Browsed by
Tag: encouragement

Whippersnapper

Whippersnapper

Comments 0 Comment

Whippersnapper--3 boys and a dogA whippersnapper usually means a young or small person.

Most often, older people use this phrase for children or youth.

My friend Pamela Noel’s father often said, “You little whippersnapper.” He called her this “if I was good or ugly.”

Many people view a whippersnapper as unimportant. The young person has:

  • More confidence than ability
  • More ambition than education

However, young people have to learn. They may only be knee high to a grasshopper. That does not make them unimportant.

A thesaurus lists several synonyms for whippersnapper.

They include:

  • Pip-squeak
  • Runt
  • Lightweight

Pamela’s father probably meant those when her behavior was good.

Other synonyms include:

  • Sneak
  • Troublemaker
  • Brat

Pamela’s father probably meant those when her behavior was “ugly” or bad.

Whether we are whippersnappers or over the hill, may we all follow good guidance.

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. (Psalm 119:9 NIV).

Thanks to Pamela Noel for the suggestion and Gail Gosser for the photo of three of my favorite whippersnappers.

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.

Slim Pickings

Slim Pickings

Comments 6 comments

Slim Pickings--empty store shelvesMany stores open early and close late on sale days. Early shoppers find several choices. Those who shop later in the day find slim pickings.

Slim pickings mean few choices.

Not much is left after others take what they want. This applies to more than shopping. We often find slim pickings:

  • At the end of a food line
  • Near the end of a gardening season

Slim pickings for one person look like treasures for others.

  • A small amount of food can save a starving person.
  • One coat warms a person in freezing weather.

What treasures can we offer others who survive on slim pickings?

Perhaps a good New Year’s resolution would be to share from our wealth.

  • Buy extra at the grocery to feed the hungry.
  • Give away some of our clothes and shoes.
  • Spend less on self and donate the money saved.

Why not make giving a lifestyle? We can’t take it with us when we die. Why not put it to good use while we live. Let’s give of our wealth. Let’s give of ourselves.

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9 NIV).

Thanks to Ruby Colvin 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.

Immediately If Not Sooner

Immediately If Not Sooner

Comments 9 comments

Immediately If Not Sooner, St. Lawrence River International BridgePatience is not my greatest strength. Most of the time, I want everything done immediately, if not sooner. I want it done now, but I wish it were already done.

That seems true for many of us.

We want everything fast:

  • Food
  • Information
  • Service

We don’t like to wait.

A right smart of patience would do us all good. Instead, we tie ourselves in knots with worry. because we can’t get everything done as fast as we want.

We become content when we begin to enjoy each moment.

With an easy does it state of mind, we:

  • Learn from the past
  • Do what we can today.
  • Look forward to what the future holds.

Like crossing a bridge on a family vacation, we enjoy the ride.

Above all and at all times, pray for and follow God’s direction.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” Romans 12:12 NIV).

Thanks to Jan Abbott 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.

Pick-Me-Up

Pick-Me-Up

Comments 4 comments

Pick-Me-Up, Flowers bloomingWe all need an occasional pick-me-up.

A bad mood or little energy leaves us down in the dumps. We feel too tired to move.

We need something to give us:

  • A better mood
  • Extra energy
  • A good rest

Flowers give some of us a pick-me-up. A field or garden full of flowers helps us remember the beauty of God’s creation.

A snack sometimes works. Although many of us like chocolate, the effect of food does not last long (except around the middle of our bodies).

A vacation helps. Yet, we may have to wait months for time off work.

Some of the greatest pick-me-ups require little work.

When we run out of steam, we can:

  • Take a few minutes to slow down. (Read a good book. Take a nap.)
  • Go for a short walk (or a longer one, if time allows).
  • Give or receive a few kind words. (If no one gives us kind words, we can still give ours.)

Pick-me-up moments matter.

They often turn bad days into good ones. They help us see light at the end of the tunnel. Go ahead. Make someone’s day!

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had (Romans 15:5 NIV).

Thanks to J. T. Henderson for the suggestion.

What is your favorite pick-me-up? Please comment.

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.

Tackle It

Tackle It

Comments 16 comments
Tackle it-football tackle
Courtesy of Jordan Alves

Tackle it. Get started. Get the job done. Don’t wait.

When we tackle anything, we try to solve a problem or complete a job.

  • Sometimes we tackle problems with our brains.
  • Other jobs we tackle with physical work.
  • Perhaps hardest to tackle are relationships with other people.

In football, tackle is both a noun and a verb. Football tackles (players) tackle (stop) players on the other team. We will focus on the verb.

A tackle has two purposes:

  1. To keep the other team from scoring
  2. To help our team score

Some tackles are easy. Some are hard.

Coaches, cheerleaders, and fans cheer for their team during a game. Cheering encourages the team to play their best.

Like football, the jobs we tackle may be easy or hard.

Either way, why not cheer for one another? Why not encourage one another to do our best? Encouragement improves both our attitudes and actions.

We tackle life better with support.

Often when we tackle life’s problems alone, we get down in the dumps. A kind word or a smile may be all we need to get out of the dumps and ready to go again.

“Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).

Thanks to Joy Taylor 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.

Reach for the Sky

Reach for the Sky

Comments 0 Comment

Reach for the sky--Devil's Tower with the sky aboveReach for the sky has two meanings.

  1. A robber tells people to hold their hands in the air by saying, “Reach for the sky.”
  2. We tell people to set high goals by saying, “Reach for the sky.”

We will focus on the second meaning.

When we look at the sky, it seems so far away.

  • The clouds float high above us.
  • Birds fly into it.
  • Children pretend to touch it.
  • Yet, how can we reach it?

When we look at goals, they may also appear far away.

  • Some goals seem greater than our ability.
  • Other people succeed while we fail.
  • We sometimes do nothing more than dream of what we want to do.

Far away does not mean impossible. 

In spite of challenges, we can reach the sky. In spite of challenges, we can reach our goals. Yet, how do we do that?

We reach goals, like most of life, one step at a time. We may never get as far as we hope. Yet, we will get closer than if we never tried. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

If we try, we may surprise ourselves. In addition to reaching our goals, we could go far beyond them.

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5 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.

Get the Ball Rolling

Get the Ball Rolling

Comments 5 comments

Get the Ball Rolling-child kicking soccer ballGriffin likes to get the ball rolling. He is always ready for a game to begin. Many of us are a little slower getting started

Sometimes we fail to get the ball rolling.

That is true in soccer and true in life. We know we should begin. Yet, we keep putting off what we need or want to do.

We may not get the ball rolling for several reasons:

  • The job looks too hard.
  • We fear we might fail.
  • We get lazy.

Too often, we throw in the towel before we begin.

Someone had to get the ball rolling for:

  • Electricity
  • Internet service
  • Automobiles
  • Modern medicine

Now we cannot imagine life without those services. Yet, someone had to take the first step for us to enjoy them.

What if the next great invention is waiting for us to get the ball rolling?

  • What work do we need to start?
  • Who do we need to encourage?

Who knows what the future holds? Let’s do our best to make it better because of our actions today.

“Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you” (1 Chronicles 22:16 NIV).

Thanks to Lindsey Howard for the photo.

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.