Five Minute Friday: VOICE

By design, we have one.  Some have lost their's.  Many have never found their's. 

Other's overuse or abuse with their's.

  Precious few have trained their's.  Brought it into submission. 

 Coach it and trained it.

In my home, we discuss our "Error Risks"

To properly define our error risks allows us the opportunity to devise a strategy, plan of attack, for cultivating the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors

necessary to balance out the error risks so that it doesn't enslave us.

Christ proclaimed freedom for the captives.  Let us not present our neck again for the yoke.

My oldest is a sweet hearted pleaser.  Lovely.  However, his error risk is to quelch his voice to please another.  Sometimes, this is Christ like love, esteeming others more highly than yourself.  Sometimes, it's just wet-stinky doormat syndrome that can lead to resentment, which leads to bitterness.  Ugly, Ruinous.  Deep.

He needs to know he's not responsible for the happiness and well being of others. 

Each of us is responsible for his own house.  Including the cultivation of our own garden in such a way as to not allow a bitter root to grow.

He needs to develop his "NO" muscle.

Coached in the fine art of when to use it.

-----------------------------------------------------

My second was born with a loud and powerful voice and she's never been afraid to use it.

Her error risk is to slice and wound which, left unmastered, would cause others to pull back in self protection, creating distance that would unintentionally wound her enormously loving heart.

She needs to learn discipline.  To time herself out before she speaks. 

To master her quick temper.

She needs patience and encouragement.

Close lovers of her heart that will not allow self protection to drive a wedge.

She is a roaring lion.

She needs those who can courageously lover her.

-----------------------------------------------------

My little man hides his voice.

He suppresses it.  Afraid he hasn't practiced enough.

That the words won't be perfect.

His error risk is to avoid grace.

He needs space and time to find the courage to practice his voice.

It needs to result in a positive experience for the effort.

Lots of encouragement and celebration.

He needs extra grace when he messes up and apologizes.

Extra.

___________________________________________________________________________

James said it, and I paraphrase, "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

James 3:10

The purpose of the VOICE

To Proclaim the Excellencies our our God

and to Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for editfication according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

and to Ephesians 4:25 

 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each on of you with his neighbor,

for we are members of one another.

We must do both in balance.

We must receive both.

We must be trained in both.

Five Minute Friday is a blog challenge thrown down each week by Lisa-Jo Baker

Details here

Jen

Facebook:  Homeschooling in High Heels

Twitter:  HSinHighHeels