Browsed by
Tag: joy

Warm the Cockles of My Heart

Warm the Cockles of My Heart

Comments 12 comments

Warm the Cockles of My Heart--bowl of seashellsTo warm the cockles of my heart, something makes me happy.

I never use this expression. I do say something gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. The two expressions mean almost the same. Deep inside, I feel:

  • Good
  • Content
  • Warm

I have no cockles in my heart.

No one does. So how did this expression start? wiseGEEK and other sources offer these two possibilities:

  1. The “Latin description for the heart’s chambers, cochleae cordis.” Cockles became a slang word for cochleae.
  2. Mollusk shells (cockles) and the human heart have similar shapes. (See photo.)

They give other ideas, but these two seem most common.

The following warm the cockles of my heart:

What about you?

What warms the cockles of your heart? Please comment below.

On Valentine’s Day and every day, may life warm the cockles of your heart.

“We know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5 TLB).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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.

Search High and Low

Search High and Low

Comments 3 comments

Search High and Low-tree with holes high and lowIf we search high and low, we look everywhere.

We try our best to find something or someone. Examples of people who search high and low include:

  • Children playing “Hide and Seek”
  • Adults having a senior moment (forgetting where they put something)
  • Shoppers searching for the perfect gift

Similar expressions include:

My friend Laurel Blevins found this tree on a local walking trail. Animals can hole up high and low inside it.

Many of us search high and low for joy.

Yet, our search fails when we look for joy in:

  • Money
  • Power
  • Popularity
  • Drugs and alcohol
  • Anything that does not last

We don’t need to wear ourselves out searching. Look to God, our only source of true joy.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV).

Does this tree remind anyone else of a cookie commercial?

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.

My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went

My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went

Comments 2 comments

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.

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.

Give Birth to Something

Give Birth to Something

Comments 4 comments

Give Birth to Something-Mary, Joseph, Jesus

Some people complain about problems. Others give birth to solutions.

They:

  • Try to make life better
  • Explore changes
  • Work to make those changes happen

Kate Thomas, a writing friend, gave birth to the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference in 1996. She knew Kentucky writers needed training and encouragement. Her conference offers help to writers every year.

To give birth to something means to begin something new.

People give birth to new:

  • Ideas
  • Ways to work
  • Inventions
  • Schools

When God sent Jesus to earth, Mary gave birth to more than a baby.

Jesus came as:

  • Son of God
  • Prince of peace
  • The way of salvation
  • Hope for a hopeless world
  • Love for all people
  • Joy for the joyless

Jesus gave the gift of Himself.

Anyone who accepts Jesus as personal Savior receives a new birth.

God gives that person new life — eternal life. That is why Jesus came. That is what Christmas is all about.

Merry Christmas!

[Mary] “gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger” (Luke 2:7 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.

Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings

Comments 9 comments

Count Your Blessings-cornucopia with pumpkins

I love to hear Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney sing “Count Your Blessings” in the movie White Christmas. I also love the words of the hymn “Count Your Blessings.” In recent years, Laura Story’s “Blessings” has become another favorite.

Laura wrote “Blessings” after she learned her husband had a brain tumor. I first heard it after my husband’s brain tumor diagnosis. Laura tells her family’s story in this video.

All three of these songs remind me (and you) to be thankful.

We can count our blessings at all times and in all circumstances.

  • During good times and bad
  • Whether rich or poor
  • When alone or with others

Hard times can be blessings in disguise.

  • Illness often gives us a greater love for life.
  • Job loss sometimes leads to a better job.
  • Pain can make us stronger.
  • Money problems can teach us better spending habits.

Let’s think about the good in our lives and give thanks. When life gets hard, let’s ask God to show us the blessings in those experiences.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“May God our Father shower you with blessings and fill you with his great peace” (Colossians 1:2 TLB)

What are some of your greatest blessings? 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.

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

Comments 2 comments

We Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar-honey in jars

We catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Set some honey near flies and watch what happens.

Nothing equals the sweet taste of honey.

Flies love it. So do people.

We don’t usually like the taste of vinegar by itself.

Think about what that teaches.

We get our needs met faster when we are polite.

Be sweet to other people.

  • Treat everyone as we want to be treated.
  • Show respect.
  • Speak and act with kindness.
  • Smile.
  • Give more than expected for good measure.

A bad attitude makes everyone feel worse.

We cannot act sour and expect everyone to treat us well. When we complain constantly, we should not expect good service.

Yet, one small act of kindness can make everyone feel and act better.

