Peace Archives - Page 5 of 27

There Now

June 13, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

When I needed comfort as a child, I could go to several relatives. They often responded with, “There now. Don’t cry. Everything will be okay.” I felt better immediately. Everything usually was okay.

My troubles included such tragedies as:

Bee stings
Poison ivy
Falls
Childhood quarrels

For bigger problems, they doubled their comfort. “There, there now” gave an extra word for extra cheer.

A few problems lasted longer than usual. For those, they reminded me everything would come out in the wash.

I learned from their comfort how to comfort others.

There now soothes or reassures someone having a tough time.

It helps a hurting person:

Calm down
Cheer up
Stop crying
Relax
Remember every cloud has a silver lining

The need for comfort does not stop as an adult.

Troubles may differ, but they remain as real.

Health crises
Relationship woes
Financial stresses
Work demands

Ways to cheer one another include:

Prayers
Notes
Calls
Visits
Texts
Hugs, if appropriate

Listening is more important than talking. Availability is more important than activity.

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones (Isaiah 49:13 NIV).

Thanks to Rita Smalley for the suggestion.

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Take the Cake

May 30, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

This expression would probably take the cake in a contest of contradictions.

To take the cake can mean either the best or the worst.

We see examples of the best when a person:

Wins a contest and receives the prize
Excels in school or work
Stands out from everyone else

We might say, “She has created great art before, but this piece takes the cake.”

Examples of the worst include someone who:

Acts horrible
Mistreats others
Appears foolish

We might say, “He has done stupid things before, but that takes the cake.

Take the cake can also mean something unbelievable.

The hard to believe may be important or simply fun. For example, the horse that won the recent Kentucky Derby was the least expected to win.

It may also be horrible or wonderful. In several instances, family members of murdered missionaries continued to serve their loved ones’ killers.

If we want to take the cake, let’s do so in the best way. Make it unbelievably good.

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. (Isaiah 48:17 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Maniscalco and Janna Babak for the suggestion and to Cakes by Camille for the photo.

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A Watched Pot Never Boils

April 25, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

I am not the world’s best cook. However, I do know how to boil water. I have also learned a watched pot never boils. Oh, it eventually boils if I watch it, but it seems to take forever.

I wait. And I wait. And I wait.

When I focus on anything I want done quickly, time drags.

A watched pot never boils means impatient waiting makes the wait feel longer.

Time slows down. This happens when I wait for a:

Computer screen to refresh
Favorite meal to cook
Special visitor to arrive
Repair to complete

Checking every few minutes only makes my impatience worse. Wanting something done immediately if not sooner does not make it happen any faster.

A focus on other concerns helps relieve anxious waiting.

If I stay busy as a bee, I don’t have time to wring my hands while I wait. When I ignore the pot, it surprises me how quickly it boils.

Patience works better than a watched pot.

Allow the proper amount of time, and any project or activity improves. So does my mood.

A few good reminders:

Slow down.
Don’t rush.
Take it easy.
Enjoy the moment.

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7 NIV).

Thanks to Pat Childress Conner Stapp for the suggestion.

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Thousands of people hike the twenty-one-mile Rim to Rim Grand Canyon trail. They probably feel like it takes forever and a day during the heat of summer. The trail includes a one-mile hike down and another up. Most hikers require an overnight stay in the canyon. The park suggests most visitors not try that trail in the hottest weather. Temperatures reach over 100° F.

Forever and a day means a long time.

Forever is eternal or always. It will never end, so we cannot add time to it. Forever and a day simply adds emphasis. It exaggerates the idea.

We wish some experiences would end quickly.

They feel like they last forever.

Illness
Tests
Boring speeches
Workdays when we want to go home

We look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

We wish other experiences would last forever.

Favorite vacations
Love for family
Fun with friends

All who follow Jesus have an eternal home in heaven.

Time without end in perfect peace with God
No more sorrow or pain (or boring speeches)
Joy beyond anything we can imagine.

At the end of the road, we have no better way to spend forever and a day.

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Nail It

April 11, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

During the Olympics and other sporting events, athletes want to nail it.

Skaters desire a perfect balance of style, strength, and difficulty.
Swimmers want to remain in their lanes and reach the wall first.
Runners pull out all the stops to cross the finish line before anyone else.

To nail it is to do a job well.

People succeed. They complete accurate work or present an almost perfect performance. They hit the nail on the head.

Jesus nailed our sins to the cross.

Although soldiers hung Him there, Jesus gave His life freely.

Jesus lived a perfect life and died the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His resurrection on the third day was the final nail of victory over sin and death.

We nail our part in God’s perfect plan when we accept Jesus’ offer of salvation.

We cannot earn our way to heaven. However, Jesus prepared the way for us. He nailed our salvation.

At Easter and always, we celebrate and tell others of the fresh start possible through Jesus’ perfect gift.

“[God] forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion. Image by congerdesign from Pixabay.

