Good morning, digital neighbors! TGIF!!! Congratulations—you made it to Friday! The day doesn’t hold as much magic for me these days, since Saturday and Sunday are busy ministry days. Still, I have fond memories of the excitement and anticipation that weekends used to bring. I hope you’ve all had a great week. Now, on to the word of the day! Today’s selection comes from another new book: Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds by Jess Zafarris. A note from the introduction:
“One surprising thing about the study of language and linguistics: The more you learn, the less pedantic you become and the more you revel in the glorious, rip-roaring chaos of iterative creativity. . . . Useless Etymology exults in, peers beneath, and giggles at the words we use every day—the hidden meanings, shocking twists, and elaborate patterns to be found in our language.”
Yahoos are a race of “brutes” in Jonathan Swift’s satirical 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels. In the wake of the book’s success, the term came to be applied to louts and hooligans of all stripes. It later became a supposed cry of excitement or thrill, based on the notion that such hooligans might yawp something similar.
Spring Flowers – Pexels – Chen Te
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman François-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaire’s main love was writing—an endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.
Good Morning, Digital Neighbors, and Blessed Sunday to one and all!
Sundays are for gratitude, and few things impact our lives more than intentional gratitude. It is not enough to say you are blessed or that you are fortunate; the actual naming of our blessings plants them deep in the heart, transforming us as persons rather than leaving us with the bland “thankful for everything.”
Two years ago, I wrote this reflection on resentment and gratitude. In light of the celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary, I think it’s worth revisiting. We can choose to be among those who are thankful for America or among those who find nothing but fault with it.
You cannot build a future based on resentments of the past. You cannot grow if you are mired in the injuries of yesterday. God and life do not call us to ignore such experiences, but He constantly calls us forward—to be more, to receive more, to live more. Heal those wounds and work through those injuries, but do not be defined by them, and do not try to ...
