Wisdom Archives - Page 30 of 49

Straight and Narrow

August 14, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

To get from one place to another, we must often follow the straight and narrow:

Alleys
Streets
Paths
Seas or rivers

Occasionally we see this expression written strait and narrow.

Some narrow sea passages are called straits.

The Strait of Gibraltar leads from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea. At one place it is only eight miles wide.

You can find more information about the Strait of Gibraltar here.

When we follow the straight and narrow, we do what we should.

That is true for our lives as well as travel.

We follow the straight and narrow when we:

Go the right direction
Follow rules or laws
Act right
Speak the truth

We may get in trouble if we leave the straight and narrow.

Many times we:

Get lost
Lead other people the wrong way
Get hurt or hurt others

Life can be fun off the beaten path. However, we want to be sure that path does not take us the wrong way.

Let’s enjoy where we go and what we do when we hit the trail. However, let’s also watch our step and go only where we should go.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 HCSB).

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

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Spin Our Wheels

August 7, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

If we spin our wheels, we move but get nowhere.

We may travel a muddy road and get stuck. We spin our wheels. The wheels go around, but the car stays stuck.

We walk on a treadmill. Although good for our health, all that walking takes us nowhere.

We try to work but have no success.

Ideas refuse to come.
What we try fails.
We spend time on useless work.
Someone or something destroys all we have done.
We do a bad job.

When we spin our wheels, we waste time.

Although active,

We do not go forward.
We do not go back.

Instead, we stay stuck where we are. We feel like we can’t win for losing.

How do we stop our wheels from spinning?

We can:

Move on to something else.
Work harder.
Find a new way to get the job done.
Slow down. Remember haste makes waste.

Don’t give up.

We all spin our wheels sometimes. Keep moving forward.

“Our only power and success comes from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 TLB).

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Come Clean

July 31, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Come Clean--muddy river Come clean is the opposite of sweep under the rug.

When we come clean, we admit we did wrong.

We choose to:

Stop hiding our mistakes
Confess
Tell the truth

To come clean is not always fun.

We often act like children who hate to take a bath. Rather than do what we know we should do, we:

Deny we are dirty
Delay coming clean as long as we can

Yet, when we come clean, we look and feel better.

The dirt is gone.
The smell is gone.
Our health improves.

In many ways, our lives are like a river.

When dirt fills the river, the water gets muddy. It can be used for little.

However, once the dirt washes away, the river becomes useful again.

When God washes the dirt from our lives, we become clean and useful.

Today seems the perfect day for that fresh start. What do you think?

“Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin!” (Psalm 51:2 NET)

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Sweep under the Rug

July 24, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

No one sees dirt we sweep under the rug. Yet, the floor remains dirty.

We sweep dirt under the rug to hide it.

However, if we don’t get rid of the dirt, it damages both the floor and the rug.

We get rid of dirt now, or we deal with problems later.

News reports show that truth every day. People try to hide what they say or do. What they hide may be:

Embarrassing
Unpleasant
Shameful

They hope no one learns about what they sweep under the rug. Yet, they often get caught red handed.

Why not avoid the dirt?

If we don’t want people to learn what we do, don’t do it.

When we get dirty, admit it.

We avoid big problems later if we tackle small problems as soon as they happen.

Let’s get rid of the dirt. Everyone suffers less when we do.

“Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us? Who will know?’” (Isaiah 29:15 NIV).

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A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

July 17, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing--sheep on a mountain We read about a wolf in sheep’s clothing in Aesop’s Fables and the Bible. Both show the danger of an enemy who looks like a friend.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing looks harmless.

The sheep skin disguises the wolf. However, looks can deceive.

The wolf is not a sheep.
The wolf is still a wolf.

People with evil plans can look or sound harmless.

They hide their true colors and pretend to be friends. They:

Dress well
Speak with kindness
Act helpful

Yet, they are dangerous. They still have evil plans.

Wolves in sheep’s clothing can be found almost everywhere:

Work
Church
Families
Politics
Sports
School

Scams occur every day. They come to us through:

Telephone
Mail
Visits
Internet

As a result, we must be careful.

We want to love and be kind to everyone. We want to trust people. At the same time, we must not accept what we know is false.

