Blog - Page 60 of 68 - Diana Derringer

Your Goose is Cooked

November 11, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

If you travel the Enchanted Highway in western North Dakota, you discover “Geese in Flight.” This largest scrap metal sculpture in the world stands in the middle of nothing but fields.

If your goose is cooked, you stand in the middle of nothing but trouble. You have behaved badly, and you have been discovered. Like this sculpture on a hill, you cannot hide.

Geese can be mean.

Some make more noise than dogs.
Some attack people and animals.
When they bite, it hurts. (Trust me. I know.)

Geese can also be helpful.

They produce eggs.
They supply down (small soft feathers) for pillows and other bedding.
They provide meat.
Because they are loud, they make good guards.
Some make great pets.

When a goose gets mean, it may become its owner’s next meal.

When your goose is cooked, you don’t become a meal. You do suffer the consequences of your bad behavior.

However, that suffering often serves a good purpose. It causes you to straighten up and fly right.

“They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, and suffered because of their sins” (Psalm 107:17 NET).

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Low Man on the Totem Pole

November 4, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Totem poles are carved and painted by Native Americans in the northwest part of North America.

According to dictionary.com, comedian Fred Allen probably started our saying “low man on the totem pole” around 1940. The phrase became popular “despite its lack of application to a genuine totem pole.”

The low man on the totem pole is often considered the least important person in a group.

He holds the lowest position.
Others show him little respect.
He usually has to do the work no one else wants to do.

A new person in an organization may refer to himself as low man on the totem pole.

Nevertheless, the low man on the totem pole has hope.

Everyone must begin somewhere. Most begin at the bottom and then work their way up to the position they desire.

Some people prefer a lower position. In addition, the person at the top cannot do what he needs to do without the people who work below him.

People at the bottom are needed as much as those at the top.

Often they are needed more.

If the lowest image on a totem pole is destroyed, the totem pole can no longer stand. Repairs may help, but the totem pole will never be the same. That truth applies to organizations as well. Therefore, my hat’s off to all who serve as low man on the totem pole.

Click here for further information about totem poles.

“Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all!” (Romans 12:16 TLB).

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As Friendly as a Puppy

October 28, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

If you own a puppy, you know the joy of complete acceptance. That puppy loves you. He doesn’t care about your status:

Who you are
What you have done
How you look
What you say

He wants to be with you. He remains your friend through thick and thin.

A puppy knows how to have fun. He finds pleasure in the little things.

Chewing on a bone
Chasing a ball
Running and jumping

If you let him, he will share his joy with you:

Snuggling close to you
Barking for attention
Letting you scratch his ears or rub his tummy

A puppy can turn frowns into smiles simply by being a puppy.

His behavior may change when you hurt:

Sitting still beside you
Listening as you talk or cry
Whimpering to share your grief
Offering an occasional lick of love

A puppy gives his friendship without criticism or judgment.

When he thinks you’re in danger, his behavior changes again:

Barking to warn you
Trying to pull you to safety
Not quitting until you move

Why can’t we all be as friendly as a puppy?

“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NIV).

Special thanks to the Bloyd family. Their photo of pure puppy joy reminds us that puppies are also good medicine.

Do you have a favorite puppy tale? If so, please comment.

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When It Rains, It Pours

October 21, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Have you ever had one of those days … or weeks … or years when nothing goes right? Anything that can go wrong does go wrong. When it rains, its pours.

You suffer:

Illness
Family problems
Financial difficulties
Work stresses or loss of work
Friends who let you down
Other troubles, too numerous to mention

As a result, you:

Tire of the struggle
Feel like a failure
Have hit rock bottom
Want to give up

If your life were rain, those days would be thunderstorms, monsoons, hurricanes, and typhoons all rolled into one. On those days you feel like you will drown in your difficulties.

I wish I could offer a simple solution to get rid of those days. I can’t. If you live long enough, you will experience them.

However, I know one who offers peace during life’s storms. With Jesus in your life, the storms may not immediately go away, but you:

No longer drown in them.
No longer fight them alone.
Know they will be over one day.

In addition, you may someday discover that all that trouble was a blessing in disguise.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV).

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Eating Out of Her Hand

October 14, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

During a stop in South Dakota, my friend Ann had this chipmunk eating out of her hand. Because of his appetite, he did what Ann desired.

She offered what he wanted, so he ignored any possible danger. He failed to follow the caution better safe than sorry.

Sometimes people have us eating out of their hands. We do whatever they want. This happens often in romantic relationships. We see it when Olivia Newton-John sings “Hopelessly Devoted to You” in the movie Grease.

In a good relationship, eating out of one another’s hand presents no danger.

We seek to please the one we love.

We give gifts.
We arrange special events.
We spend a lot of time together.

Unfortunately, some people take advantage of that desire to please.

