idiom Archives - Page 22 of 24

Stand Tall

March 18, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 9 comments

The Redwood Forests of northern California never cease to amaze me. Standing at the base of the world’s tallest trees, people appear small and insignificant.

Like soldiers with their shoulders back and heads high, the redwoods stand tall and brave.

Their pasts include attacks from animals, weather, and people. Like all of nature, they face an unknown future. Yet they stand tall.

So can we.

Regardless of our size or struggles. God created each of us for a special purpose.

Therefore, we can stand tall, not in our own strength but in God’s strength.

Each redwood began as a tiny seed.

Each had an uphill battle to survive. Life can’t be easy for them. Yet, facing hardships makes them stronger.

Likewise, standing tall and courageous does not mean we never have problems or we’re never afraid. It does mean we:

Face our fears and grow stronger.
Learn from our struggles and grow wiser.
Accept our limits and grow humble.
Support one another and grow closer.

Whatever comes our way, we can stand tall, knowing, with God’s help, we never stand alone.

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm” (Exodus 14:13 NIV).

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If we sow (or plant) tomato seeds, we reap (or harvest) tomatoes. If we sow corn seeds, we reap corn. If we sow bean seeds, we reap beans. If we sow flower seeds, we reap flowers. Do you see a pattern here?

Logic tells us that we reap what we sow.

That truth applies to behavior as well as gardens.

If we study hard, we make better grades.
If we practice regularly, we improve our performance.
If we work well, we advance in our career.

As with most of life, exceptions occur.

We can’t guarantee that our flower seeds will sprout and grow. Bad weather, hungry animals, and other conditions may result in a poor crop year. However, we can be certain that flower seeds will produce flowers, not potatoes.

Neither can we guarantee that positive behavior will always result in positive responses. In general, however, we live with the consequences of the choices we make — we reap what we sow.

If we ignore the rules, we get in trouble.
If we follow the rules, we stay out of trouble.
If we frown at people, they frown back.
If we smile at people, they smile back.
If we focus on the temporary, we reap temporary rewards.
If we focus on the eternal, we reap eternal rewards.

Let’s sow good seed, not just for our own sake but also for the sake of others.

Remember, whether beans or behavior, we reap what we sow.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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Snowed Under

February 25, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

Much of the United States has been snowed under for several weeks.

Almost everything outside disappeared under multiple layers of snow and ice. Bitterly cold temperatures and strong winds made the situation worse.

As a result, schools, offices, and stores closed. Emergency services encouraged people to stay home.

Any time of year, we can become snowed under with responsibilities.

We have more to do than we can possibly do. We feel like we are under a mountain of chores. Demands come from:

Home
Work
Church
Community
Friends
School
Our own expectations

Fun activities are no longer fun. We can’t stop thinking about what we need to do. Our lives feel like we are on a treadmill. We go as fast as we can but seem to get nowhere.

So how do we crawl out from under this snowed under feeling?

Set priorities. Decide what’s most important. Do that first.
Keep a list of what we need to do. Lists free our brains to focus on one task at a time.
Learn to delegate. Ask other people for help.
Do what we can. Then let the rest go until later.
Delete. If activities take too much time and are unimportant, get rid of them.
Take a break. A brief rest can increase our energy and improve our outlook.
Be thankful we are not bored.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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From Here to Yonder

February 18, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

From here to yonder makes sense to people in the southern United States.

It can be confusing for everyone else. We use this expression several ways.

If I can’t find something, I may say, “I searched from here to yonder.” That means I looked almost everywhere.
If I give directions, I may say, “It’s not that far from here to yonder.” I mean I don’t know exactly how far, but it’s a short distance.
If I tell you, “It’s way over yonder,” then the distance is longer.
If I want to show you something, I may point and say “It’s over yonder.”

In other words, from here to yonder describes distance.

The distance may be near or far. We may or may not be able to see what is yonder.

Of course, you can always substitute the word there for yonder.

They have similar meanings. However, there is a boring word. Yonder adds southern charm.

Comparing yonder to there is like comparing:

A chocolate-chip-and-raspberry ice cream cone to plain vanilla.
A night sky with a full moon and stars to a sky with no light.
A tree in full bloom to one with no leaves.

There tells you what you need to know. Yonder tells you what you need to know — southern style.

“Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life” (Psalm 143:8 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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Rise and Shine

February 4, 2014 Diana Derringer Comments 9 comments

“Rise and shine! Day has broken!” Regardless of the circumstances, that was our father’s morning wake-up call. Who needed an alarm clock with Dad around?

His greeting came:

After dates
After slumber parties
On weekends
On holidays
Every single day

Friends might sleep until noon, but not us. We crawled out of bed. Dad said it was time to face the day, so we faced the day. At times we:

Muttered under our breath
Wanted to throw a pillow at him
Wondered how any sane person could be cheerful that early

Nevertheless, Dad said to rise and shine. Rise we did. Shine … not so often.

I now know Dad didn’t always feel that cheerful either. But whether he felt it or not, he said it.

The message we received from that daily ritual included more than, “Get up you sleepyheads.” Dad was telling us:

Every day’s an adventure. Don’t waste it.
We have much to do. Let’s do it.

Of course, Dad was right. Every day holds adventure. To see it, we must open our eyes. To make the most of it, we have to open our hearts.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you” (Isaiah 60:1 NIV).

