The Language Game

It was while we were on the beaches of Acapulco, Mexico where I had my first encounter of a real language barrier.

When we are on vacations or business trips it is our custom to try new things.  So we decided to go parasailing. 

Making our way to the beach we found the place where we could do this.  Both of us were so excited and then I was given the disheartening news … you cannot try this.

According to the instructor my arms weren’t long enough to reach back to pull the cord for the chute to open for landing.  My husband was going to back out, but I convinced him he should still go while I watched from the beach.  It didn’t take too much persuading to get him to agree.

Watching him being pulled out over water and then ascend was amazing.  In a few moments all I could see was this tiny bird like creature flying out of my sight.  Well, that’s all it took for the locals to see I was alone on the beach.

I remembered all the rules and instructions about keeping my valuables hidden, so I tucked them under the towel where I sat.  Before I knew it a band of women had surrounded me and pulled me to my feet.

As they were shuffling me off I grabbed my stuff and kept looking at the sky to see if my husband was anywhere in sight.  There he was off flying around waving bye and I was being kidnapped.

Welcome new friends this week from:

California!  People must be sharing the challenge and invited more friends to join us.  Thank you!

Keep our Christian friends in Russia and the Ukraine in prayer this week as you pray for all the followers of Daily Favor.

Don’t miss out on this week’s challenge (below).  Q & A Section

There he was. I could see he was about to make a landing back on the beach as they escorted me into a hut like structure.  He quickly dropped his gear and ran to catch up with me.  It was too late.

By the time he found me inside I was covered from head to toe with layers of material that represented some type of garment.  My arms were extended out like they were fitting me for the costume ball. I must have looked ridiculous to him, however he didn’t say anything but began to rescue me from all the merchants. 

He unraveled me (literally) and took off one article at a time and handed them back to the sellers.  Each vendor shouted out a price and stated that I looked good in their garment.  Nothing shook him, but they backed off when he began to speak to them in their language.  Four years of Spanish paid off; thank you Mrs. Coulter. They took off the rest of the items from my person, but did manage to make one sale.

So what got me into so much trouble? It was playing their language game … I didn’t know the rules or speak their language.

 

Learning the Language

Understanding that language is essential in learning and without it we simply cannot co-exist, Melanie Hendrick set out to change the world.  With several degrees and high ranking positions she developed a program that would give people the opportunity to learn a language at an affordable price.



Melanie Hendrick

After teaching in several environments in Bilingual Education (ESL) Melanie began tutoring in the subjects of Math, Science and Language Arts, which would eventually turn into the massive traveling program called L.C. Language Complete.  Here she would bring the language worlds together.

Of course this works for people who are willing to learn a language for the sake of conversation and understanding.  I could have used Melanie’s method that day on the beach in Acapulco.

What about those who don’t want to interface with you … in other words, they really don’t care if you know their language?  Even worse, they intentionally put a road-block up when you try to get in on a conversation.  I know some people who do this, do you?

Learn more about Melanie’s program here: L.C. Language Complete or Language Complete Interview

 

Secret Language Game

It’s funny how language is the key to so many things, both good and bad.  Understanding language is what helps bring people and cultures together and without it you can only do so much.

Although I don’t have any children of my own, I am not unaware of the language games children play to keep adults in the dark to their conversations.  In high school my boyfriend (now my husband) and I made up all sorts of words to create our own secret language.  Nobody else knew what we were saying.  Eventually we stopped doing it because we didn’t want to be cussing in another language since we really didn’t know what the words meant, if anything.

Young kids on the other hand are more inventive and have created the most amazing secret languages with codes that most parents haven’t cracked.

The technical term(s) is that of ludling or argot oral speech, which is a way of manipulating words so that it cannot be comprehended or understood by the other person.  We may know them as speaking gibberish or pig Latin, but it is much more involved than just changing a few letters.

Do you know that I’ve found over 90 various forms of common secret languages games?  I wanted to give you a few examples of these if you spoke English, so you could see how complex they are to most of us.

If you spoke the secret language of Aigy Paigy (or Haigy Paigy) you would add the letters “aig or eig” making a word such as “hello” into “haigellaigo.”

If you wanted to say hello in Jaredian you simply reverse the word and replace letters and combinations.  It would look like “olleh”.

OK, want something a bit harder? For an English teacher this one really gets me.  “Anyone up for tennis?” in Inflationary English becomes (how they can say this is beyond me) “Anytwo up five elevennis?”  This version was actually used in a comedy routine of Victor Borge’s.

Probably one of the most fun secret languages to use would be the “izzy” form, where words like Merry Christmas become the coded “Mizzlery Christmaslizzes.” Keeping up language barriers is how many kids cope with reality and they usually outgrow it if it doesn’t involve a psychological reasoning behind it. (See Language Game Wikipedia)

Language in Code

In my studies on language barriers I discovered some fascinating things.  According to the latest findings there are approximately 7,000 coherent languages in the world, and most have been translated into part of the Bible.  That’s astonishing.

If you were interested in purchasing a book or product about language games you would have to thumb through 27, 597 listings to find the right item you wanted. 

