The Lord talks about communication hundreds of times in His Word. Though many people think of communication as speech/debate, the Lord instructs us in the daily use of our tongue. Day 2 of my 21 Days to More Godly Communication comes from 1Peter and will serve as this week's Defending the Faith SONday post as well.
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1Peter 3:15
We communicate for several reasons: to share information, to gain information, to fellowship, to entertain- though the most important reason for us to communicate is to share the Gospel. We can become as eloquent as a politician, as successful as a millionaire, but if we haven't shared God's love with those who don't know Him, we don't understand this verse. Let's look at this verse a little closer.
Right up front He tells us to "sanctify the Lord" in our hearts. Sanctify means to consecrate, to set aside for a sacred purpose. We are to hold a sacred place in our hearts for the Lord for He is Holy and His words are precious. Anything precious should be treasured and something treasured should be given proper attention.
Next He tells us to "be ready". When we want to be ready to go out, we need to prepare. We get dressed, gather our things we are to take, etc. Being ready to share our faith with someone also means being prepared. It takes educating ourselves about the Lord, His Word and how to share it. This takes practice. We cannot just throw any old words at the unsaved and hope they stick.
The very next word the Lord uses here is "always". How often are we to be ready? Not just one time, but always! Every time. Preparing for a test takes some effort. Preparing to enter that field takes much MORE preparation! The Lord isn't asking us to be prepared to share our faith with one man or one person a month. He is asking us always to be prepared to share our faith. That requires much more communication skill because each situation is different. Next this verse tells us that we are to be prepared to share our faith with "every man". God doesn't make Cookie-Cutter-People. Each person sees the world differently. Each of us comes from a particular culture with different experiences and beliefs. No two people see things in quite the same way so we cannot approach each person the same way-especially about something as precious as the Lord. Advertising agencies understand this concept. They often create different ads for the same product to appeal to the different customers. One segment of customers may place value on the brand name and the sleek look of the car while another segment may value its gas mileage. It takes much more time and money to prepare two ad campaigns, but it is worth it in results. One size does NOT fit all.
I find it interesting that He says "to anyone who asketh you". I've read the Bible through several times and nowhere in God's Word have I found where God forced Himself on anyone. Jesus met with great resistance. He had great power here on earth to heal. Surely Jesus could have made people believe! He asked the rich man to follow him, but he wasn't willing to give up what he had. Jesus never even argued with him. He just let him walk away. If Jesus didn't force anyone to become a Christian, who are we to do so?
Furthermore, the Lord tells us to do so with meekness and fear. Contrary to what many believe, meekness does not mean being weak or wimpy. Meekness is a gentleness. This is an emphasis I believe on the fact that we are not to push people or argue with them about the Lord. We are to be gentle as we share and respectful of the choices others may make though we don't agree with them. How we share our faith is a reflection not only of us, but of our Lord. The is a danger in sharing our faith the "wrong way" understanding that the wrong way for one may be the perfect way for another. Sharing our faith in a way that angers or frustrates or confuses someone may close the door on any other opportunity you have to share with that person again. But even more damaging, sharing your faith the wrong way may close the door on EVERYONE who shares in ANY way about Jesus.
Lastly, you will notice that this is not a suggestion; it's a command. God's choice of words are purposeful. It's not an option. It's not easy, but then the Lord never said life as a Christian would be easy. In fact, He tells us that we will be persecuted for His namesake. Sharing the faith was never easy and it's more difficult today than it has been in the past. However, there are things we can do to become proficient at it. There are things we can learn that make it easier. The more you learn about something and the more you practice, the easier it becomes. How long did it take you to learn to speak, walk, play football, crochet, or do your job? Wasn't it worth it in the end?
