Do your children a favor and keep your mouth shut. I know that sounds harsh. But sometimes love needs to sound like truth, not like a therapy session.
“Mouthy” isn’t confidence. It’s not “just their personality.” And it’s definitely not cute when a child learns how to disrespect with a smile. Mouthy is a habit. A reflex. A spirit of pushback. And if we model it, we multiply it.
Real talk:
Mouthy begats mouthy. What we practice in front of our children becomes what they practice on everyone else.
What the Bible says about our mouths
The Bible doesn’t treat words like “no big deal.” Scripture treats words like seeds: they grow things. They shape homes. They set atmospheres. They build… or burn.
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”Proverbs 10:19
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”Proverbs 18:21
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying…”Ephesians 4:29
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”Proverbs 15:1
If you want “peace in the home,” you don’t start with candles. You start with the tongue.
What the Bible says about listening
One of the quickest ways to kill mouthiness is to grow the skill of listening. Scripture pushes listening hard—because listening is humility in action.
“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”James 1:19–20
“He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.”Proverbs 18:13
“Be not rash with your mouth… let your words be few.”Ecclesiastes 5:2
Raising children isn’t just about feeding and schooling them. It’s about forming them. And the Bible is clear: parents are the training ground.
“And you, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Ephesians 6:4
“Train up a child in the way he should go…”Proverbs 22:6
“And these words… you shall teach them diligently to your children… when you sit… when you walk… when you lie down… when you rise.”Deuteronomy 6:6–7
That “teach diligently” part isn’t a one-time talk. It’s repetition, correction, modeling, and consistency.
How mouthiness gets trained into a home
Let’s be honest: mouthiness doesn’t usually start with children. It starts with what they live around.
Common ways we accidentally train it
We talk over people. Children learn, “Volume wins.”
We snap, sass, and roll our eyes. Children learn, “Disrespect is normal.”
We correct with lectures. Children learn, “This is a debate.”
We let backtalk slide. Children learn, “Boundaries are optional.”
Here’s the scary part:
If a child can mouth off at home with no real correction, they’ll eventually mouth off to teachers, bosses, police, and God.
“Keep your mouth shut” doesn’t mean be silent forever
It means stop feeding the fire. Stop matching energy. Stop correcting disrespect with more disrespect. Stop “winning” arguments with children and then acting shocked when they become argumentative adults.
What it looks like in real life
Speak fewer words, with more weight.
Give a calm instruction once. Don’t preach it five times.
Correct tone, not just content. “Try that again with respect.”
Pause before responding. You’re modeling self-control.
“Do you see a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.”Proverbs 29:20
Simple household rules that match Scripture
We do not interrupt. (Swift to hear.)
We do not backtalk. (Honor and respect.)
We do not raise our voice to control people. (Self-control.)
We redo disrespect. Same sentence—new tone.
We keep short accounts. Apologize quickly when wrong.
Three phrases that work (and don’t turn into a sermon)
“Stop. Try that again with respect.”
“You can be disappointed, but you may not be disrespectful.”
“I’ll listen when your tone is under control.”
A hard question for the grown-ups
If your children are mouthy, ask this without self-pity and without excuses:
“Where did they learn that?”
And if the answer is “from me”… then congratulations. That means you can also teach them a new way.
A short prayer for a quieter, wiser home
Father, put a guard over my mouth and a watch over my lips. Teach me to be swift to hear and slow to speak. Help me correct my children with firmness and peace, not with sarcasm or heat. Make our home a place where Your wisdom is practiced, not just preached. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If this hit a nerve, don’t run from it. Use it. Your children don’t need a perfect parent. They need a parent who will model repentance, self-control, and respect—starting with the mouth.
Many believers quietly carry guilt for not attending a church building every week.
That guilt often sounds spiritual — but Scripture never defines faithfulness that way.
The Bible does not command weekly attendance at a religious building.
What it does command is obedience, love, discipleship, and connection to the Body of Christ.
Those are not the same thing.
What the Bible Means by “Church”
The New Testament word translated as church is ekklesia,
meaning “the called-out ones.” It refers to people, not a location or institution.
“Greet the church that meets at their house.” — Romans 16:5
Paul consistently addressed churches that met in homes.
There are no instructions for sanctuaries, pews, pulpits, or weekly services.
The church was relational, lived, and woven into daily life.
