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Hornswoggle

Hornswoggle

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Hornswoggle-two little girls in sunsuits, one with a mischievous smileSome of us hornswoggle. Others of us get hornswoggled.  I don’t know about you, but I belong in the second category.

I am gullible from head to toe. Just ask my sister. When we were children, she tricked me into washing dishes for her over and over again.

Can’t you see the fun oozing out of her little body? We still get good laughs from her tricks.

Hornswoggle means to trick or cheat.

Other words describe it as:

  • Deceive
  • Dupe
  • Hoax
  • Bamboozle
  • Swindle
  • Hoodwink

Many hornswoggle experiences are harmless.

No one gets hurt. Laughter usually follows.

  • Surprise parties
  • Jokes

Enjoy those times.

However, other experiences cause great harm.

  • Scams and other money schemes
  • Relationship deceit

Watch out for snakes in the grass who hurt others with their deceptive ways.

The greatest harm comes from religious deceit.

Religious wolves in sheep’s clothing pretend to be someone or something they are not. They look and sound harmless but lead people the wrong way.

We want to be sure we follow the right path in life. We also want to direct others to it. Follow Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 NIV).

“[Jesus] replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8 NIV).

Thanks to Jonna J. LeVan for the idea. Read how her son hornswoggled her on Tracy Crump’s Caregiver Corner.

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Hodgepodge

Hodgepodge

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Hodgepodge--flowers, old tree, small lakeInternational students have joined us for dinner many times. One of their favorite dishes includes a hodgepodge of ingredients.

  • Chicken
  • Mild cheddar cheese
  • Rice
  • Onion
  • Milk
  • Broccoli
  • Cream of mushroom soup

The mixture looks messy but tastes great.

Hodgepodge refers to a jumbled mess of ingredients.

According to The Phrase Finder, hodgepodge “is a stew made with meat and a variety of vegetables.” It also refers to “any mixture of ingredients or … a mess.”

The expression can be traced to 14th century France. The French made a dish called hotchpot. It was similar to our casserole or hotpot.

Hodgepodge describes more than food.

Notice the example in the above Magnolia Plantation scene. Neat flower rows can’t compare to several varieties mixed together like this.

Hodgepodge also includes:

  • Ideas
  • Clothes
  • Toys
  • Art
  • Pictures
  • Junk
  • Clutter of any kind

If we must clutter, I pray our clutter makes us burst with joy.

May we also spread that joy with friends from a hodgepodge of backgrounds.

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! (Psalm 47:1 NIV).

Thanks to Ginny Merritt for the suggestion.

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Pep Talk

Pep Talk

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Pep Talk--CheerleaderWe encourage with our actions. We also encourage when we listen. One of our greatest methods of encouragement is with our words. A pep talk works wonders.

When we land down in the dumps, we need a good pick-me-up.

A pep talk encourages or builds confidence.

We see this during sports events. Coaches gather their teams around them and rouse them to:

  • Get back in the game.
  • Do their best.
  • Never give up.
  • Win, win, win!

Cheerleaders lead fans to cheer their teams to victory. Schools or teams hold pep rallies to prepare for big games.

Pep talks occur in more than sports.

  • Parents encourage children.
  • Teachers inspire students.
  • Friends support one another.
  • Churches nurture members and the world around them.

Everyone needs encouragement.

Hard times come. That’s life. We can’t encourage everyone. That’s reality. Yet, we can urge those around us to keep on keeping on. That’s hope.

“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13 NIV).

Thanks to Joyce Cordell for the suggestion and to Parker Davis for the photo.

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Part and Parcel

Part and Parcel

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Part and Parcel: farm house surrounded by treesWhen our family sold the house where I grew up, we included all the property on that side of the road. Those few acres, in the middle of nowhere, held part and parcel of my childhood memories.

In addition to the house, we sold:

  • The lot where my grandmother used to live
  • The woods where we played
  • Dad’s garden and orchard
  • A small hay field that helped feed our cows
  • The shop and garage

We kept all the farm property across the road. When we go fishing or check the farm, we still get to see our homeplace. However, the essential part of our childhood home no longer belongs to us.

Part and parcel means an essential part of anything.