Be prepared. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Learn right from wrong.
If something does not sound right, check it out.

God gave us brains. We need to use them.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15 NIV).

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Photos courtesy of Pixabay.

You Can’t Unscramble Eggs

July 10, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

Please welcome my friend Sue Davis Potts as today’s guest writer. Sue and I met at Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. She has been writing as long as she can remember. In addition to her two books, Sue writes for several magazines and anthologies. Check out her website and blog, Potts Pages, for more details.

Sometimes we wish we could undo what we have done. However, not everything can be undone. Scrambled eggs are one of those things. No matter how much we want to, we can’t unscramble eggs.

Some things can’t be undone.

Broken egg shells can’t be put back together.
Mixed egg yolk and white can’t be unmixed.
Cooked eggs can’t be uncooked.

In cooking, scramble means mixed together. It also means to hurry. It doesn’t take long to scramble eggs that can’t be unscrambled.

When we hurry, sometimes we do things that can’t be undone.

Say angry words
Hurt feelings
Break trust

Our words can hurt people’s feelings. They may forgive us. Yet, they may feel sad or bad about themselves when they remember our words.

If we always hurry, we may not have time to keep our promises. This will make it hard for others to trust us.

God doesn’t want our lives to get so scrambled (in a hurry), that we hurt others.

He wants us to:

Take time to love others
Encourage others with our words

Then we won’t wish we could undo what we’ve done.

“Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words bring healing” (Proverbs 12:18 NCV).

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

June 26, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar-honey in jars

We catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Set some honey near flies and watch what happens.

Nothing equals the sweet taste of honey.

Flies love it. So do people.

We don’t usually like the taste of vinegar by itself.

Think about what that teaches.

We get our needs met faster when we are polite.

Be sweet to other people.

Treat everyone as we want to be treated.
Show respect.
Speak and act with kindness.
Smile.
Give more than expected for good measure.

A bad attitude makes everyone feel worse.

We cannot act sour and expect everyone to treat us well. When we complain constantly, we should not expect good service.

Yet, one small act of kindness can make everyone feel and act better.

Watch what happens when a happy baby enters a room full of frowning adults. The whole room changes.

The baby laughs, waves, and tries to play with the adults.
Adults smile, wave, and play with the child.
Soon everyone has a great time.

We may not be sweet as a baby. However, we can be friendly. Let’s add a little joy to the lives of those we meet.

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24 NET).

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

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Cross a Bridge When We Come to It

June 19, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

Everyone knows we cross a bridge when we come to it.

Not before we come to it.
Not after we come to it.

We cross only when we come to it.

We understand that about physical bridges. We often forget that truth in our personal lives.

We cross a bridge when we come to it by dealing with life as it happens.

We don’t worry about something before it happens.

If it never happens, we worried for nothing.
If it does happen, worry did not stop it.

Instead, we handle each moment as it comes. We plan and prepare, but we don’t worry. We don’t borrow trouble or tie ourselves in knots.

Prayer prepares us to cross a bridge when we come to it.

Rather than becoming a worry wart, we ask God to lead us. The Goddard Covered Bridge in Fleming County, Kentucky, shows that well. When we look beside the bridge or through it, we see a small country church. That church, like so many others, reminds us to trust God.

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27 NIV)

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In the Doghouse

June 12, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

In the Doghouse Dogs (especially puppies) often get in trouble. They:

Dig where they should not dig. We had a puppy dig a hole to the water line in our yard.
Chew things they should not chew. Our neighbor’s puppy loved our shoes and caps.
Jump on people at all the wrong times. Paw prints never look good on our best clothes.

When dogs get in trouble, their owners may put them in the doghouse.

Most dogs rather be with people than alone in their house.

Some people spend a lot of time in the doghouse.

They get in trouble with:

Bosses
Husbands or wives
Parents
Teachers
Friends

Because of their bad behavior:

Bosses give them more work or less pay.
Husbands or wives don’t want to spend time with them.
Parents take away fun activities.
Teachers give bad grades.
Friends stop being friends.

People in the doghouse don’t enjoy living a dog’s life.

Therefore, they need to watch their steps and stay out of trouble.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).

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

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