Did your Dad or Mom have a favorite expression? If so, I’d love to hear it.

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Back to the Drawing Board

December 31, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

When we make a mistake, we need to go back to the drawing board.

A drawing board is an architect’s table. If a design fails or doesn’t work as desired, the architect starts all over. He goes back to the drawing board to plan again.

No one enjoys having to redo work.

At the same time, don’t you find it encouraging that we can:

Correct mistakes?
Start over?
Improve projects that fail to work the first time?

That’s why we have erasers on pencils, and delete and undo buttons on computers.

We all make mistakes, so no one has the right to feel superior. Rather, by working together and sharing knowledge gained from successes and errors, everyone benefits.

How wonderful that God provides second chances.

When we make a total mess of our lives, we can go back to life’s drawing board.
When we see no hope for the future, God shows us a better way.
If we turn to God, He reveals His perfect design for our lives.

I can think of no greater way to begin a new year.

“Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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Caught Red-Handed

December 10, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

One of my favorite cartoons features a cute little boy. His mom told him he couldn’t have a cookie. So what did he do? When he thought Mom wasn’t looking, he took a cookie, of course.

What he didn’t know: Mom was watching. He was caught red-handed.

He tried to deny his guilt. But they both knew better. He held in his little hand clear and undeniable evidence.

That doesn’t sound much different from adult behavior, does it?

Every day people get caught red-handed.

Yet, they:

Blame others.
Twist the truth.
Try to cover up the facts.
Deny the facts.

Everyone knows what happened and who did it. The evidence convicts them. Like someone with blood on his hands after killing a person or animal, they get caught red-handed.

What kind of example does that set for children and youth? How can adults expect young people to do what’s right if they don’t?

It’s time to set the standard for good behavior.

Admit guilt when wrong.
Apologize for damage done.
Correct the problem, if possible.

“I’m sorry.” “Will you forgive me?” Short simple words that need to be used more often.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV).

Thanks to my great-nephew Kaleb for modeling a behavior I’m sure he would never do.

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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Bite Your Tongue

November 19, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

Bite your tongue tells another person to remain silent.

We might say bite your tongue to:

Declare we don’t want to hear what the other person has to say. That person’s statement may or may not be true. For example, someone might predict a snowfall. If we don’t want snow, we say, “Bite your tongue!”
Encourage someone to remain silent when another person hurts or displeases her. We will explore this meaning today.

People may hurt us, yet we can choose not to hurt them.

We can’t bite our tongue and talk at the same time. If we wait before we speak, we save ourselves and others much heartache. I don’t want to say something I will regret, do you?

Gossips or busybodies talk when they shouldn’t. They should bite their tongues. However, if we try to hurt them or anyone else because they hurt us, we only make the problem bigger.

Everyone benefits when we think before we speak or act.

Instead of fighting back with our words, why not try one of the following?

Walk away.
Count to 10 (or more) before we respond.
Explain how the person’s words or actions made us feel, when we can do so calmly.
Pray for the person.
Say or do something nice for that person. We may gain a friend. If not, we still know we did the right thing.
Try to understand why the person acts the way he does.
Remember: We can’t control the other person, but we can control ourselves. Charles R. Swindoll said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

“Help me, Lord, to keep my mouth shut and my lips sealed” (Psalm 141:3 TLB).

Do you have other helpful ideas for dealing with people who hurt us? Please comment below.

Thanks to Jenny Kuo for suggesting and modeling this expression.

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Don’t Borrow Trouble

November 5, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 3 comments

Are you a worrier?

Do you think nothing will get done unless you worry about it? If so, my friend, stop it! Don’t borrow trouble. You are causing yourself needless anxiety.

Several years ago, a baseball player offered a better approach. He declared, “Ain’t no need to worry!” (English teachers everywhere, please forgive the grammar. Pay attention instead to his philosophy.)

Worry neither prevents nor causes anything, except perhaps physical and emotional health problems.

If something’s going to happen, worry won’t stop it.
If it doesn’t happen, think of all the time you wasted.
Concentrate instead on what you can do.

We can make a difference if we:

Complete today’s work to the best of our ability.
Show love and kindness in all we do.
Thank God for each day’s opportunities.
Then, rest in the knowledge that our day was well lived.

I have to admit that worry still creeps into my life sometimes. Therefore, I have to continually tell myself not to borrow trouble. As is true of all my life, I remain a work in progress.

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34, MSG).

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment.

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Excess Baggage

October 22, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

If you have flown recently, you know the financial cost of an extra suitcase or too much weight. In addition, who wants the backaches, delayed connections, and short tempers caused by excess baggage?

Frequent travelers learn to pack nothing but the essentials.

They leave everything else at home.

If we only did the same with the emotional baggage we carry.

Just like an overstuffed suitcase, excess emotional baggage carries great cost. When we let our negative feelings regarding past wrongs, real or imagined, control our lives:

We may have trouble getting and keeping jobs.
We tend to take our feelings out on innocent people around us.
People often avoid us and our bad tempers.
We may have difficulty sleeping.
We may suffer eating disorders.
We lose our ability to concentrate clearly.
We remain miserable until we work through whatever holds us back.

If we can rid ourselves of excess emotional baggage on our own, that’s great. If we need help, we should seek that assistance without delay.

As a combat soldier in an old television program frequently said, “Let it go. Just let it go.”

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment.

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