Watch what happens when a happy baby enters a room full of frowning adults. The whole room changes.

  • The baby laughs, waves, and tries to play with the adults.
  • Adults smile, wave, and play with the child.
  • Soon everyone has a great time.

We may not be sweet as a baby. However, we can be friendly. Let’s add a little joy to the lives of those we meet.

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24 NET).

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.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Poor as a Church Mouse

Poor as a Church Mouse

Comments 3 comments

Poor as a Church Mouse--mouse on a fenceIf we are poor as a church mouse, we are the poorest of the poor.

We own almost nothing.

Years ago, few churches had kitchens. Therefore, if a mouse lived in a church, it had little to eat. A child might drop crumbs from a snack. Yet, that would not last long. The poor mouse might starve.

We may have times poor as a church mouse. We may also have times rich as a king.

Our happiness does not depend on what we own.

We can be poor as church mice and happy. We make do.

We can also live high on the hog, and be unhappy.

Money matters little for true meaning in life.

We find real wealth in:

  • Peace in our souls
  • Purpose for living
  • Love for God and one another
  • Hope for the future
  • Joy for every day
  • Sharing what we have with those in need

We can’t take it with us when we die. So, why not put what we own to good use now?

“Better to be poor and honest than rich and a cheater” (Proverbs 28:6 TLB).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott 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.

Okey-dokey

Okey-dokey

Comments 2 comments

okey-dokey--flowersWe find okey-dokey spelled several ways.

  • Okie-dokie
  • Okay-doke
  • Okey-doke
  • Okee-dokee

However we spell it, the meaning remains the same.

Okey-dokey means okay.

  • It’s a fun way to agree to something or to say yes. (Will you open the door for me? Okey-dokey.)
  • It also means all is well. (How are you? Okey-dokey.) This meaning is similar to hunky-dory or fit as a fiddle.

Recently I asked a friend to do something for me. She said, “Okey-dokey,” so I knew she would do it.

I asked another friend how she was feeling. She replied, “Okey-dokey.” I knew she was not sick any longer.

Sometimes we need to say no instead of okey-dokey.

No can be a hard for some of us to say. Yet, if we fail to say no when we should, we may:

  • Agree to do something we don’t have time to do
  • Help with bad behavior
  • Do what the other people should do themselves

Sometimes we need help instead of saying we are okey-dokey.

We all feel bad occasionally. We get under the weather. Most of the time, we feel better quickly. However, we should ask for help when we need it.

What helps you feel okey-dokey?

Rainbows, waterfalls, and flowers work for me.

“If God says it’s okay, it’s okay” (Acts 10:15 MSG).

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.

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles

Comments 3 comments

Eventually we all suffer hard times.

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles-plate of cookiesWhen that happens, we may say to one another, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.” We mean:

  • That’s too bad.
  • Those things happen.
  • You could not have prevented your problems.
  • You cannot change your problems.
  • I’m sorry about your problems.

 We don’t like it. We may want to scream, “Life’s not fair.” Well … it isn’t. So we deal with that fact. Saying “That’s the way the cookie crumbles” encourages us not to get upset.

No one is problem free. In fact, some of the kindest, wisest people I know seem to have one problem after another. They get few breaks.

Yet, many of them ignore their troubles. Instead, they reach out to help others. They do whatever it takes to make other people’s lives easier. They find joy in the middle of all they face.

Will we find joy in spite of our problems?

When life falls apart, will we fall apart as well? Or will we ask God to guide us? Will we help other people deal with their troubles? Will we make the best of a bad situation?

“You have patiently suffered for me without quitting” (Revelation 2:3 TLB).

Thanks to Carol Sullivan and Sweet Hospitality for the yummy looking cookie 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.

Bucket List

Bucket List

Comments 4 comments

Bucket List 2Do you have a bucket list — a list of things you want to do before you die?

I checked riding in a hot air balloon off my list over a year ago.

People have talked about bucket lists for years. However, the expression became more popular after 2007’s The Bucket List movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

The two men in the movie met when they became hospital roommates. Doctors told both they were dying. They had very different backgrounds and personalities. Yet, they began a worldwide adventure together. As they completed each activity on their bucket list, they marked it off.

In one of my favorite scenes from that movie, Morgan Freeman urges Jack Nicholson to find his joy.

Have you found your joy?

Do you know what gives your life purpose?

Our bucket lists may differ. Our circumstances may change. Our need for joy remains the same.

Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 TLB).

What’s on your bucket list?

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.