If you can’t say anything nice . . .

Many, if not all of us, can remember the saying from our parents, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” My dad used to say all of the time “Son, keep your mouth shut and let people think you are a fool, rather than opening it and removing all doubt.” Both of these quotes are quite appropriate for this blog since I started it, specifically the last week or so.

I wrote a post with a picture of a church marquee sign that was not intended to be downgrading to the church who put up the sign, per se.? Simply to talk about how “the Church” (capital C) in America is losing her influence and relevance every day.? There are probably many better ways to state this fact as well as use encouraging words to help the Church in America “get it”? than rant and rave about a particular church’s marquee.

My friend Charles commented on this particular post and made me reread and reread again the post and think about the tone of the post.? After some other advice and assesment, I decided to delete the post and the comments altogether.? That is not the kind of tone that I want to have on this blog.? I had not intended on hurting my brothers and sisters at this church, but I might quite possibly hurt them.? For this mistake, I am very sorry.? I had no intention in being so derogitory in my tone.

For the bakers dozen of people who read this blog (Thanks mom and dad!), you might remember a “phase” I went through about 8 months ago where I “turned negative.”? It was honestly a pretty dark time in my life and it showed in my blogging.? That is not the case now I don’t think.? I am in a really “good place” right now in my life and ministry.? There is sometimes a desire to be funny–sometimes to the expense of others. This is not a good practice.? I know there are many bloggers who “make their living” by being negative, but I don’t want to be one of those bloggers.? I really want to take the tone of this blog to be pro Gospel, pro local church, and buidling up the Church of Jesus Christ.

So if I don’t have anything nice to say. . . I won’t say anything at all.? And I will try to keep my big yapper shut and stop “removing all doubt” . . . or at least be nice if I do open my yapper!