Meandering Moose

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Moms are a very important person in our lives. Show your mom appreciation & honour this Mothers Day. Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Here are a few ways you can honour your mom this mother’s day.

First, remember to call her on the day, which for 2021 is Sunday, May 9th.
About a week before buy, write and send her a card in the mail. Yes, snail mail. She will love it. Home made cards are also a bonus.
Make her a special meal or take her out for dinner.
Be good and don’t bother her during the day.
Give a bouquet. Bringing a lush Mother’s Day bouquet beautifully arranged in a vase adds to the sweetness of the day.
Add to her garden. Give her a new flower, plant, or tree to add to her garden.
Create an herb garden.
Book her a spa day.
Design a photo collage.
Write a heartfelt thank you.
Time with family. This is a big one for my wife.
A Day Free Of Duty. Our wives and moms handle a million details every day.
To Be Pampered.
To Do Something New.
Acknowledgment of what she does for us every day.
Treat Mom to Breakfast in Bed. Get Mother’s Day started right with chocolate for breakfast.
Finish Her To-do List.
Recreate Her Favorite Meal.
Mother’s Day Dessert.
Help her relax with an At-Home Spa.
A gift from the Heart.

One note for Dads. If your kids are young, you will need to help them with these ideas for Mothers Day. Saying, “she’s not my mother” will only get you in trouble. Likely lots of trouble. Trust me on this one. I have had that experience.

What Is It About Bubbles?

bubbles glistening in a sunbeam Who doesn’t love bubbles? There is something inexplicably joy bringing in the act of blowing and popping bubbles. Whether big or small they always draw us in. There’s something about the iridescent colours as the lights shines on and through soap bubbles.

Usually it seems when there are bubbles around there are usually children (except for weddings). Personally, I love watching my grandson run around and around in wonder doing all those things. It’s also interesting at a wedding with bubbles to see the little kid come out in the adults.

Whether as a child, teen or adult, it brings a wonder-like joy and fills the heart with excitement. Some want to pop them. Some want to keep them up in the air. Some want to watch as the kids (and adults) run around and try catching them. Some prefer to chase them. Some want to catch them, even on your tongues. I have it on good authority from my grandson that they do NOT taste good.

Ever wondered about the science behind bubbles? The outside and inside surfaces of a bubble consist of soap molecules. A thin layer of water lies between the two layers of soap molecules, sort of like a water sandwich with soap molecules for bread all held together by surface tension. They work together to hold air inside. Whoosh it through the air so that the bubble follows and grows behind it. Try liquid dish soap for good results.

God is so incredible to build in us a simple but intricate curiosity to bring happiness to our daily lives through the smallest things, like bubbles. We serve a God of details.

And don’t even get me started on bubble wrap… that cracking sound is irresistible!

Anatomy of Our Summer Camp

Summer camp is often thought of as a whole, a single place where campers convene for several weeks each summer. Few think of summer camp in the context of its smaller parts. Yet, for campers, the special memories that make up “summer camp” in their minds are not merely the product of a whole, but a collection of memories related to its various parts. The overall experience of summer camp not only comprises a special place in the heart of campers, but the memories connected to favorite spots on campus. What are these parts, and why would do campers find them so dear? They’re places that, without, summer camp just wouldn’t be summer camp.

Cabins & Bunks: What they have in common is that they are private spaces that a handful of campers at each camp have in common. They live in their bunks, sleep in their bunks, and attend activities with their cabin mates. Every cabin has its own playlist, inside jokes, special nicknames for each other, and unique games that it enjoys. And campers leave their mark by signing their name for future campers and future generations of campers. We have had a mom show her daughter where she slept in the same cabin when she was a girl. A very cool memory at Widji!

Dining Hall: At home, the dining hall is just a place for campers to eat or maybe even a place where parents host special guests. But at camp, it’s such an important place that it’s spelled with capital letters. The camp dining hall is not only a place where the camp convenes for meals, but a place full of song and cheer and mail call and silly announcements.

The River: The river is the hub of our summer camp waterfront. It’s the place where campers go to swim, blob, fish, canoe, and socialize. It’s so special that, at most camps, every camper goes there at least once a day. Lots of friendships are formed and memories are made on the docks and sand of the camp waterfront.

Campfire: Every camp has a special place where the entire camp convenes in the morning and/or evening to officially kick off or end the day. This is where sports and competition wins are celebrated and special occasions are marked, and each camp does something just a little bit different to inflict personality into its assembly location to make it a memorable place for campers.