It is a basic feature such as:

  • Edits for writers.
  • On-call duty for doctors, firefighters, social workers
  • Middle of the night baby feedings for new parents

Success requires meeting those vital responsibilities.

This expression includes a legal background.

 According to The Free Dictionary, part and parcel has been used as a legal term since the fifteenth or sixteenth century. Its main use was for “clauses of a law and for parts of a landholding.” Part means “a portion.” Parcel means “something integral with a whole.” The idiom “began to be used more loosely from about 1800. Although both nouns have the same basic meaning, the redundancy lends emphasis.”

The Bible holds part and parcel of God’s will for our lives.

  • Love God.
  • Love others.
  • Repent and trust Jesus.
  • Follow Jesus’ example.

For details, I urge you to read all the Bible.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV).

Thanks to Ann Maniscalco for the suggestion.

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Drop Me a Line

Drop Me a Line

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Drop Me a Line--Warner Press card, note paper, pen, glassesI love when people drop me a line. Don’t you? A card or note out of the blue lifts my spirits.

Those few words tell me:

  • I’m thinking about you.
  • I love you.
  • Wish I could be with you.
  • I hope you are okay.

When we ask someone to drop us a line, we want a letter or note.

Although not as common an expression as in the past, we still use it. We write in lines, so the expression relates to those lines of words.

Of course, we use social media and texts most often now. However, those contacts cannot take the place of letters or cards, labors of love to hold and treasure.

When we drop someone a line, we take time for them.

We let them know we are thinking about them. They are:

  • Important to us
  • Valued by us
  • Worthy of our time

Stay in touch with one another.

We have no guarantee of future time together. Make the most of every moment.

  • Visit.
  • Write.
  • Call, text, or use social media.

Let people know you love them.

Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (2 John 1:12 ESV).

 Thanks to Michele Weisman with Walking on Mustard Seeds for the suggestion.

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Take Down a Peg or Two

Take Down a Peg or Two

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Take Down a Peg or Two--ship with sailsMany of us have personal experience related to take down a peg or two.

My childhood friends and I knew the expression well. When we became too big for our britches,  our parents put an end to our high and mighty behavior.

Their discipline took several forms:

  • The look of disapproval
  • Scolding
  • Time out
  • Loss of privileges
  • Other methods of loving but stern correction

To take down a peg or two means to deflate our pride or ego.

When we think too much of ourselves, we need a good dose of humility. No one is better than anyone else.

If we mistreat others, we may eventually get a taste of our own medicine. Our time for shame will probably come.

Wanting to do well is okay but not at the expense of others.

Hurting anyone in order to succeed spoils true success. Getting ahead never justifies:

  • Rudeness
  • Injury
  • A superior attitude

Take down a peg or two has a maritime connection.

According to The Free Dictionary, the expression “alludes to lowering a ship’s colors … by means of pegs. The higher the colors … the greater the honor.”

Refuse to become arrogant and self-centered.

Choose instead to straighten up and fly right. God, who is Love, calls us to love and help one another.

“Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV).

Thanks to Tracy Crump for sharing this expression following her maritime museum tour.

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Make Up for Lost Time

Make Up for Lost Time

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Make Up for Lost Time--grandfather clockMost of us have had to make up for lost time. We plan to complete tasks. Yet, other events interfere with those plans.

To make up for lost time means to spend time doing what we should have done earlier.

Because of our delay, we have to work quicker or longer to get the job done. For example, we:

  • Leave late and drive faster to arrive on time. (I don’t recommend this.)
  • Fail to complete a work assignment and have to work harder later.

We occasionally make up for lost time in our relationships.

  • After years apart or with little time together, we focus on one another.
  • When illness prevents favorite activities, we spend extra time on them after we heal.

Too often, we waste time.

That looks different for each of us. We dillydally when we:

  • Delay a task we don’t want to perform
  • Sleep late
  • Spend excess time on fun but useless activities

 We also make up for lost time through no fault of our own.

We simply have more to do than we can do.

  • Emergencies occur.
  • We complete the work other people failed to do.
  • Unexpected requests or assignments arise.

God gives each of us twenty-four hours a day.

Will we:

  • Use it wisely?
  • Keep our priorities in order?
  • Do our best?

