I have recently learned that my tongue is a fire straight from Hell.  James 3 sets the record straight when it says that our tongue is a fire and no one can tame it.  Don Kistler stated a few years ago that he spent more time wishing he could go back to all the people who he had wronged with his tongue and apologize.  I too have had more times that my tongue has said things that hurt people than when I have used my mouth to build someone up.  Sometimes I need to learn to keep my trap shut! 

Many times, I say something because (at the time) I feel that I have been wronged and need to set someone straight about his or her own issues.  It is in those times that my tongue is unleashed and says awful and hurtful things.  How is this Christ-like you may ask?  It is not.  It is the furthest thing from Him.  May this be a reminder to me, and anyone of you reading this, that when James says everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger (James 1:19) then we need to do that.  That is actually incredibly wise to follow.  If I did this more often, I would hurt fewer people, be more Christ-like, and use my tongue for what God had intended it to be used for. 

By the way, what did God give us a mouth for?  To praise Him!  For more info on this do a word study on the mouth.  Here are a few good ones: Psalms 34:1; 40:3 and 71:15. 

Try this one on for size.  This one is very interesting and I want to see if people catch certain things in this statement.  What is Christmas really about?  Surely not just what this statement says.



Habit 10: Explore New Experiences
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December and is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The first mention of this date as the celebration of Christmas occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar. The celebration of this date was probably influenced by Pagan (unchristian) festivals held at that time. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire by the late 300’s, and by early 1100, Christmas had become the most important religious festival in Europe.

There are many customs related to Christmas as it has evolved over the years. It is celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike and many families have their own customs that they practice. The custom of gift-giving probably began in Rome and Northern Europe because in these regions, people give each other small presents as part of their year-end celebrations. Decorating Christmas trees and sending cards became popular in the 1800’s and many well-known Christmas carols such as “Silent Night” were composed at this time. In the United States, Santa Claus replaced Saint Nicholas as the symbol of gift giving.

Almost all of us that live in the United States know all about Christmas and what it means to us. How about other cultural holidays and events? Do we know much about other ethnicities and cultures? Let’s honor this holiday
by exploring customs, history, art, and folklore of the world.