Tag Archives: dictionary

Aristocracy

dictionary with letter A

Aristocracy: (n) the highest class in certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices.

“All men are created equal.” (And that would also include women.)

The recent American interpretation of this Jeffersonian precept has become: “All men and women are kings and queens who have birthed little princes and princesses.”

As we continue to foster the notion that “family is everything,” we have begun to establish millions and millions of little castles all across our land, where people drive across the drawbridge, over the moat, and into their domain where they believe they rule and reign.

The trouble with believing that all people are aristocracy, equally worthy of wealth and fame, is that we don’t have any serfs.

In other words, we don’t have anybody who lives outside the castle who understands the nature of the land, can grow a good crop and has the intelligence to fix the plow when it breaks.

In the pursuit of self-esteem, we have completely obliterated self-awareness.

For example, I have a lovely family, but I have also made it clear to them that there are no kings and queens, and therefore no princes and princesses in our little fiefdom.

So because of this, my children have learned that there’s a time to become a serf to everyone.

  • There are occasions when workers are required, not thinkers.
  • There are moments when digging is better than planning.
  • And there are times when self-worth must be laid aside because the task feels like it’s beneath us.

The aristocracy in our country has caused us to cease to be interested in menial jobs, and at the same time, persecute those who are willing to work them.

This is exactly what happened in the Middle Ages, when those who lived in the castles, who survived on the work of the serfs, mistreated and taxed them so heavily that the whole idea fell apart.

Yes, it truly can be said that the feudal system is … a futile system.

 

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Arise

dictionary with letter A

Arise: (v) to get or stand up.

Laying in my bed on Christmas night, I was caught between the world of fatigue and the itch of possibility. I wasn’t sure whether to surrender or scratch.

The reason I was fatigued is because a mixture of aging, obesity and over-activity had left me nearly defunct.

Yet deep within my soul, the little boy who totes my dreams was anxious to see better. So as I have often done, rather than giving into the old man, I allowed my spirit to hobble to its feet, to chase the nymph of possibility.

When I finally caught up with him, I asked him, “What is it you want?”

He uttered one word alone.

“Arise.”

I realized what a poetic word it truly is. Its meaning has commanded armies and raised a Savior from the dead.

I looked at the little messenger with bewilderment. Finally I asked, “How shall I arise?”

He said:

“Arise from being satisfied, walk out of your contentment and be willing to be a bit confused for a season, so at the end you might be illuminated.

Arise from your fear of insufficiency and dare to empty yourself of what you have, and challenge the storehouse of God to refill.

Arise and see the world before you as an opportunity instead of a problem

Arise and look at your brothers and sisters as family instead of aliens.

And by the way, arise from the table before you eat too much.”

He giggled and ran away and I tried to follow to the best of my ability, lagging behind. I thought to myself:

Lagging behind hope was much better than dwelling in piety.

 

 

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Arid

dictionary with letter A

Arid: (adj) A climate having little or no rain; too dry or barren to support vegetation.

Green grass is beautiful. No doubt about it.

Yet eventually it requires your intervention with a mower.

Mountains are stunning in their visage. Yet somehow or another, they compel you to climb them, which is annoying, to say the least. They can also become quite frigid when the calendar says tepid.

The ocean is gorgeous and powerful. But whether you like it or not, sometimes in its more stormy brawls, it intrudes on us “land-lubbers.”

On the other hand, the desert is nearly perfect. Because it lacks vegetation, does not require water and is ancient in its days, it really doesn’t request much from the surrounding mortals. Yet in its simplicity, it reminds us that:

  • we live on a planet
  • we are part of a cosmos
  • and if we don’t allow the moisture of experience and compassion into our lives, we, too, can dry out and become arid.

I know it may seem strange, but I do love the desert. However, you have to be careful because it is so hot and dry that you may become unaware of your need to hydrate.

So as long as you remember that the desert can live without water but you can’t, you can stroll around and enjoy the complexity of rock formations which have been beaten by the sands of time and the mood swings of Mother Nature.

The desert reminds me that the earth does meet the heavens–and we are all intended to live as one.

     

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    Aria

    dictionary with letter A

    Aria: (n) a long, unaccompanied solo for voice, typically in an opera or oratorio.

    If human beings were not so pretentious, we would almost be fun. At least it would be closer.

    Over the years, I have sung a song or two. Actually I’ve done much more than that–I’ve recorded, written songs and performed on stages all over the United States.

    And after the show, folks will come up to talk to me, wanting to make some sort of personal connection.

    Some people are just genuine and pour out their hearts with the present words that are floating around inside their minds. They are delightful.

    Others feel the need to prove their intelligence and acumen by making a more specific statement, which is usually geared more to promoting their own resume than encouraging my soul. Two categories for these:

    1. “You sound like…”
    2. And “I can tell by your voice that you’ve been professionally trained…”

    Concerning the latter, it is an amazing fact that although most people don’t like opera or favor operatic singing, they still use that particular style as a measuring stick for vocal quality. (It is similar to hating Chevys but making your Ford feel bad by constantly talking about the other product.)

