Wisdom Archives - Page 43 of 52

Jack of All Trades

July 21, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 1 comment

Sometimes I would like to be a jack of all trades. I wish I could do lots of different jobs. Instead, I rely on others with all those skills.

I have a friend who can do almost anything. He is the best handyman I know. His skills include:

Plumbing
Electrical work
Yard work
Auto repair
Carpentry

You name it, he can do it. When our family has a problem, we contact him.

Calling someone a jack of all trades may be a compliment. However, calling the person a jack of all trades, master of none is definitely not a compliment. Then we’re saying the person tries to do many things but does nothing well.

However, we never know what we can do until we try.

As we try, we can evaluate our abilities. If we have certain skills, let’s do our best at them. If we lack talent in other areas, let someone else do those. If we work together and share our skills, everyone benefits.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

Thanks to Rebecca Stafford for this suggestion.

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Like Water off a Duck’s Back

July 14, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Do you need a solution for anger or frustration? Watch ducks. That’s right; watch ducks.

Ducks often dive under water for food. When they come up, the water glides over their backs and returns to the pond or lake. Occasionally they shake their feathers to get rid of any extra water.

Ducks show no need to:

Watch the water.
Quack at the water.
Fight the water.

They’re too busy swimming and diving for something to eat.

When life upsets us, let the problem go. Treat it like water off a duck’s back. We don’t have to:

Focus on what upsets us.
Yell at what upsets us.
Fight what upsets us.

Getting upset tires us, so in a duck-like manner:

Ignore hateful comments.
Overlook insults.
When we must respond, do so clearly but kindly.
Then shake off any remaining negative feelings.

In the process, we gain freedom — freedom from the control of others and freedom to become our best selves.

We can also pray that those who upset us learn to act like ducks.

“A fool is quick-tempered; a wise man stays cool when insulted” (Proverbs 12:16 TLB).

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Light at the End of the Tunnel

July 7, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Tunnels may get us through mountains, but the journey can be dark and scary. If we focus on light at the end of the tunnel, we find hope. That light promises an end to our dark and scary time.

Some tunnels seem to go on forever. They amaze me. How can anyone dig a hole through the middle of a mountain without getting crushed?

Yet they can.

The engineer in charge designs a plan. That plan creates a tunnel that will protect both the construction workers and the travelers. However, the design works only if everyone carefully follows the plan.

Like a tunnel, life sometimes seems dark and scary. We feel like we’re digging through a mountain of difficulties. We wonder how we will make it through without getting crushed.

God, who created us, is:

Life’s engineer, who created a perfect plan
Our source of light, who promises an end to any dark and scary time
Our hope, peace, and guidance through every difficulty

The question for each of us: Will we follow?

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

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Old Glory

June 30, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

Many people today call any flag of the Unites States Old Glory. However, that nickname began with one flag.

The first Old Glory was a 17- by 10-foot flag with 24 stars. It belonged to sea captain William Driver. We can still see that flag in the National Museum of American History.

Like the original Old Glory, today’s flags have seven red stripes and six white stripes. The stripes represent the first 13 states. However, the number of stars changed as we added states. We now have 50 white stars for our 50 states.

Some people also call the flag Stars and Stripes. Another nickname is The Star-Spangled Banner, the title of our national anthem.

According to PBS, each color of the flag has special meaning.

Red — Hardiness and Valor
White — Purity and Innocence
Blue — Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice

Thousands of people have died to provide the freedom our flag represents. We show respect when we say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag by:

Standing at attention
Facing the flag
Men removing their hats
Placing right hand over the heart
People in the military saluting

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.”

“Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor the government” (1 Peter 2:17 TLB).

Do you have a favorite flag story or July 4 tradition? If so, please comment.

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Can’t Win for Losing

June 16, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 3 comments

Do you know how it feels to lose over and over again?

No matter what you do or how hard you try, you fail. Success seems impossible. You simply can’t win for losing.

Don’t feel bad. Most of us have been there. Some of us have been there many times. A few of us think we have been there most of our lives.

Often we believe we are the only ones who fail.

But consider the following quotes from extremely successful people. They have been there too.

When you come to a roadblock, take a detour. —Mary Kay Ash
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. —George S. Patton
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. —Michael Jordan
It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. —Bill Gates
I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. —Thomas A. Edison
If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost. —Zig Ziglar

When you feel like you can’t win for losing, don’t give up.

