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Tag: self-improvement

Bumfuzzled

Bumfuzzled

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Bumfuzzled--a path among greenery that divides two waysAll of us occasionally feel bumfuzzled. No matter what we do, we cannot find the answers we need.

We don’t know which way to turn or where to look for help. Our brains refuse to work. We are up a stump.

Bumfuzzled means confused.

We feel:

  • Inadequate
  • Frustrated
  • Perplexed
  • Anxious
  • Bewildered

The answer to our bumfuzzled feelings often lies within our reach.

We may simply need to wait, to let it be. For example:

  1. If we relax, the answer frequently pops into our minds.

This happens for many of us in the middle of the night. I keep paper and pens in a bedside drawer for such moments.

  1.  Physical activity also helps.

Increased blood flow improves our brains as well as our bodies.

Our change of focus makes everything fall into place.

  • Confusion melts away.
  • Vexation turns to vision.
  • Purpose and meaning return.

We don’t need to sweat it when we find ourselves overwhelmed and unable to function.

However, we don’t want to stay there.

When we finally find what we need, we make a remarkable discovery. Along with the answers we sought, we also gained persistence and endurance.

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”. (Romans 8:26)

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Burn the Midnight Oil

Burn the Midnight Oil

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Burn the Midnight Oil--chest with burning oil lamp, "Be Still" plaque, trinkets, and BibleThe night before final exams, students often burn the midnight oil. They study late hoping to make good grades.

To burn the midnight oil means to stay up late studying or working.

Before electricity, people used oil lamps or candles for light after dark. If they stayed up until midnight or after, they used extra oil.

This expression appeared in a 1635 poem, “Emblems,” by Francis Quarles.

People often burn the midnight oil because they fail to study or work during regular hours.

If they work harder earlier, they enjoy a job well done plus a good night’s sleep.

Work or study occasionally requires extra effort.

In those cases, late work must be done to complete the task.

Whether we burn the midnight oil or complete our work early, we need occasional breaks.

Instead of burning the candle at both ends, we need time to:

  • Be still in God’s presence.
  • Let God’s peace fill us.

“At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws” (Psalm 119:62 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion and to Jeri Stone for the photo.

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

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Let the Cat Out of the Bag

Let the Cat Out of the Bag

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Let the Cat Out of the Bag--cat in fabric looking out a windowIf we plan a surprise, we don’t want anyone to let the cat out of the bag.

To let the cat out of the bag means to disclose a secret.

We may reveal the secret:

  • Deliberately or by accident
  • With words or with actions

We often give enough hints that other people figure out what we mean.

The Phrase Finder lists two possible origins for let the cat out of the bag.

  1. The most common comes from merchants substituting a cat for a pig.

Methods differed, but scams occurred years ago. When people bought a pig, merchants might put a less valuable cat in the bag. Anyone who reported the deceit let the cat out of the bag. If no one told the truth, the buyer discovered the switch when he opened the bag at home.

A related idiom warns against buying a pig in a poke.

  1. A less common explanation refers to the cat o’ nine tails.

The cat o’ nine tails was a whip with lashes made from three braided strands of cord. The cords were three braided strands of string. Thus, each lash contained nine strings.

When people were whipped, the cuts from the knotted ends looked similar to cat claw scratches. Although lashes may have been stored in bags, this explanation fails to address secrets.

We need to be careful what we say.

Regardless of the origin, we want to:

  • Reveal what needs to be told.
  • Guard what needs to stay quiet.

“You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and see them all” (Psalm 90:8 TLB).

Thanks to Regina Graham and Tracy Crump for the suggestion and to Jeri Stone for the photo.

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

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Brush Up

Brush Up

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Brush Up--cluttered deskI frequently need to brush up my desk and my online skills. Both take time, but both are worth the effort. If I don’t clean my desk, the clutter becomes unmanageable. If I fail to refresh or improve my online skills, my writing suffers.

To brush up has at least three meanings.

  1. To clean with a brush.

This might include:

  • Crumbs from a table
  • Dirt off the floor
  • Dust from a porch

  1. To clean or improve something (with or without a brush).

In addition to my desk, I need to clean or update the rest of the house. I have no problem with getting the house clean as a whistle.  However, I don’t like change, so I update only when necessary.

I also need to occasionally update my:

  • Medical information
  • Résumé
  • Contacts

  1. To improve personal knowledge or abilities.

I learn new information or review what I already know. That refreshes my memory and improves my abilities as a:

  • Writer
  • Caregiver
  • Bible study leader for middle school girls
  • And other roles

What about you? Where do you have to brush up? Please comment.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV).

