Why Do We Say What We Say?
This week in the Dispatch:
Random Facts, Disney Movie Trivia, and 1 tough one in Quick Hits!
“The Future is Faster Than You Think” in Books!
“7 Secrets” in Listen!
“1 Thing to Grow Your Marriage Each Day” in YV!
Toni Nieuhof on the Awesome Marriage Podcast!
A New Better Man Podcast: “What Are We Living For?”
“Why Do We Say What We Say?” in this week’s Insights!
Of course, Next Steps and a Challenge to grow your marriage!
This Week’s Quick Hits:
Random Facts:
The Guinness Book of World Records holds the record for being the book that is most often stolen from public libraries. Ironic, isn’t it?
Your nose is always in view. Technically you are always looking at your nose, but your brain just chooses to ignore it. Otherwise life would be pretty annoying.
Over 3% of all beverages consumed on earth are Coca-Cola brand products.
Honey is the only type of food that does not rot. As a matter of fact, a jar of honey will remain completely edible to humans for over 3,000 years.
The mathematical probability of you being born is estimated to be about 1 in 400 trillion.
Movie Trivia:
Whether you watch movies streaming at home or go to the theater, here are three trivia questions for you! (Answers below.)
Which Disney movie was the first full-length animated feature to be produced in the United States?
What popular Disney character makes an appearance as a stuffed animal in the film Frozen?
Which Disney princess dresses up as a man to save her father?
One Super Difficult Question:
What’s the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world?
Read, Listen, Watch
Read:
The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
The Future is Faster Than You Think is a quantum leap into tomorrow - literally tomorrow. It’s what the Jetson’s were to the Flintstones. It is AI, robotics, virtual reality, digital biology and sensors crashing into 3D printing, blockchain, and global gigabyte networks. It’s the reinventing of just about everything we know from transportation, retail, advertising, education, health, entertainment, food, and finance. It is fascinating and, for me, a little bit scary. I love technology but my life being run by AI is not my idea of a perfect life. Maybe that’s my need to have some control over how my day goes but I loved the book and feel a little better prepared for many of the changes that are just around the corner.
Listen:
7 Secrets to an Awesome Marriage
Finally, my first book with Zondervan that hit as high as number “2” on Amazon’s Marriage bestseller list is available in an audio edition! This really is my favorite of the books I have written so far. So many people have let us know how much it helped their marriage. Now, if reading is not your thing, put on your earbuds, relax, and listen.
YouVersion Plan:
1 Thing To Grow Your Marriage Each Day by Dr. Kim
If you have been thinking about subscribing to our Monday through Friday “One Thing” emails,
this is a great way to see what they are all about. This 31-day plan is designed to help you be intentional about growing your marriage. You can either watch or read this plan - the content is the same. Plus there are great scriptures for you every day and in 31 days your marriage will be better!
Podcast:
Awesome Marriage Podcast: Special Guest: Toni Nieuwhof / Ep. 468
On this week’s episode I am joined by special guest Toni Nieuwhof. Toni’s last name might sound familiar from our podcast as her husband, Carey, was our first ever podcast guest a few years back. Toni brought some great wisdom and a powerful perspective on how to shape your marriage into the marriage you have always hoped for, even if it’s far from it today.
A Better Man Podcast
May 2021 | What Are We Living For?
In this month’s episode, Colby Taylor and I explore the question, “What are we living for?” Is it family? Is it a paycheck? Is it something else? Is it harder to keep our priorities in line with our values and beliefs today that it was in the past? Join us as we dig deep into this topic!
Insights:
Why Do We Say What We Say?
Do you ever use an expression and then wonder where in the world those words came from? I say “okay” a number of times every day. OK became popular in the 1840 United States presidential election. Democrats claimed that OK stood for “Old Kinderhook,” the nickname for candidate Martin Van Buren, who was from Kinderhook, NY. “Vote for OK” became a slogan and the word “okay” eventually spread across the world.
Recently, I listened to a talk by a person seeking investors for his idea. The idea sounded great, but there was very little chance that he could pull it off. It was a “pipe dream.” This phrase originally referred to the dreams experienced by opium pipe smokers. Today, it refers to a fantastic hope or plan that is impossible to achieve. A friend told me of an issue he had at work. A committee he was leading was scheduled to meet in a conference room at 1 pm. At 1 pm the conference room was still occupied by another group holding a working lunch. I asked him who that group was and he said, “They were a bunch of big wigs!” When wigs came into fashion in the 17th century, they were used by almost all European nobility. Ostentatious displays of nobility became popular through the use of bigger and bigger wigs. The title “bigwig” now refers to someone rich and powerful.”*
It’s kinda fun to know the origins of the words and phrases we use today. But then there are the words I wish I had never used. Our words are powerful. They can cut deep. In the early years of our marriage when we were really struggling, it was not unusual for either one of us to say, “I can’t do this anymore, I want a divorce.” In those times we were angry and frustrated and could not see a good way out. Divorce was an option because we let it be an option. Finally, after wise counsel from a mentor of Nancy’s, we took divorce off of the table. We agreed that it was no longer an option for us. It meant that we had to figure things out if we were to have the marriage God wanted for us. We also knew that we needed to put God in the middle of our marriage. He had the answers we did not have.
Over the years, we have said other things that we wish we had not. Ninety-nine percent of the time, these were said out of anger or hurt. Most of the time we really didn’t mean the words. These are the words I want to be able to take back but once they are out, there is no taking them back.
James 1:19 says, “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry.” It’s one of my favorite verses because it covers the things that can be my biggest problem. I need to be a better listener. I need to take the time to think and/or pray before I say something. Anger cannot be my first go-to if I want an Awesome Marriage.
Here’s a question for you. Why do you say what you say to your spouse? Are your words uplifting, nurturing, and loving? Remember, your words begin with your thoughts. Changing your thoughts will change the words you say. If I daily see Nancy as the gift to me from God that she is, my words towards her are pretty good and some days they are really good! Change your thoughts. Change your words. Change your marriage!
*Why Do We Say That? Origins of Common English Expressions,” Trevin Wax Blog; 10/11/2010.
Challenge:
Write down three thoughts that you have about your spouse.
Are they positive or negative?
What changes do you need to make in your thoughts about your spouse?
Next Step:
Write out the words of James 1:19 and keep that where you look at it every day for 30 days. You will be amazed at the change!
This Week’s Answers:
Disney:
Snow White
Mickey Mouse
Mulan
Super Question:
Damascus, Syria. Damascus boasts archeological evidence of human habitation dating back at least 11,000 years.
*Some links are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Every dollar made goes directly to the ministry of Awesome Marriage to help couples build awesome marriages. We only promote products we truly recommend.