Southern Charm

Sweet iced tea is a staple of southern society. Some northerners may find it way too sweet. I drink a lot of tea. My diabetic-friendly version involves adding four tea bags (whatever flavor you like) to two cups of water (more or less water will not make a difference). Allow mixture to boil.

Once this has occurred, remove tea mixture from burner. Let simmer (at least thirty minutes or longer if you forget the pot). Take your tea container, and fill it with cold water almost to the top (leave room for tea). Chill in refrigerator.

When ready, strain tea bags in pot. Throw tea bags away. Pour tea mixture into a container. (Water and tea mix together as you pour tea mixture in.) Allow to chill for several hours. Pour individual glasses, and add sweetener (ice or lemon) as needed. It’s that simple.

When anger has been simmering inside of you for days, months, or years, because of the way you were treated wrong by someone (or in a situation), it’s complicated. Check out the biblical reference below on the toxic affect of your mouth during these times of extreme irritation.

James 3:6 in The Message reads this way, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by Hell.”

Apply the above verse to this advice. When are extremely upset over an issue, please do this for me. Write a pro’s/con’s list (positive/negative). What will happen for you to withhold the venomous language you wish to spew on your victim? What happens if you give that person grace or forgiveness (as hard as it may be to you) by withholding what you think they really need to hear from you.

Read the list over, and then do as Jesus would. Chances are you already know the option to pick. Doing the right thing is not always popular, but a least you can have a clear conscience, which is worth all the gold in the world and a sound sleep at night.