word

"See I'm all about them words
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages forwards
More words than I had ever heard and I feel so alive" Jason Mraz

"Words are alive; cut them and they bleed." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men." Confucius

"Words differently arranged have a different meaning and meanings differently arranged have a different effect." Blaise Pascal

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me...



My undergraduate degree is in Communication Sciences and Disorders. There were only 2classes in my current field of audiology- most of the classes taken in speech pathology. And to learn how something is disordered or abnormal, one has to learn what normal looks like. So I learned in classes all about speech development. I learned a lot about langauge. Morphemes. Phonemes. Words. Language. Semantics. Pragmatics. Sitting in one of the downstairs lecture rooms our department shared with the student athletes, I can recall a specific lecture talking about words. Specifically I remember talking about our favorite words. And learning that I am fascinated by them. It explains why I love reading. Why I'm better in english than math. In groups, we had conversations about what our favorite words were and the ones we liked simply for how they sounded. Since my sophmore year in college, I have added to my list of words I love. There was a movie awhile back in which one of the characters had a whole journal full of words he loved. I've always meant to start my list and keep track. But for now it's just a mental exercise. Some of the ones that are at the top--coagulate, friggot, marshmellow, cheechoo (quite a few hockey names get placed in my mental tally), Chechnya. And a few new ones I've added--fruition, fortitude, deke, nifty, demonstrative. It doesn't matter what they mean. Just that I can entertain myself just by saying them.

Sunday I was standing in Starbucks and noticed the words being used to describe their coffee. "Bold and Adventurous." "Friendly." "Comforting.". It's coffee. And it's advertising. But it started a process of thoughts regarding the power of words. No new concept. Just a tie in to somethings that I've pondered about in the past. The power of words. How they can convey so much, either written or spoken. The context the words are spoken, tone, connnotations of words. As well as who speaks or write the words and those who recieve and interpret the words. That night while talking with friends about a passage of John in the Bible, I looked down to see the words were in red. Again no suprise to me as I've seen this before. But some new connections happened with this highlighting of Jesus' words. And these words changed in my understanding of them, simply by who spoke the words. And who recorded those words, where they fell in the context of the story that was being told. And how those same words have been used by others in so many various ways. Including being referenced on a sign at sporting events, or on protestors signs in front of events or abortion clinics. From the right person, right movitation, and right context, those words are freeing, loving and profound. And yet so many times those words have been used to express judgement and hate.

My senior year in college I took a Women in Christian History class for one of my upperclass electives. For the first lecture,Dr. Beck placed up about 10 words for us to journal on and then discuss. Submission was one of those words. Submission. Like others (in a class of about 25 there was two males that day, the next lecture there was only one brave soul), my immediate reaction to the word was negative. Cringing. Sumbmission is not a word I wanted to hear. But we had a good discussion about it that morning and I've had many more since. In the last month in partiuclar it's come up. And while in the wrong context it still has very negative connotations, I am also learning how positive that word can be. How being submissive out of a person's free will is an huge act of love. How without the submission of a son to his Father's will, grace and mercy wouldn't have the meaning it holds. How submission of my life to something bigger than who I am--or could ever hope to be--can actually give me life (not take it away).

Submission leading to love. As an expression of love. What is love then? A word that itself is filled with meaning. Used in good ways and bad. Thrown out at times with little care to what it holds and at the same time being the most simple statement that can change a life. In approaching the Easter celebrations, I'm trying to spend some time thinking about how this holiday is one of the greatest celebrations of love. How it was expressed. And how we (as the collective church and as individuals) should carry out that meaning of love. Too bad most of the year we mess it up so much.



"In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John

A welcome detour.

If I were a character in a novel, I'm currently in the chapter where I've headed off on a detour on my journey. Or maybe in the middle of a few chapters. The scenic route. It still gets me to where I want to be (or at least where I think I'm headed). And it's that special chapter that changes the core of who I am. In fact, while it could appear that I walked off the course, I'm beginning to think this time off the common path was really more planned all along. Th at special story line that some may skip over but it adds the richness and beauty of the character development.

It's the chapter that brings in new friend who brings clarity, redemption and appreciation for other relationships. A lot of laughter. Serious discussions. Honesty. Accountability. Silliness. A catalyst for what others view as trouble. Grace. Lots of coffee. A closeness that some misinterpret (and much more laughter about that). But something I cherish beyond what I can express. It's been a comfort. A learning experience. It's one of those rare relationships in life that I know where ever I go, the impact of the time so far will have lasting effects. And while paths can always change, I hope it's the character that remains in my story for a long time.

It's the chapter that I can no longer imagine what the destination could look like without this character in my life. It's forever changed how I will finish off the story. And while as the character in my own story, who I am will dictate the rest of the story. But I hope the author doesn't change this companion on my destination. There is a new sense of excitement and joy of new chapters to unfold. What time and experiences may bring. And as characters come and go, I hope this particular one sticks around for a long time.