“The God who made the world does not live in temples made by human hands.” — Acts 17:24
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” — 1 Corinthians 3:16
How Church Buildings Entered the Picture
For roughly the first 300 years after Christ, believers met primarily in homes.
Christianity was often persecuted and had no public buildings.
In the 4th century, under Emperor Constantine, Christianity became legalized
and later favored by the Roman Empire.
As faith merged with empire, Christianity adopted:
Public buildings (often former Roman basilicas)
Formal clergy hierarchies
Sacred-space theology
Institutional authority structures
Church buildings were not introduced by Jesus or the apostles.
They emerged through political protection and administrative convenience.
When an institution depends on consistent attendance to survive,
attendance often becomes spiritualized — and absence becomes suspect.
Approximate monthly operating costs:
Small churches: $15,000–$30,000
Medium churches: $40,000–$90,000
Large churches: $200,000–$500,000+
These realities explain why many churches emphasize
membership, serving schedules, giving sermons, and weekly attendance.
The pressure is structural — not biblical.
Scripture Warns Against Binding the Conscience
“Let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no.” — Matthew 5:37
“You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” — 1 Corinthians 7:23
Belonging to Christ never required paperwork, contracts, or membership vows.
Faithfulness was demonstrated through lived obedience.
Ekklesia Was Always Relational
“Day by day, they continued to meet together in their homes.” — Acts 2:46
The early church shared meals, burdens, correction, generosity,
and faith lived out in real relationships.
There were no attendance records and no performance schedules.
If you feel like you are being pulled away from a church building quickly, pause.
Pray and ask God what obedience looks like in this season
before fear or guilt tells you what to do next.
Words matter. Especially when we are talking about God.
Scripture is not casual with names, character, or truth — and neither should we be.
In recent years, many people have been told that all religions worship the same God,
just under different names. But the Bible gives us a very different test:
not the name claimed, but the character revealed.
This article lays out a clear, side-by-side comparison between the Qur’anic portrayal
of allah and the Biblical revelation of God (YHWH),
focusing on one critical issue Scripture never compromises on:
deception.
There is only one God. Anything that contradicts His revealed nature
must be examined honestly — even if it claims divine authority.
Why Capitalization Matters
The Bible is clear:
“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.” — Isaiah 45:5
Because of this, we must be precise:
God (capital G) refers only to YHWH, the God of Scripture
allah / god (little g) refers to the deity described in the Qur’an
Satan is the deceiver identified consistently from Genesis to Revelation
Using the same English word does not mean the same being is being described.
Character reveals identity.
Side-by-Side: Character Reveals the Truth
1. Scheming / Plotting
Qur’an (little-g framework)
“They planned, and allah planned. And allah is the best of planners.” — Qur’an 3:54
The Arabic word used (makr) means scheming, plotting, or devising secretly —
and it is applied to allah using the same verb as humans.
Bible (God’s revealed nature)
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.” — Proverbs 19:21
God does not scheme. He declares His will and fulfills it openly.
2. Deception
Qur’an
“They seek to deceive allah, but he deceives them.” — Qur’an 4:142
The verb used means direct deception — not metaphor, not implication.
Bible
“God, who does not lie…” — Titus 1:2
“It is impossible for God to lie.” — Hebrews 6:18
Scripture draws a hard line here. Deception is never attributed to God.
3. Leading Astray
Qur’an
“allah leads astray whom he wills and guides whom he wills.” — Qur’an 14:4
Bible
“God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.” — James 1:13
God warns, corrects, and calls — but He does not mislead.
4. Mocking
Qur’an
“allah mocks them…” — Qur’an 2:15
Bible
“The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” — Psalm 145:8
Mockery belongs to the wicked — never to God.
5. Forgetting
Qur’an
“They forgot allah, so he forgot them.” — Qur’an 9:67
Bible
“I will not forget you… your name is engraved on the palms of My hands.” — Isaiah 49:15–16
God explicitly says forgetting is impossible for Him.
So Who Is the Deceiver?
“That ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” — Revelation 12:9
“When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” — 2 Corinthians 11:14
Scripture does not blur this line. Deception has a source — and it is not God.
A Call to Discernment
Names can be reused. Titles can be claimed. Religious language can sound convincing.
But character never lies.
“God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” — 1 John 1:5
If something presented as “god” contradicts the nature God has already revealed,
Scripture tells us not to adjust our theology — but to test the spirit.
