Words...Set a Guard on My Lips Lord!

"Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
       keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3


"He who guards his lips guards his life,
       but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3

I like words. I guess that's because I love to write. I recently signed up to receive a 'word a day' in my inbox from dictionary.com. It's a way to help me learn new words, but also refresh my rusty memory of words I may have learned years ago and since forgotten.

I typically do better with the written word versus the spoken word. The words flow on paper, but seem to get stuck when I open my mouth. I try to be careful in the things I say - both written and spoken. But there are times when I mess up. Perhaps I write something that I think means one thing, but it is taken another way, or I say something that is meant to be funny, but instead is hurtful. Don't you hate when that happens? When I was younger we called it, "Open mouth, insert foot disease."

I pray that in all I do, say and write that God will put a guard on my lips. May His love, hope and forgiveness shine through me. May I follow admonishing of James 1:19-20. "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."