    I don’t know why we think that opera singers are better at their craft than some guy with a guitar in a coffee shop, intoning his anthem–but we do.

    It really isn’t an appreciation for the aria or the performer, but rather, letting everyone in the room know that we are aware of this medium and to a certain degree, can even pronounce the unusual names associated with it.

    This is why I got tickled when Pavarotti got a cold and couldn’t sing.

    It was so human.

    And then, another time, he had voice strain and had to cancel his promised aria.

    When you remove all the fictitious ideas from the human race, you end up with a much smaller pile of knowledge.

    But it actually all ends up being true.

     

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    Argumentative

    dictionary with letter A

    Argumentative: (adj) given to the expression of divergent or opposing views.

    Our society has become proudly argumentative.

    In the quest for individuality, place, purpose and respect, we have taken the chip off of our shoulder and thrown it at anyone who would challenge our alleged supremacy.

    It’s time we lose some things:

    1. Lose the desire to always win.

    The greatest lessons in life follow an exhausting failure. Winners are those who comprehend the experience of losing.

    2. Lose the need to be best.

    You will be bettered. Our culture requires an ever-growing improvement which will occasionally place you in the rear instead of the front.

    3. Lose an over-emphasis on self-esteem.

    You need just enough self-esteem to have the confidence to humbly try the next project. Anything more is arrogance.

    4. Lose the competitive edge unless you’re competing.

    Not everything is a contest. It’s not important that you triumph in every disagreement. Your sex appeal depends on your ability to be sensitive, not overwhelming.

    5. And finally, lose manipulation.

    Life requires truth on our inward parts. If you think you can lie to people to get them to do what you want them to do, you will find that others utilize the same approach and you will never be sure exactly how good you are, or even who you are.

    To avoid becoming an argumentative mob always on the verge of disaster, we must learn what to lose and what to gain.

    Mainly, lose our false confidence…and gain opportunity. 

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    Aren’t

    dictionary with letter A

    Aren’t: (contraction) are not.

    Tricky business, this game of words.

    One wise men said by them we are justified, or on occasion, condemned.

    Aren’t is one of those words which has caused more trouble than we can imagine. It is the favorite contraction, and verb, of prejudice and bigotry. For after all, it has no personal application. I can’t turn to you and say, “I aren’t.”

    The word is only applied to others, to limit their capabilities:

    • You aren’t pretty.
    • They aren’t talented.
    • We aren’t as dumb as they are.

    It is a word without a mirror, peering at other planet-dwellers with a jaundiced eye and dipping into the well of our experience to determine their value.

    It is always ambiguous and never leads to a sense of understanding. Even when we say something like, “They aren’t coming to the party,” hanging in the air is a sense of uncertainty about the reason for their absence.

    Beware of words that are geared to attack others and have no function in revealing oneself.

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    Arena

    dictionary with letter A

    Arena: (n) a place or scene of activity, debate or conflict.

    I grew up hearing stories about Christians being killed in various arenas of the Roman Empire. Recently, I’ve discovered that some of these reports are erroneous and that the Romans didn’t really deem such uncontested murder to be entertaining enough to bump the gladiators off the sports line-up.

    I was always curious about it.

    I know the Romans were quite brutal, but what would be so harmful about the Christian philosophy, requiring it to be condemned in a public arena?

    It is a message that attempts to be inclusive, and blend in to the mixture like yeast in dough, allowing for expansion without destroying the surroundings.

    But of course, there are certain things that need to be placed into the arena of public debate, which are too often taken for granted. Perhaps I should remove the phrase “public debate.” We certainly have enough of that. There are people who make a living by stirring up trouble and never hanging around to clean up afterwards.

    Perhaps I should say there are certain ideas which should be taken into the arena of our hearts, where they can be battled through to a conclusion which causes us to be non-harmful to ourselves and others.

    1. Drug use.

    Even though we’ve tried to make it an issue of freedom, in the long run, it is a medical dilemma.

    • What happens when any drug goes into our bodies?
    • How does it alter us?
    • Does it improve us?
    • Is the improvement worth the alteration?

    2. Killing.

    The trouble with killing is that it’s very permanent. There is no such thing as a temporary murder. Since it tends to hang around forever, we might want to think a bit more about enacting it–whether it’s war, guns or abortion, would it (pardon the expression) kill us to consider, in the arena of our thoughts, the ramifications of our deeds?

    3. Intolerance.

    First, I don’t like the word. It has an arrogance about it which connotes that I reluctantly “tolerate” something or someone. I actually prefer the word “indifference.” There are many things I disagree with, but since I don’t have to participate, why should I care?

    Do I really think God in heaven is sitting around musing over color, culture, sexual orientation or preferences? If He is, He’s a real nudge and a brat.

    Since He made us inconsistent, He might just want to be patient with our inconsistencies.