If you feel unsettled, pause. Pray. Ask God for wisdom and discernment.
He is faithful to lead His people into truth.
“Test everything. Hold fast to what is good.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Most people think allergies are a life sentence: avoid triggers, pop meds, repeat forever.
But there’s another approach that many people simply haven’t been told about—especially if they’ve
only been offered symptom management.
So, what is N.A.E.T.?
N.A.E.T. stands for Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques.
It’s a non-invasive method used by trained chiropractors and holistic healthcare practitioners
to address allergic responses and sensitivities.
Unlike needle-based methods (like injections or allergy shots), NAET typically does not involve
puncturing the skin. The focus is on supporting the nervous system and helping the body
“reset” how it responds to specific substances.
How is N.A.E.T. different from “traditional” allergy care?
Conventional allergy care often centers on:
Avoidance (staying away from triggers)
Medication (to manage symptoms)
Injections (desensitization shots in some cases)
N.A.E.T. takes a different lane. Instead of focusing only on symptom suppression,
it aims to address the underlying reactive response—so the body can stop overreacting in the first place.
What happens in a N.A.E.T. session?
While sessions can vary by practitioner, many NAET visits include:
Identifying suspected sensitivities (often through muscle testing or similar assessment)
Gentle, targeted treatment methods aimed at calming and resetting the nervous system response
Guidance for aftercare (your provider may give specific instructions to follow after the session)
A common approach is to work on one substance or one category at a time.
That matters, because it helps explain why NAET is often done as a series rather than “one-and-done.”
Why does it take multiple visits?
Not all allergies and sensitivities are equal. Some are mild, some are layered, and some have been
in the body’s pattern for years. Many people find that the more complex or severe the reaction,
the more sessions it can take to fully address it.
In other words: the severity of the allergy can influence the number of visits needed.
A practitioner typically builds a plan based on your responses and progress over time.
Does N.A.E.T. work?
Many people report major improvement—and in some cases complete resolution—of reactions that used to run their lives.
Results can vary from person to person, but the reason NAET keeps spreading is simple:
people try it after everything else failed… and they start seeing changes.
If you’ve been told “you’ll just have to live with it,” I want you to know there are other options worth exploring.
How do you find a N.A.E.T. chiropractor or practitioner near you?
The easiest place to start is the official NAET website, which includes a directory/locator for trained practitioners.
That’s important because NAET is not offered by every chiropractor, and training matters.
Is N.A.E.T. covered by insurance?
In most cases, insurance does not pay for NAET. Many NAET services are offered as self-pay.
This often surprises people, but it’s common with therapies that don’t fit neatly into standard
insurance billing categories.
The bottom line: don’t let the lack of coverage automatically convince you something is worthless.
Insurance doesn’t cover plenty of things people still find life-changing.
When a Widow Is Harmed, God Is Not Silent — Exodus 22:22–23
Scripture draws a clear line: afflicting a widow—through pressure, accusation, speculation, or public distress—is sin.
God does not treat it as “discernment.” He treats it as disobedience.
There is a line Scripture draws that many people cross without realizing it.
It is not subtle. It is not cultural. It is not dependent on intentions.
It is the line God draws around widows.
And according to Scripture, crossing it is not a “discernment issue.”
It is sin.
God’s Command Is Direct — Not Symbolic
“You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all unto me,
I will surely hear their cry.”
— Exodus 22:22–23
God does not say how you afflict her. He does not say why. He does not say your motives make it clean.
He says: do not do it.
To afflict is not only to steal or strike. It can be to pressure, accuse, speculate, provoke, or publicly distress.
Affliction can be emotional. Affliction can be social. Affliction can come through words. God counts it all.
Widows Are Under God’s Personal Protection
“A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.”
— Psalm 68:5
This means something very specific: when people stop protecting widows, God steps in Himself.
Not as a passive observer—as judge.
Pure Religion Is Not Loud — It Is Careful
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…”
— James 1:27
Notice what Scripture assumes: widows are already afflicted. They do not need added burden.
They do not need interrogation. They do not need public suspicion. They need care, not commentary.
Accusation Is Heavily Restricted in Scripture
“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity…”
— Deuteronomy 19:15
“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.”
— 1 Timothy 5:19
If Scripture requires restraint when accusing leaders, how much more restraint is required when dealing with a
widow, who holds no office and bears no obligation to public scrutiny?
