Wisdom Archives - Page 31 of 52

Pick-Me-Up

March 12, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

We all need an occasional pick-me-up.

A bad mood or little energy leaves us down in the dumps. We feel too tired to move.

We need something to give us:

A better mood
Extra energy
A good rest

Flowers give some of us a pick-me-up. A field or garden full of flowers helps us remember the beauty of God’s creation.

A snack sometimes works. Although many of us like chocolate, the effect of food does not last long (except around the middle of our bodies).

A vacation helps. Yet, we may have to wait months for time off work.

Some of the greatest pick-me-ups require little work.

When we run out of steam, we can:

Take a few minutes to slow down. (Read a good book. Take a nap.)
Go for a short walk (or a longer one, if time allows).
Give or receive a few kind words. (If no one gives us kind words, we can still give ours.)

Pick-me-up moments matter.

They often turn bad days into good ones. They help us see light at the end of the tunnel. Go ahead. Make someone’s day!

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had (Romans 15:5 NIV).

Thanks to J. T. Henderson for the suggestion.

What is your favorite pick-me-up? Please comment.

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My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went

March 5, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Some days I feel like my get up and go has got up and went.

(I know, English teachers – another expression with poor grammar.) My family said, “My get up and go got up and went.” I have also heard, “My get up and go has got up and gone.”

However I say it, I mean I have:

No energy
Little strength
No desire to do anything

I don’t want to:

Work
Play
Talk
Move

I have run out of steam and feel as old as the hills.

My get up and go has got up and went often refers to problems of old age.

We hear that in Pete Seeger’s fun song. It mentions the need for:

Glasses
False teeth
Hearing aids

Why not laugh and enjoy each day and each life stage?

I’m thankful my energy doesn’t disappear too often. Yet, I can be thankful for those times. They remind me to:

Slow down.
Rest.
Enjoy the moment.
Count my blessings.
Remember good times.
Stay quiet and peaceful.
Prepare for the days ahead.

Childhood, teen, young adult, middle age, or golden years, why not enjoy them all?

“God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:9).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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

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Strike While the Iron Is Hot

February 19, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Strike While the Iron Is Hot-making a horseshoe A blacksmith must strike while the iron is hot. When fire makes iron soft, the blacksmith hits it with his hammer. Only then can he shape it.

If he waits too long, the iron cools. It becomes too hard to shape. He must act quickly – when the time is right.

We must also strike while the iron is hot.

Like farmers who make hay while the sun shines, we act while we have the opportunity. If we wait, we may be too late.

Some tasks wait with no problem (dusting furniture). Others demand immediate attention (hungry children).

Some opportunities come only once. For example, we see people in need we will never see again. With those, we must act quickly.

Relationships matter most.

We often delay caring for people, especially those closest to us.

Family
Friends
Neighbors

We think we have plenty of time. Therefore, we never take the time to keep those relationships strong. As a result, we may lose them.

Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Better to build strong relationships now than have to mend fences later. Look for ways to:

Show love.
Help one another.
Spend time together.
Make good memories.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

Thanks to Shirley Redding Rice for the suggestion.

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment.

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Word to the Wise--Snow covered creek and field Let me give you a word to the wise: Don’t drive on slick roads. You don’t want to wreck your car or hurt someone. Another weather-related suggestion: Don’t skate on thin ice. Bad choices can put you under the weather.

A word to the wise is good advice – a word (or words) of wisdom.

A longer version says a word to the wise is sufficient. A wise person does not require a lot of words. A short explanation or hint is enough.

Sometimes a word to the wise tells you what to do.

Do:

Wash your hands often (especially during flu season).
Listen more than you talk. (God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.)
Think before you speak.
Obey the law. (Follow the straight and narrow.)

Other times it tells you what not to do.

It warns of danger.

Don’t:

Take silly chances (like skating on thin ice).
Go where you might get in trouble.
Stay angry.
Forget the importance of relationships.

“Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge” (Proverbs 22:17 HCSB).

Thanks to Cecelia Lester for the suggestion.

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

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Figure Out

January 22, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 14 comments

Figure Out--flowers with butterfly Some things in life are hard to figure out.

How do flowers grow from buds?
What makes winter so cold and summer so hot?
How do butterflies grow from cocoons? (Can you find the butterfly in this picture?)

Some people say figure it out instead of figure out.

When we figure out anything, we solve a problem.

We:

Learn how to do something
Understand what we did not understand before
Find an explanation for something
Begin to see daylight

Sometimes we figure out things. Other times we figure out people.

Not all people think the same way we do.
Our actions differ.
We have different goals.

We need to figure out how to get along in spite of our differences.

We don’t have to agree to be agreeable.
We don’t have to act the same way to act with kindness.
We don’t have to share the same goals to support one another.

If we look at the other side of the coin, we may learn something.

I have a hard time figuring out math problems. I know all my questions drove my teachers crazy. One would say, “Think. Just think.” I was thinking. However, I could not think like he did. I was in over my head. I am thankful those teachers did not give up on me. Instead, they bent over backwards to help me.

Life is often hard. Why not help one another figure out the best way to live it?

“This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own’” (Jeremiah 33:2-3 MSG).

Thanks to Judy Clark for the suggestion.

