A Word Each Day

Add all the words you speak to all the words you write, and your vocabulary usage is astoundingly huge. At least, it is for me. How do I know? My Grammarly account checks all my writings on all my computers, and it tells me how unique I am.

I started writing my blog a dozen years ago. I’ve migrated my title and themes through the years, and though my writing has improved, I’ve only topped the iceberg of words I want to share. It’s not that I’m writing for others to read. Rather, I’m writing for my posterity. My history. The things that mean so much to me.

Currently, I’m on a posting streak. 118 consistent daily posts through yesterday. Meet 119.

Years ago, I prayed for a daily word from God that I could share.
He’s never failed me; I’ve only failed myself by not writing.

Of course, busy lives make it difficult to carve out an hour to spend writing, editing, rearranging, editing, final reading, final edit, then I post! Once it’s gone live, I read it again and found more mistakes that need to be repaired. Repair. Update.

All the while, Grammarly and my mind won’t sit still.

An old Gaither Kids song comes to mind:

Input. Output. What goes in is what comes out. Input. Output. That is what it’s all about.

The key goes something like this: Input. Process. Output. The old adage? Garbage in. Garbage out.

Input

We all have input sources that take our minds and words down the prevailing paths of whatever wind pushes our buttons.

What are yours? Just about every night, and every morning, I ask God for fresh input. Sometimes, this quest leads me to an older blog post. Refresh and Repost, then share. That brings the blog style up-to-date. But it leaves me searching for that “something new.”

I read my Bible daily, looking for insights and letting the Word dictate my path. I’m not reading to get through the cover from the front to the back. Rather, I’m letting God show me things in a single verse, story, chapter, book, or word. How much better would life be if we all turned to God’s Word before we listened, watched, or read any news that the world dictated to us?

This preps my writing thoughts every morning I write. Well, even if I’m not writing, it’s still a good habit to follow.

I’ll glance at the headlines, looking for Good News. Then, check my email and social feeds.

Finally, I’ll pray. Prayer is not a one-way street. With two ears and one mouth, I learned a long time ago to pray a little, then listen a lot. That gray matter between my ears is infused with a word for the day.

Process

This is often the missing part. The power of process.

We know our influences but also learn how our mind works with input. It’s sort of like a dog gnawing a bone. It’s still a good bone, but after a while, there’s not much meat left, but still, it’s a favorite chew. Every time we reference the bone, we do it from a new position in life. What? The path I’ve studied and stored does not need a refreshing. It’s my bedrock. Now, what else can be comprehended from that ol’ bone?

That’s why the Word of God is a fresh input process every day.

David understood this. If you read the 119th Psalms, you will find 22 sections. Each begins with subsequent letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. David continually reminds us of the power of God’s Word.

Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
(Psalms 119:11 NKJV)

Process life against what you have stored inside, then you will make better decisions for your next step. Output.

Output

Once I’m done garnering all my daily resources, I’ll plop in front of my computer. Or, write using my phone. Seldom do I write on paper unless the power’s down. Then, I upload those paged words as fast as possible.

Since I’m a pastor, I am always writing sermons and lessons. As a college instructor, I’ve prepared lessons for banking, computing, and programming, alongside theology and doctrine.

From the olden days of paper to the modern times of speaking and writing on my computing devices, I’ve found something true.

Thinking slowly, I broaden my output.
Writing speedily (110 wpm), I leave many words on the cutting room floor of my mind.

Imagine the Apostle Paul speaking his letters to a writer, perhaps Luke or Timothy. Aramaic was the commonly spoken language, alongside Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. Translating in his Hebrew mind, he prepares words for a language group. Then he speaks so that a writer can hear, but he must go slow. There were no short-hand or speed demons on keyboards back then.

There’s an old saying, “When I teach, I learn twice.” We learn something new every time we output what we’ve input and processed. Synapses connect, bringing bigger pictures into play and showing the micro connections of ideas we never considered.

This is why we keep learning. It’s from others’ output that we find fresh input.

Here’s My Thought

How different would the world be if we all paused to consider our Fresh Word or the day? Time spent researching, thinking, and sharing creates new worlds for all of us to consider.

Keep your input sources fresh and valid for your world. Then, process with your core belief in mind. Output the final product to others, but be ready to input something new from those sources!

That’s what makes the world go around!