Longhouse: This is another building that goes by a different name from camp to camp, but is home to memories of camp shows, sing-alongs, all camp games, challenges, indoor campfires, evening activities, and just about a million other activities. For all intents and purposes, it’s camp’s all-purpose building, the place where the entire camp gathers to celebrate activities that are as indispensable to the camp experience as to the camp itself.

Activities: from the waterfront to high ropes to beach volleyball, the climbing wall, canoeing, archery and so MANY more, these are the places campers make memories and friendships, learn skills and life lessons like challenging yourself, pursuing getting better, leadership and being better.

Traditions: a camp is not just defined by the places around camp, but be the people and traditions that carry over for years. Check out these Widji blogs about our traditions & culture – blog 1, blog 2, blog 3 and blog 4.

Of course, as merely building and places, these locations make up just a fraction of summer camp. But they’re so full of literally decades of memories that the spirit of the camp emanates from them, and every camper has a nearly endless list of memories that involve them. Not just summer camp, but the anatomy of it is essential to the summer camp in the making of camp memories that last a lifetime.

May Truth & Grace Reside Here

This quote is from a Hallmark Christmas movie, Engaging Father Christmas. They unearth this phrase from beneath wallpaper and discover the roots of the family who owned the cottage. I confess that my wife and I watch a LOT of Hallmark movies leading up to Christmas. There’s always a good message to them. I was intrigued by the statement found above the doorway pictured to the right.

Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality. Truth matters, both to us as individuals and to society as a whole. As individuals, being truthful means that we can grow and mature, learning from our mistakes. Absolute truth is something that is true at all times and in all places. It is something that is always true no matter what the circumstances. It is a fact that cannot be changed. Malachi 3:6 says, “God is always the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He never changes. He is so faithful, so constant, so loving and so true!”

Grace is undeserved, unmerited, unearned favour – that means nothing you can do can ever make God love you more, and nothing you do can make Him love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

We need truth. We need grace. We need Jesus. Only Jesus Christ lived in perfect grace and perfect truth. Only Jesus Christ can save hard-hearted, hard-headed sinners full of lies and deserving judgment.

Add too this verse in the Christmas carol, Joy to the World, whose sacred words were inspired by Psalm 98 by Isaac Watts.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

What about you and your house? Do grace and truth reside there? What can you do today to make it more so?

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Easter – He is Risen

Back at Christmas in my Advent blog, I said, “We can’t leave the Advent season without a reminder that the story doesn’t end at Christmas. We know that in Jesus’ life on earth that Christmas leads to Easter, to His death on the cross. ” This is the next part of that story.

The victory of Easter was secure. Jesus had triumphed over sin and death. The grave had failed to retain its prey.

But Peter fretted, still haunted by his betrayal and failure. Unaccustomed to waiting, as he had been instructed, he announced, “I’m going fishing.” And several other disciples followed suit. They fished all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus showed up. And, as he had three years earlier, He directed Peter and his crew to a massive catch of fish – 153 to be exact (John 21:11).

But Jesus had not endured the pain of the cross to allow guilt, past failures, and impatience to diminish His victory’s impact in Peter’s life. In the pointed, painful, and powerful conversation that followed, Jesus restored His relationship with Peter, and challenged him to significant leadership responsibility within the infant church. Jesus concluded their talk and called Peter to the heart of the matter: “Then he (Jesus) said to him (Peter), “Follow me!’” (John 21:19).

On Christmas, Christ lovingly set his foot on earth. On Good Friday, Satan struck His heel. But Satan’s temporary victory didn’t last long. The events of Easter turned the tables, proclaiming God’s ultimate victory.

This Easter season, remember, all our guilt, pain, and losses are merely Satan’s Pyrrhic victories. Christ alone wins the war. This Easter, say with Paul, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57.

Don’t allow a painful past or an impatient present, to diminish the power of Easter. Don’t return to the familiar and comfortable distractions that will rob you of the opportunity to follow Jesus and apply the victory of Easter in the days ahead.

Some parts borrowed from Dan Bolin, President, Refueling in Flight Ministries.

The Heavens Declare!!

The Heavens Declare!!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 This has long been one of my favourite Psalms. Don’t miss verse 13.

