my agent is representing is my humorous children's fiction picture book about a chicken who discovers he has artistic talent. Not exactly true-to-life stuff here. The editor wrote: "I don't understand why the pig can read but Chuck can't and where the pig gets the famous painting from." My clearly frustrated agent wrote a note to me on the forwarded letter: "Julie -- I'm concerned for this editor's career in publishing!" My sentiments exactly. This editor can "buy" the fact that a chicken talks and has artistic ability but can't quite "get" the other fictional points that move the plot along. Maybe she needs to change genres -- non-fiction might be a better fit for her. Ah, well, I'm learning to take rejection really well. Maybe the next letter will be a yes! :-)