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Tag: idioms

Get Off on the Wrong Foot

Get Off on the Wrong Foot

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Get Off on the Wrong Foot, military paradeLike people in a military parade, we do not want to get off on the wrong foot. We want to start right.

If we get off on the wrong foot, we do not start well.

Something goes wrong from the beginning. Bad starts happen in:

  • Work
  • Play
  • Relationships

Correcting a bad start can be difficult.

We must work hard to make it right. As John Wooden said, “If you do not have the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?” Giving our best from the beginning makes life easier for everyone.

Correcting a bad start is possible.

Often we get off on the wrong foot by mistake. We did not mean to do it. We must work harder to correct our mistake. Yet, we can do it.

If we never made mistakes, we would not need:

  • Erasers
  • Delete buttons
  • The words I’m sorry

We all get off on the wrong foot sometimes.

When that happens, we want to

  • Come clean. Admit what we did wrong.
  • Face the music. Do what we must to correct the mistake.
  • Make a fresh start. Start over.
  • Forgive others when they get off on the wrong foot.

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me” (Psalm 94:18 NIV).

Thanks to Pat Stapp for the suggestion.

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

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Pick-Me-Up

Pick-Me-Up

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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.

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My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went

My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went

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My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went-path through bambooSome days I feel like my get up and go has got up and went.

(I know, English teachers – another expression with poor grammar.) My family said, “My get up and go got up and went.” I have also heard, “My get up and go has got up and gone.”

However I say it, I mean I have:

  • No energy
  • Little strength
  • No desire to do anything

I don’t want to:

  • Work
  • Play
  • Talk
  • Move

I have run out of steam and feel as old as the hills.

My get up and go has got up and went often refers to problems of old age.

We hear that in Pete Seeger’s fun song. It mentions the need for:

  • Glasses
  • False teeth
  • Hearing aids

Why not laugh and enjoy each day and each life stage?

I’m thankful my energy doesn’t disappear too often. Yet, I can be thankful for those times. They remind me to:

  • Slow down.
  • Rest.
  • Enjoy the moment.
  • Count my blessings.
  • Remember good times.
  • Stay quiet and peaceful.
  • Prepare for the days ahead.

Childhood, teen, young adult, middle age, or golden years, why not enjoy them all?

“God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:9).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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

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Fine as Frog’s Hair

Fine as Frog’s Hair

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Fine as Frog's Hair-Carlton Hughes photoPlease welcome my friend Carlton Hughes as today’s guest writer. Carlton and I met at Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. Carlton, represented by Cyle Young of C.Y.L.E. Agency, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesdays and Sundays, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who enjoys classic sitcoms and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Focus on the Family, and numerous devotional books from Worthy Publishing, including The Wonders of Nature, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb, from Ellie Claire/Hachette Publishing. Carlton also enjoys dressing up as crazy characters and making videos for his children’s ministry. He once made actress Emilia Clarke laugh.

Fine as Frog's Hair -- tree frogI used to go to church with a man who introduced me to this phrase. Whenever I greeted him and asked how he was doing, he always answered the same way.

“Fine as frog’s hair!”

Frogs don’t have hair, but, if they did, it would be fine — thin, hard to see. This phrase is a play on the word “fine,” which can also mean “good.”

We often greet each other and give an automatic answer.

If you ask me how I am, I will answer, “fine” without even thinking.

I recently had the flu, and I definitely did not feel fine, frog hair or none. If someone had asked “How are you,” I could have honestly answered, “Horrible!”

As Christians, we need to be real with each other.

Putting on a fake smile and pretending everything is okay when we are hurting is not the way to go. The Bible encourages us to bear each other’s burdens. We don’t have to give a gloomy answer when someone asks about our condition. However, we should be honest with our Christian brothers and sisters if something is wrong.

“An honest answer is a sign of true friendship” (Proverbs 24:26 GNT).

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

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Strike While the Iron Is Hot

Strike While the Iron Is Hot

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Strike While the Iron Is Hot-making a horseshoeA blacksmith must strike while the iron is hot. When fire makes iron soft, the blacksmith hits it with his hammer. Only then can he shape it.

If he waits too long, the iron cools. It becomes too hard to shape. He must act quickly – when the time is right.

We must also strike while the iron is hot.

Like farmers who make hay while the sun shines, we act while we have the opportunity. If we wait, we may be too late.

Some tasks wait with no problem (dusting furniture). Others demand immediate attention (hungry children).

Some opportunities come only once. For example, we see people in need we will never see again. With those, we must act quickly.

Relationships matter most.

We often delay caring for people, especially those closest to us.

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Neighbors

We think we have plenty of time. Therefore, we never take the time to keep those relationships strong. As a result, we may lose them.

Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Better to build strong relationships now than have to mend fences later. Look for ways to:

  • Show love.
  • Help one another.
  • Spend time together.
  • Make good memories.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

Thanks to Shirley Redding Rice for the suggestion.

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

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From the Heart

From the Heart

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From the Heart-quilt on a rockerToday’s post comes from the heart. I share it with:

  • Deep feelings
  • Sincere emotions
  • Love for the families I mention

Foster parents share their homes and their hearts.

They care for children who need a temporary home. They help children and families pick up the pieces of their lives.

Foster parents serve from the heart.

They love their children during good times and bad. They celebrate when children do well. They choose to love when children:

  • Reject their love
  • Damage their home
  • Break their hearts with bad choices

Foster parents receive few rewards.

