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Under Your Wing

Under Your Wing

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Under Your Wing, hen with chicks under wingsWhen a storm approaches, a mother hen gathers her baby chicks under her wing. She wants to keep them safe.

If you take people under your wing, you care for them.

You batten down the hatches during life’s storms by:

  • Protecting them
  • Loving them
  • Meeting their needs

Taking someone under your wing may require little or much time.

  • Older students tutor younger students.
  • Bosses guide new workers.
  • Friends take care of a sick friend.
  • Neighbors offer a place to stay when another neighbor loses her home.
  • Relatives rear a child when its parents die.

Look for opportunities to care for a hurting world.

  • Show love in all you do.
  • Help the hopeless see light at the end of the tunnel.
  • Give financial help to people going through hard times.
  • Show respect to everyone, whether you agree with them or not.
  • Treat people the way you want to be treated.
  • Don’t get mad as a wet hen when you don’t get your way.
  • Ask God to guide you in all you do and say.

“[God] will cover you with His feathers;
you will take refuge under His wings.
His faithfulness will be a protective shield” (Psalm 91:4 HCSB).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion and to Pam Barnes Harlow for the photo.

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Wait for the Next Shoe to Drop

Wait for the Next Shoe to Drop

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Wait for the Next Shoe to Drop--shoe hanging beside bedWhen we sleep in a room with thin walls, we don’t want noisy neighbors. If those neighbors live in the room above us, we often wait for the next shoe to drop.

To wait for the next shoe to drop means to wait for the next event to happen.

A noisy neighbor drops one shoe. We know the next shoe will soon follow.

Because of what has already happened, we predict what will happen next.

This expression usually means we wait for something bad to happen.

We receive bad news. We expect worse news soon.

  • A family member gets sick. We fear our loved one will die.
  • Our boss fires other workers. We expect to lose our job soon.
  • A rainstorm damages our property. We dread flooding that may follow.

What do we do when the next shoe drops?

Hard times may cause us to:

The reaction we choose changes our lives. It also changes the lives of others around us.

“Stop being afraid of what you are about to suffer … Remain faithful even when facing death and I will give you the crown of life—an unending, glorious future” (Revelation 2:10).

Thanks to Ann Klotz for the suggestion.

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A Little Better than Plumb

A Little Better than Plumb

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A Little Better than Plumb--Henry and Janice Holt Giles cabinIf anything is plumb, it is perfectly straight.

It is exact. Therefore, a little better than plumb is not really better. Instead, it is:

  • Off plumb
  • Out of plumb
  • Not straight

Kentucky authors Henry and Janice Holt Giles wrote about building their cabin in the book A Little Better than Plumb: The Biography of a House.

One worker asked another if what they just nailed was plumb. The reply: “Sure was. Fact is … hit was jist a little bit better’n plumb ….” The Giles’ discovered that several parts of their cabin were a little better than plumb.

Read more about the Giles family and their cabin in the September 2019 Kentucky Monthly magazine.

A Little Better than Plumb -- plumb lineA plumb line helps measure whether anything is straight or plumb.

A metal weight (plumb bob) at the end of a line holds the line straight. It may be low tech, but it works.

Our lives often get off plumb or out of plumb.

We leave the straight and narrow and end up in hot water. Yet, God offers us a fresh start.

If we accept that fresh start, God expects us, like plumb lines, to show others the perfect way.

“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line” (Isaiah 28:17 NIV).

Thanks to Jeri Stone for the suggestion and to Iva and Jewel Wade for the plumb line photo.

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What Goes Down in the Well Comes Up in the Bucket

What Goes Down in the Well Comes Up in the Bucket

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What Goes Down in the Well Comes Up in the Bucket --well with bucketAs a little girl, I loved to visit relatives who had a well with a bucket. The bucket was tied to the end of a rope. To get water, we had to:

  • Lower the bucket into the well
  • Listen for the bucket to go under the water
  • Turn the crank on the side of the well to bring up the bucket of water

I learned what goes down in the well comes up in the bucket.

