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Fun Fact Friday: Givers and Receivers
A while ago I did a series on love languages, and I talked about gift people. The most generous people I know are gift people. They love to bless others and give gifts. It actually makes them happy to find a perfect gift for you.
How much more is it for our Heavenly Father when we receive His gifts?
“He gave us resurrection life & drew us to Himself by His holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done, but by His divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began!” Timothy 1:9 TPT
A giver of gifts simply wants the receiver to accept said gift with joy. You don’t earn gifts. You simply receive them, and use them for their intended purpose.
Point to ponder while you wander…Truth is that we should be both a grateful receiver and a joyful giver. Both are blessed.
“Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.” Luke 6:38 TPT
You are a Gift
Comparison is the lying thief of joy.
Seriously!
The Word says…
“Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:10
Each person in the body of Christ was created in purpose with purpose. We are all necessary and important.
But if we spend our time focused on what others can do that we cannot, we lose the opportunity to enjoy the gift that they are.
If we discount ourselves because we aren’t “as good” as so and so. We rob others of the gift we could be to them.
Celebrate and appreciate the gifts (aka people) around you, and allow yourself to be celebrated.
Point to ponder while you wander…You ARE a gift. You ARE talented. You do have something to give. Don’t let the lie of comparison steal that truth from you! Be your best you, the world needs YOU.
Fun Fact Friday: Wait
Fun Fact… Did you know that wait in the Old Testament is defined as: to bind like a rope; be strong with endurance; to expect/to hope in God.
“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:14 NKJV
This verse is not David pointing his finger at you accusingly and commanding you not to move, despite using the word twice.
He’s encouraging you to spend time with God, let him prepare and strengthen you so that when the time comes, you’ll be ready.
David was anointed king as a kid, but he did not go around telling everyone he was King Saul’s replacement. He did not kill King Saul, despite Saul trying to kill him and having opportunity to do so, to take his place as King.
Instead, he partnered with God and prepared in the secret place, and waited WITH God.
This is the same verse in the Passion Translation:
“Heres what I learned through it all: Don’t give up, don’t be impatient, Be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave, courageous, and never lose hope. Yes keep on waiting For He will never disappoint you!”
Point to ponder while you wander…Waiting is more about having expectation in & partnering with God than timing. Waiting is about hope.
Fun Fact Friday: Pulp Fiction
Before e-readers and audio books…
Before television…
Even before paperbacks and comic books…
There was PULP FICTION!
The Pulp…
Rough and untreated paper made from wood pulp, as opposed to the shiny and higher priced “glossy.” This low quality paper allowed for a cheaper publication cost, and therefore wider circulation of the magazines.
The Fiction….
A bevy of stories across all the genres written by a varied flock of writers. The writers would often use multiple pen names so they could have more than one story in a single magazine. They weren’t paid very well, so they would need to pump out as many stories as they could, as quickly as they could.
The Pulp + The Fiction…
Pulp fiction refers to the cheaply printed magazines that invited, lured, and sometimes enticed the American public with colorful and sometimes lurid covers and the promise of adventure. Magazine stands from the late 1890s into the 1950s were filled with these “pulps.” But the high point in sales and popularity was definitely the 1920s – 1930s. Sources vary on the total sales but the most popular during this time could sell upwards of a million per issue!
The insides were without illustrations.
The edges were rough.
But the stories…ah the stories…
These stories provided readily available entertainment, adventure, or in some cases escape.
Heroes rescuing damsels in distress from mustache twirling villains.
Cowboys taming the wild wild west.
Eerie science fiction and scary horror stories.
Adventures in far off lands.
Spicy romance and mysteries being solved by brilliant detectives.
All this for about a dime an issue!
Reminds me of my Papa and his “2 cartoons and a movie for 12 cents” stories from his childhood…which happens to be towards the end of the popularity of the pulp magazines. He used to say, “Who knows? The shadow knows.” Cracked me up! But I found it that The Shadow was actually a popular pulp fiction character, as were Hopalong Cassidy, Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, and Zorro!
