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I Swan

I Swan

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I Swan--Uncle Lowell and three dogs

My Uncle Lowell, like many in our family, loved to use idioms and slang. He often expressed surprise with, “I swan.” He occasionally changed that to:

  • “I’ll swan.”
  • “I swanny.”
  • “Well, I swan.”
  • “I declare.”

All meant the same.

Uncle Lowell’s “I swan” meant something happened he did not expect.

He may or may not have known it also meant the same as “I swear.”

Like most of us, Uncle Lowell preferred pleasant surprises:

  • News of a new grandchild
  • Gifts out of the blue
  • Contact from an old friend

Unfortunately, he also received unpleasant surprises:

  • Deaths of friends or family members
  • Bad accidents
  • Weather related crop losses

However, Uncle Lowell was a tough cookie.

He often laughed through his troubles by:

  • Telling tall tales
  • Playing jokes on anyone around him
  • Giving children funny nicknames

Singing also helped him through hard times. I can still hear his deep bass remind us to have a little talk with Jesus.

If Uncle Lowell knew about this post, I have a feeling he would respond, “Well, I swan. Who ever heard of such a thing?”

“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:18 NIV).

Did you have family members like my Uncle Lowell? Please comment below.

Thanks to Stacey Marcum and Gail Gosser for the suggestion. Special thanks to Stacey for the photo.

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The Proof Is in the Pudding

The Proof Is in the Pudding

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The proof is in the pudding--bowl of vanilla pudding with raspberriesPudding, or any other food, may look good. It may smell good. Other people may say it tastes good. However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

The proof is in the pudding comes from the above longer and older expression, according to The Phrase Finder.

We know anything is good when it works as it should.

Does it fulfill its purpose? To find out, we:

  • Taste food
  • Turn on a computer
  • Drive a car

We test it. If it works, we use it. If it does not work, we get something else.

The proof is in the pudding applies to our work as well.

We don’t know if we have succeeded until we check the final results. Then we know if what we did worked as it should.

We may think we have failed when time will show we succeeded.

  • Our pudding may not be beautiful, but it tastes great.
  • We may think children never listen until they thank us years later.
  • What seemed a failure may lead to a better plan.

We will never know the final results of all our efforts in this life.

Therefore, we should never give up.

When we get discouraged, we:

  • Keep working.
  • Do what God called us to do.
  • Let our light shine.
  • Leave the results in God’s hands.
  • Pray that our work will make a difference long after we are gone.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21 NIV).

Thanks to Allen T. Booth, Jr. for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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Can of Worms

Can of Worms

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Can of Worms--a box of baitWhen we open a can of worms, we find a tangled mess.

Worms wrap around one another. They look and feel gross.

Many in my family enjoy fishing. They use worms as their bait. However, before they can fish, they must untangle the worms.

A can of worms means a problem.

We begin a difficult process. Often complicated, it may cause:

  • Hard times for the people involved
  • Unexpected or bad results
  • Trouble we cannot correct

It can become a real mess.

Often, we prefer to ignore the situation than to deal with it. We want to turn a blind eye.

Some situations are better left alone.

To talk about them or act on them may:

  • Hurt people for no good reason
  • Cause worse problems than before

Other situations need to be solved.

We want to nip them in the bud. However, making a wrong situation right is often hard. We may:

  • Feel uncomfortable with a new way of life
  • Lose power we enjoy
  • Have to change hurtful or abusive behavior
  • Deal with other related problems

At times, we may feel in over our heads. Yet, the sooner we tackle a problem, the sooner we solve it.

Will we do what needs to be done, even if it makes life hard?

“I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don’t let me make a mess of things” (Psalm 119: 31 TLB).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Food for Thought

Food for Thought

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Food for Though-fruit trayFood for thought means something to consider.

What we consider may come from:

  • Our own minds
  • Something we see or read
  • An event
  • Another person (They offer information, or we pick their brain.)

All make us think about an idea.

Much like we digest food in our stomachs, we digest food for thought in our minds.

The digestion process may be easy or hard. We enjoy easy thoughts. However, we probably gain more from the hard ones.

Food we eat may give us food for thought.

Most of us enjoy food. It fills our stomachs and takes away our hunger. In addition, food offers:

  • Fellowship
  • Comfort
  • Fun
  • Learning opportunities

Some people have slim pickings in food. Others of us enjoy more food than we need. Rather than keeping it all for ourselves, perhaps we should consider giving more away. What better way to show an attitude of gratitude?

By sharing with others, our thoughts become action.

Please comment below with your ideas for putting thoughts into actions.

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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Cool as a Cucumber

Cool as a Cucumber

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Cool as a Cucumber--sliced cucumberSome people stay cool as a cucumber.

Whether good times or bad, they remain calm.

Cucumbers are mostly water, which keeps them cool. A slice of cucumber in a glass of water provides cool refreshment on a hot summer day.

However, cool as a cucumber does not refer to a cool temperature. It means people who rarely get upset.

  • Plans don’t go their way. They make other plans.
  • People mistreat them. They still treat those people well.
  • Losses occur. They give thanks for what they had.

They live an easy-does-it life and look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Few things get them down.

When they do get down, they soon rise again and keep going. They know that nothing in this life lasts forever. Therefore, they make the most of the moments they have.

Cool as a cucumber people spread peace.

By staying calm and peaceful, they help people around them stay calm and peaceful.

