August

(under construction)

Week 1 – Fabric Week 2 – Mode Week 3 – Candid Week 4 – Addiction

Fabric.080513.Monday

When you see the word fabric, most likely, you are going to think cloth or some kind of material. However, that thought would be only partly correct. For instance, pyramid, skyscraper, cruise ship and oriental rugs all have a fabric. How? All of these have a structure or texture just as cloth is made of some kind of material, so are they. To think of fabric as just come kind of cloth is to understand it in a very narrow sense. It means far more, for instance: “To understand the fabric of our society is very complicated!”

Fabric.080613.Tuesday

To appreciate the full sense of fabric, we must look at each of its defined uses. Cloth or a woven or knitted material is one of fabric’s basic meanings. Fabric also means the basic structure of something. That is how our four words on Monday are related as they have a structure. Two less used meanings of fabric are style of construction and crystal grain patterns in a rock. These meanings are specific to engineering and geology uses. The thrust of use for fabric is not only as a textile, but also as the basic structure of something. So, be careful how you put together the fabric of your life!

Fabric.080713.Wednesday

For the basic meaning of fabric that is as cloth there appears to be more than 300 types. Some well-known types are flannel, canvas, mohair, tweed, lace and acetate. Fabric can also be a type of wax, tarpaulin or carpet. We have covered the various kinds of textile fabrics and coverings, but fabric also means the style of construction or fabrication plan. Every manufactured product has its own unique structure and how it is constructed. Such entities as schools, governments and businesses also have their own unique fabric of how they are put together and operate. Yes, even the work you do also has its own fabric!

Fabric.080813.Thursday

There are many regions of our country today where a church may be the focus of community life. When a new church building is being constructed, it becomes the center of attention. It impacts the fabric of that community. Therefore, the construction and maintenance of that church building becomes a focal point of importance. It produces activities, priorities and responsibilities within the population which will result in changes in its community life. These interactions will produce changes in the pattern or fabric of how the community will operate. Tracking the interactions of individuals within the community will tell the story of whether a community will progress or stagnate. The prevailing attitude will color the impact of its community fabric!

Fabric.080913.Friday

The basic structure of a relationship is mutual trust and respect. Without these two things, a relationship will not have any lasting strength. It will lack a strong fabric of continuity. Relationships that lack mutual trust and respect will fall apart quickly and may even produce animosity and hatred. The fruit of animosity and hatred are bitterness and ill will and neither of these are part of the fabric of a good relationship. Focus on building trust and respect and the fabric of your relationships will be very sound!

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Mode.081213.Monday

Our word this week is one that we seldom use, and when we do, we tend to use it incorrectly. Mode of transportation, we can recognize and do sometimes use; but, do we know how to use it correctly in music, math or science? Let us open our minds to learn the proper use of mode. Yes, that means we must be in the learning mode!

Mode.081313.Tuesday

Before we begin the defining mode, let us understand what it is not. Mode is not mood, but it can be sometimes used in that sense. The most commonly used meaning of mode is to indicate a prevailing fashion or style. That meaning can include dress or behavior. Originally from Latin, mode has a musical meaning. It is an arrangement of the eight diatonic notes or tones of an octave according to one of several fixed schemes of their intervals. Other than music, mode is more commonly used to indicate a scheme or form of something. Let’s focus of form whether in music or style. A formless mode doesn’t work, but a beautiful rhythm does!

Mode.081413.Wednesday

“The mode of a horror movie is to be a thriller.” This sentence expresses the form or manner of expression used as a style for this type of entertainment. In this, mode explains the customary or preferred way of doing something. “He liked to fly as his preferred mode of transportation.” Here we see mode giving us a traveler’s specific method of how he travels. “He arranged the computers to operate in parallel mode.” Mode is used here to express a special form or arrangement of components. The way mode is used in a sentence is a sign of its intended meaning. Mode always expresses a scheme or arrangement. Your mode of doing things is not your mood!

Mode.081513.Thursday

Musically speaking, mode has had a specific impact. In music, mode is an arrangement of the eight diatonic notes or tones of an octave according to one of several fixed schemes of their intervals. Mode was introduced as a rhythmical scheme in music of the 13th and 14th century. The particular arrangements that introduced this method of musical composition are far too numerous to list here, but much of it impacted the music used in churches of that period. To know the mode, listen to the music!

Mode.081613.Friday

With relationships, we seldom think of the mode or rhythmic pattern that develops. Every relationship has its pattern. Some are good and some are bad. We should reflect on what pattern we use to make our good relationships and try to strengthen that pattern. Also, for our bad relationships we need to minimize or stop the actions that produce malformed patterns. It takes hard work to change bad habits. Only by positive effort can we reduce harmful mannerisms. Work on increasing your positive rhythm patterns to produce better relationships!

