Browsed by
Category: Problems

Pay the Fiddler

Pay the Fiddler

Comments 0 Comment

Pay the Fiddler--fiddle in case with a money containerA friend’s father often said, “The one who dances has to pay the fiddler.” That makes sense. We live with the consequences of the choices we make.

To pay the fiddler means we suffer the results of what we say or do.

To pay the piper means the same. We use these expressions most often to describe the results of bad behavior. If we get in trouble, we get punished. Our choices force us to face the music.

The same truth applies to gardening: We reap what we sow.

  • Follow the wrong crowd — get in trouble.
  • Cheat on tests — fail to learn.
  • Hurt other people — lose their trust.

When we choose the right words and actions, we enjoy better results.

  • Follow the right examples — learn the best way to live.
  • Work as we should — grow in knowledge and abilities.
  • Treat others well — build trust in relationships.

Choose well to live well.

As another year begins, may we always choose the best. Happy New Year!

“Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV).

Thanks to Patty Cooper Emerson for the suggestion.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

In a Jam

In a Jam

Comments 5 comments

In a Jam-young woman making jamEating jam is fun. Getting in a jam is not.

Amy, a former Campbellsville University student, learned how to make jam during one of her visits to our home. We enjoyed an afternoon of fun.

Eating jam cake made by my husband’s mother and other relatives became a family tradition. We had fun as we talked and ate.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts from my mother was homemade raspberry jam and jelly. What fun my sister and I had when we opened that special gift.

If we get in a jam, we get in a difficult situation.

We have a problem and cannot find an answer. As a result, we feel like we are beating our heads against a wall.

Some jams are not our fault. However, we often end up in trouble because of our poor choices, such as:

  • Doing what we should not do
  • Going where we should not go
  • Wanting what we do not need

In a Jam--jam cakeDuring Christmas or other holidays, we can easily get in a jam. We plan too much to do with too little time to do it. We forget to have fun.

Slow down. Cut back on activities. Focus on what really matters. Take time to remember the reason for this joyful season.

Merry Christmas! May all your jams be edible.

 “A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (Proverbs 22:3 TLB).

Thanks to Shanon Camille O’Banion and Cakes by Camille for the jam cake photo.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Shake Off

Shake Off

Comments 2 comments

If dogs get wet, stand back. We don’t want to be too close when they shake off the water. However, we can learn from their actions.

We try to shake off what bothers us.

Problems we might want rid of include:

  • Dirt, bugs, and other yukky stuff
  • Sickness
  • Bad moods
  • People
  • Fear

Some problems are easier to shake off than others.

  • Dirt washes off easier than mud.
  • We get over a cold easier than the flu.
  • Grief over a lost game hurts less than grief following a loved one’s death.
  • An annoying child upsets us less than an abusive adult.
  • Bugs don’t scare us as much as bears.

Many of us need to shake off stress.

We become worry warts over:

  • Mistakes from the past
  • Difficulties we face today
  • What will happen in the future

Perhaps we should pay more attention to ducks and dogs.

Like water off a duck’s back or water off a dog’s body, let that stress go. Shake it off.

  • Get some exercise.
  • Take a walk.
  • Sing.
  • Make a list of what bothers us and then rip the list to pieces.
  • Let go and let God lead.

“Shake off your dust;  rise up” (Isaiah 52:2 NIV).

Thanks to Joy S. Taylor for the suggestion. Photo by Katrin B on Pixabay

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Out of Whack

Out of Whack

Comments 1 comment

Out of Whack-- dark, snow covered trees with sun shining throughSome days everything gets out of whack.

Nothing works right.

  • Snow and ice make travel treacherous.
  • The car won’t start.
  • Our laptop freezes.

We don’t feel well.

  • A cold keeps us coughing and sneezing.
  • Muscles ache.
  • Our head hurts.

Life gets crazy.

  • We have too much to do and no time to do it.
  • No one offers to help.
  • We see no hope for improvement.

Days out of whack put us down in the dumps. We become emotional wrecks and can’t get a grip.

Most of us face times like that.

 That’s life, but how do we deal with it?

We can:

  • Complain. That usually makes us and everyone around us feel worse.
  • Pretend nothing is wrong. As a result, we never make anything better.
  • Do the best we can. That way, something gets done.
  • Ask for help. People usually don’t know we need help, unless we tell them.
  • Pray for guidance and peace. Even if circumstances never change, our attitude can.

On the darkest days, let the light of God’s hope shine through.

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:5 NIV).

Thanks to Darrin Jenkins for the suggestion.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Burst with Joy

Burst with Joy

Comments 9 comments

Burst with Joy--old silo with smiling faceI remember the first time I saw this silo. It looked like it would burst with joy. A freshly painted smiling face greeted every passing traveler.

To burst with joy means we are so full of joy we can hardly hold it.

Our cup runs over with happiness.

The years have been hard on my silo friend.

  • Its paint has faded. Yet, its smile remains.
  • Rain, wind, and storms have given it a hard time. Yet, it still stands.
  • Time will continue to take its toll. Yet, each change reveals the silo’s inner strength.

It still looks like it could burst with joy.

I love the lessons this old silo teaches.

  • Age changes our appearance. Yet, it does not have to take our smile.
  • Life’s storms beat against us. Yet, they don’t have to defeat us.
  • Time will take its toll on our lives. Yet, we can make the best of each life stage.

We can’t always choose our life circumstances. Yet, we can choose our attitude.

Thanksgiving reminds us to count our blessings.

  • If we have faith, family, and friends, we have more wealth than many in our world.
  • Food to eat, a home, and basic needs also make us richer than most.

When we share with others, our blessings grow.

May we never forget to thank God and the people who add joy to our lives.

Let’s also never forget to bless others.