As John Wooden said, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when are you going to have the time to do it over?”

“I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” —Psalm 31:14-15

Thanks to Beckham Wilson for the suggestion and to Beverly Ennis for the photo.

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Potluck

Potluck

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Potluck--table with lots of foodDo you enjoy potluck meals? If you grew up in a large extended family like I did, you understand potluck. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends from everywhere bring food. Lots of food. Stick to your ribs food.

Attend church potlucks, and you get a little taste of heaven on earth. Dishes that weigh down tables, plus fellowship with other believers, fill both body and soul.

Friends, co-workers, and neighbors also create great potlucks. Food and fun abound.

Potlucks may be inside, outside, or on a hillside. We once invited neighbors to a potluck picnic on top of the hill behind our house. A farm wagon served as our table. Everyone enjoyed the scenery as well as multiple plates of country cooking.

Potluck refers to a shared meal with dishes brought by those who attend.

You bring whatever dish you desire. Although unplanned, the meal usually includes plenty of everything. No one stresses, because the meal is casual and everyone helps.

Potluck (sometimes written as pot luck) means to take a chance on an uncertain outcome.

Of course, if you attend a potluck meal, you take your chances on what you get to eat. However, this also refers to other unknowns, including:

  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Work
  • Any situation with little information but high hopes

You have one certain outcome available to you.

If you trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, you never have to guess. You never have to face unknowns alone. Plus, God has planned a banquet for you and other believers in heaven.

“Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 14:15 NIV).

Thanks to Brad Leverett for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pexels.

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At the Drop of a Hat

At the Drop of a Hat

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At the Drop of a Hat--Sun hat hangs from shelf with garden trowel and gloves above itMy grandmother worked in her flowers at the drop of a hat. I wish I had inherited her green thumb.

My talent? I cry at the drop of a hat.

  • Happy times? I cry.
  • Sad times? I cry.
  • Babies and puppies? I cry.
  • Sad books or movies. I cry.

Tears come quickly, and almost anything causes them.

At the drop of a hat means suddenly and with little warning.

Many of us laugh at the drop of a hat. We find humor everywhere. People around us laugh at our laughter. What a hoot!

At the drop of the hat also means without delay.

Mention travel, and we pack our bags to hit the trail. We want to leave immediately, if not sooner.

This expression probably originated with dropping a hat as a signal.

According to The Free Dictionary, a dropped hat signaled “the start of a race or other contest” in the late 1800s.

A few people help others at the drop of a hat.

If they have it, they share it.

  • Time
  • Abilities
  • Money
  • Possessions

Without hesitation, they practice “What’s mine is yours.”

We read such a story in the Bible (Luke 10:25-37). Often called the parable of the good Samaritan, one man helped another who had been robbed and beaten. The Samaritan ignored differences in background and culture. He simply saw a need and met it.

Referring to the good Samaritan, Jesus said, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37 NIV).

Thanks to Ginny Merritt for the suggestion.

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Heart-to-Heart

Heart-to-Heart

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Heart to Heart--sunset silhouette of young girls forming heart with handsMost relationships benefit from occasional heart-to-heart talks. When we open our hearts to one another, we learn to appreciate each other more.

Heart-to-heart means open and honest.

It usually refers to conversations where we don’t hide our emotions. Such talks occur between:

  • Family members
  • Friends
  • Coworkers
  • Neighbors

Honest discussion helps us work through differences of opinion.

The outcome varies. We may:

  • Agree
  • Compromise
  • Agree to disagree

Although such talks don’t always end the way we hope, they usually result in improvement.

Most heart-to-heart talks involve serious subjects.

We don’t just shoot the breeze. Through open discussion, we try to prevent or work through conflicts. Under ideal circumstances, our talks build on already strong relationships.

We celebrate Valentine’s Day with hearts of all kinds:

  • Candy
  • Cards
  • Cakes
  • Clothing

Why not also include heart-filled conversations? Resolve conflicts. Strengthen bonds. Love with both words and actions.

“I have a lot more things to tell you, but I’d rather not use paper and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. That will be far more satisfying to both you and me” (2 John 1:12-13 MSG).

Thanks to Glenda Britton for the suggestion. Image by u_uf78c121 from Pixabay.

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