Point to ponder while you wander… “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” Zechariah 4:10 NLT
This blog is my small beginning. Encouraging me to write at least a few days a week. But for some famous authors their small beginning was the pulp magazines. Don’t believe me? Check out a few of the many vastly underpaid pulp fiction writers who became household names:
Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)
Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, John Carter)
Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby)
Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man Series)
Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book)
Louis L’Amour (Hopalong Cassidy and a whole lot of other westerns)
Uptown Sinclair (The Jungle)
Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Advenures of Huckleberry Finn)
H.G. Wells (Time Machine, War of the Worlds)
Tennessee Williams (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Streetcar named Desire)
Fun Fact Friday…Books and Birth Years
So I saw this post about the most popular books in your birth year and decided to check it out. Here’s what I discovered…
Firstly..the most popular books were almost always turned into movies… The Color Purple, Eloise, Sophie’s Choice…The Godfather…and pretty much everything written by Nicholas Sparks.
The most popular book in my year of birth was turned into a Broadway musical rather than a movie…Ragtime by E.L. Doctrow. I’ve never seen or heard this musical, nor have I read this book, but I do know that Ragtime was popular in the 1890’s through the entry into WWI. If you’ve never heard Ragtime music scroll on down…it’s actually a fun genre! 🎶
One of the most classic of the classic movies…and frankly my dear you should give a damn about this one…is Gone With the Wind. Published the year my Nana was born…1936.
My cousins and I used to marathon watch GWTW and Scarlett once a year. 9 glorious hours of Miss Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. I do declare that we are overdue for this tradition Sis & Sar!
Coincidentally, GWTW is the book I’m currently reading. Without spoilers…I can tell you Rhett and Scarlett are simply awful people. But the way Margaret Mitchell writes them, I cannot help but root for them…and dare I say….like them. GASP! SWOON! Give this book a shot if you like masterful writing. 👍
The year I graduated High School, 1993, gave us The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. I’ve never seen the movie. I did start to read the book..but just COULD NOT get into it. 😔
Truthfully, I have issues with the premise. The best part of this woman’s life was an affair and looking at covered bridges? Really? If you’ve read it…chime in if you agree or disagree, I’d love to hear thoughts from someone who finished it. 🙃
1999 was a good year, the world was blessed with my very first niece & Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling. I read this one twice. But the first time I read them, I read all 7 books in 8 days while pet sitting. 😀👍💕🐱
Would love to know if you’ve read the most popular book from the year you were born. Please chime in on any from this list you recommend, or think is utter crap. I’m always looking for a book I won’t be able to put down. 😉
No point to ponder today…but instead I offer…as promised…music to enjoy on your journey by Scott Joplin, aka the King of Ragtime…
Fun Fact Friday: Cheeky Monkey
If you’ve read much of my blog you know that I am a fan of etymology. And in that vein my curiosity was piqued about Cheeky Monkey? Like what in the world? Cheeky Monkey?
Cheeky is defined in the 1859 dictionary as an adjective, “from cheek, in it’s sense of insolence.”
It’s generally used when someone is mouthy or speaks their mind too easily. My mom used to call it “lip” rather than cheek, but you get the idea. Cheeky is generally thought of as a British term, and that’s probably true. I don’t hear it in my neck of the woods.
Ken Greenwald, of Colorado, quoted several dictionaries (Partridge’s Dictionary of Slang, Oxford English Dictionary, Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang, Chapman’s Dictionary of American Slang, Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories) and posted this in an online discussion forum. I like his verbiage so I’m using it and quoting him directly.
CHEEKY (1859), impudent, insolent, saucy derives from CHEEK (1823), verbal insolence, audacity, impudence, effrontery, brass, chutzpa and was originally considered slang but now is Standard English. “If he gives me any cheek, I’ll knock him down”—George Moore, 1884. The term is metaphorical and has been associated with the cheeks when speaking to or facing someone with confidence. ‘Lip,’ ‘face,’ ‘jaw’ and ‘chin’ have been used similarly. The expression often appears in the form ‘to have the cheek to’ (also ‘to have the face’) to dare, to have the nerve to do something.
So what is a cheeky monkey?
Cheeky monkey is can mean an impudent person, but in most definitions I found it was referred to as what a woman says in response to a man’s flirtation and what not, especially if he’s over eager. Urban dictionary says, “Term used to define sexual our witty comment made in jest. Cheeky means you are flippant, have too much lip or are a bit of a smart butt! Generally you are considered to be a bit cheeky if you have an answer for everything and always have the last word.”
Sometimes parents use this as a term of annoyed endearment when their kids are being saucy and sassy, like the little guy pictured below.
Photo found on Pinterest, no photographer listed to credit.
