I’m a reader, and to be one, you must fall in love with words. Not all words, but the ones that fit your hunger to know the story, learn new facts, and broaden the horizon of life. Words that flow from the page to the mind light the path of feeling something new and learning from the experience.
The older I age, the more important are the words of my younger years.
Joe and Frank Hardy became my “go-to” adventure books back then. Add Tom Swift to the mix for a broader scope of life, and then, suddenly, I’m ready for better words of the story because it seemed I aged quickly.
You grow from the words you soak up!
Words change you. They equally affirm where you are and strengthen your foundation. Through it all, my vocabulary is broadened, and the meaning of life’s moments is better comprehended and explained because there is an experience of words to share.
Hence, I love word titles that tell me something about the writer. Wordsmith.
The Lost Art of Words: Words change you. Not only is vocabulary broadened, but the meaning of life's moments is better comprehended and explained because you now have an experience of words to share. Click To TweetToday
Today, I want the words to mimic the style and prose of an almost bygone era. Describe your message from all the possible worlds, and you’ll find that more words are discarded instead of what’s been included. Now, shape those words into a final product. Tell your story with depth that woes and wows.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
~Michelangelo
Pick on Worship songs of the modern era. For the most part, they don’t cut it. I’ve called them 7-11 songs: the same seven words eleven times. In contrast, a hymnal from a bygone era tells a story that reads like a novel in a few verses.
David wrote entire songs (we call them chapters) to describe the story’s scope. We strip out a few words and make a million dollars selling our music to the masses. Well, not me. But you know what I mean. Pardon me for thinking this, but when I read, it’s the entire book that reaches me. A few words may impact my mind, but the complete story is my focus. When I sing, a phrase may reach my mind, the whole song touches my spirit.
You cannot blame the song. It’s a victim of the times.
A social contact tweeted a song verse that I’ve been singing most of my life, making me write this morning.
Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.
Mercy there was great and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
There my burdened soul found liberty–
At Calvary.
~William R. Newell
Recently, I found a new author that tells a story like none I’ve ever soaked up before. Charles Martin has written 20 books or so, and I’ve read most if not all. I find myself stopping every few pages, highlighting, sharing, and making notes for future readings and writings of my own. Here’s one I think you’ll enjoy. Long Way Gone. It’s the story of the Prodigal.
Listen. You read and sing what you want. I’ll keep mining the marketplace for words that speak to my soul while I read the entire story. From “the beginning and through the ending.” That’s where you’ll find me with the ageless words lost to many today.