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Tag: behavior

Down to Earth

Down to Earth

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Down to Earth-wooded area, farm gate, leaves on groundWhere I grew up, most people like to be known as down to earth.

A down to earth person is a good ordinary person.

He does not:

  • Want to be fancy
  • Try to impress other people
  • Think he is better than others

Rather, he:

  • Stays humble
  • Is easy to like
  • Remains realistic
  • Speaks clearly and simply
  • Is as good as his word

 Sometimes a person needs to be brought down to earth.

That can mean one of two things:

  1. The person is too proud – too big for his britches.
  2. Or, he is not aware of or not accepting reality. He needs to face the facts.

Being brought down to earth can be hard but helpful.

No one enjoys the process. Yet, if a person can grow, the pain is worth the change.

I try to make this blog down to earth with simple, easy-to-understand language. Is it working? How can I improve? Please comment.

All of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other” (1 Peter 5:5 MSG).

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Afraid of His Own Shadow

Afraid of His Own Shadow

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Afraid of His Own ShadowDo you know anyone afraid of his own shadow?  He:

  • Frightens easily
  • Is afraid of almost everything
  • Has a hard time trusting anyone and anything
  • Is usually shy
  • Avoids other people, especially crowds.

No one wants to be afraid of his own shadow.

Some people make fun of a person with fears. They may bully him, which makes his fears worse. Other people feel sorry for him.

A person afraid of his own shadow needs courage.

Like the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz, he wants to be strong. He may try to hide his fear by acting brave.

Children often fear their shadow when they see it the first time. Yet, there is no real reason to fear. They simply need someone to help them understand their shadow and be brave.

There is no real reason for many fears.

Like children, an adult afraid of his own shadow needs help understanding the shadows that scare him. Some problems are real. Some are not.

When a person trusts God, God promises to be with him through both good and bad (scary) times. He can stand tall, unafraid, trusting God’s love and care.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).

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Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

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Little Pitchers Have Big Ears--a small pitcherThe curved handle on some pitchers looks like a person’s ear. When we say little pitchers have big ears, we warn adults to be careful what they say. Children don’t need to hear it.

We may also protect children by:

  • Spelling words we don’t want them to hear (This works until they can spell.)
  • Moving where they cannot hear us

Children like to listen to adults.

When adults speak, children often become all ears. Yet, they should not hear:

  • Information they are too young to understand
  • Talk that might upset or confuse them
  • Words no one should ever say
  • Gossip

Many times children repeat what they hear.

  • We always want to protect children.
  • We don’t always want them repeating what we say.

If we choose our words wisely, we don’t have to worry who hears them.

Helpful guidelines include:

  • Think before we speak.
  • Say nothing unkind or untrue.
  • Don’t say it if we don’t want it repeated.

As adults, we need to remember little pitchers have big ears. Like children, we also need to mind our Ps and Qs.

“Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them’” (Matthew 15:10-11 NIV).

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

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Eyes in the Back of Her Head

Eyes in the Back of Her Head

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Eyes in the Back of Her Head--adult femaleDoes your mom have eyes in the back of her head?

Many children think so. Of course, moms don’t have eyes in the back of their heads. Yet, they seem to know when their children have done wrong.

Children’s behaviors usually show they have disobeyed. They may:

  • Avoid their parents
  • Fail to look them in the eye
  • Say “I didn’t do it,” before parents ask if they did anything

As adults, we share some of those same behaviors.

We usually act guilty if we are guilty.

Some people hide guilt better than others. Yet, when we try to hide our guilt, we make a bad situation worse. We may:

  • Fear contact with the person we wronged
  • Change our behavior when around that person
  • Lie and lose that person’s trust

Why not choose a better way?

Then we won’t have to worry if Mom, or anyone else, has eyes in the back of her head.

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV).

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

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Talk Turkey

Talk Turkey

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Talk TurkeyWe talk turkey a lot during Thanksgiving.

We discuss:

  • Buying turkeys
  • Baking turkeys
  • Stuffing turkeys
  • Eating turkeys
  • What to do with leftover turkey

We talk turkey any time of year when we discuss a problem.

As we talk, we:

  • Get serious about the problem and try to solve it
  • Speak in clear language
  • Focus on what needs to be said

Many times we know something is wrong but do nothing about it. We ignore the problem and hope it goes away. Often it only gets worse the longer we wait. We become worry warts who get nothing done.

Talking turkey is not always easy.

Like a kitchen after a Thanksgiving meal, life gets messy. If we want to clean up our mess, we need to tackle it.

  • Talk about what is wrong.
  • Do what we can to make it right.

Talking turkey usually makes life better.

We don’t talk turkey to quarrel. We talk turkey to:

  • Solve our problems
  • Get business done
  • Get along better with one another.

“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18 NIV).

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

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Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Snake in the Grass

Snake in the Grass

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Snake in the Grass--a snake's head coming out of grassI don’t like to get too close to a snake in the grass.

I’m not afraid of most snakes. They help keep mice away. However, I don’t want snakes to hide in my yard.

A few snakes can kill with their bites. I am afraid of them.

I prefer not having a person who is a snake in the grass near me either.