Sharing our faith is a command from the Lord so that all have a chance to come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. Today's world is more complicated and therefore, so is our job. The good news is that we can prepare. We can learn God's Word so that we can be ready always to give an answer. The trick is that knowledge of God's Word is not enough. We need to understand how to approach each person as an individual. I think that is where many of these programs fall short. It isn't enough to know God's Word, we must be able to articulate it to "every man who asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula, including Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
The Lord talks about communication HUNDREDs of times in His Word. As we read the Word of God, we understand the power and impact of the tongue. He cautions us and instructs us in its use, not just for making speeches, but for everyday life.
They say it takes 21 days to make a habit so, over the next 21 days, I am going to share a few of my favorite verses and the importance of applying them today.
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." -Proverbs 25:11
This is my signature verse so I thought I'd start with it. I love this verse. It reminds me that our words are precious. We shouldn't just throw them out there and hope they stick. We should take care to choose our words wisely and craft our conversation with wisdom, tailoring it to the unique individual and particular situation at hand.
Being an effective communicator is more important today than it ever was before.WHY?
* We are now communicating with the world.
Technology has given us the ability to communicate with people around the world. With one click of a mouse we can send our words anywhere. We need to remember that these unseen people are human beings from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences who see the world in a unique way.
God doesn't make Cookie-Cutter People and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to communicating effectively. It is critical that our words are a good "fit".
* Misinformation abounds.
Precisely because it is so easy for someone to express their opinions to the world, it is equally as simple to express misinformation. We have come to understand that, just because it is written in the paper or reported by a newscaster, doesn't necessarily make it true or accurate. The media is famous for twisting the truth and reporting whatever serves its agenda. We need, also, to understand that whatever is typed into a blog or article on the internet may not be "the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
In today's society, it is often necessary to explain or clear up misunderstandings people have. This isn't as easy to do these days because there are more "hot topics" than there used to be. Politics and religion are no longer the only topics to "stay away from in polite company". Today's society has an emotional reaction to many topics including homeschooling, evolution, gun control, global warming, vaccinations, etc.
Today's discussions require much more communication skill to overcome the knee-jerk emotional reactions that inevitably follow any mention of many of these topics.
* People are busy.
I remember watching a documentary from the 1950's that depicted what society would look like in the 1980's. I think I watched it in the 1990's so it was quite humorous to me. It showed the wife as the lady of leisure. Due to the technological advances, she was able to get her housework done in a fraction of the time leaving her rested and able to pursue more of her interests.
Today's woman is busy! Aside from the housework and children, she is usually working as well (outside or inside the home). Today's husband may have to work more than one job to make ends meet. People no longer have the time to investigate issues thoroughly. They rely more and more on the media and, as I said, the media has their own agenda to promote. They no longer give you, as Sgt Friday used to say, "Just the facts, Ma'am." The media infuses their "truth" with opinion, sound bites and misinformation.
It takes much more communication skill to respectfully break through some of these deeply held, accepted beliefs. It also takes more time. Time people generally don't have to wade through all the information out there and discover the truth. They're busy keeping their family together and making ends meet.
* Respectful discourse is no longer in fashion.
If you read the words of our forefathers, you will notice that, although they may have disagreed vehemently with someone, they usually did so with respect and in grace. Not so these days.
Because there is so much information (and misinformation) thrown at us when we are busier than ever, there is more of a frustration with life today. Because much of the information we get is from faceless sources (TV, internet, email, billbaords) we are no longer coming face-to-face with a human being. There is a justification, or even almost an entitlement, to respond to someone out of frustration with disrespect.
I remember waiting in line behind a red light in the left turn lane a few years ago. The woman behind me got out of her car, walked around to my driver's side window and began screaming her head off at me! I remember her being behind me for several blocks prior to that. She came into view when the car in front of her changed lanes. I had no idea what she was so upset about and I dared not open my window to find out! When the light changed to green, she got back in her car and went on her way.
Road rage is only one of the many ways in which society has come to express their anger and frustration. It is much less common for someone to do something so violent in person, but over the internet where you don't need to look into the eyes of your victim, people are much more likely to "fly off the handle".
It takes much more communication skill to handle the typical "Nasty Grams" we get today.
