K T M S P * *

Have you ever given any thought to how many ways we shorten phrases to “simplify” our language in modern terms? Everyone seems to be in a rush and by recognizing the first letter of many things we are able to make an instant connection. We have shortened the meaning of phrases by using a combination of letters from the phrase.

Just looking around any city you can find the USPS (United States Postal Service), UPS (United Parcel Service), DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), and the PO (Post Office). Although not a combination of letters, everyone recognizes FedEx (Federal Express) quickly and McD’s (McDonald’s) is probably the most visited fast food restaurant. The SPCA (Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) works within many areas to help with animals that are neglected or mistreated.

We shorten the names of our states to make it easier than writing out the whole word. CA (California), OH (Ohio), NY (New York), NJ (New Jersey), and FL (Florida) are just a few of our shortened state names. We can fly into DFW (Dallas-FortWorth), ATL (Atlanta), LAX (Los Angeles), PanAm (Pan American), TWA (TransWorld Airlines)or NW (NorthWest Airlines). And we proudly live in the USA (United States of America).

You can find organizations such as the PTA (Parent Teacher’s Association), BSA (Boy Scouts of America), or GSA (Girl Scouts of America), or the NRA (National Rifle Association) in cities and towns. You may attend FBC (First Baptist Church), COGIC Church of God in Christ), or your church may be in the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) or the ABC (American Baptist Convention).

We use letters to help with the names of schools. There is MS for middle school and HS for high school. Classes like PE (Physical Education) are requirements and SEd (Special Education) students are enrolled for more limited class content. Everyone is talking about the GPA (Grade Point Average) or preparing for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (American College Testing). We take advanced learning at colleges such as LSU (Louisiana State University), UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles), NYU (New York University), UT (University of Tennessee), or ITT (Institute of Technical Technology).

The entertainment world uses symbols such as ABC (American Broadcasting Company), CBS Columbia Broadcast System), MGM (Metro Goldwyn Meyer), PG13 (Parental Guidance under age 13), and R (Restricted –for films that have questionable content). We decide whether to have CATV (CAble Television) or to add a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). We can select CC (Closed Caption) to help hearing-impaired listeners and sometimes shows are TBA (To Be Announced).

A DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) or BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) can cause problems with the law. We either use the prosecuting attorney or the DA (District Attorney) in case of serious legal problems. The Defendant has a chance to retain his own lawyer or may have a PD (Public Defender) work with his case. If you are convicted you may be out on parole but will have to check in with a PO (Probation Officer) to monitor your progress while out of jail or prison. In working with children who are abused or neglected we use a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) to speak up for their rights.

In the medical field we use such abbreviations as RX (Prescription), MD (Medical Doctor), DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery), OR (Operating Room), and OBGYN (Obstetrician and Gynecologist). We may visit someone in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) or have a RN (Registered Nurse), or LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) assist us when we are admitted to the hospital. We administer CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and

We have governmental agencies such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association), DOD (Department of Defense) or the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). We may belong to the GOP (Grand Old Party). We look for housing under the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) program and everyone knows that the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) requires taxes to be paid yearly.

In sports we have the PGA (Professional Golfers Association), NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), NBA (National Basketball Association), and NFL (National Football League). In football the QB (Quarter Back) goes down the field to help his team. In MLB (Major League Baseball) we want to know the RBI (Runs Batted In). We may take our children to ATA (American Taekwondo Association) to learn TKD (TaeKwonDo).

Computer jargon includes such terms at BTW (By The Way), FYI (For Your Information), LOL (Laughing Out Loud), PC (Personal Computer), and PDA (Personal Data Assistant). We may play a CD (Compact Disc) or condense our music collection on a MP3 player since it is easier to carry instead of several CD’s. We insert a tape into our VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) or a DVD (Digital Video Disc) into our electronic players. We talk about our ISP (Internet Service Provider) and search on MSN (MicroSoft Network). We watch movies and news programs on our new HDTV (High Definition Television) and record shows with a TIVO or DVR (Digital Video Recorder).

We could elaborate on the way that slang has changed over the years. In earlier years (the 80”s) we used BLOB (Binary Large Object) to describe a form of green oozing material that seeps out of an object and as a result of this acronym many science fiction stories use BLOB as part of the language for their shows. AKA (Also Known As), APB (All Points Bulletin), AWOL (Absent Without Leave) and SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) are all terms that were coined a few years ago. People performed CPR and CHIPS and ALF were two popular television shows. The list of acronyms is growing every day and in many cases the acronym can mean more than one thing depending on the group that is using the language “shortcut”.

We have gotten so used to seeing and hearing these acronyms that they have become part of our culture. You could actually think of them as a type of “new” language and sometimes we use the word “slang” as a way to describe this spoken language. Slang is always changing to match the needs of special groups. Slang may be coined by a group of teenagers just as a different way to speak. Slang is usually a new term that doesn’t fit the basic adult language initially, but eventually the words become a part of the mainstream language. Slang language is not used in formal or written language.

Everything in the world around us is always changing. The progress we have made over the past 10-20 years is astounding and I’m sure that in the next 10-20 years we will see even more progress and newer terms come into our spoken language. Terminology changes frequently and the way that we express ourselves sometimes moves so quickly that people have a hard time just keeping up with the acronyms and slang. Just trying to learn the English language is a task that a lot of people find overwhelming.

Is there anything in life that is constant and can give us stability? Yes, there is one thing that can help us stay on track and never changes. That is the Word of God and the promises that are contained in the Bible. Hebrews 13:8 is the one verse that helps us to understand that “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today and forever”. Malachi 3:6A repeats the constancy of God “For I am the Lord I change not.” Although we may see terminology change and even landmarks change, God [promises that “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). James 1:17B encourages us to recognize that every perfect gift is from God above “with whom there is no variableness.” The words to the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness (one of my favorite hymns) was penned to help us understand the stability of God and how He works in our life. By putting our faith and trust in God, we can have “Blessed Assurance” (another hymn) that He is always with us. God and His Word are the one sure thing in our lives that gives us the stability that we need to go on each day.

(**KEEP THE MESSAGE SIMPLE PLEASE)