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Candid.081913.Monday

What you see is what you get is one way that our word this week can be understood. To be candid is to be open and honest with everyone. Few of us today are 100% candid in all that we say and do. Many times a person will have some hidden agenda or submerged desire that motivates them. Being candid means that you talk about yourself and what you do with naked honesty. Seldom do we find someone who has that kind of trait as a normal characteristic. Being candid builds trust!

Candid.082013.Tuesday

Candid snapshots of children are fun to take. Photos showing people acting in a natural way without awareness of the camera is one of the four meanings of candid. It also means white as in candid flames without any other color. Two other meanings are related and one is how we best understand this word. To be candid is to express opinions and feelings in an honest and sincere way. Heartfelt discussions voiced in sincerity and without deception are the keynote of one being candid. We also know that a candid observer is one who is free from bias, prejudice or malice and is fair in observations. Candid expressions about one’s life may be difficult to share!

Candid.082113.Wednesday

“She gave us her candid opinion on the matter.” We see in this sentence, a proper use of the word “candid.” When a person responds in an interview with honest and sincere thoughts; that is one way of being candid. The media looks for people to interview that are free from bias, prejudice or malice. Candid observers are good news stories for media events. However, to photograph or shoot video of subjects in natural surroundings takes a high degree of skill. Honest sincere expressions about personal subjects are a sure sign of a person’s candidness. Let’s be candid in how we treat others!

Candid.082213.Thursday

Freedom from bias or prejudice and honesty are the foundation for building trust. Without these, our interactions with others will always be colored by possible mistrust and deception. To be candid is to be completely open. Therefore the impact of one being candid is to show others that nothing is obscured and there are not hidden agendas or secrets. Our being candid instills within others a sense of being trustworthy and builds credibility. Trust and credibility are the twin pillars of good character. Good character should be the goal of any wise person!

Candid.082313.Friday

Consider how a candid picture of your most intimate relationship might look: is spontaneous action a part of it? There are times when we act naturally in a relationship but do not realize that spontaneity may be just the zip that it needs. Not only are candid pictures a good thing, but candid and sincere expressions are a vital part of any good relationship. Do your best to inject some of both. Often we focus on being a good partner but forget that a little levity and fun can be a good energy boost to a sagging association. A little candy and candid commentary can work wonders!

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Addiction.Monday.082613
Addiction is not a pretty word. It is, however, one that we often see but we would prefer not to experience firsthand. Rarely, do we see the use of the word “addiction” with a positive twist. Narcotic drugs can be very addictive. Gambling, on the other hand, is not something we put into our bodies, but it also can be addictive because of one’s mental frame of mind and the physical hormones produced in the body by that state. There are some who are addicted to power, food, alcohol, social status or sex. Each of these areas can form sub-conscious thought patterns when combined with physical dependencies become most difficult to change. Use great care in what you become addicted to!

Addiction.Tuesday.082713
The definition for addiction is fairly simple and straight forward: 1. The quality or state of being addicted, (i.e. an addiction to gaming) 2. A compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addiction is a persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful. If you are to recover from a baffling, insidious, compulsive addiction, it will require diligent effort. Beware the enticement of addictive substances and activities!

Addiction.Wednesday.082813
“There is a signpost up ahead.” That phrase from an old science fiction TV series could well be the indicator for any addiction. Once an addictive habit is started, there will be signs of how that action pattern will affect one’s lifestyle. From our study of the word “habit”, we learned that it is a “pattern of action that is acquired and has become so automatic that it is difficult to break.” That habit will permeate actions of the one addicted. Drug addiction will produce its specific action patterns, as also will addiction to gambling, sex, power, food and other habit forming activities. Such action patterns are hard to break, and many will have a harmful result upon the user. Some compulsive actions are a sure sign of addictive control!

Addiction.Thursday.082913
For most addictions, the trajectory and pay-off is normally disappointing and harmful. Thus, the impact most often is negative. For instance: “His life has been ruined by heroin addiction.” Likewise, “He devotes his evenings to his gambling addiction.” Consider, “Her nicotine addiction exacted several ill effects upon her body, such as lung disease and cancer.” Which of the foregoing statements produced a positive impact upon the one addicted? None. It has been my experience that addictions seldom produce positive results. Know your obsessions and how to cope with them and avoid habit-forming addictions!

Addiction.Friday.083013
For today, we have a very intriguing question: “Can a relationship be addictive?” Your answer will depend upon several things. One, your relationship must be a good one. Two, it must be mutually satisfying, and three; it must be based upon love. When these factors are positive, the mutual affinity can become very strong, which can act like addiction. Positive relationships can produce strong forces that resemble an addiction!

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