Cool day yesterday, bit of rain but for us that was fine.

Warmer, not hotter, today.  Nice wind blowing through our open window, through the house and out the back door, cool.  Didn’t use the air conditioner yesterday and it looks like it will be off today.

Meanwhile the animals are much happier AND enjoying outside.

Psalm 141:3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

This is a verse that I have used far too infrequently, as most of you can attest.

All too frequently I just say what I think – and while it may be valid, it can also be hurtful.  

What I have found though, considering general conversations, is that the truth of this verse comes through.  I do not cuss, although I use euphemisms and I must be careful of doing even that.

What we say, apart from our statements on our relationship with Christ, can have a serious impact on others – non-believers, but believers as well.

I was watching a show the other day.  One of the characters is a Christian – however, he was using language that not only is unfit for a Christian to be using, but 20 years ago he would have been censored for saying some of the words in public.

By doing this, in my opinion, he hurt his testimony.  He was just one of the ‘guys’ not separated from the world, but actively participating in the decrepit language of the world.

We need to even be careful of what we hear – or how we react to the statements of others, including jokes.

A friend of mine was a good example to me.  He was in a profession where rough language was a way of life.  His fellow employees would tell ribald jokes and of course many WERE funny, however, not something that is appropriate for a Christian to be involved with.

But, like many of us, he couldn’t isolate himself from his fellow workers, he had to interact with them – it was part of the job.

What he chose to do was not to laugh at the joke, but in good time he would tell one of his own.  A clean joke.

His delivery was always good, as was his timing, and what I heard about his method was that his jokes were always funny and often much funnier than the dirty joke was.

As time went on, fewer jokes and off-color comments were made around him.  They respected his views.

We live in a world today where cursing is the freedom of speech, while preaching the Gospel is a hate crime.

But as Christians we DO know the differences.  God holds us to a standard far above and removed from the standards of the world.  It is our responsibility to watch what we say, to make sure that it does not discredit God.

I need that little angel that is a guard at my lips – and need to listen to him, more.

Later, Art :-)