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Category: Self-Improvement

On Thin Ice

On Thin Ice

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On Thin IceWe have to be careful during Kentucky winters. We often find ourselves on thin ice and must watch our steps.

  • Ice on creeks, ponds, and lakes is usually too thin to walk or skate.
  • Ice on the ground or sidewalks causes falls.
  • Ice on roads and parking lots lead to wrecks.

On thin ice means we are in a risky or dangerous situation.

We put ourselves in danger when we:

  • Invest money in an unknown company.
  • Choose friends we cannot trust.
  • Fail to care for our health.

Some risks are worth the danger.

  • Uncertain investments sometimes make lots of money.
  • Everyone makes mistakes and needs a second chance.
  • We risk our health to save another life (organ donation, firemen entering a burning building).

Other risks are not worth it.

Then it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We decide each day whether to step on thin ice or stay on solid ground.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways’” (Haggai 1:7).

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Head over Heels

Head over Heels

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Head over Heels morgue file8161310074013Have you ever been head over heels in love?

  • You were so in love you did not know up from down.
  • You acted silly but didn’t care.
  • You wanted to spend every single minute with your loved one.

Have you later realized that was not true love?

So often we get the meaning of true love all wrong. We focus on the temporary:

  • Physical attraction
  • Common interests
  • Popularity
  • Desire to love or be close to someone

None of those are necessarily bad. However, true love means so much more. Love that lasts means moving beyond puppy love to:

  • Commitment to the loved one, regardless of circumstances
  • Willingness to give 100 percent, not 50-50
  • Being there for one another when life gets hard

At the same time, we want to keep true love lovely by:

  • Talking and laughing with one another
  • Sharing fun times
  • Hugging and saying “I love you” often

That helps keep us head over heels in love with our loved one for life.

Above all, we want to follow the ultimate example of love – Jesus’ unconditional, sacrificial love.

“You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes” (Song of Solomon 4:9 NIV).

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Make Do

Make Do

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Make DoMy parents and grandparents knew how to make do. So did many of their generation. They survived on what they had. If they had little, they lived on little. If they had more than enough, they saved for the future and shared with others.

They tried to avoid debt. If they didn’t have money, they didn’t buy. They grew their own food, built their own houses, and made their own clothes. They:

  • Discovered new recipes with the food in their kitchens
  • Styled themselves with the clothes in their closets (if they had closets)
  • Learned new ways to live off the land

They threw almost nothing away. Instead, they:

  • Cut buttons off old shirts to reuse
  • Canned and froze food they grew in the summer to eat in the winter
  • Cut up rags to make quilts

By doing the best they could with what they had, they learned to appreciate all they had. Although not rich with money, they were rich in faith and love.

Now in their golden years or gone but not forgotten, they continue to share their wealth with others. Some of those gifts appear in this picture.

  • A quilt made by my mother
  • A quilt rack made by my father
  • A Dutch boy and girl painted by a dear friend
  • Old canning jars that remind me to make do

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

Do you have a favorite make do story? If so, please comment

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By the Skin of My Teeth

By the Skin of My Teeth

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By the Skin of My TeethTeeth have no skin, but we know skin is thin. So, if I escape a problem by the skin of my teeth, I barely get by.

For example:

  • A car almost hits me.
  • I pass a test with a “D” grade.
  • I almost lose my job.
  • I narrowly escape death.

In each case, disaster was close, but it did not happen.

We find this big fish at Wisconsin’s House on the Rock. The bird and boat inside the fish did not escape by the skin of their teeth. Instead, the teeth of the fish trapped them.

We can often avoid problems and narrow escapes.

  • Careful driving prevents many accidents.
  • Regular study results in better grades.
  • Honest work improves job security.
  • Good eating, sleeping, and exercise mean better health.

Sometimes, bad things happen anyway. They did for Job in the Bible. He lost almost everything. Yet, he did not give up. He continued to believe in God, who remains with us through good times and bad.

“I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth” (Job 19:20 NIV).

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Turn Over a New Leaf

Turn Over a New Leaf

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Turn Over a New LeafI always thought of a leaf on a tree when I heard the expression turn over a new leaf. I knew it meant people wanted to change. So, I thought of new leaves growing on trees or leaves changing colors.

A little checking proved me wrong.

I had the meaning right.

If we turn over a new leaf, we:

  • Want to do better than we have in the past
  • Plan a fresh start
  • Change our attitude or behavior
  • Leave our past behind

I had the origin wrong.

The expression refers to turning to a new page in a book. Another name for page is leaf. Therefore, when we turn over a new leaf, we start a clean page in our lives. We begin again.

Whether talking about leaves on a tree or leaves in a book, the meaning remains the same. We change for the better.

