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Ring the Bell

Ring the Bell

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Ring the Bell--dinner bellThis dinner bell stood in the backyard of my childhood home. We seldom rang it. However, years before, people would ring the bell to let everyone know it was time to eat. Hungry workers listened for it. The bell also notified of announcements or emergencies.

According to The Free Dictionary, ring the bell has several meanings.

Ring the bell refers to something we want or need.

Hungry workers get food. We get what we desire or look for.

  • Visits
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Cold water on a hot day

They satisfy us to a T.

The expression also refers to something special or outstanding.

Dinner bells made announcements. The following ring the bell for us.

  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • People
  • Work

In addition, ring the bell directs our focus.

We may need only be aware, or we may need to act. Like a dinner bell, it can serve as a warning, as in:

  • Business contracts
  • Community or national plans
  • Weather changes
  • Health crises

These circumstances get our attention. They occasionally upset us or cause us to wring our hands in worry.

Ring the bell does not mean the same as rings a bell.

Anything that rings a bell makes us remember. Ring the bell notifies, informs, or lets us know about something.

Let’s never fail to ring the bell about God’s offer of eternal love and joy.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. “Psalm 90:14 NIV

Thanks to Beckham Wilson for the suggestion and to Gail Gosser for the photo.

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Get Back on the Horse

Get Back on the Horse

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Get Back on the Horse--horses in field behind flowering shrubsGet back on the horse. That’s what we often hear if we fall. The horse may have bucked us, or we may have fallen for other reasons. Whatever the cause, we receive encouragement to try again.

My sister disagrees. As a teenager, she did not like to ride horses. A cousin convinced her to ride behind him. She did. On a trip through our orchard, he lowered his head to miss a tree branch. He forgot to tell her. That was her last horse ride.

Get back on the horse means to try again.

We don’t give up. Instead, we get up. We go another time. One failure does not mean we will always fail.

Life gets difficult for everyone. We all fall. People or circumstances hurt us. Nevertheless, we keep going.

We learn from our mistakes.

Rather than kick ourselves, we try to correct what went wrong. We don’t want to live in fear—with cold feet—all our lives.

Get back on the horse applies to every area of life.

We may:

  • Lose a job
  • Fail a test
  • Suffer from illness
  • Grieve lost friendships
  • Endure persecution

In every circumstance, we decide whether to shake it off  or tie ourselves in knots with worry. If we don’t know how to get back on the horse, we can always rely on God for direction.

 “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1 NIV).

Thanks to Joe and Ann Klotz for the suggestion.

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Keep Your Ear to the Ground

Keep Your Ear to the Ground

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Keep Your Ear to the Ground--bison grazing

Stampedes of cattle, horses, or bison occur frequently in old Western movies. The herds can often be heard before they can be seen. A few movies teach that if you keep your ear to the ground, you detect the stampede’s vibrations.

That also holds true for:

  • People
  • Trains and other vehicles

If you keep your ear to the ground, you stay alert to what is going on around you.

You listen for what is happening or may happen. That helps you keep up with:

  • Current events
  • Changes
  • Opportunities

You benefit if you stay well-informed.

For example, you learn quickly of

  • Job openings
  • Special events
  • Investment options
  • Trends

If you keep your ear to the ground, you may also learn the latest gossip.

Of course, gossip may or may not be true. You usually benefit if you stay away from busybodies. Even if what they say is true, it is often unkind and unnecessary.

To stay informed, keep your eyes peeled and your ear to the ground.

To learn about the best life, focus on the one who created you and can guide you through all life’s changes. At the end of the road, that’s all that matters.

“The Master told me, ‘Go, post a lookout. Have him report whatever he spots. When he sees horses and wagons in battle formation, lines of donkeys and columns of camels, Tell him to keep his ear to the ground, note every whisper, every rumor.’” (Isaiah 21:6-7 MSG)

Thanks to Lindy Pierce for the suggestion.

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Give It a Whirl

Give It a Whirl

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Give It a Whirl-paragliding over Interlaken, SwitzerlandIn 2003, my sister and I served on a missions team in Interlaken, Switzerland. During free time, several on our team paraglided off a nearby mountain. I wanted to give it a whirl.