* Anti-Christian bias is.
More and more each day, Christians are told to sit down and be quiet about Jesus. Just the mere mention of the name of our Lord and Savior brings anger to some. More and more college professors and even high school teachers feel justified in spouting hatred of Christians, our beliefs and our Lord. More and more God is being taken out of our society in the name of "separation of church and state."
Even young Christian children may have to handle a question or negative comment (in school or even on the playground) about their faith. It is no longer a matter of if a Christian will be asked to defend his faith, but when.
God tells us to share the Good News. We can't do that without communicating. When we communicate, whether it be to share or defend our faith, express our political ideas or even just to have a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store, we cannot just throw our words out there and hope for the best.
The Lord tells us how we are to use the power of the tongue. Throughout the Bible, He shares how we are to speak with one another. Each of us is a unique creation of God who sees the world from a different perspective. It takes much more skill to communicate than it used to. We need to learn to share our thoughts and ideas in today's world. The first step is to understand that our words are precious.
A word fitly spoken can be a gift we give to others as we share our lives and experiences with them.
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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication studies for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
We can put a man on the moon.. we can communicate with people all over the world through the technology of the internet, but we can't iron wrinkles out of a shirt! The face of ironing hasn't changed much since it was invented and it's a chore, as Dr. Seuss put it, "I can't stand in the least"!
Let's investigate this phenomenon:
You start off with a mildly wrinkled, clean shirt your dh needs to wear tomorrow. First, major planning is required if you have little ones. If you don't think so, you've never had a hot iron nearly fall off the ironing board as your two year old son rounds the corner with his remote control car.
Next, you take out your ironing board and set it up in a place that's most inconvenient. There never seems to be an open plug anywhere where you can watch TV to take your mind off the seemingly endless job of wrinkle removal. As you unfold the ironing board, it emits this ear piercing screech that will surely wake up the baby -shattering any hopes you might have had about getting this all done during his nap. So... setting the iron up again as Jr's in the playpen (and biding time with toys and cute talk), you begin to pray!
Ironing is really a matter of communication. Ok, now the old gal has really gone off her nut, right? Actually it's really a matter of MIScommunication. Here's the scenario:
Now the real fun begins! The first communication failure is when you try to figure out how on earth you can lay this shirt down so that it's flat enough all the way around in order to attempt to iron it correctly. You begin to fiddle and, as you do, you naturally talk to the shirt to try to get it to cooperate. Unfortunately shirts know just how to sit there like dead weight making it difficult for you to position. You fiddle. You faddle and finally you decide it's not going to get any better.
While holding the shirt in place with one hand as best you can to keep it from wriggling out of position, you grab the HOT iron with the other hand and begin to talk the iron through the process.
"Ok now come on! Let's just get one section done before Johnny gets bored with the playpen. UGH! Too late!"
Coming back to the iron minutes or even hours later...
Now you really need to get this done. It's 10pm, the kids are in bed and hubby needs this shirt for tomorrow. You start to iron-carefully laying the shirt on the board and, after several agonizing minutes, the left front is done. Yaahooo! The back is going pretty well until you realize that there is a yellow stain that is suddenly visible!
"Now where did THAT come from! It wasn't there before!" you mutter to yourself.
Looking at the iron you notice that there is a little residue inside the steam holes.
"Great! Now I have to wash it again! Ok! It's only on the bottom, nobody will see it when he tucks his shirt in. Now, can we just get the rest of this done before I'm wrinkled?"
As you continue to iron the back of the shirt, the cord catches on the shirt tail lifting it up so quickly that, by the time you notice, you have just ironed a wrinkle INTO the shirt. Now this is no ordinary wrinkle. This is a permanent crease in the shirt! You iron madly- trying to get it out while pleading with your iron to do this one little thing for you!
It's no use and now you're frustrated enough so that you almost don't care what it looks like, you just want to STOP IRONING! You lay the sleeves on the board and crab at the iron:
"Just get this done before midnight, shall we?"