This is one of the clearest biblical statements that nature itself is meant to show the greatness of God. These words are in the present tense. That is, the heavens “are declaring,” and the sky “is proclaiming” the creative work of God. It’s a continual display. What we see in nature is meant to constantly show us that God exists and tell us how amazing a Creator He truly is.

Romans 1 also ties into this idea. God has revealed enough of Himself in nature that nobody has an excuse for rejecting Him or for doing what is wrong. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20). The heavens declare the glory of God.

God reveals Himself in nature so that no one will be able to plead ignorance of His existence on the last day. His message gets through, and we can appeal to creation as proof of His existence when we are talking with unbelievers.

Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:14-16 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Amos 5:8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name;

Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

Psalm 8:3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.

Nehemiah 9:6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

Jeremiah 10:12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Psalm 147:4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

In his chapter on the majesty of God in the masterful Knowing God, J.I. Packer says that the first step in apprehending the greatness of God is “to realize how unlimited are his wisdom, and his presence, and his power.” But then he advises readers to look at the specific glories and wonders of the world, recognizing that just as they dwarf us, so God dwarfs them.

The most universally awesome experience that mankind knows is to stand alone on a clear night and look at the stars. Nothing gives a greater sense of remoteness and distance; nothing makes one feel more strongly one‘s own littleness and insignificance. And we who live in the space age can supplement this universal experience with our scientific knowledge of the actual factors involved—millions of stars in number, billions of light years in distance. Our minds reel; our imaginations cannot grasp it; when we try to conceive of unfathomable depths of outer space, we are left mentally numb and dizzy.

But what is this to God? “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing” (Is. 40:26). It is God who brings out the stars; it was God who first set them in space; he is their Maker and Master—they are all in his hands and subject to his will. Such are his power and his majesty. Behold your God!

In grade 7 or 8 I remember taking a trip to the Planetarium in Toronto. Once they started the show I remember being completely awed by the sights of the stars. Now we have spacecraft on Mars. And one headed way out into space. Nasa has made it’s image galleries free to access at https://images.nasa.gov/. The pictures are incredible. So many that we have only discovered in the last 20 years. Imagine that God put those out there just waiting for us to have the technology to see them and wonder at His greatness.

WOW, is always what comes to my mind when I see those pictures, like the one at right. There must be a creator!!

David’s Mighty Men vs Chuck Norris

I have been reading through Chronicles as I finish reading through the Old (or first) Testament. The Bible reading app I use does this to as a way of wrapping up the story of a good God and his often foolish people. In my came across David’s Mighty Men again in 1 Chronicles 11 & 12. Something stood out to me more this time. These men were the best of the best. Their accomplishments as warriors are incredible and their bravery was and is renown in history. I was trying to figure out who their modern day equal would be and I came up with…

Chuck Norris of course!

Let’s do some comparisons.

David’s Mighty Men

While David was a mighty warrior in his own right, he surrounded himself with other mighty warriors. They supported David both politically and militarily. They had impressive combat skills and we fiercely loyal that won them renown and honour in David’s kingdom.

They were a combination of combat commandos, stealth rangers, navy seals, green beret, special ops and Delta forces who had acquired the skills of battle demanded to survive and conquer in hand-to-hand warfare.
They engaged in clandestine operations and were often outnumbered by staggering odds pitted against them, yet they stood their ground. Time after time on fields of battle they were the last men standing.
As you study these men, you will see confidence, faithfulness, determination, courage, faith, loyalty, dependability and more!
They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen. 1 Chronicles 12:2
A group of 37 men in the Hebrew Bible who fought with King David.
The Three
- Ishbaal the Tachmonite (“thou will make me wise”); the leader and is said to have killed 800 men in a single encounter. 2 Samuel 23:8. He was chief of the three.
- Eleazar (“God has helped”); stood his ground against the Philistines at Pas Dammim when the rest of the Hebrews ran away, and successfully defeated them. 2 Samuel 23:10
- Shammah; When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:11-12
- One day during harvest, the Three parted from the Thirty and joined David at the Cave of Adullam. A squad of Philistines had set up camp in the Valley of Rephaim. While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem. David had a sudden craving and said, “Would I ever like a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem!” So the Three penetrated the Philistine lines, drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David wouldn’t drink it; he poured it out as an offering to God, saying, “There is no way, God, that I’ll drink this! This isn’t mere water, it’s their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it!” So David refused to drink it. This is the sort of thing that the Three did. 2 Samuel 23:16 (MSG). The story shows the love and devotion of the three mighty warriors for David.
The Thirty
- Abishai; killed 300 men with a spear, and so became famous among The Thirty, though not as famous and respected as The Three
- Benaiah; Killing two of Moab’s best warriors, Killing a lion in a pit on a snowy day & Attacking a 7 1/2 foot tall Egyptian with a club, stealing the spear that the Egyptian was using, and killing the Egyptian with it. 2 Samuel 23:20–23
The Mighty Men were the Special Operations Group of David’s armed forces.