Are you "game?" (I know I shouldn't have gone there, but it was too easy.)

Another product of the language games are books that want us to believe that the entire Bible is nothing more than codes in Hebrew or Greek to confuse the reader of its true meaning.

Michael Drosnin is one of those authors who wrote a book called The Bible Code, in 1997.  His research has convinced him that the Bible may indeed be true since many events did happen as it was told in the scriptures thousands of years after it was originally written.  Thus proven through letter codes.

Part of the language game that is said to have happened during the pre-Christ era, was due to the interpretation or conversion of words from various cultures that did not translate correctly.

 

 “A little plain talk never hurt anybody.”

Sheriff Andy Taylor

 

Language in Translation

If you were to be a fly on a wall of any church you could hear what all the buzzing is about over Bible translations.  I don’t want to get anyone upset, but if you knew the history of the Bibles and their translations you might end up changing how you feel concerning this topic.

Contrary to what you may believe, the King James Bible 1611 version is not the first version of the Bible and even if it were, it’s not a reason to have a war over language.

Author Gail Riplinger tried to prove the precision and power of the KJV making it the superior version of scriptures over all others in her book, The Language of the King James Bible.  Obviously, this isn't my main point either.

When I refer to the Language Game concerning our walk for this inward journey to Jesus, I’m not referring to one translation over another like stated in some books.  (The Language of the King James Bible: An Introduction - Professor Tim Connell)

Learn the New Language Game

So what’s the big fuss over all the language stuff?  What do language games have to do with our progression on this journey? 

We are at week 13 already (1/4th through the year) and should have seen some changes being made in our behavior, thinking and expectations as believers.

In prayer the Lord revealed to me that there was a major communications problem between Heaven and earth when it comes to having our requests being answered.  A language barrier is holding up prayers.

When we receive Christ as our Savior the Bible says that we have been made brand NEW creations, and the old creation is gone.  It’s easy being transformed in some areas, but for many changing the way we converse hasn’t changed very much. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It's not just foul language or spouting off at the mouth because we get angry.  God is grieved when we speak things that are contrary to what His Word says.  Our relationship with God will not and cannot grow if we don't know or understand the language of Heaven or have a passion for it.

Sure we tell people we’re Christians and continue talking like the world does showing no signs of transformation as KING’s kids.  If all things are new, that should include our language and what comes out of our mouths.

Children of the King

In all my years of teaching there is one thing most former students always remember, and that is the weekly sayings.  Each week for extra credit I would write a quote, saying or something different on the chalkboard.

This saying along with their proper heading that included their name, subject, etc. had to be written on every paper they submitted to me. They were so intent on the sayings that sometimes they forgot to put their names.

At the end of the year they had finals in each subject.  I would attach a paper with forty lines (for the forty weeks of school) on it for them to write down as many sayings as they could remember.  Would you believe that one girl (Shannon) remembered over 30 of them!

Out of all my classes throughout the years one saying has remained on top in their memory:

Children of the KING should use the language of the Court.

What exactly does that mean?  For those who weren’t saved, it meant they needed to clean up their talk basically.  It was different for Christians, because there is a New Heavenly Language they needed to learn that Jesus spoke. 

Our earthly language should reflect KING Jesus' language that He uses in the Courts of Heaven.

 

This Week's Challenge:

Learn the Believer’s Language

Last week we were to find out something new about the character of Jesus.  In your private seeking you might have come across the way He talked to people, family and the Heavenly Father. 

This week we’re going to change how we view language on all levels of communication.

Put off thinking along the lines of different dialects, secret languages, codes, translations or name calling and focus only on KINGDOM Language.

Wrong court Sis!

First: Stop name calling.   I’m not suggesting that you are to become the dull person on the block, but be mindful of what you are saying.

"Let this mind – Christ’s mind, be in you which was also in Him." (Philippians 2:5 NKJV) 



If you have kids, don’t let them call one another names either. 

Second: Stop cussing. Take a Bible check on what exactly should you call the person who just took your parking space or cut you off in traffic.

Yes as God’s children we are to be more colorful than the world and bring light into it, but I’m pretty sure you won’t find some of the words you’ve been using as part of the OK list of things to say.  I'm still researching the phrase "Sucker Brat!"

Of course after making your "No Joy Suckers Allowed Here" sign from 2 weeks ago you aren't having any of these issues, right?

Third: Memorize that saying I've taught my kids. Speak what the Bible says about you or your situation.  It’s this simple.  One might say they are poor.  Scripture says you are rich.  If your body says you are weak, tell yourself, "I've got a new language dictionary called the Word of God that says I am strong."

Let God’s Word be our new life language that we declare daily. No matter what language game we’ve played over the years, it’s time to learn the language of KING Jesus and only speak what is spoken in His Courts.

Children of the KING should use the language of the Court.

  

We Are Children Of The King- Jeff Hamlin (Hosanna! Music)

Until next time, there is favor in the KING’s Court.

What's New this week:

Children of the King Children’s Book

Follow Favored1 on Twitter, You Tube and Articles.

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. A.N.A. logo by J.C.Penney, Inc.

Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Bible Gateway.

Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image Parasailing  The Language Game on Amazon