As a result, those eating out of their hands suffer in several possible ways:

Abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)
Neglect
Financial loss

Choose relationships wisely.

Seek help when needed. Encourage others to make good decisions.

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever (Psalm 136:12 NIV).

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A Bee in Your Bonnet

October 7, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

You need bees to pollinate plants. You don’t need a bee in your bonnet (hat or head covering).

Many beekeepers wear protective clothing, including a hat with a net. The net keeps bees away from their head and face. My husband was removing honey from a bee hive several years ago. Somehow, a few bees crawled inside his net. His one and only thought was to get that bonnet off!

When you get a bee in your bonnet, you focus totally on one idea. It controls your thoughts and actions. Nothing else matters to you.

Often that focus has no lasting value:

A car
A house
Clothes
Other material possessions

Occasionally the focus is harmful:

Hatred
Revenge
Prejudice

Why not focus instead on eternal values?

Trusting God
Serving others
Improving self

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23 NIV).

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Get a Grip

September 30, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

Like a rock climber searching for a hand or foot hold, we sometimes need to get a grip.

Everything seems to go wrong. We feel out of control. We are falling apart at the seams.

When that happens, we

Search for something to keep us from falling.
Seek stability.
Try to move forward.

But we are stuck.

When we tell people to get a grip, we see their need to calm down, to control themselves.

We often expect them to handle their problems alone, to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

We must remember, however, that we may be their source for a better grip.

By extending a helping hand, we may keep them from falling. By walking with them, we may show them the best way to go.

When life goes wrong, let’s get a grip. Let’s also offer a grip to our fellow climbers. Above all, let’s turn to the one who promises to guide us safely in every circumstance.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:1-3 NIV).

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Water under the Bridge

September 23, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 10 comments

Some of my favorite childhood memories took place under this old swinging bridge. My sister, cousins, and I waded in the water under the bridge. I learned to swim in the water on the other side of the bridge.

We loved to walk across that bridge. It swayed and bounced like an amusement park ride. It scared me silly, but I always wanted to cross it again … and again … and again.

As I walked across the bridge, I looked down at the water. I didn’t think much about it then, but the water under the bridge kept changing. It flowed down the creek, replaced by new water. That constant movement kept the water fresh and safe.

When anything is water under the bridge, it has already happened.

It’s over and cannot be changed. Like water that has traveled under a bridge, that experience is past.

In spite of that, we often hang on to the past, not letting it go. We fail to let bygones be bygones. In the process, we make ourselves miserable.

Rather than living in the past, let’s realize the past is water under the bridge.

We can remember it.
We can learn from it.
But we must not dwell on it.

Live in the present. Look forward to the future.

“He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water” (Isaiah 49:10 NIV).

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One Good Turn Deserves Another

September 16, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

Most children who ride a carousel (merry-go-round) don’t want to get off. They beg for one more ride — one more turn. They want to keep that good feeling going.

If someone does something good for us, we usually want to do a good deed for them. One good turn deserves another expresses that idea. We want to keep that good feeling — that good relationship — going.

But why stop there?

Why wait for someone else to do the first good deed?

A popular idea in recent years is the Random Act of Kindness Day. On that day each year, people do something good for others for no special reason. The day receives a great deal of publicity, and people feel good about it.

I appreciate those efforts. Yet, that’s just once a year. What keeps us from performing random acts of kindness every day? Our kind acts don’t have to be big. In fact, the small kindnesses often mean the most.

A greater challenge is to be kind to those who are unkind to us.

Think about the difference in our world if we practiced that.

Some people might be so surprised they stop their cruel acts.
Other people might think we’re crazy and continue their unkind behavior.
A few might wonder what causes us to act that way and desire a similar life for themselves.

Why not give it a try and see what happens? In a world filled with conflict, let’s be like a carousel and keep the good turns going.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion.

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Don’t Fence Me In

September 9, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

If animals could talk, I think most would say, “Don’t fence me in.” Farmers and ranchers regularly repair fences where cows, horses, or other animals escape.

We may not have physical fences around us. Yet, many of us feel fenced in by circumstances:

Responsibilities
Other people
Lack of personal space
Little time alone

Because of that, we can understand the popularity of the 1934 cowboy song “Don’t Fence Me In.” Robert (Bob) Fletcher of Montana wrote the original lyrics. We can still enjoy much that he wrote about in parts of our great country today.

We explore wide open spaces.
We drive for miles without seeing another person.
We feel free.
Our minds, as well as our bodies, can roam.

Whether we like country life or not, we desire freedom. We want to go, do, and speak as we please. We don’t like people telling us what we can and cannot do.

However, a fence has more than one purpose. We focus on what a fence keeps inside. Equally important is the danger it may keep outside.

With no limits, we live in total confusion. We need fences (rules) to provide order and protection.

Our freedom must do no wrong.

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil” (1 Peter 2:16).

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