Forgetting and frontlets.

In my living room, on top of a bookshelf, I have two verses framed together as a 

reminder to myself of what I am doing and how I am to be doing it:

The wise woman builds her house, 

but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

Proverbs 14:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, 

   but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

It's never easy for me to remember not to yell at my kids or not to make cutting remarks to my husband. (Sarcasm is my strong suit.) The first verse reminds me that a woman wields a lot of power in her home, the power to build it up, or literally tear it down with her own hands. The second verse is more specific to me, pointing out my biggest shortcoming, which is my harsh tongue, and how unhelpful it is to lash out at people. Specifically the people nearest and dearest to my heart. The way I speak directly affects the mood and behaviour of my husband and kids. I am 100% sure of this. So, that is why I have these two verses sitting in my living room. The logic is that if it's always there, I'll always be reminded and if I'm always reminded then I will think before I speak. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. The problem is, I never look at the frame. For one thing, I'm not always in that room, but even when I am, looking up at it to remind myself never happens in the heat of the moment.

I'm thinking something like this would work better for me:

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

Deuteronomy 6:8


All I'm saying is, if you see me walking around wearing phylacteries one day, don't be surprised.