Kind words are jewels that live in the heart and soul and remain long after they have been spoken.

"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11

I’ve been thinking a lot about words recently.   The words we say and how we say them.   I was in a discussion not long ago with an old cattle farmer.   He had a couple hundred cows at his ranch and a few prized breeding bulls.    Being from Arkansas, he of course talked with a southern drawl as well as many “old-timey” sayings I wish I had written down.   As we were talking, the conversation inevitably went to his herd.  I loved listening to the pearls of wisdom but then he said something that didn’t sound right to me.   He said, “We get a lot of beeves out of a two year old cow.”   

I thought that maybe “beeves” is just an old-timer word.   But then he kept using it.  Over and over again.   Finally, my correct grammar nerd got the better of me and I said, “Don’t you mean, ‘beef’ instead of ‘beeves.’” 

He looked at me funny, laughed and said, “You’ve never heard that word before, have you?”   

I had not.   He told me to go look it up.   

So I did. 

He was right.   The plural of beef is beeves.   It goes against every grammatical bone in my body.   For the English warriors out there, it’s called an irregular plural.   You’d be surprised at the number of irregular plurals there are.    

For example, you wouldn’t say there were a whole bunch of “mans” gathered at the game.    It’s “men.”   Same with woman, and women.  

For you body builders, if you want to talk about one arm, it’s “biceps.”    Two arms become “bicepses.”   

When I want to brag on my nieces and nephews, I should be using the word “niblings.”   

It gets even more confusing.   You can have one “aircraft” but if you’re talking about a lot it is still “aircraft.”   No “s” on the end.   Same thing with bison.  You can have one or a whole herd of bison.   No bisons allowed.   

Then sometimes we even drop out letters or change them entirely.   For teachers you have a teaching curriculum.   If you have more than one, they become “curricula.”   You can add an “s” but curricula sounds more important.  

For doctors you can have a diagnosis but if someone is really sick they can have multiple “diagnoses”.   No “i” allowed.  

Baby becomes babies.

Child becomes children. 

Foot becomes feet. 

Goose becomes geese. 

Half becomes halves. 

Loaf becomes loaves. 

Mouse becomes mice. 

Ox becomes oxen. 

Tooth becomes teeth.

Sometimes I like to talk in parenthesis. (But if I use more than one it becomes parentheses). (Again no “i”). 

I may say to myself, “Self, what are you doing?”   But if I’m a bit crazy that day, it becomes “Selves!” (Which happens more times than I have parentheses for.) 

Then there are words that are already plural.   Like “news.”    

Thank goodness in church I can talk plainly to my “brethren” and “sistren” and hear the Good News!   

I think I’ll preach on the tower of Babel this week.   

Pray with me.  

Our Wonderful and Creative Creator, 

You have gifted us with the blessing of language.  We can use this gift of words to build each other up or tear each other down.   We pray that today you give us someone to lift up with kindness and grace because of the words of life you have given us through Jesus.  In Christ’s name we pray.  Amen.