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In Hot Water

In Hot Water

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In Hot Water--Yellowstone geyser basinIf I take a wrong step in Yellowstone National Park’s geyser basins, I end up in hot water. Other people have done that and did not live to talk about it.

I have been in hot water a few times in my life. I did not like it and don’t want to do it again.

If I am in hot water, I am in trouble.

I have done something wrong. My actions:

  • Make someone angry
  • Result in my punishment
  • Cause shame for me or those close to me
  • Put me in the doghouse

I would like to say I have never been in hot water.  

However, I can’t.

  • Sometimes, I make mistakes I don’t mean to make.
  • Other times I make mistakes because I want my way instead of the right way.

I may end up in hot water if the rules are wrong.

If someone in authority says to do something morally wrong, I must choose.

  • Will I do what the person in authority says?
  • Or will I make the right choice and end up in hot water?

I hope I always make the right choice and follow the straight and narrow.

In every situation, I live with the results of the choice I make. I reap what I sow.

“The Lord shows his faithful followers the way they should live” (Psalm 25:12 NET).

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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.

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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.

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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).

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Tall Tale

Tall Tale

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Tall Tale--whales divingA tall tale is a whale of a tale.

It is a big tale — a big story — much bigger than what really happened.

Because a tall tale is so big, it captures our attention. Most people don’t believe it but listen to it anyway. A few of us swallow a tall tale hook, line, and sinker. We believe the storyteller until people start laughing. Then we become part of the joke.

Comedians often tell tall tales. They base many of their stories on truth but add to them. They make their stories:

  • Bigger
  • Funnier
  • Crazier

We also share tall tales with relatives and friends. Some of us hold contests to see who can tell the tallest tale. We often tell such stories around campfires.

Tall tales grow bigger the more often we tell them.

I could tell you just the facts about a recent whale watching trip.

  • We saw between 10 and 20 whales.
  • The whales swam close to the boat.
  • Their tails and fins came out of the water as they dived to find food.

In a tall tale about those whales, I might tell you:

  • We saw at least 100 whales.
  • They swam so close to the boat we could rub their backs.
  • Those whales gave us high fives with their tails and fins.

Most tall tales offer a few moments of fun.

They become lies when told to hurt or deceive. Often when we lie, people know something’s fishy, and we end up in the doghouse.

Avoid tall tales that deceive. Enjoy tall tales told for fun.

“A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies” (Proverbs 12:17 TLB).

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Snug as a Bug in a Rug

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

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Snug as a Bug in a Rug--baby in blanketAs I small child, I loved to snuggle with my parents.

They made me feel secure – snug as a bug in a rug.

They would wrap me in a blanket or quilt and hold me. We would:

  • Talk
  • Read
  • Sing or listen to music

I thought everything was okay as long as my parents held me close.

Like a bug in a warm rug, I felt:

  • Cozy
  • Comfortable
  • Content

As an adult, I know much in our world is not okay.

However, some things still make me feel snug as a bug in a rug.

  • A warm house on a cold winter night
  • Hugs from family and friends
  • Long walks in the middle of nowhere
  • A good book by a favorite author

One day everything will be okay for those who believe in Jesus.

Jesus loves me (and you) more than the best parents. He offers everyone:

  • Forgiveness of sin
  • A personal relationship
  • A home in heaven
  • A fresh start

Jesus guides through life’s good and bad times. His peace, joy, hope, and love fill my heart. That makes me more secure than any bug in a rug.

Will you accept His offer?

“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7 NIV).

What makes you feel snug as a bug in a rug? Please comment.

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Thanks to Darrin and Danielle Jenkins for the photo.

A Right Smart

A Right Smart

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A Right Smart--Niagara FallsA right smart of water flows over Niagara Falls. On this rainy, windy day, the amount of water seemed far more than usual.

Many people have never heard this expression. It has nothing to do with how smart we are. Rather, it means a large amount.

If I own a right smart of something, I own a lot.

For example, I have a lot of:

  • Cousins (I love all of you.)
  • International friends (I love you too.)
  • Allergies (I don’t love you. Please go away.)

If I give a right smart, I give a lot, such as:

  • Food to people who visit our home
  • Children’s books to new parents
  • Gifts to organizations that help people in need

I have no control over a right smart that happens to me:

  • Trouble
  • Illness
  • Duties

I do have control over my:

  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Love

To let go and let God have control is a right smart better than any decision I can make.

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” (Ephesians 3:20-21 MSG).

Thanks to Laura Claycomb for the suggestion.

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Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings

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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.

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Save Your Breath

Save Your Breath

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Save Your Breath-two little boysSometimes you need to save your breath.

You know that no one will listen to what you say.

  • Talking will do no good.
  • Explaining will not help.
  • Arguing will probably make things worse.

A person not listening to you can be a good thing.

  • You may not have anything useful to say.
  • Your ideas may be wrong.
  • You don’t like to admit it, but you don’t always have the right answers.

A person not listening to you can also be a bad thing.

Most of the time, a person will listen.

That person may not like what you have to say. However, he or she will listen. Therefore:

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6 NIV).

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

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Thanks to Joy Hamilton Hale and Mackenzie Smith for the cute photo.

Labor of Love

Labor of Love

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Labor of Love--university students around a dinner tableSome work we love. Some work we hate. Much work we do as a labor of love.

A labor of love means a job with no pay or bad pay.

Yet we do the work because we:

  • Want to help someone we love
  • Enjoy it

The job pays us in pleasure rather than money.

Labors of love for me include:

  • Cooking
  • Writing
  • Teaching Sunday school

I have never been paid to cook. Most people would not hire me. I cook because my family, friends, and I get hungry. For years I hated the job. Yet, I learned to like being chief cook and bottle washer. Now, watching people enjoy my meals gives me great pleasure. I want to follow in the footsteps of some of my favorite cooks.

 If I counted the hours I write, my pay would fall far below minimum wage. I occasionally write for no pay, if I believe in an organization’s work. I love writing better than I love eating chocolate. Believe me, that is amazing.

Teaching middle-school girls gives me more joy than receiving a paycheck. Most people do everything they can to avoid that age. Yet, I look forward to time with my girls every Sunday morning. I have known some of them since they were knee high to a grasshopper.

What about you? What are your labors of love? Please comment below.

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV).

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