One of my life mottoes is: I’d rather reveal my ignorance than keep it.

Lately I learned that I was pronouncing two words wrong, and I was delighted to know how to say them correctly. Those words were Spokane as in a city in Washington state and shitake as in mushrooms. I love it! I love not revealing my ignorance about those words ever again.

Bad grammar and bad spelling are both a pain to witness. But I think that hearing mispronounced words is most painful of all. When you don’t know how to use a certain word, you can (almost) always substitute it with another. But when you mispronounce the word you chose to use, it’s more distracting than using the wrong word.

So says she who speaks far more than might be wise, and frequently reveals her ignorance in the process.

For years, I have enjoyed “A Slice of Infinity” and Jill Carattini is my favorite contributing author there. The almost-daily writings always give me something to ponder, and I wonder again at the power of well-placed words.

The last few weeks, however, it seems to me that the writing styles and subject matters and authors are more skilled, more intelligent, more relevant than ever. Maybe it’s just me and my needs of the moment. At any rate, see what you think. Click the link at the right of this page for Slice of Infinity, and see what you think, and sign up for those emails. There’s a chance you’ll be bored. But you might also become inspired and changed, which is my pursuit.

I heard it first when attending a missionary conference in Belfast. Elizabeth Elliot was the keynote speaker, and before one of the talks we sang this beautiful prayer and I fell in love with it instantly. It came to mind today as I was working and praying.

May the mind of Christ my Saviour

Live in me from day to day,

By His love and power controlling

All I do and say.

May the word of God dwell richly

In my heart from hour to hour,

So that all may see I triumph

Only by His power.

May the peace of God my Father

Rule my life in everything,

That I may be calm to comfort

Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me

As the waters fill the sea;

Him exalting, self abasing:

This is victory.

May I run the race before me,

Strong and brave to face the foe,

Looking only unto Jesus

As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me

As I seek the lost to win,

And may they forget the channel,

Seeing only Him.

–Katie Barclay Wilkinson

These days, I wish I could churn out the intelligent, coherent, beautiful, inspiring words that other people are producing. Maybe I’m not working hard enough, not being a good enough steward of the gift of words.  Most of my words right now seem to come out in prayer form, and in songs, talking to God. I speak and sing for an audience of one. I plead for His character to become mine. I have no fancy, impressive words to ask for this, but somehow I know He doesn’t mind.

A long time ago, I read an article in Readers’ Digest written by a novelist. In it, he shared his frustration when writing sticky notes for his children–short little notes about Being Back Soon, but he’d cross out words and crumple up papers, all in search for the perfect blend of 3 words that he wanted to scribble on a note.

I remember being amused by the article. But  now I can identify. I cannot say how often I do the same. I ‘m not a novelist, but with one non-fiction book behind me, it’s second nature now to weigh every word after I write it, and make sure it says what I intended. And as good writing means lots of re-writing, I crumple up lots of sticky notes too.

I suspect that’s why I post here so infrequently. It seems to me that it should be intelliegent, good, blends of words that show up here…and I’m too hard on myself, and don’t want to write unless it’s Really Good. Well, maybe I’ll eventually get over it. There’s more to life than perfection. But what does excellence mean??