Rumors are not witnesses. “Just asking questions” is not evidence. Suspicion is not righteousness.
Grief Is Not an Investigative Window
“To every thing there is a season… a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7
Scripture never authorizes turning grief into an opportunity for exposure, speculation, or “truth-seeking.”
Silence is often obedience.
Words Can Become Wounds
“The words of a talebearer are as wounds…”
— Proverbs 18:8
Some harm leaves no bruises. It leaves wounds that go “down into the innermost parts.”
Scripture does not excuse that harm because it was done with a microphone, a platform, or a disclaimer.
Causing the Vulnerable to Stumble Is Grave Sin
“Whoso shall offend one of these little ones… it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck…”
— Matthew 18:6
Widows with children are among the people God repeatedly places under special care. Public distress inflicted on a grieving
household is not neutral ground.
Claiming Christ Does Not Cancel Disobedience
“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock… in his brother’s way.”
— Romans 14:13
Calling oneself a Christian does not sanctify harmful behavior. Scripture does not say:
“Unless you believe you are right,” or “Unless the public demands answers,” or “Unless you feel justified.”
It says: do not afflict.
The Conclusion Scripture Forces Us To Face
Inflicting pain on a widow—through accusation, pressure, speculation, or public controversy—is sin.
Not because culture says so. Not because emotions say so. But because God says so.
Those who claim His name are commanded to protect, not provoke; restrain, not inflame; honor, not harass.
Anything else is disobedience—no matter how righteous it sounds.
From Bestie to Mother: How God Broke Me, Built Me, and Taught Me Tough Love
There’s a kind of truth you can fake with everyone else… until God corners you in a fast and makes you face it head-on.
That’s exactly what happened to me. I didn’t go into that season expecting God to deal with my motherhood — but He did. Hard. And it changed everything.
For years, I slipped into the trap so many moms fall into: I was trying to be a friend to my daughter instead of being her mother.
It wasn’t because I didn’t care. It was because I cared too much — about the wrong things.
I cared about staying close.
I cared about not fighting.
I cared about keeping the peace.
I cared about not losing her heart.
But what I didn’t realize was this:
Trying to be her best friend was slowly costing me my role as her mother.
And God was not having it.
What My Book Doesn’t Hide: I Was Parenting While Broken
When I wrote Fat. Sick. Broken., I didn’t sugar-coat my life. Why would I? God can’t heal what we pretend we haven’t lived.
I talked about being raised without a God-fearing home, without guidance, without boundaries, and without spiritual leadership. My whole upbringing was chaos and survival. I entered motherhood in that same condition — exhausted, addicted, overweight, spiritually empty, emotionally unstable, and relying on my own strength because I didn’t know any better.
I wasn’t a “bad mother.” I was a lost woman trying to raise a child while drowning myself.
And every chapter of my life back then reveals that truth in pieces:
I was sick, overwhelmed, and spiritually numb.
I had addiction cycles and strongholds wrapped around my life.
I didn’t understand boundaries — not for myself, not for my child.
I had no blueprint for godly parenting.
And honestly? I was winging motherhood with a broken compass.
When you’re raising a child without God, without truth, without structure, and without healing, what you offer them is whatever scraps of strength you have left. And I was living on scraps.
The Fast That Forced Me to Grow Up
The turning point came when God called me to fast — long before I even really understood fasting.
I went into it thinking I was giving up food. God used it to strip away illusions.
Fasting forces silence. Silence forces truth. And truth makes you look at the parts of yourself you’ve been avoiding.
During that fast, God showed me:
“You have been trying to mother from friendship because you’re afraid of her rejection. That is not love. That is fear.”
And let me tell you — that revelation cut deeper than any sugar, bread, soda, or cigarette I ever laid down.
He showed me how my “friendship mothering” wasn’t helping her. It was hurting both of us.
He showed me how many times I avoided correction because I wanted closeness. How often I softened consequences because I didn’t want conflict. How often I gave emotional comfort when what she needed was Biblical truth.
God didn’t say I was a bad mother. He said I was an untrained one. And He stepped in to train me.
Tough Love Isn’t Harsh — It’s Holy
People misunderstand “tough love,” like it means being cold or mean. No. Tough love is love with a backbone.
And you know what God told me?
“Your daughter does not need another friend. She needs a mother with a spine.”
A mother who stands firm. A mother who corrects. A mother who says no. A mother who prays and wars in the Spirit. A mother who is willing to be disliked for a moment in order to be respected for a lifetime.
