Be Careful What You Say!

Now hear this: This is your Monday wake up call for July 14, 2008! Sometimes I get to thinking about all the different stuff I've written about and wonder if most of it tends to all run together. It surely has quite a lot of repetition but perhaps if it reflects my views then I am a very repetitious fellow. I don't know how the weather is where you are but it has been hot as blue blazes around these parts. I've heard 'hot as blue blazes' all my life but recently looked it up in an idiom and figure of speech website and found some interesting information. It actually most likely began as a polite way to say hot as hell without actually saying it. I didn't know that because I figured it had to do with the blue hue that comes off a very hot fire. I may have to rethink using it because we all know that hell is not only hot but it is a place none of us wants to joke about. I did find out that slang sayings like 'Good Lord', 'Gosh', and 'Golly' all reflect on the name of our God, therefore, I have attempted to never use them. I was especially hooked on using 'Good Lord' as an exclamation of surprise but there's plenty of other innocuous things I can use instead.

Now you might think that's being rather persnickety about something that has very little significance. While I don't go around correcting people I am aware of when these sayings are used and realize that most folks don't really even know they are invoking an alteration or slang term that relates to God. Ignorance is not always bliss and when I discovered the truth I felt it necessary to change my way of speaking. I am well aware of these being very mild compared to the common language on the street these days. In fact, the free flow of curse words coming from folks of all ages is quite remarkable compared to how it was when I was growing up. Yeah, we boys did reach that age where cussing seemed to have made us a little taller but it was done behind closed doors and typically between buddies. Now days when I am at the big mall waiting on my wife for her lunch break the air is filled with four letter words coming from all directions, boys, girls, men, and women.

The other day when I was walking in the mall I came to one of those stores that cater to older teens and the rock music was blaring out into the walkway. There were two ladies with small children walking by and one of them stopped and let out a stream of profanity about the loud music. The other lady nodded in agreement and the little children looked up as they soaked in the word lessons for the morning. That got me to thinking. I don't enjoy hearing that music as I pass by that store. But to be honest, I was less offended by the music which goes along with the theme of that store than I was with a young mother who would use such vile language in front of her impressionable children. That leads me to the conclusion that perhaps all this gutter talk we hear everywhere we go has been handed down from parents and other adults who never learned how to control their language. I do know this is not the kind of legacy I want to hand down to my children and grandchildren. The little kid song I've heard since I was a child puts this into perspective. "O be careful little tongue what you say, O be careful little tongue what you say, for the Father up above is looking down to hear, O be careful little tongue what you say!" That's most likely not exactly how the song goes but that's the best I can do on a Monday morning. I'm sure my wife will let me know how it really goes but I think you get the idea! Hope you have a great week and remember to use some wholesome and uplifting speech this week! Amen. .........More later.