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Category: Animals/Nature

Hole Up

Hole Up

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Hole Up--hole in a treeIf we hole up somewhere, we find a place to hide.

Sometimes people who break the law hole up. They try to hide where the police cannot find them.

Hole up-squirrel in a treeMany animals hole up in trees for the winter. They gather nuts or other food before the cold, snowy days.

I always thought the old tree at top would be a great place for squirrels or an owl. I have never seen any in it. That does not mean they are not there.

 However, Jenny Kuo found this squirrel holed up in a tree behind our house.

My home is my favorite place to hole up.

I prepare for cold, snowy days with:

  • A warm house
  • Favorite foods
  • A comfortable chair
  • Plenty of books

With all of those, I can enjoy hours of peace and quiet. I may be snowed under, but I am ready. I find comfort in my little garden spot of the world.

 “Do you really think anyone can hide himself where I cannot see him?” the Lord asks. “Do you not know that I am everywhere?” the Lord asks” (Jeremiah 23:24 NET).

What about you?

Do you have a favorite place to hole up? Please comment below.

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In Over My Head

In Over My Head

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In Over My Head--Acadia National Park CoastlineI love to travel the coastline of Acadia National Park. However, if I enter the water, I get in over my head.

Sometimes I feel like I am in over my head with life.

I have more on my to-do list than I have time to do. I drown in work.

Also, when I try new tasks, I feel in over my head because I:

  • Don’t understand how to do them.
  • Have to spend hours or days to learn them.
  • Think I will never learn.

I feel like I am spinning my wheels.  I want to give up.

When in over my head, I often tell myself:

  • I can’t do this.
  • I don’t know what I am doing.

When that happens, I need to get away from it all.

I need a break. My thinking must change to:

  • I can’t do everything, but I can do some things.
  • I can’t learn everything, but I can learn more than I know now.

When I focus on my problems, I feel in over my head. When I let go and let God take control, I find peace.

“God, save me! I’m in over my head” (Psalm 69:1 MSG).

How about you? What do you do when you feel you are in over your head? Please comment below.

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Save for a Rainy Day

Save for a Rainy Day

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Save for a Rainy Day--clouds and rain at Niagara FallsWe never know what the future holds.

Therefore, we need to save for a rainy day.

A few of us enjoy rainy days. Many people do not. For them, a rainy day means a bad time.

  • The sky becomes dark.
  • They must cancel outside plans.
  • Everything turns wet and messy.
  • They get in a bad mood.

Whether we like rainy days or not, we should prepare for them.

  • Keep an umbrella.
  • Make inside plans.
  • Dress for wet weather.
  • Do something to improve our mood.

When we save for a rainy day, we prepare for hard times.

Storms in life occur as well as storms in the weather. Life storms may include:

  • Job loss
  • Health problems
  • Home or car repairs
  • Other unexpected bills

We prepare for a rainy day – an emergency – by saving money. We hope we never have to spend that money. Yet, we have it if we need it.

As an old song reminds us, into each life some rain must fall.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Therefore, let’s batten down the hatches and get ready for the rain.

“The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder” (Psalm 77:17 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Come Clean

Come Clean

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Come Clean--muddy river Come clean is the opposite of sweep under the rug.

When we come clean, we admit we did wrong.

We choose to:

  • Stop hiding our mistakes
  • Confess
  • Tell the truth

To come clean is not always fun.

We often act like children who hate to take a bath. Rather than do what we know we should do, we:

  • Deny we are dirty
  • Delay coming clean as long as we can

Yet, when we come clean, we look and feel better.

  • The dirt is gone.
  • The smell is gone.
  • Our health improves.

In many ways, our lives are like a river.

When dirt fills the river, the water gets muddy. It can be used for little.

However, once the dirt washes away, the river becomes useful again.

When God washes the dirt from our lives, we become clean and useful.

Today seems the perfect day for that fresh start. What do you think?

“Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin!” (Psalm 51:2 NET)

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

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A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing--sheep on a mountainWe read about a wolf in sheep’s clothing in Aesop’s Fables and the Bible. Both show the danger of an enemy who looks like a friend.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing looks harmless.

The sheep skin disguises the wolf. However, looks can deceive.

  • The wolf is not a sheep.
  • The wolf is still a wolf.

People with evil plans can look or sound harmless.

They hide their true colors and pretend to be friends. They:

  • Dress well
  • Speak with kindness
  • Act helpful

Yet, they are dangerous. They still have evil plans.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing 2--two wolvesWolves in sheep’s clothing can be found almost everywhere:

  • Work
  • Church
  • Families
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • School

Scams occur every day. They come to us through:

  • Telephone
  • Mail
  • Visits
  • Internet

As a result, we must be careful.

We want to love and be kind to everyone. We want to trust people. At the same time, we must not accept what we know is false.

Be prepared. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

  • Learn right from wrong.
  • If something does not sound right, check it out.

God gave us brains. We need to use them.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Photos courtesy of Pixabay.

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

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We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar-honey in jars

We catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Set some honey near flies and watch what happens.

Nothing equals the sweet taste of honey.

Flies love it. So do people.

We don’t usually like the taste of vinegar by itself.

Think about what that teaches.

