Why I Don't Curse Anymore

I used to curse.

A LOT.

I grew up around friends and family that used foul language regularly. I remember being 12 or 13 years old and using words I knew I'd never use at home but at school or around my buddies, it was just the way we talked. It was just something we did.In our home as kids, cursing wasn't allowed. My mom was so strict that she even thought the word "fart" was as bad a word as the other F-word. FART.

C'Mon Mom! The only time we really heard foul language in the house was when someone got in trouble or there was an "adult" argument going on. We knew if we heard certain words mentioned at home, someone was in trouble!Swearing was just something we did. The way we talked, the way we reacted, the way we interacted. It just rolled off the tongue. Watching movies with tons of cursing never bothered me. Listening to songs with bad language was the norm on my CD player.

In May of 2001, at age 27, I got serious about my faith and made a decision to follow Christ. At that moment, I felt a change start to occur in my life. I started to pay closer attention to how I treated others, how I interacted with others, how I talked to others, and most of all, how Christ saw others.But the hardest thing for me to change was my language. I really felt like God wanted me to stop cursing, taking his name in vain and really change how I spoke to people.

The brain said stop swearing, but the mouth often didn't listen. It was very difficult for me.The turning point though occurred when I became a Dad in 2004. I realized as Sarah started to grow, how much of a sponge she was. She would emulate and do and say everything we did. It was at that moment that I decided .. "If I won't say it in front of my daughter, then I'm going to try and not say it at all."

Living by that motto has been easier said than done.Now let me be clear. It is never my place to judge how others talk. If you're reading this and you are someone who curses a little, or a lot, that's OK. I have zero problem if you want to use certain types of words to try and get your point across.  I don't get offended. I honestly don't care. (unless my daughter is in the same room of course).

And yes, every so often, I let out a cuss in frustration if I slam my finger in the car door or accidentally delete a file on my computer. Just know that for the last 11 years, I've been doing my best to keep my words G-rated. If I can't say it around my kid, I'm likely not going to say it around you.