Browsed by
Category: Self-Improvement

Onward and Upward

Onward and Upward

Comments 6 comments

Onward and Upward--Old Faithful geyserOur family loves to visit Yellowstone National Park. We always watch the Old Faithful geyser erupt. Several times a day, Old Faithful moves onward and upward.

This wonder of nature reminds us of the importance of our own faithfulness.

Onward and upward means to keep moving forward.

We work toward:

  • Improvement
  • Progress
  • Success

Onward and upward often means steady rather than sudden growth.

Old Faithful begins with a sputter but then grows higher and higher. We don’t have to start fast either. However, we do want to keep going and growing.

Onward and upward encourages us not to give up.

We all face difficulties and disappointments. Yet, we advance one step at a time. Failure teaches us what does not work. To reach our goals, we keep on keeping on.

This challenge applies to every age and circumstance.

  • Youth graduating from school
  • Adults seeking the right job
  • Retirees beginning a new stage in life

As long as we live, we have meaning and purpose. May we always seek to find and fulfill them to the best of our abilities.

Our greatest advancement occurs when we step from this life into the next.

If we follow Jesus’ plan for our lives, we find the best now and through eternity. Let’s keep moving onward and upward.

“In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13 NIV).

Thanks to Joy S. Taylor for the suggestion.

Look Like a Million Bucks

Look Like a Million Bucks

Comments 4 comments

Look Like a Million Bucks--two older womenMom and Aunt Ersie always wanted to look like a million bucks. On their worst days, they still liked to look good. At Aunt Ersie’s eightieth birthday celebration, they certainly achieved their goal.

If we look like a million bucks, we look great.

A million bucks means a million dollars. That’s looking good! An attractive appearance, like we just stepped out of a band box, usually makes us feel better. Try it.

If we feel like a million bucks, we feel great.

Other steps for a happy and healthy life include:

  • Exercise
  • A balanced diet
  • Plenty of water
  • A regular sleep schedule

Positive thoughts help us look and feel better.

Likewise, negative thoughts lead to negative appearances and emotions. For the best life, avoid stinking thinking.

We never want to look like a million bucks but treat others poorly.

Remember, pretty is as pretty does.

God gives us worth and beauty.

We are all different, but God loves every one of us. That’s worth more than a million bucks!

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV).

Thanks to Margaret Jane Cleasby for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? 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.

Practice What You Preach

Practice What You Preach

Comments 8 comments

Practice What You Preach-young ministerial student on stageWhen I was in college, we lived next door to a ministerial student. Every week, we heard him practice what he planned to preach. Our walls were paper thin.

If you practice what you preach, you do what you tell other people to do.

This proverb warns against hypocrisy. It wasn’t enough for the preaching student to practice saying his words. He also needed to practice doing them.

Example has a greater impact than advice.

  • Children pay more attention to parents’ behavior than words.
  • Students listen better if teachers’ actions match their assignments.
  • Employees watch their employers for acceptable business practices.

You are the real McCoy if you practice what you preach.

No pretending. No falsehood. You live what you say.

The world is filled with pretense and falsehood, but you have a better choice.

Jesus set the example. When we follow Jesus, we live and tell His truth to a world that needs to see and hear it.

“Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3 NIV).

Thanks to Meghan Bowker, Editor, Missions Mosaic, for the idea and to Hayden Dabney, children’s minister at Campbellsville Baptist Church, for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? 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.

The Bee’s Knees

The Bee’s Knees

Comments 4 comments

The Bee's Knees-bee on flower with blue bloomsThe bee’s knees makes me think of the 1920s. Several unusual expressions became popular then.

The bee’s knees means excellent.

Although the expression may be outdated, desire for the best continues.

We want to:

  • Live great lives.
  • Maintain strong relationships.
  • Buy high-quality items.

We see that in advertisements for:

  • Fancy cars
  • Elaborate homes
  • High-class clothes
  • Outstanding entertainment

The origin of the expression remains uncertain.

According to The Free Dictionary, “Some people believe [it] refers to the way … bees transfer pollen … from their bodies to pollen sacs on their back legs.” It also says the expression first referred to “something small and insignificant.” However, “it quickly developed into its current … opposite meaning.”