  • Throw toys in the well; toys come up.
  • Dump garbage in the well; garbage comes up.
  • Spill food in the well; food comes up.

The same holds true for our lives.

What we pour into our lives comes out in how we live.

  • Feed our minds and hearts good thoughts; good behavior follows.
  • Dump trash into our brains; we treat ourselves and others like trash.
  • Fill our lives with truth; we live that truth.

Our actions show what we believe.

  • If we believe in respect, we show respect.
  • When we love others, we show love.
  • If we have faith in God, we demonstrate that faith.

Let’s get our lives right before we kick the bucket. Let’s make our good deeds more than a drop in the bucket.

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13-14 NIV).

Thanks to Dr. Dwayne Norman, pastor of Campbellsville Baptist Church, for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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Slow as Molasses

Slow as Molasses

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Slow as Molasses--Greg Lawhorn making molassesI have been told I am as slow as molasses. I have also been told I go too fast. I suppose my speed depends on what I do.

When anyone or anything is slow as molasses, it is really slow.

A few exceptionally slow items include:

  • Dial up internet service
  • Turtles
  • Many children (and teachers) on the first day of school

Making molasses is a slow process.

My friend Greg Lawhorn makes molasses every September. It takes all day, but the finished product makes it well worth the time. Read about Greg’s Molasses Day in the September Kentucky Monthly magazine.

Slow as Molasses--molasses on a biscuitPouring molasses is also a slow process.

Thick sticky molasses takes its time getting from the jar onto a waiting hot biscuit. However, once again, the taste makes it well worth the time. Molasses covered biscuits stick to the ribs.

Occasionally people talk about something or someone as slow as molasses in January. Cold temperatures make molasses pour slower than usual. Although I may be slow, I hope no one thinks I am that slow.

Better to go slowly and work well rather than fast and work poorly.

As the story, The Tortoise and the Hare, teaches, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Watch a cute children’s song based on that story here.

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8 NIV).

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Jumping-off Place

Jumping-off Place

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Jumping-off Place --Royal Gorge BridgeOn my first trip to Cañon City, Colorado, my husband and I walked across the nearby Royal Gorge Bridge. Several people use that bridge as a jumping-off place. They bungee jump from the highest bridge in the United States.

I like adventure, but that looks crazy. I have no desire to bounce like a rubber ball between The Royal Gorge Bridge and the Arkansas River 955 feet below.

Jumping-off place (or jumping-off point) has two meanings.

  1. The beginning point
  2. A very remote place

We will explore the first meaning, the beginning point.

A jumping-off place may be the beginning of:

  • Adventure, like those crazy bungee jumpers
  • Journeys, like our trip to Colorado
  • Business plans, like starting a new company
  • Discussions, like the beginning of peace talks
  • Investigations, like exploring space

A jumping-off place is often scary.

Anything new involves risk. Therefore, we decide whether the beginning is worth the risk. I took the risk of a hot air balloon ride, an adventure on my bucket list. I have no plans to risk a bungee jump. That cord could break, and I would end up graveyard dead.

When we jump into something wrong, we usually try to change directions.

We want to correct our mistake. However, we don’t want to make a bad situation worse. That would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Instead we make a wiser choice.

God put a head on our shoulders. Let’s use it for something more than a hat rack.

“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50 NIV).

Thanks to Brenda Mullins for the suggestion.

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In the Short Rows

In the Short Rows

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In the Short Rows--person tilling a gardenAfter a long hard day, most of us look forward to work in the short rows.

In the short rows means we are almost finished.

We have a certain amount of work to do, and the end is in sight.

How well I remember hoeing weeds out of our garden as a child. We had long hard rows to hoe – much work to complete. A few rows on the edge of the garden were shorter than most. Those were our favorites.

We usually look forward to reaching the short rows.

For many people Thursday and Friday are in the short rows of their work week. They look forward to those last two days before the weekend.

Other short rows include:

  • Authors writing the last pages of a book
  • Long distance drivers nearing the end of their journey
  • Children waiting for the last days of school

If we love what we do, we also enjoy our long rows.