    Every single day of my life, I try to go into the arena of my heart and think about these three monsters that have basically been welcomed into our midst and devour parts of humanity without our permission as we allow them to lumber about.

    I don’t like drugs.

    I’m against killing.

    And it’s not hard for me to be indifferent about things that aren’t my business.

     

     

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    Are

    dictionary with letter A

    Are: (v) 2nd person singular present tense of be

    Sometimes life, as it comes our way, is decorated with such brilliance that we really have no excuse for ignoring the show.

    Even grammar presents intuition to us floundering humans.

    For instance, “I am“…but “you are.”

    “I are” does not exist unless you happen to travel deep into the back woods of American seclusion.

    I don’t get to be an “are.” It is my responsibility to constantly be reinventing myself toward the light bulb and away from the cave of darkness.

    On the other hand, you are allowed to be an “are.”

    And since I have no business attempting to change, reform or translate you into a new being, I must accept what you have proven to be over time rather than what I wish you to become.

    If we understood this, we would have much less conflict and fewer family arguments around the dinner table.

    • I am.
    • You are.

    You are permitted to be a past tense of yourself.

    On the other hand, it is required in those who have been entrusted with life to take responsibility for their own daily growth, to become an “am” instead of settling for their “are.”

    So even though it’s a little word, it contains a Renaissance of meaning.

    • I am going to try to do better today.
    • You are going to be who you are.
    • And I am going to accept it.

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    Architect

    dictionary with letter A

    Architect: (n) a person who designs buildings and often supervises their construction.

    Have you ever been so ignorant about a subject that even as you explained how ignorant you were, you said something ignorant? That’s the way I feel about building anything.

    When I look at the meticulous qualities an architect must possess, measuring corners to establish an edifice, I am not only in awe, but also baffled.

    When I was seventeen years old, I took a crack at my only carpentry and building project.

    Our dog required a house. This is commonly referred to as a dog house.

    If you look at one, it doesn’t seem terribly complicated–basically four walls and a roof. The mutts rarely require a floor.

    So I found some scrap wood back behind the local lumberyard and was delighted when they told me I could have it. I purchased some nails from the hardware store, acquired a hammer and saw and set in motion to build my dog a home.

    I am not a profane person. But I have never done so much cussing in all my life.

    It took me three days to finally get all the pieces to fit and a roof on the house, only to discover that when I set it on the ground, it was crooked. One of my friends affectionately referred to it as “The Leaning Tower of Bow-Wow.”

    I was humiliated.

    I tried to correct my mistake by filling in some dirt in one corner, to make the construction appear even but then it went from leaning to tilted.

    It gave me a great appreciation for those who know how to take nothing and turn it into something.

    Fortunately for me, my dog was not picky.

     

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    Archetype

    dictionary with letter A

    Archetype (n): a typical example of a person or thing; an original that has been imitated.

    Even though I am sure the number changes continually, the numeral I garnered from research was 353.

    That is the number of Protestant Christian denominations at work in our world today.

    Some people think this is a necessity so that we’re able to express our personality flair with our spiritual experience. But with each and every one of these denominations comes a focus on a specific point of philosophy or doctrine, which makes them imbalanced from the overall impression that was intended by the archetype of the faith, Jesus of Nazareth.

    If you want to be mocked and considered naive, just merely suggest that the ideal circumstance for Christians is to attempt to live like Jesus. People will smile at your abstract innocence and say, “Well, many things are open to interpretation.”

    (With that I would agree. That’s why we should avoid many things.)

    But the gospel records give us a great shadow of the lifestyle of this carpenter-turned-preacher, so we certainly should be able to focus on a few personality traits and incorporate them into our practice.

    1. Our archetype, Jesus, didn’t care if people were religious or whores–just as long as they knew that a certain amount of repentance is necessary for us all.

    2. Jesus didn’t favor Jews over Gentiles, making the Jews very upset and the Gentiles stomp around, joyously saying, “‘Bout time.”

    3. Jesus was not impressed with the traditions of men, which were manipulated so as to generate a climate of intellectualism instead of true spirituality.

    4. Jesus didn’t really care much about people who wanted to be mediocre.

    5. Jesus didn’t chase people down. He let them find him and bring their faith.

    6. Jesus was more concerned about people who were lost than about people who were found–or at least, thought they were.

    7. Jesus wasn’t impressed with the Temple.

    8. Jesus was not a person who was focused on the family. He said, “Those who love only their family are no better than the heathen.”

    9. Jesus bravely died on the cross but made it clear that the person who betrayed him was the Son of Hell. Certainly not a letter of recommendation for Judas.

    10. Jesus made his gospel about love and challenged those who trivialized it to seek a deeper understanding of the word and its potential.

    There’s only one thing I know for sure–if all these denominations came face-to-face with Jesus, there would be 353 disappointed board meetings.

    Jesus didn’t come to make everybody happy. He came to get us to feel and think. That usually, for a brief season … makes everyone a little uncomfortable.

     

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