October 13, 2017 at 5:01 p.m.
One thing simply doesn't change
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
As I am progressively getting older, I am learning that the words I was taught as a child/teenager/adult do not have the same meaning now that I may fall in the senior age.
I learned as a child the word backwards was for someone that was shy. I went west and learned it meant a child of slow learning or even mentally challenged.
In the East, I learned that traffic jams were cars not moving on the interstate. I go to Germany and the word is traffic sty. Now come on, the word sty I knew was a pigpen, or if you referred to the eye it was a stye.
In 1965, a beach sandal was referred to as a “thong” and now it is our underwear? And the “thong” we knew is now our flip flop.
Do you do “doughnuts” or “cookies” when spinning your wheels? Depends what part of the USA you are in. The East does doughnuts and the West does cookies.
Our “OK” may be the best-known (non-vulgar) hand gesture in the United States, but in the south of France it means “worthless” or “zero.” Same thing goes for China. If you were in Germany, the “OK” hand signal is such an insult that if your waiter asks how is everything and you flip them your “OK” hand gesture you might end up wearing that salad. In Mexico, it means “XXX.” And you’ll only get more confusion in Japan, where it means “money” because the circle formed by your thumb and index finger resembles a coin. Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Tunisia, Russia, Paraguay, Malta, Singapore, Spain and Greece are other spots where it’s not a good idea to flash the “OK” (usually because it refers to certain body parts and constitutes an insult). So “OK” is not OK everywhere, OK? If that’s too confusing, just take a tip from the waiter and leave the “OK” gesture at home.
Drama. I use to have drama practice in school. Ugh, I don’t even want to touch the drama of today. It may create some action but not what I wanted to practice.
There is one thing that has never changed. The Word of God. According to Jesus in Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Why? Because God never changes. I never have to worry about the future. Because the Word never changes. God never changes. God put a rainbow in the sky to remind us.
Gen 9:13 — I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Holy still means holy. 1 Peter 1:16 — Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Some will say, everyone will look at salvation differently. But true repentence still means, a change of mind, heart and soul. And it draws us closer to Jesus and it is the beginning of salvation. A changed person will hate sin and love God.
2 Corinthians 7:9-10 — Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
A final note, you can change your worldly words.
But Revelation 22:19 says: And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Just saying.
Pastor Nan Weesner
Portland
As I am progressively getting older, I am learning that the words I was taught as a child/teenager/adult do not have the same meaning now that I may fall in the senior age.
I learned as a child the word backwards was for someone that was shy. I went west and learned it meant a child of slow learning or even mentally challenged.
In the East, I learned that traffic jams were cars not moving on the interstate. I go to Germany and the word is traffic sty. Now come on, the word sty I knew was a pigpen, or if you referred to the eye it was a stye.
In 1965, a beach sandal was referred to as a “thong” and now it is our underwear? And the “thong” we knew is now our flip flop.
Do you do “doughnuts” or “cookies” when spinning your wheels? Depends what part of the USA you are in. The East does doughnuts and the West does cookies.
Our “OK” may be the best-known (non-vulgar) hand gesture in the United States, but in the south of France it means “worthless” or “zero.” Same thing goes for China. If you were in Germany, the “OK” hand signal is such an insult that if your waiter asks how is everything and you flip them your “OK” hand gesture you might end up wearing that salad. In Mexico, it means “XXX.” And you’ll only get more confusion in Japan, where it means “money” because the circle formed by your thumb and index finger resembles a coin. Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Tunisia, Russia, Paraguay, Malta, Singapore, Spain and Greece are other spots where it’s not a good idea to flash the “OK” (usually because it refers to certain body parts and constitutes an insult). So “OK” is not OK everywhere, OK? If that’s too confusing, just take a tip from the waiter and leave the “OK” gesture at home.
Drama. I use to have drama practice in school. Ugh, I don’t even want to touch the drama of today. It may create some action but not what I wanted to practice.
There is one thing that has never changed. The Word of God. According to Jesus in Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Why? Because God never changes. I never have to worry about the future. Because the Word never changes. God never changes. God put a rainbow in the sky to remind us.
Gen 9:13 — I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Holy still means holy. 1 Peter 1:16 — Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Some will say, everyone will look at salvation differently. But true repentence still means, a change of mind, heart and soul. And it draws us closer to Jesus and it is the beginning of salvation. A changed person will hate sin and love God.
2 Corinthians 7:9-10 — Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
A final note, you can change your worldly words.
But Revelation 22:19 says: And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Just saying.
Pastor Nan Weesner
Portland
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