You will send several messages today.

Whether you intend to or not, you'll communicate thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to other people. And because you're reading this column, some of those interactions are likely to involve children. Maybe your own. Maybe grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. Maybe boys and girls you work with in ministry, sports, or education. Whatever your role, ask yourself: What messages will I send to my kids today?  

An unusual question, perhaps, but one worth considering. Estimates of adult vocabularies stretch to more than 60,000 words. Throughout every day, I combine thousands of those words to form the messages I send. Too often, though, I don't carefully select which ones I'll use—they just flow from me like water streaming from a faucet. At times, they are nearly random. But with so many words at my disposal, surely I can do better. In fact, I am determined to do exactly that.

Why should I care so much?

Because relatively simple messages can make really big ...