The #InsurmountableBounce: Why Most Readers #Bounce (rather than #Engage ... My Theory as to why, anyway), and the Reason I'm Obsessing over a recent @CopelandNetwork-article | @EnglishWithKim @Ecosia #Bouncing #Engaging #Bounced #Engaged #Engagement

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I have a broken speech-style. Oftentimes, I'll pause before a word when I'm trying to think of 'the exact word I mean to say'; and the person-I'm-talking-to thinks I'm done talking and they feel they ought to respond ...

... very annoying (annoying enough for my search to find Kim's advice on getting past interruptions in conversation before I refocused on 'what brings this up') ...

What Brings This Up: Something I've noticed from 'staying Christian in the face of "obvious evidence" (not to mention "Science" and "logical reason" et al.) and "atheist argument all over the social-network." I think I posted about it earlier: Interrupt-itis—the way people will totally dismiss anything a writer/speaker says after they hear something wrong near the beginning of the article.

For instance: The reason I'm writing this—Kenneth Copeland's ministry is obviously successful, so must be doing something right; I try to read his articles about Prosperity (in his family's magazine, BVOV), but–as usually happens when I try to watch a preacher give advice they think-up while meditating on The Bible–my brain can't see past all the 'fantasy stories' he stuffs it with to get to the practical tips he gives.

(That fairy-tale imaginary stuff makes me bounce before I can get very engaged.)

'Those words' (below-hyperlinked to the Slate-article describing the practice) is built on an even-deeper source ... something crucial that firms the foundation upon which our lexicon stands ...
The word “Bounce” is built on ancient words that mean "to Beat, |Thump (and maybe it's a little |Imitative)" (possibly influenced by "to |Bound (like a Ball)," Re|bound; when a Check is Returned due to In|sufficient Funds (in the Account that the Check is Drawn-from)).
The word “Engage” (Attract and |Occupy the |Attention-of) is built on ancient words that mean Pledge (Wed, |Promise to Marry, Secure for Aid or -Employment or -Use).

(Looking at those meanings, the STARGATE-phrase "Chevron 1 (or -2 or -3, -4, -5, -6 etc.), Engaged!" came to mind; but I'm not patient enough to find any footage of 'that announcement' just now—and besides, the actual word is (usually) "Encoded.")


But I want to get to the point of the article KCM published: They title it "Get With the Program—and Prosper!" and I want to do that; but Our Lord tells us we 'will learn the truth, and the truth will set you free.'

And it does; but Christ's Disciples are constantly pulling us back into the state-of-mind where we needed fairy-tales to teach the truth to us (and I'm afraid people are 'reading the writing on the veil' and taking it as 'the truth that the veil hides') ...

In short, I'm going to 'obsess' over every word of the article and digest its ideas (with the digestive acid of my worldly mind) into its useful nutrients:
That's how it starts. Now I'll give you the end, and slowly fill in to the beginning (my way of putting things "in the God-perspective").
...    
Paul wasn't pushing those people to give. They were pushing him to take their offering. They were begging him, "Let us get in on this!" Why? Because God's grace was working in them. Jesus their Financier was leading them to sow financial seed so that they could reap a financial harvest. "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, NKJV). 
(This brings up his 'use' (misuse?) of the word "sow." I think I wrote about his most-frequent use of it—the one he uses above, describing 'people donating money.' 
(But he said (in a recent TV-broadcast) that the only "sowing" that Jesus talked about was sowing "The Word of God" in 'the ears of the children-of-God (who listen to hear).)
This is a big part of Jesus' High Priest ministry. He administrates to us the grace of giving so that we can receive the financial prosperity He provided for us on the Cross. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). 
(Whoa! 'He' provided "financial prosperity"? He? the one who said "give unto Caesar what is Caesar's; give to God what is God's"? 
(Yet I'm reminded of King Solomon, who–though he could've asked God for all the money (gold, jewels etc.) in the world–only asked for 'the wisdom to rule the Kingdom,' and ended up with all the money anyway!)
One time when I preached on 'those verses' (from 2 Corinthians 8 & -9) a man came up and told me he didn't want to be rich. He said his family were doing just fine on the $40,000-per-year (or whatever it was) that he was making. 
"That's probably the most selfish thing I ever heard!" I replied. "What about BLESSING your pastor and giving to help other people? What about financing those on the mission field? If you're happy with the little dab you've got, fine. Believe God for $100,000-per-year, keep your $40,000 and sow the rest!" 
("Way to 'guilt him into contributing,' Brother  😈!" is how people might see that ...)
You want to talk about fun? When you shift your motive for prospering from just being BLESSED to being a BLESSING, you'll have the time of your life! You'll become so addicted to giving, you'll be happy no matter where God sends you or what He tells you to do! 
(I'm inspired to re-define the
phrase 'drinking the kool-aid' ...)

So go ahead and get with His program. Strip away your dependence on the world. Look to Jesus alone for seed to sow, an abundance to give and plenty to enjoy. 
(Watch the flash! Ignore 'the
team of stagehands behind the
curtain!')  
Get to know Him not only as your Savior, your Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and your Healer, but also as your Financier. 
(Obviously this requires a little bit of (what 'people outside The Church' would call) 'blindness'—'not seeing' where your financing, -healing or -salvation actually comes-from, but rather looking at The Great Showman and crediting it all to him (no matter where it actually comes-from).)

... and I'm realizing I've been reading 'get' as the "take"-meaning rather than the "go to"-meaning ('get to the finish,' 'get over here,' etc.)
Know anything else interesting about that? Comment!

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