It's Just a Word

Unacceptable.

It's just a word...right?

Yes.

Just a word.

But a powerful word.

A word that holds a powerful meaning.

A meaning that lets the person whom your saying it to know that their behavior is far beyond what should be and will be tolerated.

There's no room for excuses when something is unacceptable.

There's no...but mom this...but mom that.

Unacceptable is the bottom line.

Clear crisp line...no gray area...no guessing...no excuses...no arguing...just a straight, precise line.

It's also a shield...a shield from all the spittering and spattering that gets thrown.

When the slinging of excuses is over...then turned around it's also a mirror.

A mirror where the behavior that's warranted the use of the word in the first place can be seen...and then be reflected upon.

Perhaps it is more then just a word.

Yes it's more.

It's the first and last stand against all that wills to unhinge...to unravel...to cause confusion...and yes even cause compromising.

For me...it is much more then a word.

Power of Prayer

I once read a quote that said prayer doesn't change circumstances as much as it changes the man who's praying. I believe this is very true. I was reminded of it recently when doing none other then praying.

Jim and I hadn't been getting along the best that day. We were miffed at eachother and I felt as though the reasons he was miffed at me was completely unfair...hench why I was miffed back. I sat down and started to pray, "Lord please help me not to be affected by Jim attitude towards me." After the words came out they didn't settle well. "Don't let me be affected by Jim's attitude?" Then it hit me, he's my husband, whatever is going on with him is going to affect me, fair or not. We are one and every time he's peeved at me, in a bad mood, or depressed about something it's going to affect me. I quickly changed my prayer to, "Please help me not to react badly to him and how his state at the moment is affecting me."

Then I got to thinking...if his emotional or mental state affects me, then mine must affect him too. Oh boy...gulp. How many times am I in a pissy mood for stupid reasons...I woke up pissy...I lost my cup of coffee somewhere in the house for the third time today...the kids left their dirty clothes on the floor again...yadda, yadda, yadda.

If I'm in a bad mood, depressed, or on edge, it's going to affect him the same way it does me. How many times do couples get into fights because they can't extend to eachother the same grace and patience that they want.

Truth of it is that sometimes what I'm going to have to deal with concerning my husband isn't always going to be fair or deserved...visa versa, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I do my best to not react in a stinky way to him and I try to keep in mind that I can have the same affect on him as well.

This praying thing can be quite dangerous for a selfish person like me. Go to pray about something impaticular and God shows you something about yourself. He didn't change the circumstances I was in cause Jim continued to be pissy with me the rest of the day...what changed was me.