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Category: Peace

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Out of the Mouth of Babes

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Out of the Mouth of Babes--Tracy Crump headshot

Please welcome my friend Tracy Crump as today’s guest writer. Tracy and I met at Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, where she frequently serves on staff. Tracy dispenses hope in her book, Health, Healing, and Wholeness: Devotions of Hope in the Midst of Illness. She has published 22 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul books and includes tips on writing for the series in her free e-newsletter, The Write Life. I highly recommend both the newsletter and book.

Out of the Mouth of Babes--streams of heavenWe can find wisdom in surprising places.

Even young children may teach us things. They often:

  • See things we don’t.
  • Look at the world in a different way.
  • Are very honest (sometimes more than we would like!).

Children’s fresh ideas may be just what we need.

One evening, my son and five-year-old granddaughter, Nellie, walked out the door. They looked up and saw beautiful thin clouds, lit with pink and orange, sweeping across the sky.

“Those are the streams of heaven,” Nellie told her daddy.

She knew what we often forget, that we can see God’s presence in the simple things.

  • A sunset
  • The touch of a friend
  • A baby’s smile

We can learn something from everyone we meet.

Don’t forget to listen to the words out of the mouth of babes.

“And [they] said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise”?” (Matthew 21:16 NKJV)

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Cry Over Spilled Milk

Cry Over Spilled Milk

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Cry Over Spilled Milk--a glass of spilled milk“Dry your tears. There is no need to cry over spilled milk.”

As a child, I often heard those words. Sometimes I had spilled milk. Usually I was unhappy about something I could not change.

We cry over spilled milk when upset about what we cannot control. Often what upset us occurred in the past.

We cannot undo the past.

We cannot unspill milk. Neither can we undo anything that has already happened. The past is water under the bridge.

We can do something about the present and future.

  • If something bad happened in the past, we can learn from the experience.
  • If something good happened, we can remember and smile.
  • If we hurt someone, we can ask forgiveness.
  • If someone hurt us, we can forgive.

Instead of crying over spilled milk, we can let bygones be bygones. We can choose to grow from all that happens, good or bad.

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13 NIV).

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

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In the Dark

In the Dark

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In the Dark--Northern LightsI love the beauty of a night sky. I enjoy standing in the dark watching changes in the moon and stars.

Someday I hope to see the Northern Lights. Pictures of them give me itchy feet. I want to hit the trail and watch those amazing lights shine.

Yet, a dark night with no light can be scary.

We often live in the dark.

  1. When we do something in secret, we say we do it in the dark.
  2. In the dark also means we do not have the information we need.

We will look at the second meaning.

Sometimes we choose to keep people in the dark.

  1. We fail to give them information we know.
  2. Or, they choose not to give us information they know.

When we are in the dark, we need light. We need information to make good decisions. Life can be scary without that information.

We can light the way for one another.

We do that by sharing:

  • Information
  • Guidance
  • Concern

 The smallest light shines brightly in the dark.

  • One candle can brighten a room.
  • One star can brighten the sky.
  • One person can brighten the world.

During Christmas, we sing of Jesus bringing light into our dark world. Let’s remember to celebrate and share Jesus, the light of the world, all year long.

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light” (Luke 11:33 NIV).

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Give of Ourselves

Give of Ourselves

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Give of Ourselves--child in Christmas boxOften the greatest gift we can give is ourselves.

To give of ourselves, we:

  • Give time
  • Show concern
  • Help others

During Christmas, we wrap gifts with paper and bows.

We buy:

  • Toys and games
  • Clothing
  • Books
  • Gift cards
  • Tools
  • Jewelry
  • Household items

We think we must:

  • Bake and make crafts
  • Shop until we drop
  • Attend parties and special events.

Yet, too often, we forget what matters most.

We get so busy giving things, we forget to give of ourselves. We

  • Neglect family
  • Have no time for friends
  • Do less than our best at work

What happened?

Isn’t the gift of self what Christmas is all about?

Jesus came as a baby to give Himself to the world. He died on the cross for the sins of the world. He offers the gift of eternal life to everyone. However, each person must choose to accept this greatest gift.

“I pray that as you share your faith with others it will grip their lives too, as they see the wealth of good things in you that come from Christ Jesus” (Philemon 6 TLB).

What is the greatest gift you ever received? Please comment.

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Thanks to Ashley Claunch and Megan Wollmann for the photo.

Itchy Feet

Itchy Feet

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Itchy feet--standing on a beach, looking into the distanceDo you ever get itchy feet? I do. I want to

  • Go somewhere
  • See new sights
  • Travel the world

Itchy feet need to travel.

Ready to hit the trail, my feet want to go to:

  • A favorite place
  • Off the beaten path to explore the unknown
  • A well-known tourist attraction
  • The beach
  • A friend or relative’s home
  • The mountains
  • A peaceful place with few people
  • A special event with crowds of people
  • The desert
  • A country road in the middle of nowhere

I love to visit new states. I enjoy the culture of new countries. Occasionally I don’t care where I go. I just want to go.

What causes itchy feet?

Itchy feet have no one cause. Reasons may include:

  • Hearing about another person’s travel
  • Remembering a favorite place
  • Pictures of places never seen
  • Certain times of year

Yet, wherever I travel, I always want to return home.

A few days or weeks, and I get homesick. I miss my garden spot of the world with:

  • Family
  • Neighbors and friends
  • House
  • Church
  • Routine

Perhaps travel’s greatest benefit is learning how much I love home.

Whether home or away, I find life’s greatest joy by following God’s path.