Do you know how much that hurt my feelings? Oh, it hurt. But it healed.
Because the moment I stepped out of that “bestie role,” I stepped into the calling God designed me for:
Mother.
Leader.
Guide.
Protector.
Boundary-setter.
Example.
And God honored it.
How Our Relationship Changed
When I stopped being her buddy and started being her mother, everything shifted.
Not at first — at first, it was uncomfortable. Change always is. But slowly, the respect grew. The communication deepened. The trust strengthened.
Our relationship became healthier, holier, and more honest — the way God intended.
That fast didn’t just break sugar addiction. It broke fear. It broke people-pleasing. It broke the belief that my child had to approve of me for me to love her well.
It broke the “bestie mom” mindset that our culture glorifies but God rejects.
I’ll Never Go Back to That Role Again
I don’t ever want to be my daughter’s best friend again. It’s too small of a role for the weight of the assignment God gave me.
A best friend is optional. A mother is foundational.
A best friend comforts. A mother corrects.
A best friend relates. A mother leads.
A best friend will hold your secrets. A mother will hold you accountable to the truth.
I used to think being strict or firm meant I wasn’t loving enough. Now I know:
Love without correction is not love — it’s abandonment wearing a smile.
And I refuse to abandon my daughter ever again — not emotionally, not spiritually, and not through soft, compromising parenting.
If You’re a Mother Reading This…
If something in your spirit is tugging, if you know you’ve been mothering from fear, exhaustion, guilt, or brokenness — hear me:
You are not a bad mother.
You are a mother God wants to realign.
And He will train you the same way He trained me:
Through truth.
Through correction.
Through fasting.
Through surrender.
Sometimes the toughest love is the love God uses to save the relationship.
I am fixin’ to be 55 years old, and I’m just now learning what’s good and what’s garbage when it comes to clothes.
Nobody told me my “regular clothes” were basically plastic. Nobody told me the fabrics on my skin could mess with
my hormones, irritate my body, and end up in landfills after ten wears.
We grew up thinking cotton was cotton, wool was wool, polyester was “normal,” and if it was hanging in a store,
it had to be fine. Meanwhile, China fast-fashion giants like Shein are cranking out mountains of cheap, synthetic
clothing that never really breaks down — just fills landfills and sheds microplastics into the air and water.
Watch a documentary or two and you’ll never look at a $6 dress the same again.
Nobody taught us that the Bible actually says something about what we put on our bodies, not
just what we put in them. And nobody explained why God cared about pure fabric long before
we invented polyester leggings and plastic bras.
The Bible Really Does Talk About Pure Fabric
There’s a verse most people have heard but almost nobody really thinks about:
“Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” — Leviticus 19:19
People joke about that like God was running a fashion police department in the wilderness.
He wasn’t.
Back then, fabric was natural — wool, linen, plant fibers, animal skins.
Mixing fibers weakened the fabric, messed with how it wore on the body, and symbolized mixture and impurity.
God was teaching:
Order
Purity
Strength
Honesty in materials (let a thing be what it says it is)
Respect for His creation
A thing should be what it is, not half one thing and half another. That principle hits a whole lot harder now that
we’re drowning in blended, mystery-fiber everything.
From Pure Cloth to Plastic Clothes
Today our closets are full of:
Polyester (plastic)
Nylon (plastic)
Acrylic (plastic)
Spandex (plastic)
Microfiber and fleece (microplastic)
Rayon and “performance” blends (chemically processed and treated)
Then on top of that we add:
Flame retardant chemicals (many of which are carcinogenic or hormone-disrupting)
Anti-wrinkle and stain-resistant finishes
Fragrances and fabric softeners full of synthetics
And we wonder why our skin is angry, our hormones are confused, and our bodies feel “off.”
These chemicals don’t just sit there politely — they rub into our skin, off-gas, and build up in our homes.
Our skin is the largest organ we have, and we’ve been wrapping it in cheap plastic and chemical treatments for decades.
Nobody said a word.
“But Natural Fabric Doesn’t Fit Like Celebrity Clothes…”
Let’s be honest: linen, wool, and real cotton don’t “fit” like those painted-on dresses we see on celebrities.
And that’s exactly the point.
Those red carpet, skin-tight, “every curve vacuum-sealed” outfits? Most of them are synthetic.