Chuck Norris

There are so many Chuck Norris memes to draw from, but I want to look at the man himself. Chuck Norris is famous as a world-champion martial artist (tang soo do, tae kwon do and karate), plus movie and television star. What many people don’t know is that Norris is also very dedicated to the military community.

He does his own stunts.
Great movies with lots of actions. 44 movies and TV shows according to IMDB.com.
He hasn’t lost a fight since 1968, giving him a record of 168-10-2 at the end of his long career.
Usually plays heroes who are good guys to the bone, and despite having punishing martial arts skills, would always rather find a better solution than fighting.
His beard & red hair
Action movies, uses taekwondo in his fight scenes, does a roundhouse kick whenever he’s filming a martial arts fight
Calm, reasonable voice (that I am sure makes people tremble)
6-time World Karate Champion
He was the karate teacher of father-son actors Steve McQueen and Chad McQueen
Received “Veteran of the Year 2001” honor at the 6th Annual American Veteran Awards.
He has founded two of his own martial arts: Chun Kuk Do (“the Universal Way”) and American Tang Soo Do.
He has a 10th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, and also an 8th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do…that is, the Korean (or traditional) styles of each. Is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the Machado Brothers.
He and his wife both serve on the board of the National Council of Bible Curriculum in Public Schools.
In 2005 he founded the World Combat League, a full-contact, team-based martial arts competition.
While serving in Japan with the US Air Force (as an MP), Norris sought out a judo studio. He settled for karate classes, because judo would have conflicted with his Air Force duty schedule.
When Chuck Norris is silent around you, you should be worried.
Norris would turn to philanthropy to help at-risk children build up self-esteem. Through Kickstart Kids and the United Fighting Arts Federation, Norris makes use of martial arts classes as an opportunity for children to avoid drug use and gang violence.
Alleged Chuck Norris Facts (okay, I had to include some of these… enjoy)
- Chuck Norris was once bitten by a cobra. After five days of agonizing pain, the cobra finally died.
- Chuck Norris once shot down a German fighter plane by pointing at it and yelling “Bang!”
- Before the Boogie Man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
- Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
- When Chuck Norris does a push up, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.
- Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
- Chuck Norris has never blinked in his entire life. Never.
- Chuck Norris counted to infinity—three times.

Feel free to draw your own conclusion of who wins between David’s Mighty Men and Chuck Norris. I’m going to call it a tie. I also considered Navy Seal Team Six for a comparison, but that’s another blog.

“I’ve always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way, and you’ve got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish.” Chuck Norris

Marriage Takes WORK!!

You have to give 100% to each other.

Advice from grandma on Hallmark’s Cranberry Christmas; It’s tough, a lot of the time. You have no idea what to do. And there’s a big learning curve. The stakes are high. Marriage isn’t easy and the rookie mistake is thinking it aught to be. It takes work.

Express what you’re thinking because they can’t read minds
Admit your shortcomings because they are obvious anyway.
Do the work, because making a marriage last, fighting for your love is the most beautiful and challenging and terrify and worthwhile work you will ever do!

There are many factors that contribute to a satisfying marriage relationship such as love, commitment, trust, time, attention, good communication including listening, partnership, tolerance, patience, openness, honesty, respect, sharing, consideration, generosity, willingness & ability to compromise, constructive management of disagreements or arguments, willingness to see another’s viewpoint, ability and willingness to forgive & apologize, fun.

The list is simple and obvious yet it can be very difficult for individuals/couples to restore their marriage relationship to a satisfying one when difficulties arise or when they drift apart.

Great marriage don’t just happen. FamilyLife Canada

Widji – The Ultimate Career Prep

Working at camp is a real job, just ask anyone who has spent a summer here! There’s lots of great value for a staff member to work at camp, and if the Prime Minister can go on to be in that position after working at camp, we know at very least, it won’t stop you from going where you want, but here’s some reasons it will help you get there!