You hang the shirt up and wonder if you shoudn't have just left it alone in the first place.
Now, as I said, ironing has remained pretty much the same for over 100 years. Oh they've made some attempts at Ironing Technology, but it falls far short of being called an advancement!
When I was a little girl they came out with "Permanent Press". Now the word permanent means: 1. not temporary, 2. continuing and enduring without fundamental or marked change, 3. stable. So a Permanent Press Shirt should remain permanently pressed, right? WRONG! Now what it could mean is that when you unintentionally put a crease in the shirt with your iron, it's PERMANENT! I have had shirts that retained an ironing crease wash after wash! Thanks guys!!
Now being anti-ironing as I am, I have found a better way and I want to share it with you. This is JoJo's No Iron Ironing Technique and it will let you live a ironing stress free life where you will never have to communicate with your iron again. Here's what you do:
1. After washing the shirts, put them in the dryer and set your timer so you take them out of the dryer immediately, if not sooner!
2. Hang the shirts up directly after you remove them from the dryer and let them cool.
3. Don't hang them too close to each other. You don't want them fraternizing with each other causing any unnecessary wrinkling.
4. DON'T iron them. Ironing is futile!
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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
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From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Is it right for Christians to become involved in the political process? Are all politicians good communicators? Are communication tactics being used to bamboozle the voter? How can we know the truth about what they represent?
On the Menu: My scheduled guest had an emergency so my good friend, Bette Dowdell, author of "How to Be a Christian Without Being Annoying!" will be pinch hitting for her today!
Actually this is very timely as Americans are trying to sift through the rhetoric. What does the Bible say about getting involved with politics? What is the communication skill of the candidates ...and the media? Come share your thoughts!
To join us live: Call in to the show at 8am PST/ 11am EST Phone Number: (724) 444-7444 Call ID: 19736
Can't join us live? Listen to the recording at your convenience! http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19736 And scroll down to Past Episodes to click on the Listen button of the show you wish to hear!
Grace Talk Soup is recorded live every Thursday morning from 8am-9am PST and each recording is available indefinitely.
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Looking to interview some Homeschool Graduates for Independence Day at the Say What You Mean Convention!
Hi HSBloggers and Friends!
The 4th Annual Say What You Mean Online Communication Convention is coming up in February (4th-6th, 2009)! My moderators and I are working feverishly behind the scenes to bring you the BEST ever three days of online fun you ever did have!
This year's theme is HOMESCHOOLING! We will be discussing communication as it relates to our Kids (Kids Day), Moms (Moms Day) and our graduating seniors (Independence Day) as they go out into the world we prepared them for!
On the last day (Independence Day) I will be uploading a bunch of 20-30 minute interviews with various homeschool graduates that have gone on to do different things. This is going to be such fun to hear their struggles and triumphs so that you know what is available out there for homeschoolers after graduation. There is PLENTY of choices but it's good to hear them straight from the horses mouths.
I am looking for homeschool graduates who fit the following descriptions:
* currently a 2nd or 3rd year college student
* currently a graduating senior in college
* graduated college and is currently working in Corporate America
* went straight into their own business
* Went to a trade school
* is currently working as a consultant of some kind
* went on to work for the family business
* anything else that is different
If you fit any of these situations or know someone who does, please contact me jojo@artofeloquence.com so we can discuss it further. Who knows, you could end up with an audio on the SWMConvention for the entire year!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
FIMM received a notice in the mail that his bank account was overdrawn. It seems his check to the gas company caused the problem. FIMM couldn't understand why his $150 gas bill would cause his bank account to be overdrawn. Maybe YOU can spot the problem?
Pay the Order of: Blogger Gas Company
Amount of: $1500
Foot in Mouth Man
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FIMM: Don't be like himm!
============================================= Don't be a FIMMpersonator! Click here to read through the FIMM Archives and to view FIMM's video!
Check out Art of Eloquence to learn communication skills the FUN way!
