Slow to Anger

What happens inside of us when someone criticizes us? I know for me, the first impulse is to defend myself; especially if I think my actions were justifiable, ... right?  While turning the tables on our "attacker" is natural, it is also potentially dangerous to our relationships (any type of our relationships that we have).  This is how daily everyday events quickly turn into major blow-ups.

Outspoken Blessing

Words of blessing communicate care and high regard for someone you care about or something you know. Of all the ways people express love, speaking words of affirmation is one of the most important. Words of affirmation are statements that show you value someone. "You look nice today," "Thanks for taking care of this." These statements focus either on something the person did or something that they are.

I hear people say all the time, "I didn't grow up in a home where we expressed feelings. Or I am not a verbal person." In my opinion, these are just excuses that we have picked up through the years to validate our own personal choices. There are lot of things that don't come naturally to us, of course, but we learn to do them anyway. Even if it's difficult, you can learn to express your feeling in words. If we want to do something new, we spend time learning to do that thing. And as they say, practice makes perfect.

When you hear someone pay a compliment to you or to someone else, write it down. Or as you read things, pick out expression of gratitude and love and start making a list. Then practice reading your list out loud. After a while, it'll begin to feel more comfortable. Then, of course, start saying these things to a friend, a co-worker, a family member, a loved one etc. Once you start, it becomes much easier.

Genesis 49: 28 - All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and ths is what their father said to them when he blessed then, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

Blessing Builders:

• Tell someone three things that you value about them
• Describe to someone close the types of expressions that make you feel most loved and appreciated.

Communication

How many non-verbal conversations do you have in your head?

Statistics show that our nonverbal communication accounts for 58% of the total message. Our tone of voice - the way we say things - makes up 35% of the message. The actual words that we do say account for only 7% of the total message. WOW! Now, think about the ways you, and the people around you communicate without using words. Think about what your nonverbal actions ACTUALLY mean....then, consider how that action is perceived. Is the perception accurate to what you were thinking or is the receiver completely off! Now, think about those results. Isn't is just safer to say what you really want to say? If your nonverbal communication is not safe to communicate, then you need to deal with that..and then re-visit the conversation. On the other hand, if it is safe to say what you are thinking mentally, then you need to just come out and say it. Either way, if you keep it inside, you will be mis-heard or un-heard. Nonverbal Actions vs What Those Actions Mean - 2 very different things..

Psalms 139:23

Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.