Peace that never fails can be found when anyone lets go and lets God.

“[God’s] peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 TLB).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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

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Consider the Source

Consider the Source

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Consider the Source--Bonneville Salt Flats
Bonneville Salt Flats

Before we trust anyone or anything, we consider the source.

 We do not want to:

  • Eat food from a garbage can
  • Buy a car from a junk store
  • Drink water from a lake filled with salt

We usually trust what was good, safe, and trustworthy in the past.

However, if anything has not been good, safe, or trustworthy, we do not trust them now.

The same applies to people.

Have they:

  • Made many mistakes? If so, we will not ask their help.
  • Proved themselves trustworthy? If so, we usually trust them.
  • Hurt others? If so, we fear they may hurt us.

Consider the source is often a warning.

It tells us to be careful.

If we want others to trust us, we must prove worthy of their trust.

We build a reputation by every:

  • Choice we make
  • Action we take
  • Word we say
  • Attitude we show

May others always know us as a source worthy of their trust – as good as our word.

“What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TLB).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion

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Preaching to the Choir

Preaching to the Choir

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Preaching to the choir--church choir in robesPastors don’t need to convince believers to accept Jesus. That would be like preaching to the choir. Believers have already made that choice.

Preaching to the choir means trying to get people to accept an idea they already believe.

 Why try to convince them when they:

  • Share the same opinion
  • Support the same cause

Some people compare this to kicking an open door. The door stands open. No one needs to kick or knock on it.

  • Doctors don’t need to be told people get sick.
  • Teachers don’t need to be told children’s minds wander.
  • Judges don’t need to be told people break the law.

They already know that.

Preaching to the Choir--children and adultsTo spread a message, the messenger must go to those who:

  • Have not heard it
  • Do not believe it
  • Need to learn more about it

Preaching to the Choir--children's choirOf course, people enjoy sharing the same beliefs. Choir members sing and praise God with other believers. True worship makes them all ears to God’s message. It warms the cockles of their hearts.

However, they also take their message outside the church. They want to share it with people who have not heard.

“The master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled’” (Luke 14:23 ESV).

Thanks to Darrin Jenkins for the suggestion and to Campbellsville Baptist Church and Joan Tinnell for the photos.

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Chickens Come Home to Roost

Chickens Come Home to Roost

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Chickens Come Home to Roost--chickens on a fenceChickens come home to roost.

  • Birds usually return to their nests at night.
  • The results of our past actions return to us.

Bad behavior in the past may causes problems in the present or future.

We may get away with bad choices for a while. However, we often suffer for them later. We land in hot water. That is true for what we do and what we say.

We live with the consequences of the choices we make.

 Mistakes or wrong choices hurt us and others. We reap what we sow.

  • Fail to study: fail a test.
  • Hurt other people; expect to get hurt.
  • Ignore physical needs; suffer physical pains.

Therefore, we do well to always make right choices.

Be careful what we say and do. What goes around comes around. We don’t want our words and actions coming back to haunt us.

If we follow the straight and narrow, we have no need to worry.

“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14 NIV).

Thanks to Steve and LuAnne Russell for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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

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Take It to the Bank

Take It to the Bank

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Take It to the Bank -- bank vaultIf someone pays us by check, we take it to the bank. The check promises money.

Of course, not all checks are good. In those cases, we lose the money listed on the checks.

When we say we can take it to the bank, we mean something is good.

  • We can depend on it.
  • The person who wrote the check has the money listed.
  • A person always speaks the truth. He is as good as his word.

We cannot take everything to the bank.

Like bad checks, not everyone speaks or acts in truth. When that happens, we lose trust. The person’s bad choices hurt us.

We all make bad choices. However, we can receive forgiveness.

Easter celebrates Jesus coming to earth to pay the price for our sins – our bad choices.

  • Jesus’ words and actions taught us how to live.
  • He died on the cross for our sins.
  • Before and as He died, Jesus prayed for us.
  • He arose from the grave on the third day.
  • Jesus’ victory over sin and death becomes ours free and clear, if we place our faith in Him.

Friends, we can take Jesus’ promises to the bank.

“This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3 ESV).

Thanks to Kristy Robinson Horine for the suggestion and to Citizens Bank for the photo opportunity.

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

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A Month of Sundays

A Month of Sundays

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A Month of Sundays--calendar with Sundays circledA month of Sundays means a long time.

 “I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays” was a common greeting where I grew up. This often happened with:

  • Out-of-state relatives who visited once a year
  • People who went to school together years earlier
  • Grandparents who had not seen grandchildren for a few days

They meant the time between visits seemed to last forever.

A month of Sundays also means something will never happen.

If invited to pet a snake, many might reply, “Not in a month of Sundays.” They never plan to do it.

God gave Sundays for worship and rest.

Worship allows people to focus on God. Rest gives them a pick-me-up after a hard week of work.

Years ago on Sundays, many churches did not allow:

  • Games or sports
  • School or community events
  • Shopping
  • Work, except emergencies
  • Anything much except church attendance and quiet rest

Therefore, some people thought Sundays lasted a long time. A month of Sundays would have felt extra long.

I fear people today have gone too far the other direction. They burn their candles at both ends. As a result, they stay tired and stressed without God’s day of rest.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8 NKJV).

Thanks to Carole Fite and Darrin Jenkins for this suggestion. Thanks also to Taylor County Bank for the use of their calendar page with Larry Smith’s photo.

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

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