You are in good company. As Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion.

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Put Your House in Order

June 9, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

It’s probably too late to put this old house in order. We see signs of decay all over it:

Weeds, trees, and vines growing near and on it
Cracks in the wood, windows, and door
Parts of it leaning, preparing to fall

To put your house in order, you try to return everything to good condition. You don’t usually mean a house. You may want to:

Get your finances in good shape.
Improve your behavior.
Prepare for death.

We see the last meaning in Isaiah 38:1 when Isaiah told King Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die.”

Sometimes when people criticize you, you might say, “Put your own house in order.” This tells them to solve their problems instead of criticizing you.

All of us have problems. We can prevent many of them. With houses, we can:

Keep weeds, trees, and vines cut.
Repair cracks as soon as they appear.
Keep the foundation and support strong.

With our lives, we can:

Avoid harmful activities.
Correct mistakes as soon as they occur.
Make God our foundation.
Help one another stay strong.

“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25 NIV).

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Put Feet to Our Prayers

June 2, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Many of us believe in the power of prayer.

We pray for one another.
We pray for our own concerns.
We share prayer requests.
We report answers to prayer.
We keep prayer lists.
We pray at meals.
We pray before we go to bed.
We pray at church.

We can pray anytime and anyplace. We can also pray from any position:

Hands together
Hands apart
Standing
Sitting
Lying down
Kneeling

However, we sometimes need to get off our knees (or whatever our position). We need to put feet to our prayers. When we put feet to our prayers, we exercise more than our feet.

Our ears listen for God’s direction.
Our eyes see problems around us.
Our minds decide what to do.
Our feet go where needs exist.
Our hands reach out to help.

We often think or say, “Somebody ought to do something.” Well, take a good look in the mirror. We are somebody. So let’s get out there and do something. Let’s put feet to our prayers.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17 NIV).

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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

May 26, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

All my life I heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. That sounds good to me. I’m for whatever we can do to prevent problems. Plus, I love apples.

We credit Benjamin Franklin with saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. His quote contains wisdom we all need.

We can either spend a little time preventing a problem or a lot of time curing it.

If we have the ability to prevent something bad, why not do it? If eating apples will keep us out of the doctor’s office, let’s eat apples!

Some people have revised Franklin’s quote to say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I tend to agree.

Consider our choices:

Exercise and eat well now or treat health problems later.
Save for emergencies now or deal with debt later.
Develop strong relationships now or have few friends later.
Work well now or find a new job later.

Do you see a pattern here?

Our choices today affect our lives tomorrow.

What kind of future do we want?

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8 NIV).

Thank you to Karen Atwood for this suggestion.

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Jump from the Frying Pan into the Fire

May 12, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

If we touch a hot frying pan, we let go fast. We want to avoid the pain and scars. Holding on does not make good sense.

We suffer far worse if we touch the source of that heat. We definitely want to stay out of the fire. Therefore, we don’t touch:

• Hot stoves
• Bonfires
• Fireplaces
• Torches

Yet, how often do we try to solve one mistake by making another? In the process, we make our bad situation worse. We jump from the frying pan into the fire.

• We cover one lie with another.
• We hurt people and then avoid them.
• We do poor work but blame someone else.

We can do better:

• Admit our mistakes.
• Apologize and repair relationships.
• Do our best, and help others do their best.

Let go of the frying pan. Stay out of the fire.

“Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright” (Proverbs 14:9 NIV).

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Out of the Blue

May 5, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

A friend recently sent me a gift out of the blue. I was not expecting it. I did nothing to deserve it.

Like lightning striking unexpectedly in a clear blue sky, events sometimes happen out of the blue.

They occur suddenly.
We receive no notice.
They may be good or bad.

Occasionally we understand why events occur out of the blue.

Scientists can usually explain sudden weather changes.
My friend knew of my interest in her gift.

However, other events remain a mystery.

We may not always understand events in our lives. We can make a positive difference.

Try secretly performing an act of kindness. You may plan it or do it out of the blue. For the other person, it will definitely appear out of the blue. What a great way to start any day!

“You will not be afraid of sudden disaster, or when destruction overtakes the wicked; for the LORD will be the source of your confidence” (Proverbs 3:25-26 NET).

What are your favorite acts of kindness? Please comment below

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