We get our needs met faster when we are polite.

Be sweet to other people.

  • Treat everyone as we want to be treated.
  • Show respect.
  • Speak and act with kindness.
  • Smile.
  • Give more than expected for good measure.

A bad attitude makes everyone feel worse.

We cannot act sour and expect everyone to treat us well. When we complain constantly, we should not expect good service.

Yet, one small act of kindness can make everyone feel and act better.

Watch what happens when a happy baby enters a room full of frowning adults. The whole room changes.

  • The baby laughs, waves, and tries to play with the adults.
  • Adults smile, wave, and play with the child.
  • Soon everyone has a great time.

We may not be sweet as a baby. However, we can be friendly. Let’s add a little joy to the lives of those we meet.

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24 NET).

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

In the Doghouse

In the Doghouse

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In the DoghouseDogs (especially puppies) often get in trouble. They:

  • Dig where they should not dig. We had a puppy dig a hole to the water line in our yard.
  • Chew things they should not chew. Our neighbor’s puppy loved our shoes and caps.
  • Jump on people at all the wrong times. Paw prints never look good on our best clothes.

When dogs get in trouble, their owners may put them in the doghouse.

Most dogs rather be with people than alone in their house.

Some people spend a lot of time in the doghouse.

They get in trouble with:

  • Bosses
  • Husbands or wives
  • Parents
  • Teachers
  • Friends

Because of their bad behavior:

  • Bosses give them more work or less pay.
  • Husbands or wives don’t want to spend time with them.
  • Parents take away fun activities.
  • Teachers give bad grades.
  • Friends stop being friends.

People in the doghouse don’t enjoy living a dog’s life.

Therefore, they need to watch their steps and stay out of trouble.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Knee High to a Grasshopper

Knee High to a Grasshopper

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Knee High to a GrasshopperMany of us love spending time with children who are knee high to a grasshopper. They are:

  • Small
  • Short
  • Still growing
  • So cute

We enjoy children’s smallness. Yet, we don’t like to feel small.

Most of us have moments we feel knee high to a grasshopper.

Because grasshoppers are so small, they appear unimportant. People pay little attention to them. Sometimes we feel unimportant. We think no one pays attention to us either. Other people appear:

  • Smarter
  • Better looking
  • More talented

We feel like low man on the totem pole.

We also feel small compared to the size of our world. How tiny we look compared to:

  • Mountains
  • Oceans
  • The sky

In addition, we feel small when we have done something wrong. We think we are:

  • Guilty
  • Worthless
  • Hopeless

Although small, both children and grasshoppers make a big difference.

 Children teach us to:

  • Have fun
  • Love
  • Trust
  • Learn

Grasshoppers destroy much we need or enjoy:

  • Gardens
  • Fields
  • Flowers

Regardless of our size, we all make a difference.

Therefore, what kind of difference will we make? Will we spread joy like children? Or will we destroy what we touch like grasshoppers?

God created our world and everything in it. Compared to God’s greatness, we all appear knee high to a grasshopper. Yet, God desires a personal relationship with each of us. How great is that?

“When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NET)

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Spitting Image

Spitting Image

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Spitting Image-bridge relfection in waterOne of our nephews is the spitting image of his father. They look alike in all their baby and childhood pictures.

A girl in my Sunday school class was the spitting image of her older sister. I have to look closely to tell them apart.

Spitting image usually means someone looks exactly like another person.

They are the mirror image of one another. Identical twins are the perfect example.

Spitting image also applies to things besides people, such as the reflection of this bridge on Magnolia Plantation.

No one knows for sure how this expression began. Two strong possibilities include:

  1. People look so much alike, one could have spat the other out of his mouth.
  2. The expression began as splitting image. This refers to a split (cut) piece of wood. The two parts of wood look alike.

People may be the spitting image in looks but not behavior.

  • Sons may look like, but not act like, their fathers.
  • Sisters may look like, but not act like, one another.
  • Identical twins definitely look like, but don’t always act like, each other.

People don’t choose how they look. They do choose how they act.

Therefore:

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NIV).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Kill Two Birds with One Stone

Kill Two Birds with One Stone

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Kill Two Birds with One Stone-eagle among rocksI have heard people say they kill two birds with one stone all my life. The picture in my mind bothers me.

However, the phrase is easy to understand and remember.

If we kill two birds with one stone, we accomplish two tasks with one action.

We use our resources well. We also save time. Most people today call this multitasking or wise time management.

In this picture, I was able to kill two birds with one stone.

  • I took my first picture of an eagle. (He stands in the center. I did not zoom fast enough.)
  • I enjoyed the beauty of the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia.

We also kill two birds with one stone if we:

  • Prepare dinner while we listen to the news.
  • Pay bills while we wait for appointments.
  • Visit friends while we attend a meeting in their city.

Sometimes we need to focus on only one task at a time.

Never try to kill two birds with one stone by:

  • Texting while driving (That may kill us instead of birds.)
  • Using dangerous tools while holding a child (Never, never, never do this. Enough said.)
  • Checking our phone while a loved one talks to us (That may kill a relationship.)

Focus on what is most important. Keep first things first.

“Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done” (Galatians 6:4 TLB).

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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