The Phrase Finder lists other possibilities. It says the expression “was originally an 18th century fanciful phrase.” The bees knees “referred to something that didn’t exist … like a left-handed hammer. This meaning is no longer used.”

Both sites mention the expression’s addition to the “nonsense language” of the Roaring Twenties.

Like the bee’s knees, let’s be the best we can be.

The expression’s language may be nonsense. Its meaning is not. Let’s make the world better for everyone.

“Don’t think only of yourself. Try to think of the other fellow, too, and what is best for him” (1 Corinthians 10:24 TLB).

Thanks to Jane Ashley Pace for the suggestion and to Debbie Tapscott for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? 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.

Down Pat

Down Pat

Comments 6 comments

Down Pat--open books with pen and pencil holders beside themDo you know people who appear to have life down pat? Everything they do, they do well.

  • They excel at athletics.
  • Music flows from them.
  • Academic awards cover their walls.
  • They smile through every hardship.

Down pat means you have learned something well.

The Free Dictionary defines it as “Learned, mastered, or understood perfectly, to the point of requiring little or no focus to do, recall, or accomplish.” You hit the bull’s eye.

To get anything down pat usually requires extra effort.

Before you make it look easy, you must:

  • Work hard
  • Study
  • Practice
  • Memorize

You need to develop your natural abilities.

Talent alone rarely gets you where you want to go. Experts were once students. When you study hard, your skills grow.

God gives the talent. People add the elbow grease.

“I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw” (Proverbs 24:32).

Thanks to Katherine Pasour for the suggestion.

Honoring God with My Body book coverDo you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? 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.” On 8-23-25, I will randomly select one name from my mailing list to also receive a free copy of Katherine Pasour’s book, Honoring God with My Body: Journey to Wellness and a Healthy Lifestyle. If your name is already on the mailing list, you are automatically entered. Please encourage your friends to subscribe.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends. (The Facebook share button did not work recently, but that has been corrected.)

Off the Top of My Head

Off the Top of My Head

Comments 10 comments

Off the Top of My Head--two facing head outlines filled with booksHave you ever felt swamped with work, and someone asked you a question? Perhaps you began your response with, “Off the top of my head …”

Off the top of my head means you reply with little thought.

Your answer requires minimal brain power. However, if you fail to check your memory, your guess might not be right.

Off the top of my head works best if you know your subject well.

The most reliable information comes from experts in the field.

  • Plumbers know how to fix leaky faucets.
  • Doctors understand health issues.
  • Chefs prepare tasty food.

Experts often consult with one another since two heads are better than one.

Verifying usually works best.

Therefore:

  • Reliable plumbers check leaks.
  • Trustworthy doctors perform tests.
  • Top chefs try recipes before they share them.

They investigate before they act—a valuable lesson for everyone.

“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. (Ecclesiastes 5:2 NIV).

Thanks to Melissa Bright for the suggestion. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? 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.

Milktoast

Milktoast

Comments 6 comments

Milktoast--milktoast on a plate on a table with flowers in the middleI don’t want milktoast for breakfast or any other meal. Although I like milk and toast, I prefer them separate. I also want more flavor. Even with sugar, cinnamon, or other spices added, it remains a bland dish. Give me eggs or cereal with fruit and nuts.

Neither do I want to be a milktoast person or give milktoast responses. However, I have been guilty of both.

Milktoast means weak or ineffective.

It can be a noun or an adjective. The person or response is:

Milquetoast mean the same.

According to The Free Dictionary, the character description refers to H. T. Webster’s comic strip character, Caspar Milquetoast. Like edible milktoast (or milk toast), Caspar had a bland personality.

Milktoast is easy to digest.

With so little flavor, it does not upset the body’s system. Neither do weak people upset their social systems of:

  • Business
  • Government
  • Religion
  • Families

They value the status quo above truth or progress.

God seeks boldness in service.

Certainly, quietness and meekness are often appropriate. Yet, God expects and provides courage when the time comes to speak up and stand tall.

“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29 NIV).

