SATURDAY SHORT!

Wisdom

Of

Words

Jesus + 0 = EVERYTHING!

 Words

Of

Wisdom

MY ONE WORD / 2025

MY ONE WORD FOR 2025.....can you guess it??

You're pretty wise if you can! Hint--It starts with a W!

HOPE SPEAKS

Hope speaks in many languages.....but Morse Code was a first for me!

A gold necklace with hope in Morse code.

A gift of HOPE from Susan and Aubry......a reminder to be worn to help me "Rejoice in Hope." (Romans 12:12a)

H

O

P

E

.... ---  .--.  .

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, 

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13)

Lord use this beautiful "gift of hope" as a "A lead-in to gospel conversations." 

HOPE-SETTERS!

Hope----"My One Word" 2024.

By nature we are hope-setters—looking to someone or something to make things better and put things right. By our new-nature, however, we know “horses and chariots,”  cash reserves and government leaders, graceless religion and our best efforts cannot save us. Salvation rests on Jesus. Either Jesus is the Savior of the world, or we are helpless, hapless, and hopeless. (Scotty Smith, emphasis mine)

So on the 1st day of November, 2024, hubby and I were thrilled to affirm Christ's  tomb has never been more empty. His throne has never been more occupied. Our Lord Jesus Christ's return has never been more certain! 

How grateful we are as the sermon at Redeemer Church, PCA, in Sylva, NC reaffirmed our hope that morning as we continue to mourn the deaths of sweet God-fearing friends, Ellen and Dixie.

On our Father's love relying

Jesus ev-ry need supplying

Yes in living or in dying all must be well

Psalm 130 (From the Depths of Woe)

Thx to RUF Rev. Andrew Shank who encouraged us in the "Lord's Day Worship" to "Wait on the King", and Scotty Smith for the faith affirming words for all hope-setters, who are going to the polls today as we trust in the name of the Lord our God and delight in His will! 

May His will be done today for the sake of His people all over the USA!

HOPE AS A "KNOW SO"

Last month's The Best Times Faith and Hope section by Truth Seekers Fellowship Stacy Tyson focused of My One Word for 2024.....HOPE! Of course, I had to take notes. Cause, that's what I do!

One more Monday's Meditation on his scriptural truth notes.

HOPE---defined from a Biblical position. (my paraphrases with additions)

• Hope is a confident expectation things will turn out well turn out well because our Father God who promises is faithful. Hope is built on HIs past works. 
• Hope is NOT just wishful thinking. 
• Hope is built of Father God's trustworthy word and His past works..  
• My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; Cokesbury hymnal, p, 24)
• There is an old saying, A person can live 40 days with out food, 3 days without water, about 3 minutes without air, but not 3 seconds without hope."
• Hope is essential to life.

Everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and and through encouragement of the Scriptures we way have hope. (Romans 15:4, emphasis mine)

So.....Know the "know so" of True Hope!

HOPE /LOVE/FAITH

TRIAD OF VIRTUES IN ST. AUGUSTINE'S WORDS

Love gives us hope that one day we will see face to face the One who is love.

FAITH, HOPE, & LOVE ARE INTERTWINED!

It's His love we rely on. It's the core of our faith! (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Paul instructed his followers to be defined by love (John 13:34-35). 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

God is love. In Him we put our faith and receive hope.

CONFIDENT HOPE!

I love my wearable gift from a faithful prayer warrior who knows "HOPE" is "My One Word" for 2024.

HOPE is much more than wishful thinking. HOPE comes from a confident expectation in the words of  the God we worship. When God speaks of HOPE, whether as a noun or a verb, He stands by His word!

According to Henry Blackaby, "We can have confident HOPE in everything God has provided." (Experiencing God, p. 193)

HOPE for today! Bright HOPE for tomorrow.

Put on HOPE today! 

Wear it with a confident smile on your face and in your heart! 

HOPE AGAIN!

Keep on hoping!

How? 

When a pass-along gift arrives at the garage door from a friend who is, in many ways, on the same side of the struggle as, fellowship reigns. 

She knows, "hope" is My One Word 2024.

She has a book. She shares "Said book."

 HOPE AGAIN, WHEN LIFE HURTS AND DREAMS FADE (p.23)

Rejoice as the Man of Sorrows is acquainted with your grief. (Isaiah 53:3)

HOPETIMIST!

How does one become a hope-timist? Is that even a word?

It is now, at least in my vocabulary.

H eals

O ur

P ainful

E xperiences

Where is this hope found? In God's Word---that's the obvious answer. But....sometimes we struggle even when we know the "right" answer.

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

I wait for the LORD, my whole being, and in his word I put my hope.

(Psalm 130:5)

Hmmmmm---Another word jumped out as I was searching for hope.

WAIT! 

I don't always wait well! But God in His love and mercy showed me what to do while I wait. Help others find hope.

H elps

O ther

P eople

E veyday

May I be a true hope-timist and help others as I wait.

BEHOLD FROM BEGINNING TO END!

BEHOLD: FROM B T0 E  Isaiah 40: 9,Come and Behold Him, behold, Christmas 2023,

BEHOLD!!