However, our team leader did not want us to participate. She was responsible if anyone was hurt. Out of respect for her, I stayed on the ground. Paragliding remains on my bucket list.

To give it a whirl means to try something.

You see if you:

  • Like it
  • Are good at it
  • Want to do it again

What we give a whirl varies greatly.

We experiment with new:

  • Food
  • Hobbies
  • Adventures
  • Travel
  • Jobs
  • Service

Although I did not jump off a mountain, I did give several activities a whirl.

I was able to:

  • Tour the region
  • Try new food
  • Enjoy other mountain and lake activities
  • Admire Swiss chalets and flowers
  • Eat lots of chocolate and raspberry sorbet

The greatest activity was to engage in international ministry, our primary purpose for being there. If you have never served on an international missions team, I would encourage you to do so.

God’s creation offers more than we can try in a lifetime.

However, we can enjoy each day:

  • Wherever we are
  • Whatever we do

“Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them” (Psalm 69:34 NIV).

What do you enjoy? What is something new you would like to give a whirl?

 Thanks to Matt Reiprich for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Scott Wigginton, author of Adventures to Godliness.

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Down the Drain

Down the Drain

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Down the Drain--waterfall between cliff wallsWe love to watch water fall into a river. However, we rarely want to watch water go down the drain. We lose that water, and it costs us.

Down the drain means wasted.

Our resources have:

  • Failed
  • Disappeared
  • Ruined

This may apply to:

  • Companies
  • Finances
  • Relationships
  • Personal or professional plans

Sometimes, we control what goes down the drain.

We do that when we:

  • Make risky investments.
  • Spend money recklessly.
  • Fail to nurture relationships.
  • Focus only on ourselves.

Other times, we have no control.

  • Banks or companies make poor decisions.
  • Thieves rob us.
  • People desert us.

Whether we have control or not, we lose.

Similar metaphors include:

  • Down the tubes
  • Down the pan
  • Down the toilet
  • Down the plughole

Life constantly changes.

With all its ups and downs, we look for a constant. We find that in a relationship with Jesus. Whatever the situation, Jesus remains with us and will guide us through it.

Circumstances may go down the drain. With Jesus, our eternity remains secure.

Thanks to Beckham Wilson for the suggestion.

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Happy Camper

Happy Camper

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Happy Camper--Bryce CanyonWhat makes you a happy camper?

  • Vacations to national parks such as Bryce Canyon?
  • Roasting marshmallows and making smores?
  • Fishing at a local lake?
  • Attending or remembering summer camps?
  • Relaxing in the back yard after a hard day’s work?

If you are a happy camper, you are content.

You enjoy life or at least the moment.

 Contentment may occur in two ways:

  1. Based on circumstances: If everything goes as you wish, you are a happy camper. If circumstances don’t go your way, you are not.

  1. Regardless of circumstances: You may have occasional unhappy moments. However, you usually remain satisfied whatever happens.

If you never learn to be content, you will never be a happy camper.

You will often feel:

  • Angry
  • Irritable
  • Upset
  • Displeased with everyone and everything

Let God’s joy fill you with contentment.

When you find joy in life, circumstances may not always make you feel happy. However, you can be a happy camper. You experience purpose and pleasure in all life’s ups and downs, You also share God’s joy with others.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want “(Philippians 4:12 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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Get to the Root of

Get to the Root of

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Get to the Root of--large tree with exposed roots, sun shining through the leavesFor trees or other plants to grow, they need good roots. If they start to die, we look for a reason. We get to the root of the problem.

Recently, we had two large trees cut. We loved the trees. However, they were dying. Their roots no longer supplied what they needed to survive.

If we find the source of any problem, we get to the root of it.

We may not find physical roots like a tree. Yet, any problem has a cause.

My husband suffered several physical symptoms in 2003 and 2004. No one found a reason at first. Because we did not give up, doctors finally got to the root of it. He had a brain tumor.

We get to the root of most problems the same way.

