WHEN IN ROME...

Remember that old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do?"

I can relate.

When I started this blog (only a month ago, can you believe it?!) I really didn't know too much. I just knew that I felt the urge from God to start writing. But I quickly learned that there was a whole new world out there. And I wasn't quite sure how to negotiate it. Indeed, I felt like I'd gone to another country, complete with a brand-new language to learn. I was in Rome now, and I had to learn Roman quick (or is it Italian...or maybe Latin? Hmmm...) I thought you might get a kick out of my "pre-blogging days" dictionary (and like the good "BA degree in English" person that I am, I have used each word in a sentence!)

SHARON'S DICTIONARY OF BLOGGING TERMS:

1. weblog: what one screams when they are terribly afraid of spiders in the fireplace (while pointing a finger at the fireplace):

"EEK!! WEB!! LOG!!!"

2. blog: an ogre that lives under a bridge and scares away billy goats:

"The baby goats were terribly afraid of the blog, even though he looked like Shrek."

3. blogroll: what above-mentioned ogre eats for breakfast:

"The blog ate a blogroll for breakfast because he didn't feel like eating toast."

4. blogging: what a blog does for exercise (blog jogging):

"On the days that the blog wasn't on his elliptical trainer, he went blogging."

5. blogosphere: the area of the world where a blog lives:

"One blog lives in California, but his cousin lives in Australia, in the southern blogosphere."

6. header: what happens when one trips and falls:

"I took a header the other day when I tripped over the sprinkler head."

7. javascript: writing that is done at a coffee business:

"I think I'm going to go over to Starbucks, and do a little javascript in my journal."

8. html: a language that is "Hard To Master & Learn" ("textspeak" - like LOL):

"I can't understand any of this computer stuff. It's just too HTML for me."

9. post: the thing that holds up a fence:

"I've got to go repair that post now, Bessie. See ya before sundown."

10. gadget: a handy tool (see synonym: doohickey):

"I've got to use the gadget to fix this leak in the faucet."

11. widget: what you use when you can't find a gadget:

"Where is that dumb gadget? Oh well, I'll just use this widget."

12. button: something on a shirt, blouse, or jacket:

"Can you sew this button on my shirt before it falls off?"

13. badge: something a police officer wears:

"I put my hands up in the air when I saw the officer's badge."

14: blinkie: a cross between a blintz and a twinkie:

"The blog didn't feel like eating a blogroll or toast, so he ate a blinkie instead."

15: sidebar: a place where lawyers can speak to the judge during a trial:

"I will speak to the lawyers at the sidebar so all of you can wonder what we're saying."

NOTE: sidebar should not be confused with salad bar - even if the salad bar is located on the side of the restaurant

16. label: something on the inside of designer clothing:

"Oh, I see you're wearing a Calvin Klein label. How very chic!"

17. tag: something on the inside of un-designer clothing:

"Here, let me tuck that tag back inside your blouse."

18. wallpaper: something that is difficult to put on walls, and impossible to remove:

"Couldn't we just have painted?! This wallpaper is a real pain!"

19: skins: one side in a basketball game:

"I'm going to play with the Shirts. You play with the Skins."

20. permalink: short-hand way of saying permanent black ink:

"Sissy, get that Sharpie away from Junior. He's going to draw permalink all over the dog."

21. monetize: when you're so rich you can use money instead of Lysol to clean the bathroom:

"Honey, I think I'm gonna go monetize the sinks and toilet. Hand me a pile of those $20's, will you?"

22. jpeg: abbreviation for the neighbors down the street, Jay and Peg:

"Why don't we invite ol' Jpeg over for dinner? Haven't seen them in ages."

23. linkback, pingback, and refback: cousins of Snap, Crackle, and Pop:

"At the family reunion, Linkback, Pingback, and Refback won the three-legged race."

NOTE: Yes, I know there's usually only two people in a three-legged race. It's best not to ask questions...

24. trackback: their last name:

"This year, Linkback, Pingback, and Refback Trackback were all in the same class."

Did I make you smile?!

But, the truth of the matter is this - every area of interest seems to have its own "speak." A jargon that is unique to that pursuit. Sports, video gaming, advertising, the Internet, the whole cell phone culture, etc etc etc!

What's the point, Sharon?

It's this - we Christians seem to have our own language too. We sometimes forget that.

Let's be mindful of those who don't speak "Christianese" - and let's make our message simple and clear.

"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life." (John 3:16 - The Amplified Bible)

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." (John 3:16 - The Message)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"