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Category: Animals/Nature

Big Head

Big Head

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Big Head--Closeup of lion's headLions have a big head, a loud roar, and a reputation as king of the jungle. Although big, strong, and fast, lions can be caught and controlled by smaller, weaker, and slower lion tamers.

People with a big head think they are better or more important than everyone else.

They:

Their actions say:

  • I am better than you.
  • Look at me.
  • I am number one.

Pride controls people with a big head.

Self rules. Everything and everyone else take second place.

However, like lions, pride often leads to a fall.

Humility offers a better way.

Humble people recognize the worth in everyone. They treat others with:

  • Respect
  • Love
  • Wisdom
  • Compassion

When people treat one another as they wish to be treated, everyone wins. Our world becomes a better place.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2 NIV).

Thanks to Betty C. Johnson for the suggestion. Image by Kevinsphotos from Pixabay

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Deer in the Headlights

Deer in the Headlights

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Deer in the Headlights-deer on a foggy road In our garden spot of the world, we have to watch for deer in the headlights. We have several trees on one side of the road and farm fields on the other. Although beautiful and fun to watch, deer cause many accidents.

Deer in the headlights freeze in the middle of the road.

Both cars and the people in them suffer damage if they fail to stop in time. Therefore, we drive slower in certain areas.

If we act like deer in the headlights, we also freeze in place.

Causes include:

  • Fear
  • Surprise
  • Confusion
  • Strong emotions

We might:

  • Get caught red-handed
  • Experience unexpected and overwhelming responsibilities
  • Face decisions with no easy answers
  • Receive news of a birth, marriage, death, or other major family event

Although we freeze at times, unsure what to do, we don’t have to face the future alone.

God offers guidance and hope, whatever our situation.

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion. Image by enriquelopezgarre from Pixabay

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In the Sticks

In the Sticks

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In the Sticks-leaf-covered road through treesMany of us grew up in the sticks. We had to travel several miles to the closest town. Our travel time increased to reach a city. Some of us remain in the sticks or visit often.

In the sticks means in the country.

 It describes life in the middle of nowhere. Business usually involves plants and animals, not stores or factories.

People who hate country life describe it as:

  • Unsophisticated
  • Culturally backward

People who love country life call it:

  • Rustic
  • Back to nature

Nothing compares to country living.  

 Work is usually hard. However, the calmer, slower lifestyle makes such hard work worth it.

Our family loves our garden spot of the world. A few relatives remain where we grew up. Others live closer to modern conveniences … but not too close.

Whether we live in the sticks, visit when we can, or travel through them, we can all enjoy our time there.

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Boil the Ocean

Boil the Ocean

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Boil the Ocean - volcano lava above the oceanHow many times have we attempted an impossible task? We try to do something no one can do. Remember, we don’t have to boil the ocean.

Lava from an erupting volcano heats the ocean. However, all that lava affects only a tiny portion of the water. It puts on quite a show but with limits.

To boil the ocean means to try the impossible.

We work like a mule and burn our candle at both ends. However, like lava in the ocean, we have limits. We cannot do everything.

  • Students cannot complete years of work in one semester.
  • Builders cannot create a city in a day.
  • Doctors cannot cure every person in the world of every disease.

We make progress one step at a time.

Working together, we move forward. Trying to do everything alone dooms us to failure. Too many jobs make all our jobs more difficult.

We want vision without a waste of time.

Dream big. Reach for the sky. Yet, recognize reality. We never want to destroy ourselves striving for the impossible.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall” (Isaiah 40:30 NIV).

Thanks to Kristy Robinson Horine for the suggestion. Image by Adrian Malec from Pixabay

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Stick Like Glue

Stick Like Glue

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Stick Like Glue-Dashaway between young couple on porchMy dog Dashaway was my favorite pet. She would stick like glue anytime I went outside.

Dashaway and I became best buddies while I was in high school. Snow kept everyone home for weeks. My parents and sister had the flu, so all the house and farm chores became my responsibility. A cousin down the road milked the cows, but Dashaway and I did the rest.

When I became tuckered out, too tired to move, Dashaway nudged me with her nose. That reminded me to keep on keeping on. She knew once work was over, we could play in the snow.

After I began dating, Dashaway still stuck like glue. If my boyfriend (now husband), and I walked outside, Dashaway walked between us. When we sat on the front porch steps, Dashaway stood or sat in the middle. She loved us, and we loved her.

To stick like glue means to stay close to someone.

For people or animals, that means we want to be together all the time. We hate to be away from one another.

Other meanings include hard-to-remove items that attach to us, such as:

  • Sticky food
  • Ink
  • Grass stain

This expression may be literal or figurative.

The above are literal examples. Figurative examples include our:

  • Reputation
  • Nickname
  • Memories

Dashaway earned her reputation as a good dog. She actually had six names, with Dashaway as first of the six. Memories of our time together stick like glue in my mind.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NIV).

Thanks to Sharon Berry for the suggestion.

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Small Potatoes

Small Potatoes

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Small Potatoes - freshly dug potatoes of different sizesWhen gardeners dig potatoes, they usually look for lots of large ones. Small potatoes often get thrown away.

Grocery shoppers and cooks also prefer large potatoes most of the time.

Anything small or unimportant may be described as small potatoes.

 Most people consider them of little worth. In the business world, they might include:

Unfortunately, people frequently receive the small potatoes label too.

  • Children or youth
  • Older adults
  • Poor
  • Unemployed
  • Homeless
  • Disabled
  • Anyone different

Others often treat them like they are a dime a dozen.

Yet, small potatoes offer great benefits.