We determine:

  • Signs of the problem
  • Probable causes
  • The actual cause
  • Ways to correct it

Those steps apply to a variety of difficulties.

  • Medical
  • Relationship
  • Employment
  • Property

We often need experts to help us get to the root of it.

Regardless of our abilities, none of us has all the answers. Two heads are better than one. Especially if one of those heads has special training and skills. Even more so, if both heads bow in prayer to seek God’s direction.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion. Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash.

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Ruffled Feathers

Ruffled Feathers

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Ruffled Feathers--white bird with ruffled feathers

Notice this bird’s ruffled feathers. The bird may feel mad or scared. It may want to appear stronger if it fears attack. Or a blowing wind may have caused the feathers to stick out. It makes me think of people on bad-hair days.

If we have ruffled feathers, we feel angry or frightened.

Circumstances or people make us:

  • Annoyed
  • Upset
  • Aggravated
  • Afraid

We don’t like what they did or how they did it. They get our goat by irritating us with their words or behavior. Or they scare us.

Riled up has a similar meaning.

Occasionally we combine the two by saying, “Don’t get your feathers all riled up.” Such reactions may occur about:

  • Wars
  • Insults
  • Politics
  • Injustice
  • Negative reactions to anything or anyone we love

Rather than rile or ruffle feathers, let’s try to calm or smooth them.

Bad hair days cause no real harm. Ruffled feathers can.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9 NIV).

Thanks to Beverly Ennis for the suggestion and the photo.

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Get It Off My Chest

Get It Off My Chest

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Get It Off My Chest--Man bench pressing weights with woman coaching him

Sometimes a weightlifter tries to bench press too much. When that happens, the lifter may think or say, “Get it off my chest.”

We may not be weightlifters. However, we do occasionally need to get things off our chest.

To get it off my chest means to say something we have wanted to say a long time.

We may:

  • Confess a wrong.
  • Complain about or criticize an injustice.
  • Reveal hidden information.
  • Discuss a problem that worries us.

To get it off my chest usually results in relief.

We feel better when we let go of that excess baggage. The burden of emotional discomfort from pent-up feelings lifts.

When burdens weigh us down, seek support.

Life is too difficult to deal with on our own. Request help from:

  • Friends
  • Family
  • Support groups
  • Pastors
  • Counselors

Everyone can use extra encouragement. We never have to bear our cross alone.

Our greatest help comes from God. When we give all our lives—burdens, sins, hurts—to God, we gain a fresh start and the reassurance of God’s never-failing presence.

Thanks to Katherine Pasour for the suggestion. Photo by Michael DeMoya on Unsplash.

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Fiddlesticks

Fiddlesticks

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Fiddlesticks- a violin and bow on grass amid autumn leavesFiddlesticks often flies from my mouth. Not the actual bows used to play fiddles, but an expression of frustration. I say it when I:

  • Forget an important item or event.
  • Drop what I’m carrying.
  • Believe something is foolish.

Fiddlesticks expresses frustration or impatience.

It also means to be annoyed or to think something makes no sense. The situation or statement sounds or looks like garbage.

Fiddlesticks moments can change into creative ones.

We can turn our frustration or impatience into opportunity. If we don’t like the way things are, we do something about it. When we don’t have the resources we want, we use the resources we have.

For example, another little-known form of fiddlesticks exists. According to The Creole State Exhibit of Louisiana’s Living Traditions, fiddlesticks were “a traditional way of adding percussion…. As one person played the fiddle, another tapped out a rhythm on the strings.”

Wikipedia explains that the second person used “a pair of straws, sticks, or knitting needles to tap out a rhythm on the strings over the upper fingerboard (between the bow and the fiddler’s fingering hand).”

By using their existing resources, they added variety to their music.

We choose: Remain upset or adjust our circumstances.

Like the makers of the rhythmic fiddlesticks, we may have to make do with what we have. Yet, who knows what a difference we can make until we try?

“O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!” (Psalm 42:11 TLB).

Thanks to Laurel Blevins and Karen Hart for the suggestion. Image by Iryna Bakurskaya from Pixabay.

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