Peace Archives - Page 25 of 28

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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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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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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Rock Bottom

August 5, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

Have you ever hit rock bottom, when you have gone as low as you can go?

Rock bottom may mean you have lost any or all of the following, plus more:

Money
Home
Job
Friends
Family
Self-respect
Energy
Desire to live

Our suffering may be no fault of our own. However, we often hit rock bottom because of poor choices. In addition, we may have to hit the bottom before we see the need to change.

At the bottom, we realize we can’t keep making the same mistakes. Like hiking to the bottom of Bryce Canyon, going down is easier than going up. Yet, in order to survive, we must get out. So one step at a time, we slowly make our way to the top.

Once we make it, we look back and understand how far we have come.

At the same time, poor choices may continue to tempt us. When that happens, how do we keep from hitting rock bottom again?

Remember where we were and where we want to be.
Don’t go places that will tempt us.
Don’t spend time with people who will tempt us.
Find support from people who have also come up from the bottom.
Base our lives on a foundation that is as solid as a rock.

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:2 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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Out on a Limb

July 22, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

Have you seen the cartoon of a man sitting out on a limb? He’s sawing off the limb between himself and the tree. We laugh because we know that when the limb falls, so will he. Yet, he remains unaware.

The bear cub in this photo may not be out on a limb yet. However, we know if he tries to crawl out any of those tiny limbs, he too will fall.

We often fail to see the dangers around us.

Like the man and the bear cub, we cause many of those dangers ourselves.

Marriages fall apart because of harmless flirting.
Addictions result from trying just one drink or drug.
Bankruptcies occur when we can no longer pay all those little charges.

If we never take that first dangerous step, we don’t have to worry about falling.

Let’s take preventive steps instead.

Weigh the good and bad.
Make well-informed decisions.
Set reasonable limits in every part of our lives.

Let’s not put ourselves at risk. Let’s choose not to go out on a limb.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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What a Hoot

July 8, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

Isn’t that funny? “How amusing.” “That makes me laugh.” All these are nice, polite ways to say, “What a hoot!”

In my mind, what a hoot implies extra energy and fun.

Can’t you imagine the following?

Deep belly laughs
Body doubled over
Hands thrown in the air
Tears rolling
Embarrassing snorts

This group of ladies did not create the expression what a hoot. However, they certainly know how to live it. They understand that fun and laughter are not luxuries. Everyone needs them for a healthy and happy life.

Because their work involved a constant flow of problems, they took occasional breaks.

Sometimes they talked.
Sometimes they cried.
Sometimes they laughed to keep from crying.

They learned to look for those funny moments that happen every day. I know, because I worked with them.

We all need to laugh more.

Consider the benefits.

Laughing at ourselves and with others helps us through difficult situations.
Remembering fun times provides comfort in our sorrow.
Laughter gives us energy to finish a tiring job.
Playing harmless jokes on one another makes friendships stronger.
Laughter is contagious. If another person laughs, we usually laugh too.

Just thinking about this makes us smile, doesn’t it? Now, that’s a hoot!

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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My Cup Runs Over

June 24, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

Tea, coffee, milk – whatever the beverage – my cup runs over quite often.

I fail to pay attention, and I pour more than my cup can hold. I can make some big messes.

My cup runs over in other ways as well.

With these, I don’t make a mess. Instead, I find I’m abundantly blessed with:

More than enough to meet my daily needs
The love of friends and family
The opportunity to share that love and those resources with others

Often, we apply this expression to big moments or benefits. I find, however, that my cup runs over more often from the little things, such as:

Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets
Children’s laughter
Fresh garden vegetables
Hugs, with arms or words
Quiet moments alone or with someone I love

During hard times, when my cup’s almost empty, I recall those experiences.

I also rest in the knowledge of God’s love and care. Now, that makes my cup run over!

This phrase comes from Psalm 23, one of the best known psalms (songs) in the Bible.

“My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever” (Psalm 23:5-6 NKJV).

What about you? What makes your cup run over? Please comment.

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Get Your Goat

June 17, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

If I get your goat, I make you angry or upset.

Although Jenny and I both got a goat in this photo, we were definitely not angry or upset. What fun we had with Paul and Janet Hert at Green Hall Farm, feeding, holding, loving, and learning about goats.

I wish we would all relate to one another that way. Why do we choose to:

Annoy one another for no good reason?
Hurt others when we hurt?
Make fun of people different from us?

Why don’t we:

Seek the best for one another?
Help one another through good times and bad?
Celebrate our differences?

Like Jenny and I did with the Herts’ goats, let’s:

Feed one another when we’re hungry.
Hold one another when we hurt.
Love one another unconditionally.
Learn from one another’s life experiences.

“In that day the wolf and the lamb will lie down together, and the leopard and goats will be at peace. Calves and fat cattle will be safe among lions, and a little child shall lead them all” (Isaiah 11:6 TLB).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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