“For the paths of the Lord are true and right.” (Hosea 14:9 TLB).

Where do your itchy feet want to go? Please comment. I may need to add your favorite spot to my bucket list.

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Don’t Rain on My Parade

Don’t Rain on My Parade

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Don't Rain on My Parade--small horse-drawn cart in paradePeople all over the world watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Many communities plan smaller parades for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. Don’t rain on my parade is probably on most of their minds.

We celebrate Campbellsville’s favorite parade on July 4. No one wants rain that day either. If it does rain, we hope it rains before or after the parade.

When we rain on people’s parade, we:

  • Ruin their plans
  • Take away from their fun
  • Spoil their celebration

We see this when Barbra Streisand sings “Don’t Rain on My Parade” in the movie Funny Girl. She does not want anyone to discourage her plans.

Sometimes we need to rain on people’s parade.

We may not want to, but we must. If we know their plans will hurt them or others, we:

  • Tell them
  • Try to stop them

They may not like what we say. Yet, we warn them of the danger.

When possible, let’s celebrate plans together. When necessary, let’s rain on one another’s parade.

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice” (Proverbs 12:15 NIV).

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

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Talk Turkey

Talk Turkey

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Talk TurkeyWe talk turkey a lot during Thanksgiving.

We discuss:

  • Buying turkeys
  • Baking turkeys
  • Stuffing turkeys
  • Eating turkeys
  • What to do with leftover turkey

We talk turkey any time of year when we discuss a problem.

As we talk, we:

  • Get serious about the problem and try to solve it
  • Speak in clear language
  • Focus on what needs to be said

Many times we know something is wrong but do nothing about it. We ignore the problem and hope it goes away. Often it only gets worse the longer we wait. We become worry warts who get nothing done.

Talking turkey is not always easy.

Like a kitchen after a Thanksgiving meal, life gets messy. If we want to clean up our mess, we need to tackle it.

  • Talk about what is wrong.
  • Do what we can to make it right.

Talking turkey usually makes life better.

We don’t talk turkey to quarrel. We talk turkey to:

  • Solve our problems
  • Get business done
  • Get along better with one another.

“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18 NIV).

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

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Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Okey-dokey

Okey-dokey

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okey-dokey--flowersWe find okey-dokey spelled several ways.

  • Okie-dokie
  • Okay-doke
  • Okey-doke
  • Okee-dokee

However we spell it, the meaning remains the same.

Okey-dokey means okay.

  • It’s a fun way to agree to something or to say yes. (Will you open the door for me? Okey-dokey.)
  • It also means all is well. (How are you? Okey-dokey.) This meaning is similar to hunky-dory or fit as a fiddle.

Recently I asked a friend to do something for me. She said, “Okey-dokey,” so I knew she would do it.

I asked another friend how she was feeling. She replied, “Okey-dokey.” I knew she was not sick any longer.

Sometimes we need to say no instead of okey-dokey.

No can be a hard for some of us to say. Yet, if we fail to say no when we should, we may:

  • Agree to do something we don’t have time to do
  • Help with bad behavior
  • Do what the other people should do themselves

Sometimes we need help instead of saying we are okey-dokey.

We all feel bad occasionally. We get under the weather. Most of the time, we feel better quickly. However, we should ask for help when we need it.

What helps you feel okey-dokey?

Rainbows, waterfalls, and flowers work for me.

“If God says it’s okay, it’s okay” (Acts 10:15 MSG).

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

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Cost an Arm and a Leg

Cost an Arm and a Leg

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Cost an Arm and a Leg--silhouette of a soldier saluting Many things cost much more than we want to pay.

If we believe their price is too high, we say they cost an arm and a leg. Most of the time we mean they cost too much money:

  • Fancy cars
  • Big houses
  • The latest electronics
  • Long vacations

All these may be nice, but none are worth the loss of an arm or leg. In fact, I don’t know anyone who wants to give an arm and a leg for anything.

Sometimes we say, “I would give my right arm for” something we want. However, we don’t mean it. We simply wish we owned that item.

On Veterans Day, we honor those who pay a great price for our freedom.

Many give an arm and a leg or much more. Those who serve our country face danger most of us cannot imagine.

Veterans often suffer in ways we never see. We immediately notice missing arms and legs. However, losses we don’t see can cause as much pain or worse.

One good turn deserves another. Do something special for a veteran this week. We can never repay veterans for all they give. However, we can offer respect and an attitude of gratitude.

To those who faithfully serve or have served, thank you. We salute you, one and all.

“The ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough” (Psalm 49:8 NIV).

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

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Bark Up the Wrong Tree

Bark Up the Wrong Tree

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Bark Up the Wrong Tree--Dog standing among trees

Dogs love to chase other animals. Usually they can see or smell them, so they stay on the right path. When those animals run up a tree, dogs stand under the tree and bark.

Occasionally dogs bark up the wrong tree.

They lose sight or smell of the animal they chase. They may stand under a tree and bark as loudly as they can. Yet, all that barking does no good if they bark up the wrong tree.

We can also bark up the wrong tree.

That happens when we:

  • Make a wrong choice
  • Follow the wrong path
  • Listen to the wrong people

We may think we are going the right direction. Yet, we have strayed from our goal.

Sometimes we know we made the wrong decision. Yet, we keep going. We fail to admit our mistake and change. We get comfortable going the wrong way.

To find what we are looking for, we must follow the correct trail.

  • True for dogs
  • True for people

When we hit the trail, we want to be sure we are on the right one.

“Listen, my child, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right way” (Psalm 23:19 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.