In a former blog about my yearly word, Behold, I shared what it had meant for me! Watch Out. Think, be on the ready. Be on the watch.

Look for. Be aware...God is about to show up!

Maybe Mary and Joseph felt that same way!

Come and behold---keep on coming and keep on beholding until he comes again!

Behold your God!  Isaiah 40:9 Here is your God.

Here is the miracle of Christmas: God became man in Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3).

He came for you and me---to give us life everlasting!

BEHOLD! FROM beginning to end/eternity! 

BEHOLD!

BEHOLD! "My One Word" this year.

Behold is used 1,298 times in the KJV of the Bible.  Greek word for behold is "eido" literally meaning, "to be sure."

What have I learned so far this year about "behold" in Scripture? 

Get ready......"to be sure"....God's about to show up!

WHOLE-HEARTED

Synonym Survey of wholehearted on this Wordsmith Wednesday!

(wholehearted (Allen Bible Church graphic)

• abiding.
• ardent.
• authentic.
• bona fide.
• candid.
• committed.
• complete.
• dedicated.

My focus verses this year deal with the love of one's heart. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul with all your mind and with all all your strength. The second is  this: 'Love your neighbor as yoursel'. There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)

I like the Weymouth New Testament version that uses "whole" as the descriptor....and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, thy whole strength and thy fellow man as much as thyself). (Luke 10:27 WNT, emphasis mine)

It keeps wholehearted ringing in my ears with the whole of its synonyms.

RECIPE FOR LIFE

I began my 5th Monday Meditation from Lysa TerKeurst, seeing beautiful again on August 2, the day after a friend's husband died. "Consider" it pure joy....(James 1:2-3) This past Monday, after visiting a rehab center and an assisted living center with round the clock care, I attended his funeral. 

The service gave glimpses of joy in the midst of the grief and hurt. (p.30) Sorrow and celebration were co-existing, not mutually exclusive, as  one might think. "Mixing them together is part of the recipe of life." (p. 35) 

Returning home, I read devotional #6 in TerKeurst book and the title was so "spot on", Why Would you let all this Happen, God?" Meditation quickly ensued as the two entries seemed to have so much in common. Younger friend (1) dying, older friends suffering cancer set backs (2), mixed generations (5 ) undergoing chemo or radiation, and (2) falls that led to blood clots, one had no hospital room, available, 3 needed hip surgeries, 2 younger gals needed female surgery, 3 adult children of dear ones have made poor choices that are breaking hearts....I could go on & on but after further reading it's easy to see the "God is Good Pattern." In essence, as believers, we can easily say we trust God but in reality do we trust in the plan we are praying God will follow? When it doesn't, we often want to turn and run and hide. (Elijah in 1 Kings 18 &19) (p.37)

God's plans don't always have to match our plan for them to still be good. (p. 39)

Perspective is key in trusting God in the experiences of life we all wish we could avoid.  

"God is good. God is good to me, God is good at being God." Say and Repeat. (p.36)

Recipes of a life of faith often come from those wilderness experiences God allows in order to deepen and even sometimes sweeten life on the other side of the bitterness/disappointments.

LISTEN!

Listen---"my one word" for 2020. Hmmmm!

I must need a refresher course. Yesterday I saw two H2H friends at Snapdragon Floral and I became a chatterbox. I did apologize, after the fact. Both graciously accepted.

That very morning, "get into the habit of hearkening" was my journal notation. How quickly I forgot.

 Contextually it was intentionally and continually hearkening to the Lord about everything. I think it was a reminder----after listening to God, "listen" to others. Listening is a way of honoring/respecting/putting others first. (Philippians 2:3b-4) May I hearken to others today!

W.A.I.T.

Question to self,  "Is waiting hard because of lack of practice?"

W.A.I.T.---A perfect acronym for one trying to "listen" well. 

W. Why
A.  Am
I.    I
T.   Talking      (Carolyn Winn, Source)

When I do speak, I need to ask myself 3 questions.

Is it true?

Is it kind?

Does it need to be said?

If not,  you might need to wait a little longer before "opening your mouth".

Question to self, "If waiting seems long when conversation lags, is it necessary for me to jump in just to fill the silent void?

PAUSE IN PROCESS

Last September (2018), I considered "pause" as a being verb in my  s l o w i n g entry. 

I needed to progress in  my pausing process, which sounds oxymoronic, at best.
But.....pausing is a prerequisite for "restoration 101"!

So......in December I found a book, The Art of Rest, to read all about it and now I can't remember any profound truths I gleaned from the book---nor can I find the book. But,.....in January, I went ahead and chose "pause" as my 2019 word anyway.

I'm scribbling synonyms and antonyms on any surface (mainly journal, scratch paper and napkins)and i'm still struggling to hit the "pause" button......because my world never stops!

How grateful I am for my "beckoning Lord, who says "Come" (Matthew 11:28) and  my Shepherd who leads me beside still waters---those solitary places of quiet repose where I can pause and be refreshed as I allow Him to restore my soul. (Psalm 23:1-3)

MY ONE WORD #3

Choose. (2017) Consider (2018) ????? (2019)

I have been mulling over my 2019 choice for My One Word since last June's "Summer Refreshment" book study. I was pretty sure "seek" was going to be the right "choice." A word of focus. A right focus. An action word. The right action. A transitive verb. A "doing" word for a "do-er".