Plastics stretch, squeeze, cling, and shape-shift. They’re made to grab your body and hold on like a second skin.
Natural fabrics don’t do that. They:
Drape instead of strangling
Breathe instead of suffocating
Soften instead of sticking
Move with you instead of gripping you
Remember those old cotton socks from back in the day that lost their shape by mid-morning?
By noon they were sliding around in your shoe like you were walking on a washcloth. We all remember that.
So what did the industry do? They built in plastic — elastic, nylon, polyester — so socks “held their shape.”
Great for the look, terrible for the skin.
We traded a little bagginess for microplastics, chemicals, and a lifetime of our skin fighting for air.
Mid-Fifties and Finally Waking Up
I’m in my mid-fifties, fixing to be 55, and just now putting this all together:
My hormones are sensitive.
My skin is sensitive.
Chemicals and plastics on my body matter.
Cheap clothes are not worth the long-term cost.
Flame retardants are labeled like they’re protecting us,
but a lot of those chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.
Fabrics are treated to resist fire, wrinkles, stains — but nobody tells you the side of the label that affects
your thyroid, your hormones, your fertility, or your long-term health.
Fast fashion doesn’t care about that. It cares about one thing: sell it fast, trash it fast, repeat.
That’s why you see piles of thrown-away clothes in those documentaries — mountains of synthetic shirts, leggings,
and dresses that will outlive us and our grandchildren in a landfill somewhere.
What the Bible’s Fabric Rule Teaches Us Now
Is God going to judge you based on the tag in your T-shirt? No.
But that command about not mixing materials still preaches today:
Purity matters. Mixture brings weakness and confusion.
What God made is safer than what man cooks up.
Shortcuts have a cost. Cheap, fast, synthetic clothing looks like a bargain, but it costs your health and the planet.
Honesty in material. Let your clothes be what they say they are.
Choosing natural, pure fabrics is not about chasing an Old Testament dress code.
It’s about agreeing with how God designed our bodies and His creation to work together.
Learning to Choose Better, One Tag at a Time
These are the fabrics my body actually likes:
Cotton (real, thick, breathable cotton)
Linen (summer heaven)
Wool (for warmth without swamp feet)
Bamboo (soft and breathable)
Hemp (tough, breathable, long-lasting)
Silk (where it makes sense)
I’m not pretending I can flip my entire closet overnight. But I am getting pickier:
Checking tags instead of assuming.
Buying fewer pieces, but better ones.
Prioritizing natural fibers closest to my skin — underwear, socks, bras, sleepwear.
Letting that Shein-level fast fashion stay right where it is: online and out of my house.
This isn’t about legalism. It’s about stewardship — of my body, my hormones, my skin, my money, and even the ground
those clothes will end up in.
It’s Never Too Late to Stop Wearing Plastic
If you feel like you’re “too old” to start over with what you wear, let me just say it:
You’re not.
You can:
Clear out one drawer at a time.
Replace a few key pieces with natural fabrics.
Stop supporting brands that treat your body and the earth like they’re disposable.
Teach your children and grandchildren what nobody taught us.
God didn’t design your body to live wrapped in plastic, breathing in chemicals,
and itching through life in the name of “style” and “stretch.”
He made your skin to touch what He created.
And it turns out, His materials still feel better, last longer, and quietly line up with
His wisdom from the very beginning.
The Pharisees weren’t wicked because they didn’t “believe in God.” They were wicked because they replaced God’s commands with their own traditions — and then acted like God was supposed to approve.
Sound familiar?
Jesus dealt with this exact spirit, and He didn’t mince words:
“You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.”
— Mark 7:13
He told them straight to their faces that God’s Word should have the final say — not their customs, not their ceremonies, not their man-made add-ons. And He follows it with this:
“These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
— Mark 7:6–7
Jesus wasn’t talking to atheists. He wasn’t talking to pagans. He was talking to religious people who thought tradition was harmless.
Sound exactly like Christians defending Santa yet?
Our God Does Not Share Glory
This isn’t subtle. God spells it out:
“For the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
— Exodus 34:14
He literally says His name is Jealous. That means His character, His covenant, His requirement for loyalty. And again:
“I am the Lord; that is My name. My glory I will not give to another.”
— Isaiah 42:8
Not to idols. Not to culture. Not to tradition. Not to Santa.
