Words Are Everywhere

I start out each school year reading 2 books. One: Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor. Clearly, this book (as well as the others in the "series") is chocked full of new words. The other: Donavan's Word Jar by MonaLisa DeGross.

Both encourage new vocabulary. Fancy Nancy finds words she likes that "sound" fancy. For example, her favorite color is fuchsia...which is a fancy way of saying purple. And Bonjour! is a fancy way to say hello. Donavan wakes up one morning and notices a word on a cereal box. It fascinates him and so he sets out to find all kinds of new words. He writes them down and...you guessed it...puts them in a collection jar!

I first read the Fancy Nancy book and my kids spend the entire day putting into practice some of her helpful suggestions. Then, I read the first two chapters of Donavan's Word Jar to my students and we start in on making our very own word jars (although, in classrooms, we usually do envelopes...sadly...not jars, due to lack of space). We cut strips of fancy papers and we start adding words!

Giggle. (You know you want to now!)

Bizarre. (It's way more fun to say than 'weird')

Quizzical. (Just makes me feel smart.)

Zany. (It's one of Fancy Nancy's favorite words, too!)

The words my kids come up with which fascinate them are hysterical. I always enjoy reading through them after a tough week. It helps me realize that they, in fact, weren't making paper fortune tellers, they were writing down new words. Phew! At times I wondered!

I've been thinking of the words we say to our children for a while now. I knew basically we should think carefully about them but did you know that He references either our spoken words or His words over 400 times in the bible? Our tongue is referenced another 130+ times. They must be important if He gave us such wisdom!

The scripture that echoed in my mind as I drove today: "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand." Matthew 7:26.

What if you encouraged your children to put specific words into their vocabulary to build their small houses ... exchanging them for words you do not want in their house?

Forgiveness. Instead of bitterness.

Gladness. Instead of happiness.

Self-control. Instead of self-indulgence.

Obedience. Instead of rules.

The words we speak, He says, will either bring forth life or death. Walking out our faith in front of our children, is beyond important! They listen to everything we say...and don't. In 1 Corinthians, we are instructed to take every thought captive and in Matthew 12, we look at the things which bring forth good and those which do not. We should think first...not react...because ... "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

You are a success.

You are beautiful.

You are intelligent.

You are valuable.

You can make good choices.

So grab the old spaghetti jar or pickle jar or purchase a plastic jar from a craft store and start decorating! Teach your children the words you want written on their hearts.

Because in them, is life.

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." Deut. 11:18.

Shannan