Rest helps when we tire. Yet, every day becomes an adventure. We don’t believe the grass is greener on the other side. We find joy in our own garden spot of the world.

My cousin Iva loves to garden. Family and friends love when he shares his garden goodies. He sets a good example in both his work and his generosity.

Look for joy in every moment, whether in long or short rows.

“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty” (Proverbs 28:19 ESV).

Thanks to Emily Akin for the suggestion and to Jewell Withers Wade for the photo.

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Can of Worms

Can of Worms

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Can of Worms--a box of baitWhen we open a can of worms, we find a tangled mess.

Worms wrap around one another. They look and feel gross.

Many in my family enjoy fishing. They use worms as their bait. However, before they can fish, they must untangle the worms.

A can of worms means a problem.

We begin a difficult process. Often complicated, it may cause:

  • Hard times for the people involved
  • Unexpected or bad results
  • Trouble we cannot correct

It can become a real mess.

Often, we prefer to ignore the situation than to deal with it. We want to turn a blind eye.

Some situations are better left alone.

To talk about them or act on them may:

  • Hurt people for no good reason
  • Cause worse problems than before

Other situations need to be solved.

We want to nip them in the bud. However, making a wrong situation right is often hard. We may:

  • Feel uncomfortable with a new way of life
  • Lose power we enjoy
  • Have to change hurtful or abusive behavior
  • Deal with other related problems

At times, we may feel in over our heads. Yet, the sooner we tackle a problem, the sooner we solve it.

Will we do what needs to be done, even if it makes life hard?

“I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don’t let me make a mess of things” (Psalm 119: 31 TLB).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Cut the Mustard

Cut the Mustard

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Cut the Mustard-mustard flowerYears ago, Ernest Tubb and Red Foley sang “Too Old to Cut the Mustard.” They gave people a good laugh about aging. You can read the song lyrics here.

Young people often think senior adults are as old as the hills or over the hill. However, many older people still cut the mustard. Many young people cannot. Age does not always make a difference.

Cut the mustard means to work well.    

 People do what needs to be done. They do what is:

  • Expected
  • Required

They:

  • Work with energy and enthusiasm
  • Successfully accomplish their task

Cut the mustard applies to things as well as people.

People want what they use to:

  • Work well
  • Keep working

However, like people, things do not always work as they should.

  • Computers crash.
  • Cars run out of gas.
  • Stoves fail to cook.

Several guesses about how this expression began include the:

  • Hard work required to cut mustard plants
  • Difficulty in cutting tiny mustard seeds
  • Need to cut (dilute) mustard with vinegar to create a good taste

Others ideas have nothing to do with mustard.

However the expression began, it reminds everyone to do their best. Each day offers the opportunity to:

“[The righteous] will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:14 NIV).

Thanks to Emily Akin for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay. 

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Use Your Head for More Than a Hat Rack

Use Your Head for More Than a Hat Rack

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Use Your Head for More Than a Hat Rack--a hat rack with two hatsDr. Seuss wrote, “With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.”

Similar to Dr. Seuss’s words, we may say “Use your head for more than a hat rack.

Use your head for more than a hat rack tells us to think.

Similar expressions include:

  • Use your head for something besides a hat rack.
  • Use your head for more than something to keep your ears apart.

People might say this to us if we:

  • Start to make a foolish choice
  • Fail to see a clear answer to a problem
  • Need to think harder
  • Have our head in the clouds

One of my high school teachers often said, “Think, just think!” I was thinking — maybe not hard enough.

When we use our head for more than a hat rack, we make better choices.

Letting others decide for us looks easy. However, their choices may lead us the wrong direction. We want to make the right choices – to mind our Ps and Qs.

People who love us and want the best for us encourage us to think.

They refuse to let us waste our God-given abilities. To keep us on the straight and narrow, they expect us to learn from:

  • Spoken words
  • Written words
  • Good examples
  • Every experience

Learn well in order to live well.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5 NIV).

Thanks to Mina Raulston for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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