A word for prioritizing my life. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." (Matthew 6:33) A word with 100 individual Bible references in multiple verses in both the Old and New Testaments.

"But God in his love and mercy".....brought another word to my attention---more than once. I gave pause to his leading. Gentle nudges. A son's sermon. Being vs Doing debate. Not one or the other but intertwined. Hubby's suggestion about my "packed" schedule. An intransitive verb---now that would be a first.
I did an acrostic on both words---many similarities found.
Put                   Set aside superfluous
Aside                Enjoy moments God gives
Unnecessary     Embrace eternal truth
Selections         Keep on keeping on
Everyday

I think I was looking for a skywriter to show me the right word. Instead God gave me 3 words to reflect on---in stone. At least painted on concrete. That seemed to seal the deal.
When one takes time to "pause" the 3 Rs come forth. one can linger long enough to relax, which brings about refreshing of both mind and soul so that she is able to refuel with God's truth and then take action. "Seeking" is a doing word. (Think transitive.)
"Pausing" is a being word for one who needs to practice "being" a be-er. Are you confused yet.

 

76 times in 3 versions of the Bible was "pause" found---all but 5 of those were in Psalms as Selah--reminds one to pause and calmly think of that. Hmmm....only 6 different verses.
I am joyful expectant to see how ow God will use this word in my life.
Decision made. Break out of the mold. Go outside the box. "Pause" for the first 1/2 of the year or until the Lord guides to transition to "seek".
Wow that's a biggie for me, a rule follower! I'm considering ('18) choosing ('17) 2 words for My One Word! YIKES!

**Remembering 2009---10 years ago today, Heard the word biopsy, as it pertained to me, for the very first time. 

WORD PLAY FOR WORD NERDS

Word Nerds.

Word nerds have a fascination with word usage. Many take their word nerd obsession to daily challenges with New York Times Crossword Puzzles. or on-line word games. 

Word nerds---that's what people often call wordsmiths. My hubby included. 

Prepping to lead a book discussion for an upcoming Summer Refreshment, My One Word, as well as teaching 2 lessons based on word play of "Sweet Teas of Scripture," I've been all ears for "words" to fit my needs.

Today I came across a new word, that had both positive and negative connotations for me. Sounds like life circumstances doesn't it? 

I discovered the origin for the word was Greek (peripeteia) which wasn't much help. Likewise, the synonyms in no way helped me but the "audio" pronunciation was very helpful as this word has never been in my vocabulary, literary or not.

My first notes for this entry brought to mind the way surprises in one's life can bring about complete change. Some better than others. A test showing the cancer is back has been a diagnosis faced by 3 of my close friends. An unexpected change which they are still trying to absorb.

Later today, I read a death notice of a somewhat unexpected death. The life of 3 children abruptly changed today as life, as they had known it, will now have a new normal. Life without a mother by their side.

Another friend's grandson's scholarship announcement came to mind. A college that seemed out of reach is now there for him. That's a positive and somewhat surprising change.


All of this to say, that life can change in a heartbeat or a phone call.
We are not in control. Changes, both good and bad, happen quickly and often surprisingly.
Not so for our Lord. There are no surprises for Him. All of our lives are filtered through His hands.
He never changes and His purpose for our lives is not subject to random peripety.

How blessed to rest in Him who uses peripety in our lives for His best for us.

A GRAMMATICAL CONSIDERATION FOR WORDSMITH WEDNESDAY

All the musings I did on consider---vt (verb transitive w/ direct object) and vi (verb intransitive w/o direct object) got bogged down with the relating of consider as a verb to considerate as an adjective and consideration as a noun.

So---I'm only posting what has been the most helpful to me as I'm considering "consider." But those desiring more info on conjugating the verb "consider," click here and have fun!

I decide to just "focus" on synonyms, which I cannot even cite because in all my examining, I have forgotten where I found it..

My consideration has lead to lots of mind mulling (gerund)---of the turning over/tossing around variety! 

WAITING: A TEST OF PATIENCE

What do we do while we're waiting is a question asked in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot?"

 

While Bernie and I were "waiting" for the 2nd act to begin......the word absurd came to my mind.
Yet, I was intrigued by the premise of this play. Silence was prevalent.
The pauses were long and l-o-n-g-e-r.
For an impatient-type gal it was an eye-opener. There was a depth of understanding that one could only glean through the silences.
Silence can tend to make extroverts uncomfortable. But....words are not always the answer.

Even scripture "speaks" to this conundrum, even speaking to the futility of many words.(Ecclesiastes 6:11) "....but he who restrains his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19) Is there no limit to "windy" words? (Job 16:3)
Often, too much empty prattle robs the true listeners of understanding especially in the quietness of a theater.

One can only imagine how much loquacious folks "miss" by filling every moment of silence with chatter. ( I know.....I'm typing to the choir here!)