Figurative Language: Hope You Are All Ears- by Donna

“There is a guy stealing IPhones around town. At some point he’s going to face time.” (pun)

Did you laugh? I did. I absolutely love a play on “words”. In fact, I like the many things you can do with words. Now that may sound strange to you and maybe I stick out like a sore thumb (simile), but words can be fun and interesting.

“Is it crazy how saying sentences backwards…. ….creates backwards sentences saying how crazy it is.” 

Being a reading and writing teacher, I love teaching figurative language: metaphors, hyperboles, alliteration, personification and idioms. The origin of many idioms is fascinating. I have googled a kazillion times (hyperbole) where a phrase or idiom comes from. Take these for example:

I’m all ears!

Idiom Origins

Example: Johnny was a thief his whole life, but decided to turn over a new leaf. 

Turn over a new leaf: In the 16th century the pages of a book were called leaves. The saying refers to turning over to a blank page and starting over. This saying came about centuries ago.

Example: The doctor gave Carrie a clean bill of health.

A clean bill of health: In the 1800’s, a ship from another country could not dock until all the passengers on the ship were cleared from the possibility of carrying a disease. After the ship’s captain was handed the paper, a bill of health, stating that there was no sickness on the ship, he was given permission to dock.

Now you have to admit those were interesting, intriguing, and informative idioms (alliteration).  My computer even enjoyed the repetitive stroke of the letter I (personification). I am sorry if this overload of information makes me a walking textbook (metaphor). Snort, giggle, snort. (onomatopoeia) 

Karla and Donna

Read the paragraphs below about Karla and me. I know that sounds like an assignment, but after all I am a teacher.

Karla and I have never had an argument, but we don’t always see eye to eye. If we have different perspectives on something, we talk it out getting to the root of the matter. We never use each other as a scapegoat or put words in the other’s mouth. Usually, we start laughing and simply wash our hands of the matter and move on. 

We love life and like to eat, drink, and be merry. But, neither one of us has a sense of direction; we are like the blind leading the blind. Sometimes we are at our wits end by the time we make it to our destination. To those who know us, that is nothing new under the sun. Sometimes we even have to go the extra mile –honestly, it might be many extra miles. But what is a mere hour lost, it’s just a drop in the bucket of time.

From the Good Book

The bold phrases/words are ones we use often. Where were they derived from?  The BIBLE! Yep, awesome isn’t it. I hope you enjoyed your lesson for today!

Eye to eye: (Isaiah 52:8)

Root of the matter: (Job 19:28)

Scapegoat (Leviticus 16: 9-10)

Put words in one’s mouth (2 Samuel 14:3)

Wash our hands of the matter (Matthew 27:24)

The blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:13-14)

Wits end (Psalms 107:27)

Nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41)

A drop in the bucket (Isaiah 40:15)

For alliteration fun, view this video of Johnny Carson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgYbogp1Ha0

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Guidance: No Sense. -By Karla

Ok, I have a little sense, but not so much when it comes to directions.

Which Way Is Up?

Over the years, I have provided my family with lots of stories that give validity for their harassment. I have tried to come up with some way to explain my actions but had little success. When I turned 16, I told Mom I was ready to go take my driving test. Concerned because she did not think I had studied enough, she asked if I was sure.  Now, I would almost swear that I never said the following, but apparently, there are too many witnesses.  

“I have just one question,” I must have blurted without thinking. “How do you know which side of the road to drive on?”

Just Point the Way

Another directional story that seems to haunt me from my youth is one my Aunt Anna likes to share. In the middle of some blabberings, I simply pointed to Nana’s house. The two houses are only a few hundred yards from each other. Lord only knows what I was trying to tell because my pointing ended the story. I remember them standing me in front of the living room window, where I could see her house. However, for the life of me, I could not figure out which way her house was so that I could point in the right direction!

Better Late than Never

Over the years, I would like to say that I have been cured from my directional disabilities, but that would be a bold-face lie. Before navigation systems were on our phones, my girls were in their prime basketball and volleyball days.  God love them. I know they started a ton of away games wondering if I would get lost and miss half of it. Once I got to a game with less than two minutes left to play!

The Stories Just Keep Turning Up From Nowhere

And don’t even get me started talking about the times Donna and I have been lost; there are several hundred blogs for those stories.

Once I even got lost on the beach!  Now to be perfectly honest, I didn’t even tell anyone about that one except Donna because we were on the phone when the realization hit me!  t was December, and I decided to take a stroll on the beach and watch the sunset. Taking off my shoes, I put the condo key inside them, and tucked them under my a chair. I walked for about a mile; then headed back. The problem was that we was so involved in our conversation, that I did not noticed I had passed the beach chair by a mile or so! My phone died; the sun set completely, I was barefoot and had a serious need to find a potty.

The beach was deserted by this point, and I was uncomfortable walking alone in the dusk.  Heading for the road, I thought I would be a little safer. Up ahead, I thankfully saw a very nice hotel, and knew I could make a pit-stop. Though shoeless, I darted for the ladies’ room. After hours of walking aimlessly, I came to familiar surroundings, located my sandals, and made my way home.

Finding Our Way

Life sure is filled with numerous, complicated situations that require us to know how to find our way. Recently, while in the nursery, a young girl came in, sat, and begin to talk. Forming a little bond over the past year, we chatted, and I prayed with her. She is from an unchurched family; she needed to learn how prayer helps us find our way. Our world is filled with chaos, some that we do not even create, prayer guides our unknown paths.

How blessed we are, but often lazy. We have access to a Bible; all we need to do is open it and read. The closer I get to God, the more I want others to know how He desires to navigate us in the right direction.

 Isaiah 55:8-9 says,  “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” He has the best road for us to travel, so that we will never get lost. We need to invite God with us, lighting the path to our destination.-Karla

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