Browsed by
Tag: behavior

Come Clean

Come Clean

Comments 8 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)

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Sweep under the Rug

Sweep under the Rug

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).

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Comments 3 comments

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing--sheep on a mountainWe 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.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing 2--two wolvesWolves 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).

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Photos courtesy of Pixabay.

You Can’t Unscramble Eggs

You Can’t Unscramble Eggs

Comments 1 comment

 

You Can't Unscramble Eggs--Sue Davis PottsPlease 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.

You Can't Unscramble EggsSome 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).

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

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.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

In the Doghouse

In the Doghouse

Comments 2 comments

In the DoghouseDogs (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.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Spitting Image

Spitting Image

Comments 3 comments

Spitting Image-bridge relfection in waterOne of our nephews is the spitting image of his father. They look alike in all their baby and childhood pictures.

A girl in my Sunday school class was the spitting image of her older sister. I have to look closely to tell them apart.

Spitting image usually means someone looks exactly like another person.

They are the mirror image of one another. Identical twins are the perfect example.

Spitting image also applies to things besides people, such as the reflection of this bridge on Magnolia Plantation.

No one knows for sure how this expression began. Two strong possibilities include:

  1. People look so much alike, one could have spat the other out of his mouth.
  2. The expression began as splitting image. This refers to a split (cut) piece of wood. The two parts of wood look alike.

People may be the spitting image in looks but not behavior.

  • Sons may look like, but not act like, their fathers.
  • Sisters may look like, but not act like, one another.
  • Identical twins definitely look like, but don’t always act like, each other.

People don’t choose how they look. They do choose how they act.

Therefore:

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NIV).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion.

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Down to Earth

Down to Earth

Comments 4 comments

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).

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Afraid of His Own Shadow

Afraid of His Own Shadow

Comments 2 comments

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).

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

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

Comments 5 comments

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.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.