Hey there, - it's Friday, and the weekend is upon us.

Before you get there, I want to warn you against saying something this weekend that seems well-thought out and proper in the moment, but may prove to be words you'd like to have back.

I believe there's power in "telling one on yourself," so I'm going to share a not-so-good-looking text message I just found.

I was searching for a text about buying homecoming dance tickets for my daughters. Out of nowhere, this text from last October showed up:

As I re-read the message a year later, two thoughts come to mind.

#1 - Well, it's true. She had the money. She had a job. The shirt was not a necessity, and she certainly could have paid for it herself if she really wanted it.

#2 - Ouch. That makes me look like a penny-pinching tightwad who won't even buy his daughter a homecoming shirt. And, knowing me like I do, it was more about me being cheap than it was "teaching her responsibility."

(for what it's worth, she never got the shirt)

Depending on who you are, and where you stand in the world of doing things for your kids, you may agree or disagree with me 100%.

Regardless, my words are out there, and I don't think they aged well.

Worse, I can never get them back.

I don't feel proud about them. I don't like what they say about me as a person or father. But, they're out there, and they reveal who I am.

Here's where I'm going with this:

While we're not going to be perfect, there is always an opportunity to pay more attention to the words we speak (including words typed and texted).

When we really hear what we say and see what we send, we'll get a real glimpse who we are, what we believe, and what we're really about.

It's easy for us to console ourselves, and say we're just having a 'bad day.'

But, the essence of who we are - and what we believe - will always be revealed through our words (Matthew 12:34).

What we say to our spouse (and others) matters.

We need to wake up and pay attention to what we're saying because our words are creating worlds we must live in.

Have a good weekend -

Kevin

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