A Name For Nobodies (Like Me) On The Net

by Kevin Burton    Have I been snickering up my sleeve a bit as Merriam-Webster slings names at various miscreants?    Well, what goes around, comes around.    This is the third and final post looking at “A Handy Guide to Ruffians, Rapscallions, Cads and More, 22 Charming Words for Nasty People” published by the …

Alaskan Hooligans And Bad, Bad Spelling

by Kevin Burton    Acts 17:5 describes  “lewd fellows of the baser sort” who were aroused into a mob to oppose the early church. We examine their kind with the help of Merriam-Webster dictionary.    The dictionary has compiled “A Handy Guide to Ruffians, Rapscallions, Cads and More,” calling it “22 Charming Words for Nasty People.”    We …

What If God Saw Fit To Change Your Name?

by Kevin Burton    The Bible records instances when God placed a person’s life on a significantly different trajectory, and drove home the point by changing their name./    We looked into some of those yesterday.  For example, God changed that noted trickster Jacob’s name, which meant “supplanter,” to “Israel,” meaning “having power with God.” …

Why Did God Change Some People’s Name?

by Kevin Burton    It blows me away that the sovereign God of the universe knows me by name, and in fact knows me inside and out.    In this world I am anonymous, well beyond insignificant.  I make almost no difference at all in the grand scheme of things. Think of it that way …

Some Charming Words For Nasty People

by Kevin Burton    My assigned task was to write past-due notices to customers. Dry enough, but I had some fun with it.    I was working as an office assistant at a photo lab in Columbus, Ohio. We were in the not-so-busy season, taking care of things that didn’t get done during the busy …

Unsung Inventions Make The World Go Round

by Dictionary Scoop    Some inventions rewired the world — yet most of us hardly think about them.    They’re not flashy like smartphones or rockets, but they quietly shape daily life, industries, and even global economies. From ball bearings to barcodes, here are ten unsung technologies and materials that made the modern world possible. 1-Ball bearings    …

We Put Adjectives In Order Without Thinking

by Merriam-Webster Dictionary    Are you game for some mind-reading? We can predict what you’ll do with the following task:    Describe two houses. For the first house, use these adjectives: green, old, and big. For the second house use brick, square, and unusual.    We’re pretty sure you came up with “big, old, green house” and “unusual, square, brick house.” …

Warm Hearts Providing Help In A Cold World

by Kevin Burton    Surely you’ve noticed the double cold of the world. Here’s a warm ray of hope from the Good News Network.    I say double cold because Jesus’ prophecy from Matt. 24:13 (KJV) has come to pass: “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, …

Language Of Love: Words For Valentine’s Day

by Merriam-Webster Dictionary Romantic: marked by expressions of love or affection; conducive to or suitable for lovemaking; a person of romantic temperament or disposition (noun)    We associate this word with sweetness and love, but it emerged from the conquering powers of the Roman Empire. The expansion of ancient Rome created various dialects of Latin called …

No Tears In Heaven, No End To Tears On Earth

by Kevin Burton    The former things. The former things. May they soon become former.    There is a song, “The Tabernacle of God,” released in 1979 by Cynthia Clawson. It has always been a favorite of mine, but these days it leaps up and grabs me.    My mother is in hospice care now. …