Does it bug you when people use the word ‘like’ in ways other than for comparisons?? teenagers perhaps? ye stereotypical amerian blondes?

A linguist from U of Canterbury via ‘American Speech‘ has gone to the trouble of analysing the usage of like and has found that it is not meaningless filler in sentences and actually follows some rules. The most common usages are:

1. To separate phrases (similar to using “i mean”): “He was at work all the time, like, I can’t imagine what he’d be doing!”

2. To keep conversation flowing (often an alternative to using “you know”)

3. As an equivalent to says: “He was like, lets go to the roller-disco”

4. As an equivalent to about: “It was like 15 stories high”

photo via :: ffffound.com

I’m very much addicted to ’scramble’ at the moment – it’s a facebook version of boggle. The scary thing is that it has gotten me rearranging the letters of pretty much everything i look at now. eek!

I’ve been thinking over and collecting books+articles which I hope to assemble into a short paper on the nature of calling to ministry in the next little while. (sparked by recent interest since Driscoll/Carson spoke in ‘calling’ terms at some ministry training recently)

Thanks to Dave ‘the dack-hand’ Miers for the reminder – it’s international talk like a pirate day!!

Hope ye all enjoy the skull duggery of this most important of dates. yarrr!!

photo via:: flickr

For all you Moore knowledge college dudes writing OT essays, dont forget to do some regular exercise when sitting at the computer.

if you need inspiration or instruction:

Via:: DG

Enjoyed the chance to hear Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church speak on two occasions last week…

1. A talk/Q+A at Moore College

Mark spoke about the importance of preaching, focussing on its content (the gospel) and it’s form. The dig for us at Moore, he thinks, is in the form – he urged us with Paul (1 Cor 9:15-23) to be all things to all men in order to win some for Christ… or more plainly…to be less boring ‘Bible guys’

It largely seemed to be an exercise in throwing a few hand grenades out there to have us rise to the challenge of most effectively being ambassadors for Christ. Something which I certainly hope I and my fellow brothers and sisters here will do!!

most memorable quote: “it takes about 2-300 hours to get good at preaching…so…in the mean time…someone’s got to suffer!”

see dave@DMDC, sam@thefountainside, ben for more comment. (i’ve kept my post short because they’ve said much of what i would have…!)

2. Burn your plastic Jesus

First time i’ve been in a crowd of 10k (ish) and first time at the Sydney ent. centre. So the experience was novell. Also enjoyed wandering around Chiantown and munging down on laksa with Simon and Adele beforehand.

The talk was good, hit the misconceptions and presented the gospel fairly. was odd that the passage that was read out (rev 19) was not preached on. I keep hearing stories of people who became Christians that night which makes me really excited and thankful to God.

see some video content from DMDC

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My personal reflections on the two events are that it is tricky for a 25yo to hold fast to the truth that God gifts people as HE sees fit for the building up of HIS church (1 cor 12). It has been disarming to find myself thinking lately ‘if only god had gifted ME in this way or that way…then I’d really be able to minister well’ and so on. Anyone else? any ideas?