Surrendering Fear. Exercising Faith. Living Free.

The Holy Spirit has been strongly convicting me in regards to my tongue lately. If you know me, you know that I talk...a lot! I also talk very fast (some claim I don't actually have to breathe when I talk). I'll tell you, I always thought my ability to talk fast was a gift. I figured I would wind up as a radio broadcaster, an insurance salesman, or hopefully a motivational speaker one day, simply because of my ability. When I became a yoga instructor and was responsible for memorizing and reciting 30 pages of dialogue to talk practitioners through a 90-minute class, no one was surprised. I've always loved to communicate, particularly through writer (my dream has always been to become an author and speaker), but I don't know that others have always loved it. Most people laugh at my "ability," but I've also hurt several people with my tongue. Over the years I've become aware of the fact that those who talk more not only have a tendency to say too much,

I'm currently reading the book of Exodus. Today during my time in the Word, God revealed something pretty amazing to me.  I was beginning to read the story of Moses - how The Lord called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and what happened when Moses went before Pharaoh with God's order.  I admit that I was frustrated and confused as I read. I was confused by several references to God hardening Pharaoh's heart to not listen to Moses, and frustrated as I read about each plague and all the suffering that came down on His people. Why didn't God just kill Pharaoh? Why did he "harden" Pharaoh's heart, making the whole process harder and longer on everyone? It made no sense to me at first, just as God's ways here on Earth don't make sense to us at first, if at all. I had to keep reading to understand. Exodus 10:1-2: "Then the Lord said to Moses 'Go to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perf