a Rose by any other name? Really?

Today I followed several conversations, had a few of my own, and polled family and friends to answer a question... Does it matter the words that we choose to use? I mean "sticks and stones may break your bones but words can never hurt you..." right? right?
well...
Let's think about this, who has ever gotten a break up letter, a mean email, seen their friends hurt on some social media (i.e. facebook, twitter)... those words hurt, but they're only words how much damage could they do?

All I kept coming back to is this... as the world gets smaller and smaller and we use our words more often to express ourselves in such things as online job resumes, blogs, comments on blogs, social networks, online chat rooms, journals, photograph postings, virtual stores, advertising.. how do the words we pick out of the plethora of words that make up our world reflect on us. Can we use them as an accurate mirror to reflect ourselves or do we just float along on the current of popular trends allowing them to choose our words, our pattern of speech for us?

This is my conclusion. Our words matter. We may have the ability to open our mouth and curse in four different languages, but should we? no! Why not? why not just spew whatever we're thinking and use whatever words we want although they have a deep and varied history but might possibly offend someone? The reason is this.. they do not reflect well on us. If you hear someone on a street corner using curse words, do we think, "hey that person seems really nice let's be friends?" no... If we see someone's store listing with every word misspelled, do we think they're a boutique or a bargain basement? ... so if we allow ourselves to get sucked into this debate about what words are ok and what words are bad, haven't we already made a choice?

There is a scripture in the Bible at 1 Corinthians 6:12 - "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are advantageous" ... think about it, you can use any words you want, but are they truly advantageous, do they show you off for your inner person that you are? Or do they just make you look rude?

My children have recently found a slew of words that aren't bad per se.. but they don't just say them, they spit them out venomously at each other, at the wall they stubbed their toes on, at their mother who grounded them (yes they got their mouths scrubbed out with soap.. they didn't really mind the sugar lime one from www.deshawnmarie.etsy.com :).. ok it was more of a threat then they really got soaped..but the threat worked so we're good). As a mom I have to put a stop to them acting in any way that would be unloving to any other human. As a mentor I have to stop them from acting in any way that would be unloving to any other human AND would reflect badly on them as the people they are becoming.

We are human, we are all trying to make our way through this world, part of that is handling one another with care, if we do not choose our words thoughtfully and with care, are we failing?
The world around us thinks nothing of using really really bad words and language all the time, but I don't think that should mean we can use just sort of, maybe, possibly, could be considered by some to be, bad words just because we can.
Where does the breakdown in love for one another start, in our thoughts, our actions.. our words.

Let's use our words to build each other up, to help one another, to take care of one another. Let's be more like the poet, the song writer.. choosing words as carefully as an artist picks a shade of paint, let's act like every single thing we type or say will be embroidered somewhere or made into an illuminated manuscript.. is there anything there that might make us squirm a little?

That's all I've got, I'm just a mom trying to take these things as they come hurtling towards me at warp speed. I think if my children come out of on the other side as the God-fearing, creative, beautiful adults that I know they will be, ... maybe I can handle them heading towards teenagehood way too fast. I want to squish them down into childhood for a few more decades but I have an 8 year old who thinks I'm a "meanie head" (don't you dare laugh.. don't even crack a smile...) and a 6 year old who wants a cell phone (she won't be getting one!).

I think if I can get them through this jungle that is growing up in once piece it's going to be because along the way they allowed themselves to become greatly kind and to have beautiful manners.

That's my conclusion anyways,
:)
Much love,
Megzy