APOSTROPHES----IN ACTION!

Apostrophe---an important punctuation mark with a dual purpose. Not to be confused with an acute diacritical mark. 

Now that I have your attention, I'll share how blind I can be to apostrophes that are often right in front of me! Click the link and check your own eyesight.

Apostrophes' dual purpose; to indicate omission of letters as in southern speak, "go get 'em tigers" or with any contractions, "don't do that," or to show possessiveness. Singular possessive or plural possessive. In the above link @ Pop's Comfort Kitchen, singular possessive is used so you know the establishment belongs to Pop, aka Chuck, as my hubby knows him. As we entered the restaurant to partake of the comfort food offered there, my eyes were opened.

Pop might be the earthly proprietor of the restaurant but I love the symbolism. Look closely at the apostrophe. 

Pop has chosen to entrust his business to the Lord---inside and out.

He belongs to Jesus and so does his business. It's obvious everywhere you turn!

The food's delicious and the service is gospelicious!

It's both Pop's business and the Lord's!

FYI--Pop's Comfort Kitchen 

2990 Kirby Whitten Rd. #107 Bartlett, TN 38134, by the Kroger at Hwy. 64/Stage & Kirby Whitten

POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHES

Get out your hymnals......

Now that's a statement rarely heard in churches theses days. Usually words are on a screen or written out in the bulletin. Some churches no longer even have hymnals in their pews racks.  For those who know how to read music, I imagine that is a real loss especially if the hymn is unfamiliar to them.

.....and turn to page  517 Taylor said. In FEC hymnal it's listed by title, The Solid Rock.

In my old Cokesbury hymnal at home, it's listed by the first words, My Hope Is Built on p. 24.

Why did Taylor want us to turn to this old familiar hymn of assurance and faith? 

Taylor wanted us to focus on the apostrophe ' after Jesus' name. 

He wanted us to see the duality of the possession indicated by said apostrophe. The hope we have is in Jesus, who not only shed His blood for our salvation but He also imputed His righteousness to us.

Whose are we? We are His Beloved. Ownership of sorts. There is no "Sort of" ownership with Jesus. Believer, we are totally His possession forever. God see us through His Son's righteousness from now until eternity. Hallejujah!

Simply put................apostrophes are punctuation marks (not diacritical markings helpful in accents and appearing over letters) marks to indicate omission of letters/ numbers or to indicate possession.  Only when a word ends in "s" and is possessive does one place the apostrophe outside the "s." 

In the life of a believer that all important possessive apostrophe reminds us we are His. 

Our hope is built on nothing less than that---Jesus' blood and righteousness.

BOTH.....His blood and His righteousness!

PUNCTUATIONS OF LIFE!

Is the "old" MLA guide on your bookshelf? Probably not. But it certainly influenced many "seniors," aka old folks, not graduates, back in the day.

These days one can sometimes tell the age of someone by their use of punctation. Not sure of all the alphabet soup of names from age groups, but it's my guess that "Baby Boomers" often use too many commas and "Millennials" rarely use commas or even periods for that matter.

Last Sunday, Pastor Taylor Park stressed the importance of correct punctuation in Scripture.

Sometimes in sharing biblical truth verbally one will add a lilt in his/her voice, as if doubting, wondering or asking a question. Jesus is the son of God? That is a true statement----not a question!

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. (1John 4:16)

The commas tell us there is more to say. More to the story/statement.

Note the period. That ends it. Period indicates a full stop.  It's truth declared.

One might even add a relational explanation point to indicate profound truth as it applies to him/her!

Allow God's word to erase the question marks in your faith life and add more periods allowing your life of faith to be filled with the best punctuation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHOOSE: APPROPRIATE PUNCTUATION

Happy Wordsmith Wednesday!
My life, especially my "To-Do" list seems like one long run-on sentence. I need a "stop here" punctuation, aka a period---or at least a comma.

What do I do? What or whom can help? Whom do I choose?

Choose Him!