The beautiful bouquet of roses a grateful patient sent to the nursing station drew a lot of attention, and passersbys continually asked who they were from. One harried nurse, apparently tired of explaining, told an inquirer,  "They're from my boyfriend." The look of pity she received caused her to read the previously unnoticed card: "Thanks for everything, but I hope I won't be seeing you again."

We sometimes speak before we think and it gets us in trouble. There is an old saying: “Engage brain before putting mouth in gear." There are many scriptures which speak of this human problem of speaking without thinking:

- Be slow to speak.   James 1:19: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

- Let your words be few.   Proverbs 10:19:  “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” 

- Think before speaking.  Proverbs 15:2:  “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”

- Knowledge spares words.   Proverbs 17:27:  “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.”

- Listen before you speak.   Proverbs 18:13:  “He that ansereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

- Guard your words.    Proverbs 21:23:  “Whoso keepeth his moth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”

- We have probably all had problems with “putting our foot in our mouth.” James 3:2 - “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

May we all strive to think before we speak.  James 1:26: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own