book Archives - Diana Derringer

Out of Sorts

August 28, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 22 comments

Please welcome my friend Kristy Robinson Horine as today’s guest writer. Kristy and I met at Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, where she serves on staff. Kristy makes her life in Paris, Kentucky with her husband, Eric, and is mother to four children – Hanson, Anna, Emily, and Sadie. Her professional and creative work has been published in newspapers, magazines and anthologies in Kentucky and beyond. She offers encouragement for each day through her book, In a Season of Mondays: A 30-Day Devotional Journal.

I knew before I came into the kitchen, I was in trouble. My daily responsibilities took longer than anticipated. I still had to put away groceries and unload the dishwasher before I could start supper. My day had not gone as planned, and I was out of sorts.

To be out of sorts means to be jumbled together or mixed up.

Sometimes, being out of sorts happens the moment our feet hit the floor in the mornings. There is no rhyme or reason for the feeling. It just happens.

Sometimes, being out of sorts happens because of other people’s decisions:

A child volunteers to bring cookies to an event but doesn’t tell us until the night before.
A co-worker drops the ball, and we are left to pick up the pieces.
Another driver gets distracted and crashes into our car.

Other times, being out of sorts happens because of the decisions we make:

We forget to unload the dishwasher at the right time.
We say yes to too many things.
We don’t communicate well, causing chaos and conflict.

Whether being out of sorts comes from within us or from others, we can still choose to act in a way that pleases God.

We find clues in one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

“Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus, that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:1-4 World English Bible).

Learning from this passage, we can easily get back on track, even though we find ourselves out of sorts. We can:

Listen to those who have been there.
Look at our situation with accuracy.
Lead others to know the truth.

What are ways you find yourself out of sorts? Can you listen, look, and lead to put things right?

Subscribe to receive Diana’s weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.” On September 9, 2023, one name will be randomly selected from Diana’s mailing list to also receive a free copy of Kristy’s In a Season of Mondays. If your name is already on the mailing list, you are automatically entered. Please encourage your friends to subscribe.

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

By the Book

March 13, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

By the Book--stack of instruction books Some people go by the book. Others fly by the seat of their pants.

People who go by the book follow directions.

They want to do their work right the first time. They don’t want to have to do it again. Therefore, they follow the rules.

People who fly by the seat of their pants think If all else fails, follow the directions.

Going by the book makes life easier.

It helps with:

Learning to use new products
Building anything
Measuring amounts for cooking or other work
Practicing new skills

People make mistakes when they fail to go by the book.

Sometimes their mistakes cause no big problem. They can go back to the drawing board and start over.

Other times, mistakes mean the difference in life and death.

For the best life, go by the best book.

Read the Bible.
Follow its directions.
Share its truth with others.

“Consult God’s instruction” (Isaiah 8:20 NIV).

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

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What’s the Catch?

August 1, 2016 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

What's the Catch-colorful question marks If I offer you something free, you may ask, “What’s the catch?”

It sounds too good to be true. You wonder if I expect something in return. Or, am I not telling you everything. What strings are attached?

Do I expect you to buy something?
Do I expect you to give me something
Why would I offer something for nothing?

During the month of August, I am offering you a chance to win a free copy of my book, Beyond Bethlehem and Calvary. The winner will be announced on August 30, 2016.

What’s the catch? Here it is:

For a chance to win, you must subscribe to receive my blog posts by e-mail. You can do that here or at the top right side of this page.
If you subscribed in the past, you are already entered for a chance to win.

Why would I want you to subscribe by e-mail?

Many of you watch for the Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter links to my blog each week.
However, you don’t always see those links.
If you subscribe by email, the posts will arrive in your inbox every Tuesday morning. You will not miss future posts.

Of course, if you win the book and enjoy it, I hope you will tell others. So, yes, I would like more people to buy the book too.

“God’s blessings are given to us by faith, as a free gift” (Romans 4:16 TLB).

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You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

April 8, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

Have you ever wanted to throw a book in disgust? The title promised the help you needed. The cover picture looked perfect. Reviewers praised it. However, it was worthless to you. The difference in appearance and content prove you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Looking good does not equal goodness.

That’s true for books and true for life.

Businesses use misleading ads. Politicians make campaign promises they fail to keep. Much around us sounds or looks good … until we try them.

Good looking people who dress well get more job interviews. They also get more dates. They don’t always make the best employees or spouses.

Smooth, shiny hybrid apples look perfect. They don’t taste nearly as good as ugly, knotty vintage apples. The hybrid pleases the eye. The vintage gains our loyalty.

Like vintage apples, what looks bad on the outside may hide a treasure inside.

We find pearls in oysters. We find gold and silver in rocks. Don’t overlook possible treasures based simply on outward appearances.

Let’s look beyond the surface to find what matters most in life.

“People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NET).

Note: I found all the books in this photo true to their cover.

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