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From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Art of Eloquence has just posted the second in the series of communication audios that are available for a limited time. This one is on Communication Skills and Friendships! It's from my newest eBook, A Day Without Communication is Like...IMPOSSIBLE but it's been expanded to include even MORE TIPS and resources!
It's available for download but only for 10 days so don't put it off! It's under 18 minutes but it's POWERFUL for anyone wishing to make and maintain better friendships! Don't miss out!
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Spam: we all get 'em! It's become its own form of communication. I don't know about you, but I often wonder..."Where did this come from?" as I am hitting the delete button. Well, I'll tell you. So instead of getting frustrated with spam today, let's have a fun and creative investigation of the phenomenon we call SPAM. At the end, I have a fun little survey for you.
According to Wikipedia, it is widely believed that the term SPAM began with a TV sketch on the BBC's Monty Python's Flying Circus depicting a cafe where all the items involved SPAM lunchmeat. This was a reference to rationing during WWII when canned SPAM was about the only thing widely available in England. In the 1980's, the word SPAM was used in chatrooms often referring to the Monty Python skit and there were some early spammers who would frequently post quotes from Monty Python as a tactic to stop newcomers from chatting. Later on, the technique of multiple posts became known as spam and is now defined as unsolicited bulk email.
Spam as we know it has many forms. It is best known as ads for Viagra and Rolex but it can appear as a sales letter, a long lost friend, a request for help, a solicitation from Nigeria from a deposed king's daughter who is asking you to keep money for her because she has nobody else in the world to turn to for help, Dr. Seuss wannabee nonsense words and even completely blank emails!
According to information compiled by Spam-Filter-Review.com, E-mail spam for 2006 can be broken down as follows.
E-Mail Spam by Category
Products
25%
Financial
20%
Adult
19%
Scams
9%
Health
7%
Internet
7%
Leisure
6%
Spiritual
4%
Other
3%
Now living in the United States as I do, and knowing that most every country speaks English as well as their own native language, I never expected my spam to come in any other form but English! However, over the last several months, I have been receiving a large amount of spam in various languages. Since the second most popular language in the world is Spanish, you would expect to see most of your spam in English and Spanish, but you'd be wrong!
In terms of volume of spam: According to Sophos, the major sources of spam in the first quarter of 2008 (January to March) were:
The United States (the origin of 15.4% of spam messages, down from 21.3% in Q4)
Russia (7.4%, down from 8.3%)
Turkey (5.9%, up from 3.8%)
China (5.5%, up from 4.2%)
Brazil (4.3%, up from 4.0%)
Russian spam? Yes Russian spam! In fact, in the last several weeks, the most of the spam I get is in RUSSIAN! My daughter is away at college studying Russian and European history and in her first year of Russian this year. I can't wait for her to come home for Thanksgiving to tell me what this spam is selling! lol
Spam has recently changed from annoying emails you receive about topics and products you have no interest in to frustrating emails in languages you don't even understand! So here's my fun survey for you today. As you go through your own personal SPAM, can you even read it?
Come share what language most of YOUR spam comes in?
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
They say no two snowflakes are the same as no two people are the same. This video shows God's amazing attention to detail. If the snowflakes are this complex and unique, imagine the care He put into each of His children!
What appears the same on the outside
White and fresh and clean
Hidden inside delicate patterns
Of each one yet unseen
-JoJo Tabares
From JoJo'sPurple Crayon...
Where's FIMM? Did you find himm this week? Where's FIMM? Come find the only Foot in Mouth Man picture that is different from all the rest. Email what he looks like and where you found himm to fimm@artofeloquence.com and you could win a free Art of Eloquence eProduct of your choice!
Several controversial speeches of historic proportion took place in the past few days. Who won and who lost from a communication standpoint? I'll go through them one at a time and give you my opinions.
The Biden/Palin debate that took place on Thursday night was viewed by an historic 69 MILLION people! That's more than any other VP debate and I think they said only 2nd to any presid