My favorite definition was found it the open dictionary, said, “Used for telling someone that they are not showing respect when you are not really angry.”
Used with a tsk tsk or shaking of the head and a wink I am sure. 😉
Point to ponder while you wander…Tongue in cheek means that something shouldn’t be taken seriously or that it was meant in jest. It’s characterized by either insincerity or exaggeration. I’m sensing that cheeky monkey is to be used in that same vein.
Fun Fact Friday: Peachy Keen Jelly Bean
I love words, the study of words, and all things words related. Do you ever wonder where some random word or phrase comes from? I do too!! Must be why you read this random blog.
Ever wonder where Rizzo (of the Pink Ladies of Rydell High) got the idea to say, “Peachy keen, jelly bean.”
Now I know the Grease script said it, and that’s where the character’s lines come from…but where did the writers get it?
Somewhere around the 1870’s, “peachy” began to be used to describe someone or something as wonderful. Prior to that it was mainly used to describe women’s cheeks or complexion as far back as ancient Rome and old school China.
By the early 1900’s that grew to mean something excellent or fine. It stayed in use from then on as a cheery and colorful way to say, “All’s well.”
The 1950’s brought us “peachy keen” as a neat-o way of saying “just peachy.” “Peachy keen” started 1948 with a Pasadena DJ named Jim Hawthorn. Not sure if he invented it or if he borrowed it. But he surely made it famous. All because he was bored at work one day and started talking all far out and what not.
And so that’s the original source of Rizzo’s line , “Peachy keen, jelly bean.”
For those of you who know “just peachy” as the sarcastic way of saying, “things are not great.” This started around the 1980’s. Someone asks how it’s going, and it’s not going well, so you say, “Oh just peachy!” and roll your eyes at them. (Okay…maybe not YOU…but some people did).
Today it’s used both ways. Sarcastic or straightforward. How do you use it?
Point to ponder while you wander….the study of words, their meaning, and how word usage changes across time is known as etymology. I know you were wondering about that too, you curious thing you. You’re welcome.
Fun Fact Friday: Happy as a Clam at High Tide
Ever wonder what “happy as a clam” meant? Me either. But I found the meaning and I’m sharing it just incase you did ever wonder. Because that’s what I do. I answer questions that no one asks. 😉
The full expression is “Happy as a clam at high tide.” At high tide, they’re safely covered in water. They are blissful, or the closest clams can be to happiness, I would imagine. But at low tide, people (& critters I would suppose) go clam digging. Then they are no longer happy & blissful clams.
Consider your unasked question answered. 😚
Point to ponder while you wander…Joy of the Lord is strength. Joy keeps you strong even when you aren’t situationally happy as a clam.
Fun Fact Friday: Be a Maverick
The term “maverick” means original, nonconformist, eccentric, an individualist. But it can also mean an unbranded calf or yearling. But why? Where did these meaning originate?
Well…These definitions come from an actual Maverick. No really. His name is Samuel Maverick.
Sam Maverick was a cattle rancher (also a politician and a lawyer) in Texas in the 1800’s who refused to brand his cattle. He said that branding cattle was cruel, so he didnt do it.
His rivals said that he didn’t brand his cattle so he could claim any cow found without a brand. But the truth is more likely to be that nearby ranchers were branding unmarked “mavericks” with their own brand, since Mr. Maverick was closely involved in interests outside of raising cattle.
Point to ponder while you wander… God created you to be you. Not to be a robot or a carbon copy of those around you. Jesus likes mavericks. ⏬ See Romans 12:2.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV
A Bowl of Cherries
“Life is just a bowl of cherries.”
I’ve never understood why this quip is used in sarcasm or as a way of saying life is unpleasant without sounding like a whiner. It’s more like they’re saying life is a bowl of cherry pits.
I think the people who started this bad reputation for the cherries needed a perspective shift.
Maybe they chose cherries because they didn’t like that cherries have pits. Maybe they couldn’t afford to buy cherries. Maybe people say it because you can only get good Michigan cherries once a year.
Whatever the reason, cherries don’t deserve that woe is me reputation. I mean just look at how joyful they look? And yummy! Mmm.
Point to ponder while you wander…The Word says…as a man thinks so is he. Meaning how you see the world will determine who you become in the world.
Perspective matters.
Are you choosing to focus on the pits and stems (negative aspects of life) or are you choosing to enjoy the cherries (the small little sweet things that happen every day)?
jillbeingstill 