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Stop and Smell the Roses

March 28, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

My husband and I love to travel. For years, we planned our own trips and did our own driving. We hit the trail as often as possible. I usually scheduled far more than we had time to do. However, we learned to stop and smell the roses along the way.

Our schedule was not as important as fun on the trip. We began according to plan but made changes along the way. We went off the beaten path almost every trip and are so glad we did.

To stop and smell the roses means to take time to enjoy life.

We slow down and relax. That means we:

Get away from our busy schedules
Recognize the importance of mini moments of joy.

Without breaks, stress builds.

No one can go forever. If we fail to get away, our:

Health suffers
Work becomes less productive
Relationships weaken

We must stop and smell the roses if we desire a good life.

Leisure time is a necessity, not a luxury. When God created the world, he set aside one day a week to rest and worship. The value of that plan remains as important now as then.

“Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone” (Zechariah 10:1 NIV).

Thanks to Karen Hart for the suggestion.

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Spread Too Thin

March 21, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

Do you ever find yourself spread too thin? Like too little peanut butter on a piece of bread, you cannot cover all you need to do.

You have too many irons in the fire and meet yourself coming and going. Your to-do list keeps growing. If you finish one task, two more take its place.

Spread too thin means you have too much to do and too little time to do it.

You have so many activities, you cannot keep up. You run short on:

Time
Energy
Resources

You feel overwhelmed and can do none of your tasks well.

When spread too thin, allow others to help you.

Extra hands make the work go faster. They also encourage you to keep on keeping on.

Take breaks.

That sounds crazy, but it helps. A few minutes, hours, or days to relax does wonders.

If your stress level soars, time away helps:

Emotionally – Life looks better and hope returns.
Physically – Energy levels increase.
Mentally – Your mind clears, and you think better.
Spiritually – Rest and prayer restores.

Do what you can. Get help. Take breaks.

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jeremiah 31:24 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Knowles for the suggestion.

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Packed Like Sardines

March 14, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

I am not a sardine fan, but many people are. Whether we like them or not, we get our money’s worth when we buy a tin of sardines. Those cans are full of little fish. We enjoy food packed like sardines. However, we don’t like to feel crowded ourselves.

Packed like sardines means to be packed tightly.

Usually that includes feeling:

Uncomfortable
Unable to move

We hope for relief soon

The space is too small for the number of people in it. That often happens with:

Subways
Buses
Concerts
Shopping centers
City streets

We don’t have enough room. We feel trapped

Rather than crowds and fenced in places, we long for the freedom of wide-open spaces.

Crowds can be good sometimes.

We want lots of people to show up to:

Learn important information
Help others
Receive the services they need

Jesus welcomed crowds while on earth and continues to welcome crowds today. However, Jesus also spent time alone. We do well to follow that example.

“Crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:15-16 NIV).

Thanks to Joe and Ann Klotz for the suggestion. Image by monicore from Pixabay.

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Alive and Kicking

March 7, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

Few of us can kick as high as Stella. Yet, we can move at our own pace. We are alive and kicking.

I recently talked with a friend I had not seen in several years. When I asked how she was, she said, “I’m still kicking.” Like most people, she had experienced ups and downs. Some days she kicks higher than others.

Alive and kicking means alive and well.

As my father loved to say, we are “full of vim, vigor, and vitality.” We have:

Energy
Enthusiasm
Health

We are:

Strong
Alert
Active

We still exist, so we still have purpose.

Alive and kicking does not mean a perfect life.

We all deal with less than perfect experiences. That’s life. We may suffer:

Health crises
Financial woes
Relationship problems
Daily challenges

Yet, we don’t give up. Rather, we rise and shine. We give thanks for each day and determine to make the most of the resources and abilities we possess.

We kick as high as we can.

“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63:4 NIV).

Thanks to Virginia Harris Sturgeon for the suggestion and to Rhonda Wade Royster for the photo.

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Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right

February 28, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

When people wrong us, our natural reaction is to get even. We want to hurt them, to give them a taste of their own medicine. However, two wrongs don’t make a right.

If we keep hurting one another, everyone loses. In a battle of revenge, no one wins. Instead, we cut off our nose to spite our face. We never resolve a conflict with more conflict.

Two wrongs don’t make a right means a second offense does not cancel the first one.

Insulting someone who insults us does not erase our pain.
Attacking someone who attacked us does not take away the injury.
Lying about a person who lied about us only means neither of us can be trusted.

When we harm others, we harm ourselves.

Getting even may release part of our stress. Yet, bad feelings continue. When revenge rises, let’s nip it in the bud. Get rid of it before it gets out of control.

Don’t nurse negative emotions.

Jesus offers a better way.

Love
Compassion
Grace
Forgiveness.

Jesus’ life on earth demonstrated the words He taught. As soldiers nailed Him to a cross, Jesus forgave them. He was dying for them.

None of us deserve Jesus’ salvation, but He offers it anyway. Only when we follow His example will be experience inner peace. Problems may continue. Others may cause trouble. Yet, we have peace because we know the Prince of Peace.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV).

Thanks to Jason Smith for the suggestion. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

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