No pejoratives

Who You Really Are: "If a human being dreams a great dream, dares to love somebody; if a human being dares to be Martin King, or Mahatma Gandhi, or Mother Theresa, or Malcolm X; if a human being dares to be bigger than the condition into which she or he was born—it means so can you. And so you can try to stretch, stretch, stretch yourself so you can internalize, 'Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto. I am a human being, nothing human can be alien to me.' That's one thing I'm learning."

I am a Child of God:  "If I think of my life as a class, and what I’ve really learned. I’ve learned a few things. First, I'm aware that I’m a child of God. It’s such an amazing understanding, to think that the “It” which made fleas and mountains, rivers and stars . . . made me. What I pray for is humility to know that there is something greater than “I”. And I have to know that the brute, the bigot, and the batterer are all children on God, whether they know it or not, and I’m supposed to treat them accordingly. It’s hard, and I blow it all the time."

Rainbows in the Clouds: "Prepare yourself so you that can be a rainbow in somebody elses cloud; somebody that may not look like you, may not call God the same name that you call God, if they call God at all, you see? And may not eat the same dishes prepared the way you do, may not dance your dances, or speak your language. But, be a blessing to somebody.  That’s what I think."

The power of words:  “Words are things, I’m convinced.  You must be careful about the words you use, or the words you allow to be used in your house. In the Old Testament we’re told in Genesis that, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word was with God.” That’s in Genesis. Words are things. You must be careful, careful about calling people out of their names, using racial perjoratives and sexual perjoratives and all that ignorance. Don’t do that. Some day we’ll be able to measure the power of words. I think they are things. They get on the walls. They get in your wallpaper. They get in your rugs, in your upholstery, and your clothes, and finally in to you."

- Maya Angelou

I cannot remember when this conviction in me about the power of words to curse and bless became very very real to me. I reached a point where I was unwilling to or would rather say nothing than say something that will tip the spiritual balance towards Satan. It was as if I could see the spiritual environment around me darken ever so slightly whenever I said something or heard something that was not Godly. I've become increasingly reticent through the years. I firmly believe in the power of words to transform lives - we either bless or curse people through the words we say. I fail, and fail badly sometimes. Thank God that when that happens, I am able to turn to Him and say "Lord, forgive me because I have sinned" and know that I have been forgiven because of His sacrifice at Calvary. Thank God for His grace and love for such a sinner as me.

Ephesians 4:29-32 (New King James Version)

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.