Jesus Directly Confronted Religious Tradition
When the Pharisees complained that the disciples weren’t following their traditions, Jesus snapped back with Scripture:
“Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”
— Matthew 15:3
You can practically hear Him saying the same thing today:
Why are you breaking truth for the sake of Santa?
Why are you teaching lies for the sake of nostalgia?
Why are you letting culture rewrite what God said?
When tradition requires you to bend Scripture, it’s no longer tradition — it’s rebellion dressed in holiday cheer.
God Warns Us Not to Mix the Holy With the Unholy
Israel tried it too — mixing God with the customs of the nations around them. Every time, God warned them:
“Learn not the way of the heathen.”
— Jeremiah 10:2
“Do not worship the Lord your God in their way.”
— Deuteronomy 12:30–31
Yet today, believers decorate with symbols tied to old pagan customs… then claim it’s “for Jesus.” Same mistake. Same spirit. Same blindness.
Jealousy Means God Wants You Pure, Not Blended
This verse cuts straight through every excuse:
“You shall fear the Lord your God, serve Him only.”
— Deuteronomy 6:13
Jesus repeats it in the New Testament when Satan tempts Him to bow to anything besides the Father:
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
— Matthew 4:10
If Jesus Himself refused to bow to anything besides His Father, why do Christians hand their children’s awe, excitement, and wonder over to a fictional character?
God’s jealousy is a shield — not a threat. But people treat it like a suggestion.
Tradition Is Fine… Until It Competes With Truth
Here’s the plain reality:
If a tradition requires lies, it’s not innocent.
If a tradition steals focus, it’s not harmless.
If a tradition replaces Scripture, it’s not Christian.
If a tradition confuses your children about who the real Giver is, it’s idolatry — plain and simple.
The Pharisees would have loved the modern Christmas setup: lots of ceremony, lots of extras, lots of human-made rules — and not much truth.
Jesus fought that spirit then. He’s still fighting it now. The tragedy is that many pastors won’t touch it because tradition fills pews… but truth fills heaven.
America didn’t fall apart because of Republicans, Democrats, inflation, or social media.
We fell apart because somewhere along the way, we politely escorted God out of His own country
and told Him, “We’ve got it from here.”
And when God is not first:
morality collapses
families break
truth dies
sin becomes normal
The Ten Commandments weren’t given as suggestions. They are God’s holy standard for His people.
They are the foundation of a godly life, a godly home, and a godly nation. When we push them aside,
we should not be surprised when everything else starts to crumble.
The First Four: God’s Position in Your Life
1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
God isn’t asking to be first on a list of priorities. He is saying: I alone am God.
No rivals. No competition. No “close seconds.”
Your “god” is whatever gets your devotion, your fear, your trust, and your attention. For many,
that “god” is:
money
career
political party
entertainment and celebrities
family or relationships
self and personal comfort
When we stopped putting the Lord first, we didn’t stop worshipping. We just swapped Him out for idols
that look more acceptable in modern America.
2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…”
This isn’t only about statues made of wood or stone. It’s about remaking God into something that fits
our feelings and culture.
Today, people create a God who:
never judges
never convicts
never calls for repentance
just “wants you happy” while you live in sin
That’s not the God of the Bible. That’s an idol. Any time we edit God’s character to make Him
easier to live with, we are breaking this commandment.
3. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”
This is bigger than using His name as a curse word. Taking His name “in vain” means carrying His name
while living in a way that empties it of meaning.
We do it when we say:
“I’m a Christian,” but live like the world.
“God told me…,” when He didn’t.
“Praise the Lord,” while refusing obedience.
When we wear His name but refuse His ways, we drag His reputation through the mud. God takes His
name seriously even if we don’t.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
God built rest into the rhythm of creation. Six days of work, one day set apart. Not just “a day off,”
but a day to remember Him, to reset, to honor Him above our schedule and our hustle.
America glorifies busyness. We stay in constant motion, constant noise, constant distraction. We say
we “don’t have time” for God, and then wonder why our souls are exhausted and our homes are empty of peace.
When we ignore His command to pause and remember, we slowly forget the One we are supposed to be
living for.
The Last Six: When God Isn’t First, Everything Else Crumbles
The first four commandments deal with our relationship to God. The last six deal with our relationships
with each other. When the vertical relationship breaks, the horizontal ones follow.
5. “Honor your father and your mother.”
God designed the family as the first human institution. Parents are supposed to lead, teach, discipline,
and model God’s ways to their children.
