Month / September 2020

by kennieb

hinterland: Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day

Word of the Day – hinterland http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2016/10/13 at Dictionary.com

This is an interesting word in that it has sort of different meanings to each person. It brings up the memories of childhood; some pleasant and maybe some not so pleasant.

It reminds me of a word I used to hear very often – boondocks. There is even a song about the boondocks. Seems like that song was yesterday but it was many years ago. This word comes from the name of a town in the Philippines – Bontoc. There is more than one town in the Philippines with that name. Now how did Bontoc become boondocks?

The reason has to do with the US military in the Philippines. Bontoc is usually a small town in the province (the area most Filipinos associate with rural, agricultural places). When a person from the US would talk about something far away, he or she would refer to Bontoc. As in most languages, time got involved and the “mishearing” of the word made it boondocks and in the US it came to mean a place far away out in the hills or in a rural and agricultural area.

by kennieb

Today Is All

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:34 ESV

http://bible.com/59/mat.6.34.ESV

 

This has been one of the most difficult things for me to do – not to worry about the past or the future. The past is finished; the future isn’t here and none of us really knows what the future will be. So why worry?

I have started doing one thing which I got from a YouTube video and, I apologise, I do not remember what the title is. What I learned was that as my mind begins wandering in the past or wondering in the future, I say to myself, “Back to Now!” As was shown in the video, NOW is all we have. We don’t even have control of what was one second ago or what will be in one second in the future. That’s not to say that a person should not plan.

Making a plan is helpful to be able to meet the changes and challenges of what comes up – what happens. That’s the way to work in the NOW. But plans should be for projects, studies, or other activity, not for the whole day. Keeping God ever in our minds, ever knowing of God’s presence, will fill the time where there is no activity. In reality, God should be in our minds even during the activity. God is a great guide, especially when we get stuck in that project or study – that one class which is really bugging us.

Just think about those things. If I remember or find that title of the video, I’ll post it. I just need to write things in my journal more!

by kennieb

venial: Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day

Word of the Day – venial: able to be forgiven or pardoned; not seriously wrong, as a sin. http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2016/08/23 at Dictionary.com

This is one of those words people who are Catholics hear often when studying about sin and confession. The definition here is a little misleading, making one think that there might be a sin which cannot be forgiven. I don’t want to get into the theology of “the fatal sin”, so for the greatest part, we will just say that “all” sin can be forgiven.