Five Across Fever!

 

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. ~Matthew 24:35

I've always loved word games.  Whether it's old-fashioned Scrabble or Jumble puzzles, I find them all to be delightful pastimes with the added bonus of stimulating my brain at the same time.

Several months ago, I discover this free Five Across word game on the Fox News website.  I'm immediately hooked!  I have to admit that it takes me some time and practice before I actually develop a strategy to better tackle the daily puzzle, and those tactics aren't foolproof by any means.  Still, it's a rarity for me NOT to guess the word well within the six lines given.

Here's the puzzle I solve this past Saturday.

Notice that on my first try, I use as many vowels as possible.  This will not only tell me if the vowel is present, but automatically eliminates the wrong choices.  The latter will be greyed out, vowels and consonants that are there but in the wrong place will show up on a brown background, while correct letter placements are displayed in green.

As you can see, I really luck out on my second try as three of the five letters are in their right location.  But do you see, too, that it takes me until the next to the last try to actually get the winning word?  Yes, even when I have this kind of advantage, I can still come up against linguistic roadblocks.

Have I ever solved the word on the first try?  Nope!  The second?  Only once, and what a lucky fluke that was!  Most of the time, as my stats show, it takes me at least four tries to realize success.

Here's my better try on Sunday.

This also illustrates the brown background of a letter in the wrong place in the puzzle.  I solve it in three tries!

The only drawback?  Just one Five Across is offered per day.  Probably good for a word nerd like me who would easily become addicted to playing game after game after game instead of meeting the real demands of the day.  I'd certainly develop a chronic case of Five Across Fever!

As much fun as I have with these word challenges, like all else in heaven and earth, these will eventually pass away.  But what a comfort it is to know that the words of Jesus will never be obsolete.  They are eternal and eternally true.  And for all who believe in Him and His saving grace when God calls you home, rest assured that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen!