Friday Fix: -ly vs. -ally

1) Incidently or incidentally?

2) Accidently or accidentally?

This Friday Fix is brought to you by my own uncertainty. I have actually avoided using either of these words before because I didn't know the correct spelling and I was too lazy to look them up at the time.

The time has come, my friend.

According to dictionary.com (my fave!), incidentally is the correct form. Interestingly enough, though, both accidently and accidentally are acceptable. Who knew?

Incidentally, the -ally suffix makes perfect sense when you consider that incidental and accidental are adjectives. Slapping on the -ly suffix turns them into adverbs, making the -ally form "most" correct.

Yanno, in case you need a reason. ;-)

Friday Fix: Problem Fixed!

You all, the only fix I can think about today is something that was literally fixed that I'm praising God for! So today's fix won't be the typical "improved communication" fare, but rather a sharing of God's goodness.

What was broken, you ask?

Not exactly broken, but definitely damaged. My computer at work!

I was paralyzed yesterday without it! I couldn't even access my printer to do a mailing. No email! No nothing that I take for granted a hundred times a day--all on my virus-ridden computer. Ugh!

And here's the kicker, a glaring piece of irony if I ever saw one: the cause of the virus was my anti-virus program! Double Ugh! (If you care to read more, here's an article about the actual virus.)

Talk about stress. Our computer guy came to get it and work on it, but he wasn't really optimistic. As I'm prone to do, I started imagining worst-case scenarios about what would happen if it couldn't be restored. Panic had hit full-force.

But I prayed to God to allow the issue to be addressed completely. I claimed in Jesus' Name that I'd have it back today running as well as ever with no permanent damage.

And it was. God is so good! So faithful! And if you think He doesn't care about stuff like that I can assure you He not only does, but He uses "the little things" to wake us up.

I needed woken up as far as taking things for granted. My work station. My health. My relationships. My relationship with Him and thinking for even a little while that I was self-sufficient. HA! I can do nothing but for the grace of God.

Even peck away at my computer.

Thank you, Lord, for fixing my computer. Thank you, Lord, for fixing me. Again.

Friday Fix: Overexposure

Spring has definitely sprung! Not only are leaves and blooms bursting forth, but so are body parts. Everywhere.

Wha?

You read right and you know you’ve noticed it too. It’s the annual breaking out of all things trampy, I mean, skimpy. . . er, that provide less coverage. Which leads me to the “fix” of this Friday’s Fix.

Modesty. That’s the fix.

But Ms. Friday-Fix-Holier-Than-Thou-Snooty-Pants, I’ve worked darn hard to get this body and by golly I’m gonna show it off! And furthermore, a ‘fix’ implies something is wrong, thus requiring fixing. (DUH!) So just what exactly is the problem to begin with? Humph!

In a word, Distraction. In a lot more words, stumbling block, leading into sin, etc., but we’ll just go with distraction right now, as it applies to any communication, interaction, or generally public situation.

My heart welled up with empathy the other day as I read a comment from a pastor’s wife expressing how hard it was for her to pray with her husband and a woman seeking prayer at the alter, when mere inches away from her face this woman’s bosom was threatening to spill forth in front of God and everyone—including her husband.

The communication situation? Prayer—the purest form of communication there is. The distraction? Um, have you been paying attention AT ALL?

Result of communication? Static-y, at best. Imagine the psychological noise. From the oblivious woman, “Oh Lord, thank you for these people lifting up my petitions before your throne…” From the Pastor: “Oh Lord, shield me from the vision before me. I’ve tried so hard to be an overcomer of the flesh and yet here’s more splayed out before your throne…” From the Pastors’ wife: “Oh Lord, convict her to cover up before I further splay out her flesh before your throne…”

I’m not entirely placing blame—some folks really have no clue they’ve crossed the line of appropriateness. (Wow. Good thing for Friday Fix educatin’ n’ stuff.)

But you know what? Many do and do it anyway. Or do it because it crosses the line of appropriateness. If you want to be respected and taken seriously in your interactions—by men AND women—don’t be one of those.

Before you leave the house, check the mirror. Bend over facing front. Everything stay covered? If not, how ‘bout a nice tank top underneath? Now, bend over with a rear view. Everything stay covered with many inches to spare? If not, change. And boldly file the removed item in the trash or recycled dust cloth box.

But only if you want to be respected and taken seriously. You don’t want your attire (or lack of) to distract people from who you really are or want to be or want to convey. (And really, who ever says, “Man, I aspire to be trampy, I mean skimpy, er. . . less covered!”)

And you SURE don’t want it to be a hindrance for others in their relationships with other people or with God. If you do, then that’s way more of an issue than I can handle here on the Fix.