News reports usually tell only bad foster parent stories. They rarely mention the families who give good care. Yet, foster parents continue their labor of love anyway.

My parents provided foster care several years. I worked with foster families almost 30 years. I saw their love and shared their hurt.

When I retired, foster parents gave me this quilt from their hearts. I recently wrote about it for Kentucky Living magazine.

When you see foster parents, thank them from your heart for:

  • Caring
  • Sharing
  • Giving
  • Healing

Happy Valentine’s Day to families who make our world a better place.

“Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22 NIV).

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

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Word to the Wise

Word to the Wise

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Word to the Wise--Snow covered creek and fieldLet me give you a word to the wise: Don’t drive on slick roads. You don’t want to wreck your car or hurt someone. Another weather-related suggestion: Don’t skate on thin ice. Bad choices can put you under the weather.

A word to the wise is good advice – a word (or words) of wisdom.

A longer version says a word to the wise is sufficient. A wise person does not require a lot of words. A short explanation or hint is enough.

Sometimes a word to the wise tells you what to do.

Do:

  • Wash your hands often (especially during flu season).
  • Listen more than you talk. (God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.)
  • Think before you speak.
  • Obey the law. (Follow the straight and narrow.)

Other times it tells you what not to do.

It warns of danger.

Don’t:

  • Take silly chances (like skating on thin ice).
  • Go where you might get in trouble.
  • Stay angry.
  • Forget the importance of relationships.

“Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge” (Proverbs 22:17 HCSB).

Thanks to Cecelia Lester for the suggestion.

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

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Stick to the Ribs

Stick to the Ribs

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Stick to the Ribs--platter of roast beef , potatoes, carrots, onionsI recently said I thought gravy was for the birds. J.T. Henderson commented, “Now gravy I like – ‘stick-to-the-ribs’ food.” My dad often said the same thing.

We usually like foods that stick to the ribs.

We describe them as:

  • Good to taste and good for you
  • Long lasting
  • Energy giving

They keep us going, even on cold, snowy days. They offer comfort. Sometimes they make us think of home.

Foods often described as stick to the ribs include:

  • Chili or thick soup (especially in cold weather)
  • Biscuits and gravy (even if I disagree)
  • Steak and potatoes

 My favorites include:

  • Roast beef with potatoes, carrots, and onions
  • Corn from my garden
  • Coleslaw
  • Cornbread
  • Chocolate covered almonds (or almost anything chocolate)

Many favorites are not really good for us.

We simply like to eat them.

  • We know we should eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
  • Yet, we say, “Forget the salad. Give me something that will stick to the ribs.”

Perhaps a better description for them would be stick to the belly. Getting food to stick there is easy as pie. However, when we try to get it off, we have our work cut out for us.

“Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).

Thanks to J.T. Henderson for the idea. What is your favorite stick-to-the-ribs food? Comment below.

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Figure Out

Figure Out

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Figure Out--flowers with butterflySome things in life are hard to figure out.

  • How do flowers grow from buds?
  • What makes winter so cold and summer so hot?
  • How do butterflies grow from cocoons? (Can you find the butterfly in this picture?)

Some people say figure it out instead of figure out.

When we figure out anything, we solve a problem.

We:

  • Learn how to do something
  • Understand what we did not understand before
  • Find an explanation for something
  • Begin to see daylight

Sometimes we figure out things. Other times we figure out people.

  • Not all people think the same way we do.
  • Our actions differ.
  • We have different goals.

We need to figure out how to get along in spite of our differences.

  • We don’t have to agree to be agreeable.
  • We don’t have to act the same way to act with kindness.
  • We don’t have to share the same goals to support one another.

If we look at the other side of the coin, we may learn something.

I have a hard time figuring out math problems. I know all my questions drove my teachers crazy. One would say, “Think. Just think.” I was thinking. However, I could not think like he did. I was in over my head. I am thankful those teachers did not give up on me. Instead, they bent over backwards to help me.

Life is often hard. Why not help one another figure out the best way to live it?

“This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own’” (Jeremiah 33:2-3 MSG).

Thanks to Judy Clark for the suggestion.

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

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Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other

Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other

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Six of One and Half a Dozen of Another 2--mountainsI love mountains. I love oceans. Which one I visit is six of one and half a dozen of the other. I simply want to hit the trail.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other means I have two equal choices.

The result of those choices is the same or almost the same. (A dozen is 12 and six is half of 12.)  Therefore, Six of One and Half a Dozen of the Other--oceanwhat I decide makes no difference.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other is sometimes true for:

  • Travel—which way I go
  • Jobs—which one I take
  • Free time—what I do for fun
  • Meals—what food I eat

Some choices are equally good.

Good choices for me include:

  • Hawaii (been there) or Alaska (want to go there)
  • Writing or speaking
  • Reading or walking
  • Chocolate or almonds (or chocolate covered almonds, yes!)

Other choices are equally bad.

Bad choices for me include:

  • Car races or casinos
  • Math teacher or scientist
  • Science fiction movies or heavy metal music
  • Gravy or liver (or gravy covered liver, no!)

Six of one and half a dozen of the other also refers to people.

Two people may:

  • Be equally qualified for a job
  • Share equal fault for a problem
  • Have little difference in personality

Neither choice stands out.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other choices matter little. However, the results of more important choices make big differences.

Enjoy the variety of unimportant choices. Choose wisely for decisions that matter most.

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Psalm 25:9 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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

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