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

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Go Against the Grain

Go Against the Grain

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Go Against the Grain 2 morguefile6631240571960If we work with wood, we don’t usually go against the grain. We work in the natural direction of the wood’s fibers. That is true whether we work with new wood or old. It is also true whether we:

  • Sand the wood to make it smooth
  • Paint or stain it
  • Clean or polish it

Years ago, I put new stain on a beautiful piece of furniture. In one spot, I brushed against the grain. That one mistake stood out from all the rest.

In life, if we go against the grain, we go against what we want to do. That often means standing firm  against popular opinion.

Our natural desire leads us to follow the crowd. Standing firm for what we believe can be difficult when few people stand with us. Yet, the crowd is not always right.

So how do we decide the direction to go?

Avoid

  • Going along with everyone else just because it is easy
  • Going against the grain simply for attention

Do

  • Educate ourselves
  • Choose what is right, whether it goes against the grain or not.

“Hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NIV).

Thanks to Suellen Shaw for the idea.

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

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Second Fiddle

Second Fiddle

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Second Fiddle 4-Rachel DeCourseyI can’t play a fiddle – first fiddle or second fiddle. I tried to learn from my father. My efforts were not successful.

Fiddle is another name for violin. The music style makes it different.

In an orchestra, second violin supports the first violin. First violin usually plays melody while second violin plays harmony. As the name suggests, second violin has a secondary role.

Therefore, if we play second fiddle to someone, the other person gets noticed more. She gets more credit. People often think the second fiddle role is less important or second best. For example, a vice president plays second fiddle to president.

Four things we need to remember about playing second fiddle:

1. Someone needs to play second fiddle.
2. With hard work, we may someday play first.
3. Both roles are important.
4. The two together make beautiful music.

Whether we lead or play second fiddle, let’s play to the best of our ability.

“Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD” (Psalm 150:3-6 NIV).

Thanks to Rachel DeCoursey for the Campbellsville University orchestra photo.

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One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time

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One Step at a TimeWe climb the highest mountain and walk through the lowest valley the same way – one step at a time. We place one foot in front of the other over and over again. Little by little we move forward.

We do the same emotionally. Whether we feel on top of the world or in the deepest depression, we keep going, one step at a time. Faced with a hard row to hoe,  we do what we need to do now. Then we take the next step.

Good teachers guide us one step at a time. If we move too fast or change the order, we often fail. If we take our time and follow directions, we usually succeed.

I rarely make New Year resolutions. If I did, I think this would make a good one. For this year, I want to take:

  • One step at a time
  • One day at a time
  • One task at a time

This one thing I know: Whether our journey fills us with joy or sorrow, we never have to walk alone. If we invite Him, God will walk with us every step of the way.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4 NIV).

What New Year resolution have you made? Please comment.

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As the Crow Flies

As the Crow Flies

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As the Crow FliesIf we measure distance as the crow flies, we measure in a straight line. Crows are smart birds. They fly the shortest route to get where they want to go.

I have lived in the country most of my life. I love it. One of the fun parts is giving people directions.

In the past we had no GPS and few road signs or mile markers. As a result, people often came up to our house and asked how to get somewhere.

We told them to go past churches, large trees, or barns. Sometimes we said to go over a big hill or around a sharp curve. We often said the distance was “a little way” or “a far piece.”

One of my favorite expressions: “It’s not that far as the crow flies.” That sounds good for crows. They fly straight.

We are not crows. We must go over those hills and around those curves. We have to pass those barns and churches. The crow’s direct route is closer, but we can’t fly.

In life we have daily choices. We choose the roads we travel by foot and in our cars. We also choose our life goals – our paths for daily living.

  • Will we choose straight paths, clearly marked and easy to follow?
  • Will we select routes off the beaten path, beautiful but harder to travel?
  • Will we take forbidden paths, filled with danger?

As Robert Frost said, our decisions make “all the difference.”

“Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path” (Psalm 27:11 NIV).

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Hit the Trail

Hit the Trail

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Hit the TrailI’m almost always ready to hit the trail (or hit the road). Our family loves to travel. Therefore, when someone says it is time to hit the trail, I pack my luggage and go.

A friend recently hit the trail on an unexpected journey. She was out of state celebrating a baby’s birth. As she traveled home, a grandchild called. The little girl begged her grandmother to visit her in another state.

My friend had never used GPS. Neither had she traveled from where she was to where her grandchild lives. Her desire to see her grandchild outweighed her fear of the unknown. She:

  • Pulled off the road
  • Found a GPS app
  • Entered her information
  • Trusted GPS to take her where she wanted to go

She made every turn her app said to take. For two-and-one-half hours she traveled through lovely little towns. She wondered if she was receiving correct directions. Yet, she trusted GPS to lead her.

She made it to her granddaughter’s house by traveling off the beaten path.

Several times during that drive, my friend had the same thought. What if we listened to God like we do GPS? If so, we would be where we need to be.

Of course, GPS devices and apps occasionally lead us the wrong direction. God’s guidance never fails.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

Thanks to Suellen Shaw for sharing her experience.

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

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