When a nation rejects God, honor quickly disappears:
Parents lose authority.
Children grow up with screens and strangers shaping their beliefs.
Disrespect becomes normal.
You can’t tear down parental authority and then be shocked when the next generation is rebellious,
confused, and spiritually lost.
6. “You shall not murder.”
Life is sacred because it comes from God. When we remove God from the center, life stops being holy
and starts being negotiable.
We see violence everywhere—on the streets, in the news, in entertainment. But the most devastating
sign of a nation that has forgotten this commandment is how casual we’ve become about the taking of
unborn life.
Abortion has been packaged as “health care,” “choice,” and “freedom,” but at its core it is the ending
of a life God Himself knit together. We debate it, vote on it, argue about it, and celebrate it in the
name of rights—but there is no way to make it align with “You shall not murder.”
When a people can destroy children in the womb and call it progress, they are not just breaking a law—
they are breaking their own conscience. This is what happens when God is no longer feared and His
commandments are no longer preached.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.”
God created marriage. One man, one woman, joined in covenant before Him. Adultery is not just about
cheating—it’s about despising a covenant God calls holy.
Look around:
Sky-high divorce rates.
Infidelity treated like a plot twist, not a sin.
“Try before you buy” lifestyles.
Couples counseling that focuses on communication and “needs,” but never repentance and obedience.
Counseling has its place, but no amount of worksheets and communication exercises can fix a marriage
that refuses to bow to God. You can’t build a holy union on unrepentant hearts.
When God is not first, marriage becomes a contract of convenience instead of a covenant of faithfulness.
Adultery becomes entertainment. Divorce becomes “normal.” Children grow up watching promises break
and trust shatter, and the cycle repeats.
8. “You shall not steal.”
Stealing isn’t just about walking out of a store with something you didn’t pay for. It shows up when we:
Take what isn’t ours.
Cheat on taxes or paperwork.
Steal time from our employers.
Steal purity from someone through manipulation or lust.
Steal peace from our homes with constant chaos and selfishness.
When God isn’t first, entitlement replaces gratitude. People start believing they are owed whatever
they can grab. That mindset destroys communities from the inside out.
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
This commandment is about truth. Not half-truth, not “my truth”—truth.
We live in a culture where lying is normal:
People lie on resumes, applications, and social media.
News is spun, edited, and twisted for agendas.
Reputations are destroyed by gossip and slander.
And it starts early—right inside the home.
We lie to our children and call it cute or harmless:
Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy presented as real.
“Little white lies” to avoid hard conversations.
Stories we know aren’t true, just to make life easier in the moment.
Then we act surprised when our children grow up confused about what’s real and what’s fake, or when
they lie to us. We taught them that truth is flexible.
Bearing false witness isn’t only a courtroom issue. It’s a heart issue. When we treat truth lightly,
we are breaking a commandment that God takes very seriously.
10. “You shall not covet…”
Coveting is not just wanting what someone else has—it’s resenting them for having it and believing
you deserve it more.
Our entire advertising and social media system is built on coveting:
“Your life would be better if you had what they have.”
“You aren’t enough until you own this, or look like that, or live there.”
Coveting leads to jealousy, bitterness, debt, corruption, and even more sin. God warned us because
this commandment sits like a root underneath many others.
The Root Problem
Every national issue we see—violence, confusion, broken homes, addiction, corruption, the cheapening
of life, the destruction of marriage, and the normalization of lies—can be traced back to this:
We removed God from first place.
Without God, there is no stable morality. No fixed truth. No real fear of judgment. Just people
doing whatever feels right in the moment.
The Bible describes it perfectly:
“Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” — Judges 21:25
That is where America is living right now.
The Good News: It’s Not Too Late
The Ten Commandments don’t just reveal how far we’ve fallen—they point us back to the One who can
restore us. They show us our sin so we see our need for a Savior.
The answer is not:
another election,
another law,
another program,
another “conversation.”
The answer is repentance.
We must put God back in first place:
Back in our homes.
Back in our marriages.
Back in our parenting.
Back in our pulpits.
Back in our personal lives—no excuses, no compromise.
He is still holy. His commandments still stand. And His mercy is still available for those who will
humble themselves, confess their sin, and turn back to Him.
A nation doesn’t truly change from the top down. It changes one heart at a time, one home at a time,
one life fully surrendered to God’s order.
God must be first again. Not just in word, but in obedience.
