Confession.

I am guilty. I need to apologize to some of the people who read my blog & to some who don't. I have been convicted about words. The Daily Bible Verse this morning (Matthew 12:36-37) speaks about the importance of words & how one day, we will have to give an account for our words. The Bible says so much about words. One scripture that always sticks with me is Matthew 15:18. "What comes from the mouth proceeds from the heart & this defiles a person." I think I have defiled myself.

I've been thinking back through my year of blogging & my lifetime of words. Ouch! The good thing about facebook & blogging is the delete button. If you say something regretful, you can delete it. It's almost like you never said it. But... we all know the truth... Whether you said it or wrote it, the damage is done. And... as I used to impress upon my youth group, once you've said it, you cannot take it back. Oh how I wish I could take back some of my words that have been hurtful!

So where do we go from here? Once the stinging words have been said, you can only apologize, both to God & to the offended. True repentance, however, means you try to stop using hurtful words. Here's what concerns me about my blogging... I have used my words to discuss the impact another person has had on me (without naming him/her). I have given enough information that those who know me well can figure out who has impacted me. I believe this is wrong.

So to those, I've hurt. I am sorry. Even if it was about the hurt you caused me, I am sorry. It's time to grow up & use my words more carefully. If my blogging has been hurtful because I wrote about something dear to your heart (that wasn't my place), I am sorry. I believe God has given me so much in my life that I need to share, I just have to figure out the right way to do it. I'm sure I will continue to "mess it up."

One of my deepest concerns is this: the condition of my heart. If what comes from my mouth overflows from my heart, I think I have some heart cleaning to do. I will end with a scripture I dearly love from Psalm 51... "Create in me a clean heart, O God & renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence & take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, & renew a right spirit within me." Amen.