Thanks to Gail Johnson for the suggestion and to Jeri Gumm Stone for the photo.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm Matin Wiles book
Version 1.0.0

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts about this one? 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.” On 3-29-25, one name will be randomly selected from my mailing list to also receive a free copy of Martin Wiles’s book, “Don’t Just Live…Really Live.” If your name is already on the mailing list, you are automatically entered. Please encourage your friends to subscribe.

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

Stinking Thinking

Stinking Thinking

Comments 8 comments

Stinking Thinking-skunk behind a logJust as we avoid a skunk’s stinking spray, we want to avoid stinking thinking. We accomplish nothing when we focus on messages like:

  • Woe is me.
  • I’m awful.
  • You’re awful.
  • The whole world is awful.
  • Life is awful.
  • Nothing will ever get better.

Do you see a pattern here?

Stinking thinking means negative thinking.

We see only the wrong, never the right. Everything and everyone ruffle our feathers.

Rather than happy-go-lucky we remain:

Focused on problems, our outlook grows progressively worse.

*Stinking thinking can lead to emotional problems.

After long stretches of negative self-talk, we have a tough time changing. Our thinking, feelings, and actions grow worse. As our stress level increases, tolerance decreases.

God offers a better life.

The one and only God who created the world created us. God also:

  • Loves us
  • Has a special plan for us
  • Forgives us when we repent of our wrongs
  • Gives eternal life and a home in heaven to all who follow Jesus

That should give us a positive outlook on life. Don’t you agree?

“Their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion. Photo by Jack Bulmer on Pexels.

Do you have other examples of stinking thinking or 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.

*Seek professional help if needed to overcome extreme negative thought patterns.

Air Your Dirty Laundry in Public

Air Your Dirty Laundry in Public

Comments 4 comments

Air Your Dirty Laundry in Public--laundry basket overflowing with dirty clothesPlease don’t air your dirty laundry in public. Unfortunately, that has become a common practice. All too often, people share more information than necessary or desired.

If you air your dirty laundry in public, you discuss personal information that should remain private.

Similar expressions include:

  • Wash your dirty laundry in public.
  • Wash your dirty linen in public.

When you air your dirty laundry in public, you risk embarrassing yourself and others.

People remember such information, and it can cause problems for years.

Social media makes airing dirty laundry easy and widespread.

Even if you delete a post, the information remains out there. People copy, save, and share it. If you don’t want it spread, don’t say or write it. Keep private information private.

A wise teacher suggested asking yourself three questions before saying anything.

Although often applied to busybodies who spread gossip about others, they also pertain to personal information.

  1. Is it true?
  2. Is it kind?
  3. Will it glorify God?

If you can’t give a positive answer to all those questions, leave it unsaid. Don’t discuss it or argue about it in public. Too much negative information already exists. When you blow off steam around others, you simply add to the damage.

“Your daily lives should not embarrass God but bring joy to him who invited you into his Kingdom to share his glory” ( 1 Thessalonians 2:12 TLB).

Thanks to Jeri Stone for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? 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.

Foot in the Door

Foot in the Door

Comments 8 comments

Foot in the Door--leg and foot with jeans and cowboy boot entering a doorMy friend Collin White recently got his foot in the door for a lifelong dream. He performed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. For anyone, that is quite a feat (pun intended). For a young man still in college, it’s nothing short of amazing.

Foot in the Door--Collin White with guitar, jeans, jacket, and cowboy hatTo get a foot in the door means the first step toward a goal.

Collin wants to sing professionally. He already sings in community, school, church, and multi-state events. He has released two songs. Both fit the Christian country genre. His dream is falling into place, one step at a time.

To get a foot in the door occasionally refers to a pushy person.

Such people use aggressive tactics. Door-to-door salespeople who stick their feet in doors so homeowners can’t close them come to mind. Their behavior often proves self-defeating (another pun intended). Instead of reaching their goals, they turn people against them.

That does not describe Collin. Instead, he puts his best foot forward.

The greatest door of opportunity remains open for all.

Jesus extends an invitation for:

  • Forgiveness
  • Salvation
  • Guidance
  • A home in heaven.

Never pushy, Jesus waits patiently for our response. It’s up to us to invite Jesus into our lives and to follow Him.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20 NIV).

Thanks to Tracy Crump and Beckham Wilson for the suggestion and to Jill and Steve Floyd and Collin White for the photos.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? 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.