Sticks and Stones?
No Name Calling Week! Jan. 24-28
If it’s derogatory, you can hardly wait to use it in anger. If it’s uplifting, they are ‘fewer than hen’s teeth’ in your interactions. Are these some of your own choice words….idiot, stupid, fatty, jerk, loser, brat, thunder thighs, selfish, pig, lazy, no-good. I could give a few more, but I think we may have found at least one word we’ve heard. How did we get to this place in our life? Even the medical field agrees with the effect of words in your life. Read their article here Words Really Do Hurt
Parents usually pass on what they’ve heard and lived, unless they make an effort to change their words and behavior. Words impact your children by lifting them up or breaking them down. Pound a child now with the negative words and they’ll live up to your expectations. Can you achieve beyond what you believe about yourself? I know you can achieve what you believe about yourself. After all, your parents told you what you were many times, positive or negative. Even when you take responsibility for yourself and stop blaming your parents for your ‘lot in life’, you find it difficult to get past those ‘spirit-breaking words’.
The only ‘healing place’ I know of takes place in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pretend all you want to, true healing that begins on the inside and makes it way to the outside is within Him. Once you know Who He is and what He offers, then you know the power of forgiveness. Whether it’s forgiving another or forgiving yourself, forgive like He did…without strings attached, in spite of what they did, because (of Him) you can. When you get grudging, resentment and bitterness out of your life, you’re free. In your freedom you’ll discover the desire to speak encouraging words, words that lift up your children, words that strengthen them for their future. You’ll find words that are respectful towards your spouse, words that show in your demeanor, words that strengthen your relationships. You’ll be what the disciple, John, spoke about, “They will know you by your love for one another”.
"Don't Hug a Grudge" by Donna Perugini www.DonnaPerugini.com
Quit waiting for others to change first and let the change begin in you. Make the commitment to future generations with healing in your life now. You are the greatest influencer of your children. Remember that what you imprint them with now is carried on into their adult parenting life. The choice is ultimately yours. Yes, you get a choice…you have a God-given free will. Choose life..choose truth…choose to do what you know is right!Have you been changing in the area of ‘words’?
Do you call yourself negative words? Love to see your comments here!
I don’t have a problem with the name calling, but I do think I could improve in the area of using uplifting words- especially toward my husband. This all makes me think of how acceptable it has become to use sarcasm in everyday conversation. It’s as if it’s a weakness to speak encouraging words to one’s family.
Becky,
You hit the nail on the head! We hear sarcasm everywhere. Interesting that you brought up the word ‘sarcasm’. It means, “to tear the flesh” in Greek.
Very insightful comment, Becky.
Nice read. Thank you for that.
Hope to see you back again soon! Thanks for commenting.
Where exactly is the facebook like link ?
The Facebook ‘like’ link is on the lower right side of the blog. It used to be called a ‘fan’ link. Look for the little green caterpillar, Orville Wright, lying on his back dreaming. It says right above it, “Like Donna Perugini Books”. The second place to find the ‘like’ this Facebook feature is at the bottom of the posting. “Be the first to of your friends to ‘like’ this.”
The ‘Fan’ Donna Perugini Books has been changed to ‘Like’ Donna Perugini Books. The link will take you directly to my Facebook Page so you can ‘Like’ me and leave a comment!
Brilliant post, Thanks a lot. I love your site!
Thanks for stopping by.
My sons school is participating in this. I think it is great. We have never aloud the words, “stupid”, “ugly”, “fat”, etc. in our home. We are trying our best to raise them right! Thanks for sharing.
Visiting from SITS and GLAD I found you!!
Denice,
I’m glad you stopped by. I don’t know if the school is promoting the positive side with the ‘anti-bullying’ program, but in place of the negative words we need to speak words of life over them. By words of life, I mean the right words that will build into their future. What a child believes about themselves on the inside is what they will project on the outside.
Have you seen the new SITs re-do on their site? Amazing how much talent Renee’ has!
Great message, Donna!
We are constantly trying to instill this to our eldest. Though the names he calls others are *mostly* harmless, (calling his brother a baby or one of us a ‘pickle head’or other such nonsence names in sillines) it’s the attitude of the heart we’re most concerned about.
Eliminating even ‘small’ words matter in my opinion – weed the garden before it grows out of control, right?
Heidi,
That’s a terrific saying, “Weed the garden before it grows out of control.” Having acres of weeds to pull, I agree!
But I can compare my lack of desire to get up and do something about it to the parent who is busy at the computer,or whatever has their attention. I used to be that parent that would just yell and not follow up…personally involving myself in the contentious words. Consistency is the key.
Just like exercise….we see the best results over time if we’re consistent.
I woduldn’t agree with You more.
Donna on the positive spirit side of this post…I think you are great and what your site is set up for is awesome.
Not sure if you accept blog awards or not but if you do…I have a blog award for you at my blog. The Stylish Blog Award.
Check it out next time you stop by.
Kipp,
That was definitely in the positive spirit side of this post…being the negative side is name calling. Thanks for the compliments on what the site is set up for.
Thank you and I appreciate your thinking of my blog for the Stylish Blog Award. I’ll be by to pick it up, but it might be awhile as I’ve been busy with selling my children’s books.
Congratulations on your first blog award! You’ve been blogging over a year which means you beat the statistics. Most bloggers don’t last six months!
first time here and just wanted to stop by and say hi everyone.
Glad you stopped by, Sarah. You’re welcome anytime.