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

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Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other

January 15, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 9 comments

I love mountains. I love oceans. Which one I visit is six of one and half a dozen of the other. I simply want to hit the trail.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other means I have two equal choices.

The result of those choices is the same or almost the same. (A dozen is 12 and six is half of 12.) Therefore, Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other--ocean what I decide makes no difference.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other is sometimes true for:

Travel—which way I go
Jobs—which one I take
Free time—what I do for fun
Meals—what food I eat

Some choices are equally good.

Good choices for me include:

Hawaii (been there) or Alaska (want to go there)
Writing or speaking
Reading or walking
Chocolate or almonds (or chocolate covered almonds, yes!)

Other choices are equally bad.

Bad choices for me include:

Car races or casinos
Math teacher or scientist
Science fiction movies or heavy metal music
Gravy or liver (or gravy covered liver, no!)

Six of one and half a dozen of the other also refers to people.

Two people may:

Be equally qualified for a job
Share equal fault for a problem
Have little difference in personality

Neither choice stands out.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other choices matter little. However, the results of more important choices make big differences.

Enjoy the variety of unimportant choices. Choose wisely for decisions that matter most.

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Psalm 25:9 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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

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For the Birds

January 1, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

For the Birds--ducks and geese My list of things for the birds includes:

Football
High heels
Gravy

I see little good in any of them. Neither do I understand why anyone likes them. Yet, you may enjoy all three.

Anything for the birds has little or no value.

We consider it:

Undesirable
Nonsense
A waste of time

For the birds can also mean something is:

Stupid
Boring
Frustrating
Annoying

This phrase may refer to birds picking seeds out of horse manure.

Probably none of us want to do that. I love the country and long walks in the middle of nowhere. Yet, I prefer to stay away from manure.

Although I don’t like to be near manure, it does have value. Manure provides a natural fertilizer for the soil. Some people buy it, so it is not just for the birds after all.

Perhaps we need to be careful what we consider for the birds.

What we think worthless may be a blessing in disguise.

However, I still don’t like football, high heels, or gravy.

“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:37 NIV).

Thanks to Melissa Graham for the suggestion.

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment.

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Begin to See Daylight

December 25, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Begin to See Daylight -- a sunrise If we get up early, we begin to see daylight as the sun rises. After a long night, daylight appears. We enjoy the promise of a new day.

Sometimes our lives feel like a long night.

We face problems with no end in sight.

We think we will never get out of school.
Our job never seems to end.
Goals appear too far away to reach.

We begin to see daylight when success seems possible.

Classes are almost over.
We near the end of our long task.
Our goals appear within reach.

We finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

We don’t see daylight when we look the wrong way.

If we fail to look outside, we never see the sun rise. If we always look on the bad side of everything, we never see the good. We remain down in the dumps.

As this New Year begins, we choose.

Will we focus on our problems and the dark side of life?
Or will we look up and begin to see daylight?
When we begin to see daylight, will we let our light shine?

“My God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28 NIV).

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment.

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Tall Tale

December 11, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

A tall tale is a whale of a tale.

It is a big tale — a big story — much bigger than what really happened.

Because a tall tale is so big, it captures our attention. Most people don’t believe it but listen to it anyway. A few of us swallow a tall tale hook, line, and sinker. We believe the storyteller until people start laughing. Then we become part of the joke.

Comedians often tell tall tales. They base many of their stories on truth but add to them. They make their stories:

Bigger
Funnier
Crazier

We also share tall tales with relatives and friends. Some of us hold contests to see who can tell the tallest tale. We often tell such stories around campfires.

Tall tales grow bigger the more often we tell them.

I could tell you just the facts about a recent whale watching trip.

We saw between 10 and 20 whales.
The whales swam close to the boat.
Their tails and fins came out of the water as they dived to find food.

In a tall tale about those whales, I might tell you:

We saw at least 100 whales.
They swam so close to the boat we could rub their backs.
Those whales gave us high fives with their tails and fins.

Most tall tales offer a few moments of fun.

They become lies when told to hurt or deceive. Often when we lie, people know something’s fishy, and we end up in the doghouse.

Avoid tall tales that deceive. Enjoy tall tales told for fun.

^“A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies” (Proverbs 12:17 TLB).

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment.

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Count Your Blessings

November 20, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 9 comments

Count Your Blessings-cornucopia with pumpkins

I love to hear Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney sing “Count Your Blessings” in the movie White Christmas. I also love the words of the hymn “Count Your Blessings.” In recent years, Laura Story’s “Blessings” has become another favorite.

Laura wrote “Blessings” after she learned her husband had a brain tumor. I first heard it after my husband’s brain tumor diagnosis. Laura tells her family’s story in this video.

All three of these songs remind me (and you) to be thankful.

We can count our blessings at all times and in all circumstances.

During good times and bad
Whether rich or poor
When alone or with others

Hard times can be blessings in disguise.

Illness often gives us a greater love for life.
Job loss sometimes leads to a better job.
Pain can make us stronger.
Money problems can teach us better spending habits.

Let’s think about the good in our lives and give thanks. When life gets hard, let’s ask God to show us the blessings in those experiences.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“May God our Father shower you with blessings and fill you with his great peace” (Colossians 1:2 TLB)

What are some of your greatest blessings? Please comment below.

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