Tuesday Word Bytes; Mmm, Mmmm, Mmmm!!

I LOVE words!  I think language is the best part of being a human.  There's nothing as good as taking a new word and rolling it around the inside of my mouth and feeling how it tastes.

Today's word is:
Finifugal (fin-e-few-gul)
Latin; fini (end) + fug-a (flight)

Not wanting some happening to end.

Whether it's a good book,

a terrific vacation,

a perfect day,

a piece of music,

a perfect meal,

a perfect night's sleep

or a perfect relationship

To not want it to end is finifugal.


What's your favorite word this week?

(all images courtesy of Google Image)

Be Brave, Be You!

Micah 6:8

What does the Lord your God require of you, but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God?

Be bold for Christ!

Step away from the crowd.  Be willing to take the risk to be separate, distinctive, set apart.  Be willing to be brave in the face of what others may say about you, right or wrong.  Stand taller than your reputation.  Grab the truth of your specialness to God, your creator, who made you for a very specific purpose.

We are all, each of us, warriors in God’s army.  We are equipped and made ready for battle.

Boot camp?  Studying the Word God, Being alone in his presence so that you can hear him speak to you, fellowshipping with other warriors who can build you up and stand with you in the battle.

Our weapons?  The Word God, our testimony, the power of the Holy Spirit, prayer, faith, love, love, love!

Our women’s ministry held it’s annual retreat in Ocean Grove, NJ this past weekend.  There were over 100 women there, including my 26 year old daughter and myself.

  

The theme of the weekend was

Be Brave, Be You

Micah 6:8 was broken up into segments and three of the speakers concentrated their presentations on it

It takes a strong woman to stand up in the face of injustice.  But it also takes a strong woman to be willing to assure that she walks justly in her everyday life.

What does it mean to “love mercy?”  Do you understand what it means to show mercy?  Can you put your personal agenda aside and show mercy to one who seemingly singles you out for trouble?

Is one sin worse than another?  is it harder for you to show mercy to that person who just continually rubs you the wrong way than it was for Jesus to show you mercy?  But mercy isn’t allowing someone to walk over you.  It’s seeking understanding and forgiving, just as you have been forgiven.

Do you walk humbly?  Do you stand in humility, giving all the honor to God, thanking him for the amazing gifts he’s given you?  

Or are you arrogant, setting yourself as better than someone else, even unknowingly, making them small with your talk about them?  Do you, actually, turn the other cheek?  Again, it’s not a matter of letting anyone walk over you, but rather, recognizing in yourself when you are being petty, complaining, trying to make yourself feel better by putting someone else down, beneath you.  Humility means starting from a place below, underneath the feelings of “Can you believe she just said that?” or “Did you see what she did?” And rising through them, understanding that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

Understanding these points; justice, mercy and humility, teach us what it means to be brave in the sight of God and in the site of a world that looks at us, expecting us to fail.

But how you fail when you know that battle has already been won?  How can you feel defeated when you know you are filled with the very presence of the Living God, who never leaves you, even for a second and never will?

You are a hand picked warrior!  You have very specific assignments.  You cannot fail!

Be Brave!  Be You!

Part of the “swag” that each participant in the retreat received was a drawstring tote with 2 arrows in it.  They represented our dedication to being brave warriors in God’s army.  There was also a T shirt with arrows decorating it, as well as a charm necklace and a bracelet with a bow and arrow on it.

All these were great gifts, but what so interested me was how the majority of the women carried those totes with them wherever they went all weekend long!  Whether it was walking back and forth between the tabernacle (where we held our sessions) and the B&B, along the boardwalk, on the beach or in the town (window shopping and participating in our annual treasure hunt), we all carried those totes with the fletched ends of our arrows sticking out, behind our heads.  Several people asked me why and I got to tell them, “because we are warriors and we are brave!”  The women felt powerful, knowing that God recognizes them as warriors. 

Ria Mignano
credit, Linda Williams Kramer

My Hannah

 Kathy Haines Cirz
credit, Natalie Timmerman

Recia Foti and Dottie Scalzo
credit, Natalie Timmerman

 It was great!

Tuesday Word Bytes; Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm!

I LOVE words!  I think language is the best part of being a human.  There's nothing as good as taking a new word and rolling it around the inside of my mouth and feeling how it tastes.


Todays word;
Fatidical (Fa-tid-i-kul)
Origin, Latin, fatum (fate) + dicere (say)

The ability to foretell the future either by supernatural, or seemingly supernatural means.

A seer, a soothsayer, an oracle, a medium, a fortune teller, a psychic, 

an oracle

a fortune teller

Beware the Ides of March

How do you know you can trust them?  Because you give them money?  Because they say you can?  Because they were right before?

 a prophet.

Ezekiel saw the wheel in the sky

Elisha gave a mother back her son

Daniel told the King the writing on the wall.

Did you know that if a prophet proved to be false his sentence was death?  Or course there were, and are, plenty of false prophets who tickle the ears of influential people.

Want to know if a person is a real prophet?  Look at their life.  See if they glorify God, adhere to the Word of God, hold themselves accountable, live a humble life, seek only the

 Kingdom of God.

What's your favorite word this week?

Significance

Hebrews 6:19 (Hebrews 6:13, 16-20)

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.  Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that by two unchangeable  things, in which it is impossible for God lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us might be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. 

God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations.  How many is many?  Israel, Edom, the nations of the Ishmaelites?  How about Germany, Russia, Turkey, Italy, England, the USA?  Every country that at one time adopted Christianity became the children of Abraham.  Nations come and go; Yugoslavia, Moravia, Bohemia, and on and on, but God’s promise continues.

What does that mean to me?  The Father’s promises out last everything!

We “flee” to take hold of the promise.  What do we flee?  Destruction, chaos, the evil that is this world.

Where do we flee to?  The inner sanctuary, where, because Jesus entered first as our great high priest in the order of Melchizedek, we may now freely enter.

And here’s the twist... the inner sanctuary was the one place that assured us of our destruction.  But because of Jesus it’s the only place that assures us of eternal life!

The curtain is the door to the throne room of the Father.  Jesus, because He is the great high priest, is the only one who can hold that curtain back so that we may enter.

Abraham, who didn’t even have the Mosaic Law, died in peace because he saw the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise.  He knew Messiah would come even before there was a Moses.  But only in his dreams could he have envisioned what that promise would mean for the entire world, the entire planet and to me...little insignificant me!

Because Abraham listened and trusted God, I am significant.

I can’t wait to meet him!

Tuesday Word Bytes; Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmm!

I LOVE words!  I think language is the best part of being a human.  There's nothing as good as taking a new word and rolling it around the inside of my mouth and feeling how it tastes.


Todays word;
Fleshment: (flesh-munt)


Originally an English word associated with tempting hunting animals, like dogs and hawks, with fresh meat to entice them to hunt successfully.

The later meaning is;

The excitement that accompanies success at a first attempt.

And isn't that the definition of what we affectionately call

 "The One Hit Wonder?"

Connie Francis sings "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb"

1959

(the year I was born)

Moms Mabley sings Abraham, Martin and John

1969

(Remember Moms Mabley?)

Jud Strunk sings A Daisy A Day

1973

( One of my all time favorites!)

What's your favorite word this week?