The last thing staff are thinking about as they are running, dancing, jumping, singing and playing at camp is what they want to be when they grow up. But Camp Widjiitiwin parents know the things young adults experience and learn can directly impact the adults that they become. Spending a summer (or a few) to work at camp promotes valuable life skills in campers that prepare them to enter the professional world.

Teamwork

One of the biggest benefits of camp is that staff learn how to work together as a team. Staff at all levels lead by example and demonstrate practical communication skills, compromise, and listening skills. Staff learn to trust and encourage each other. Those who feel confident working with others at camp build a solid foundation for teamwork in the workplace. Working with a co-cabin leader teaches valuable lessons both in teamwork and problem-solving. Although your co-cabin leaders are close to your age, each individual possesses their own unique skill set. This diversity presents the opportunity for understanding and appreciating different cultures, working with varied experience levels and finding a common ground to resolve conflicts and effectively problem-solve.

Time Management

Time management is another important skill staff learn without even realizing it. Staff learn to factor in things like travel time between activities or how much prep time is required between events. Learning the importance of being on time or early will help campers be successful in the real world. They’re also given opportunities to extend grace and courtesy to those who are running behind, and taught to exercise patience when things don’t always go according to plan. Staff learn to be flexible and understanding, while also learning how to prioritize important events during their daily routine.

Spending a summer at camp is one of the best things you can do for the future of your child. It’s a fun way to build character and prepare children for the real world. Staff learn valuable life lessons on a daily basis at camp, all while having the best summer of their lives. The directors focus on developing the whole staff member, and embrace the opportunity to prepare each staff for success. When they eventually enter the workforce, staff will be prepared with the confidence and skills required to be successful.

Recognizing Individuality

Living in a cabin day-in and day-out with campers and co-cabin leaders is a unique experience. As a cabin leader, you’re presented with the task of nurturing each individual camper in order to establish strong relationships and ensure a safe and fun environment for all. The ability to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each individual is a valuable skill in any profession. The environment at camp allows cabin leaders to discover the best version of themselves. This environment of acceptance fosters the development of each cabin leader’s confidence and skill set. With higher confidence comes clearer decision making, better communication and stronger performance in many areas of life.

Becoming a Leader

The combination of the skills learned as a camp counselor include communication, problem-solving, flexibility, individuality and confidence, all of which are key factors in being successful in any workplace. When faced with the decision to apply for an internship or a counselor at a overnight camp, take into consideration that in just eight weeks, skills will be developed that are beneficial for life.

At camp, you’re both a coach and a mentor to the campers in your cabin, but also to the rest of the children at camp. Camp transforms cabin leaders into leaders with the drive to be successful. The confidence established at camp can be carried over to all aspects of life; from going on a job interview to giving a presentation to your boss — having confidence allows for the highest success rate.

Never before have people needed to be effective communicators, collaborators and think creatively than today. Employers look for these traits which can be developed at camp. Come join us for a season and find out for yourself.

You Never Learn Anything While You’re Talking

“You never learn anything while you’re talking,” Joan Batura.

I borrowed this title from Paul Batura’s article about his mom’s recipe box. Side note: I have my mom’s and grandma’s recipes. Some of which I now make and deliver to my mom in pint jars.

Listen twice as much as you talk. It would seem that since God designed us with two ears and only one mouth he meant for us to listen more than talk. James 1:19 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak – Epictetus.

Most people don’t listen while they are in conversation, they are preparing for what they are going to say next. “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply,” Stephen Covey. Instead, we should be practicing active listening where you are concentrating intensely on what the other person has to say and seeking to understand it. In order to be a good listener, we first need to learn how to be silent. That includes, not thinking about how you’re going to reply when another person is talking.

Even though you might have a lot to say, sometimes it’s best not to respond. In silence, without distractions, that’s when people feel respected and appreciated. People don’t care about how much you know, until they know how much you care.

The Bible talks a lot about the use of our tongues, the words we use and the way we say them. Here are some great examples.

James 3:5-8 talks about the tongue saying – So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Proverbs 12:18 – “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” As children of God, our tongues have a lot of power. Proverbs 18:21 confirms this by saying, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

Psalm 39:1 of David, I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.

Proverbs 18:4 A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.

Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Forrest Gump’s Mama always said, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a good reason. He meant for you to listen twice as much as you talk.”