Keep smiling. Let your life burst with joy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music” (Psalm 98:4 NIV).

What makes you burst with joy? Please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Tuckered Out

Tuckered Out

Comments 7 comments

Tuckered Out--man with mowerAfter mowing all day, most of us feel tuckered out. We have little energy and are too tired to move. Without rest, we will soon be under the weather.

Tuckered out means very tired, exhausted, or sleepy.

To stress how tired we feel, we might add that we are plumb tuckered out. Or, we might say we are plumb wore out. (Worn out is proper grammar, but wore out is commonly used.) We need to hit the hay.

 Other activities that make many of us plumb tuckered out include:

  • Gardening
  • Walking
  • Shopping

According to The Phrase Finder, “‘Tucker’ is a colloquial New England word.”

 It was “coined in the early 19th century, meaning ‘become weary’ and … ultimately derives from the Old English verb ‘tuck,’ meaning ‘punish; torment.’”

Several activities may feel like punishment or torment:

  • Housecleaning
  • Pulling weeds in the hot sun
  • Moving heavy boxes
  • Washing a sink full of dirty dishes

Yet, getting tuckered out often makes us feel good.

Although tired, we finished what we needed or wanted to do. Whether fun activities or not, we can thank God for the ability to do them.

“[God] gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak” (Isaiah 40:29 TLB).

What leaves you tuckered out? Please comment below.

Thanks to Charles Smithers for the plumb tuckered out suggestion. Thanks to Emily Akin for plumb wore out.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Push the Envelope

Push the Envelope

Comments 0 Comment

Push the Envelope--planes flying up through cloudsTo push the envelope has nothing to do with cards and letters or their containers. It refers more to math and airplanes.

To push the envelope means to go beyond the usual limits.

 People try to do more than has been done before. They test boundaries.

  • Youth test their parents’ rules.
  • Technology companies go beyond past performance.
  • Sports players set new records.

They attempt what many people would never try. In their minds, nothing ventured, nothing gained. By going to extremes, they often discover new possibilities. However, they also risk ending up in hot water.

Details on math or airplane envelopes can be found at The Phrase Finder.

In simple terms, an airplane’s envelope refers to limits where the plane can safely fly. When pilots push the envelope, they test their plane’s limits. They fly faster or higher or dive more than they have tried before.

If pilots go too far, they put themselves and their plane at risk.

People learn lessons when they push the envelope.

  • Some lessons create new opportunities.
  • Other lessons cause great pain.

The question each person must ask: Is the test worth the risk?

“God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness” (Psalm 145:3 MSG).

Thanks to Tim Lewis for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Wring Our Hands

Wring Our Hands

Comments 3 comments

Wring Our Hands -- woman wringing handsWe cannot sleep. We cannot eat, or we eat too much. We wring our hands until the skin almost comes off.

Does that sound familiar?

To wring our hands is one sign of worry.

We twist our hands and rub them together over and over again. However, we often do nothing about what worries us. Rather than try to fix the problem, we spend all our time as a worry wart.

We:

  • Worry about our bills but fail to follow a budget
  • Complain about young people but don’t show them a better way
  • Cry over hungry children but never help feed them
  • Complain about the government but refuse to vote

Wringing our hands will not make a difference.

Rather than waste time worrying, why not lift our hands in prayer. But let’s not stop there. Why not also put feet to our prayers?

Seek God’s guidance. Then do something to improve the situation.

We cannot change all the world’s problems. We can change a few.

Will we dare to make a difference?

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25 NIV).

Thanks to Tillie Cowherd for the suggestion.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Under Your Wing

Under Your Wing

Comments 0 Comment

Under Your Wing, hen with chicks under wingsWhen a storm approaches, a mother hen gathers her baby chicks under her wing. She wants to keep them safe.

If you take people under your wing, you care for them.

You batten down the hatches during life’s storms by:

  • Protecting them
  • Loving them
  • Meeting their needs

Taking someone under your wing may require little or much time.

  • Older students tutor younger students.
  • Bosses guide new workers.
  • Friends take care of a sick friend.
  • Neighbors offer a place to stay when another neighbor loses her home.
  • Relatives rear a child when its parents die.

Look for opportunities to care for a hurting world.

  • Show love in all you do.
  • Help the hopeless see light at the end of the tunnel.
  • Give financial help to people going through hard times.
  • Show respect to everyone, whether you agree with them or not.
  • Treat people the way you want to be treated.
  • Don’t get mad as a wet hen when you don’t get your way.
  • Ask God to guide you in all you do and say.

“[God] will cover you with His feathers;
you will take refuge under His wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield” (Psalm 91:4 HCSB).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion and to Pam Barnes Harlow for the photo.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Wait for the Next Shoe to Drop

Wait for the Next Shoe to Drop

Comments 3 comments

Wait for the Next Shoe to Drop--shoe hanging beside bedWhen we sleep in a room with thin walls, we don’t want noisy neighbors. If those neighbors live in the room above us, we often wait for the next shoe to drop.

To wait for the next shoe to drop means to wait for the next event to happen.

A noisy neighbor drops one shoe. We know the next shoe will soon follow.

Because of what has already happened, we predict what will happen next.

This expression usually means we wait for something bad to happen.

We receive bad news. We expect worse news soon.

  • A family member gets sick. We fear our loved one will die.
  • Our boss fires other workers. We expect to lose our job soon.
  • A rainstorm damages our property. We dread flooding that may follow.

What do we do when the next shoe drops?

Hard times may cause us to:

The reaction we choose changes our lives. It also changes the lives of others around us.

“Stop being afraid of what you are about to suffer … Remain faithful even when facing death and I will give you the crown of life—an unending, glorious future” (Revelation 2:10).

Thanks to Ann Klotz for the suggestion.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.