A snake in the grass cannot be trusted. That person will:

  • Cheat
  • Lie
  • Steal
  • Hurt others to get what he or she wants

Like a dangerous snake (animal) hiding in the grass, a snake in the grass person tries to hide bad behavior. The person attacks or hurts others when they least expect it.

God offers a better way.

I pray that everyone who tries to trick and hurt others will choose God’s way. Just as God forgives me when I confess my wrongs, God will also forgive them. Sometimes we all need a fresh start.

“Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NIV).

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.

Mend Fences

Mend Fences

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Mend Fences-a while fence around a field, clouds overheadI love fences.

I know some people say, “Don’t fence me in,” meaning they want their freedom. I like freedom too. Still, I enjoy the beauty of fences.

  • Fences give order.
  • They look neat.
  • Sometimes they provide safety.

However, we need to mend (repair) fences occasionally.

  • Fences break.
  • They need paint.
  • Animals damage them.
  • They start leaning the wrong way.
  • They get dirty.

If we don’t mend them, they won’t stay safe, neat, orderly, and beautiful.

Occasionally we need to mend fences in our relationships.

  • We disagree, argue, or fight.
  • We neglect one another.
  • Hard times hurt us.
  • We let others lead us the wrong way.
  • We betray one another.

We mend fences when we improve our relationships.

How do we do that? We learn to:

  • Disagree without arguing or fighting
  • Spend special time together
  • Refuse to follow bad examples
  • Support one another through hard times
  • Apologize when we do wrong

Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If we take care of our relationships every day, we don’t have to spend so much time mending them. That seems a small price to pay for a safe, neat, orderly, beautiful relationship.

“Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21 NKJV).

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Face the Music

Face the Music

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Face the MusicI love to listen to music.

Music makes me laugh, cry, dance, worship, and more. Few things in life offer as much pleasure.

I still remember the first time I saw the opening scene of The Sound of Music. I wanted to run up that mountain with Julie Andrews and sing just like her. I could probably run up the mountain. I will never sing like that.

I don’t like to face the music.

I don’t want to accept the results of my actions when I have done wrong. When other people do wrong, I usually think they should face the music. They should pay for their mistakes. Yet, I don’t want the same for myself.

However, I live with the consequences of the choices I make.

Most of the time, good choices result in a good life. Bad choices usually result in a bad life. That is not always true, but it is most of the time.

The choices I make also affect other people. I want to help them make good choices and avoid bad ones.

Likewise, I want to choose carefully the people who guide me. Although I see many examples, I choose the ones I follow.

  • Whether I have good or bad teachers, I choose my actions.
  • Whether I have good or bad friends, I choose my actions.
  • Whether I have a good or bad family, I choose my actions.

Making right choices is not always easy. When I fail, I ask God for forgiveness and thank God for a fresh start. God offers that same forgiveness and fresh start to everyone.

I pray you always enjoy beautiful music. I also pray you make good choices so you don’t have to face the music.

“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19 NIV).

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A Taste of Their Own Medicine

A Taste of Their Own Medicine

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A Taste of Their Own Medicine; child giving medicine to adultWhen people get a taste of their own medicine, they receive what they have given others. They don’t usually like it.

Medicine tastes better than it did in the past. Yet, most medicine still tastes awful. Children often fight taking it. The medicine lands on the child, adult, and anything else nearby.

Some adults pretend to taste the medicine. They act like it’s great.  They know better. Many children know better too.

When adults get sick, they receive a taste of our own medicine. What they have given, they receive. The experience makes them better. Yet, the medicine still tastes awful.

A taste of their own medicine applies to behavior as well. What people give or do to others often returns to them. What goes around comes around.

  • When people hurt others, they invite hurt.
  • If people gossip, others feel free to gossip about them.
  • If people don’t respect others, they probably won’t receive respect.

That doesn’t mean people should return evil for evil. In fact, Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

However, the truth remains: People tend to treat others the way they are treated.

Therefore:

  • To be treated well, treat others well.
  • To avoid gossip, don’t gossip.
  • To receive respect, show respect.

Kindness to others does not guarantee kind treatment in return. However, it is the right thing to do.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31 NIV).

Special thanks to Julie Posey Johnson for the photo of Ian giving Dad a taste of his own medicine.

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Mind Your Ps and Qs

Mind Your Ps and Qs

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Mind Your Ps and QsSometimes parents or teachers tell children, “Mind your Ps and Qs.” Usually they mean to watch their speech or behavior. They want the children to act right – to mind their manners – to straighten up and fly right.

We need to hear that message too. How often do we:

  • Talk without thinking about the effect of our words?
  • Allow our emotions to control our behavior? We don’t feel well, so we don’t treat others well.
  • Embarrass ourselves by using bad manners?

One thoughtless word or deed can harm or destroy a relationship. Therefore, when we see Ps and Qs on children’s blocks, let’s remember to mind our Ps and Qs.

  • Think before speaking.
  • Think before acting.
  • Use proper manners.

People disagree on the origin of this phrase. It may have begun because the small (lower case) p and q look so much alike. They are the reverse (mirror image) of one another. Therefore, we must be careful when we write. We don’t want to confuse our lettters.

Likewise, we don’t want to confuse right and wrong. Whatever we do, let’s mind our Ps and Qs.

“He wanted them to be understanding, just, and fair in everything they did” (Proverbs 1:3 TLB).

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