Freshly dug tiny potatoes taste better than larger ones. Unpeeled and cooked with fresh green beans, those small, tender spuds delight the taste buds.

Likewise, small moments, small items, and people of all sizes and backgrounds offer much. A saltshaker on our kitchen counter reads, “Happiness is found in little things.”

Never underestimate the power of the pint-sized. They may not carry great wealth or social status. However, many offer happiness neither wealth nor social status can give.

The God of creation loves everyone — a great plan for all creation to follow.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40 NIV).

Thanks to Carla Purvis for the suggestion. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.

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Happy as a Pig

Happy as a Pig

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Happy as a Pig-Gail JohnsonPlease welcome my friend Gail Johnson as today’s guest writer. Gail wrote her first song when she was twelve years old. Since then, she’s written more than 100 songs. She’s currently writing a contemporary romance series on the family farm where she enjoys her husband, kids, animals, and nature. To learn more about Gail, visit www.gailjohnsonauthor.com.

I’ve heard the phrase “Happy as a pig in the sunshine” all my life. In fact, I’ve used it several times when describing the animals on the farm.

According to Google, the correct saying is “Happy as a dead pig in the sunshine.” Eww! Big difference. When a pig dies, the sun will dry the skin, pulling it tight and leaving a grin on the face.

The old southern phrase describes someone who is blissfully ignorant of reality.

Happy as a Pig-two small pigsRather than face the truth of a matter, one happily ignores it.

Examples include:

  • Ignoring chores to sit in the sunshine with a child or a friend.
  • Turning off the news for a quiet day of rest.
  • Avoiding social media for alone time.
  • Escaping current problems for a day at the beach.

Ignorance is not bliss.

Contrary to popular belief, ignoring something doesn’t make it go away. Disregarding something for too long can cause a person to be caught unaware or become overwhelmed. Think of the mess that would accumulate if we didn’t do our housework. How would we keep up with the world around us if we never listened to the news? What about our online responsibilities? The people who depend on us don’t disappear when we disengage. Finally, who wants to become a beach bum.

Be disciplined when choosing to ignore something.

Checking out occasionally is great for refilling our hearts, souls, and minds. But there comes a time to face reality once more. When thinking about ignoring something, think about the pig in the sunshine and remember he died to get that smile. Know when to stop ignoring the issue and start engaging with life again.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV).

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Photo courtesy of Gerhard G. from Pixabay.

Bite the Hand That Feeds You

Bite the Hand That Feeds You

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Bite the Hand That Feeds You-horse eating out of a handIt makes no sense to bite the hand that feeds you. Some animals who eat out of a person’s hand do. So do many people.

To bite the hand that feeds you means to hurt someone who helps you.

Rather than thank a kind person, you act cruel or rude.

Examples include:

  • Children who mistreat parents who provide for them.
  • Students who make fun of the person who helps them with homework.
  • Employees who gossip about their boss.
  • People who borrow money but never repay it or act ungrateful for it.

Eventually people pay for how they act.

Many receive a taste of their own medicine. Ungrateful children often have children who treat them the same way. They learn from what they see.

Results of biting the hand that feeds you may not be immediate. Usually, however, what goes around comes around.

Why not lend a helping hand?

Instead of hurting others, help them, no strings attached.  Help those who help you, but don’t stop there.

  • Aid others in need.
  • Show kindness to everyone.
  • Learn to love the unlovable. (Remember, we are all unlovable at times.)

“You make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done” (Psalm 92:4 NIV).

Thanks to Brad Leverett for the suggestion and to Jeri Stone for the photo.

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Salt of the Earth

Salt of the Earth

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Salt of the Earth-Truck in front of Bonnieville Salt FlatsTo view salt of the earth, take a trip across Utah’s Bonnieville Salt Flats. I thought that solid white scene would last forever.

Such a long stretch of salt flats reminds me of salt’s many uses. Salt helps us:

  • Cook
  • Preserve
  • Clean
  • Remove stains

We also use salt mixtures as a:

  • Mouth rinse for sore throats
  • Spray for stuffy noses
  • Soak for pain relief
  • Beauty scrub

Salt can also cause problems, such as:

  • High blood pressure
  • Road and driveway damage (after using it to melt snow and ice)

Today we will focus on salt’s benefits.

To say people are salt of the earth is a compliment.

We mean they are:

Such people are worth their salt. We respect and trust them. They work hard and treat others well.

This expression comes from the Bible.

Jesus describes His followers as salt and light. Like salt and light, we want to make our world a better place. However, if we fail to fulfill our purpose, we become worthless.

May we always flavor, preserve, protect, beautify, and heal our world, especially in these difficult times.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Two Shakes of a Lamb’s Tail

Two Shakes of a Lamb’s Tail

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Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail--two lambsLambs are small and have short tails. I don’t know if that has anything to do with the origin of two shakes of a lamb’s tail. However, it makes sense to me.

Two shakes of a lamb’s tail means a short period of time.

We use the expression if we plan to do something quickly:

  • Work
  • School assignments
  • Home chores
  • Exercise

However, anything completed too quickly leads to problems.

Haste makes waste if we do a poor job. We frequently give a lick and a promise when we need to take one step at a time and do our job right.

Fast work is good. Correct work is better.

Moving too slowly also causes problems.

If we dislike what we do, we are tempted to put it off as long as possible.  We become slow as molasses starting and often slower finishing.

Whatever we do, whether fast or slow, let’s give our best.

“Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind” (Proverbs 21:5 MSG).

Thanks to Liz Gray for the suggestion. Image by Michael Grundmann from Pixabay.

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