Thanks to Melissa Bright for the suggestion.

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No Bigger than a Minute

No Bigger than a Minute

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No Bigger than a Minute--Diana with nephewSome expressions suit us to a T.  This one describes me. All my life, I have been the smallest or one of the smallest in most settings.

  • Smallest person in my family
  • One of the smallest in my classes at school
  • Smallest in my office
  • Usually smallest in sports

You get the picture. Here I stand with my then 15-year-old nephew. The gentle giant with the shrimp of the family.

What makes this picture more fun: He was born tiny and premature. I was a big full-term baby.

No bigger than a minute means very small.

The expression often refers to a person who looks:

  • Tiny
  • Skinny
  • Frail
  • Hungry

This can also refer to animals or objects.

Abandoned baby animals look frail and hungry. In addition to food, they need tender loving care.

This expression has a few variations.

Although poor grammar, the following are common.

  • Weren’t no bigger than a minute
  • Ain’t bigger than a minute

 Anyone or anything no bigger than a minute can make a big difference.

Regardless of our size (or any other characteristic), God can use us to make the world a better place. Let’s work together — gentle giants, shrimps, and everyone in between — to spread God’s love with a hurting world.

“He will bless those who fear the Lord—small and great alike” (Psalm 115:13 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Klotz 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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Sleep Like a Log

Sleep Like a Log

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Sleep Like a Log--large log with branches still attached before a tall treeI rise early most mornings. However, caregiving, especially getting up several times a night, occasionally wears me down. If I become extremely tired and have few interruptions, I sleep like a log.

Recently, after days of meeting myself coming and going, I slept almost two hours past my usual wakeup. I felt wonderful! A good night’s sleep solves a lot of life’s woes!

To sleep like a log means a deep, restful sleep.

Similar expressions include sleep like a:

  • Baby
  • Top
  • Rock

All mean to sleep:

  • Well
  • Soundly
  • Without waking

To sleep like a log can be dangerous.

Although we want to sleep soundly, we can overdo it. A friend in college slept so well that other people in his dorm had to wake him when his alarm went off. I once slept through a tornado warning. Someone finally realized I was missing and woke me.

Several steps help achieve a good night’s rest.

  • Go to bed and get up about the same time every day.
  • Keep the room free of distractions.
  • Maintain a regular pre-sleep routine.
  • Eliminate screen time an hour or more before going to bed.

God gave us the gift of sleep. Let’s make the most of it.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8 NIV).

Thanks to Joanne Viola 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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Wishy-washy

Wishy-washy

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Wishy-washy--A thick pot of soupOn cold winter days, our family loves thick soups and chilis. They fill and warm our bodies and delight our taste buds. No wishy-washy soups for us.

Wishy-washy means lacking strength, flavor, or other positive qualities.

It applies to both food and people.

Wishy-washy food is thin, watery, and flavorless.

Such dishes are:

They need seasonings, meat, vegetables, or pasta to add flavor and nutrition.

Wishy-washy people are also weak.

They show little strength of character. Instead, they act:

  • Indecisive
  • Incompetent
  • Lacking in character
  • In need of courage
  • Unstable

Because of those weaknesses, they inspire little confidence and make poor leaders.

Overcome weakness with boldness.

  • Stand firm and strong.
  • Show strength of character
  • Make informed and effective decisions
  • Live with honor and integrity
  • Act with courage

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NIV).

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion. Image by wildhearts from Pixabay.

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

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Woolgathering

Woolgathering

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Woolgathering--Sheep being shearedI have never witnessed anyone shearing a sheep. I think it would be a hot, tiring job for both sheep and shearer. Perhaps they get through it by woolgathering, letting their thoughts roam.

Woolgathering began with a literal meaning.

According to Miriam Webster dictionary, woolgathering originally meant “gathering loose tufts of wool … caught on bushes and fences as sheep passed by.” That would have taken a long time with few results and little income. Those gathering wool probably appeared “to wander aimlessly.”

Eventually woolgathering developed a figurative meaning.

It meant minds wandering aimlessly and foolishly.

Occasional thoughts with no purpose help us relax.

We enjoy time to:

  • Sit on a porch and shoot the breeze
  • Daydream under a shade tree
  • Listen to waves lap against a beach

Too much woolgathering gets us in trouble.

We want to pay attention when we:

  • Work
  • Drive
  • Complete paperwork

A word to the wise:

Work when we need to work. Woolgather when we have time to relax.

“Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion; wise realists plant their feet on the ground” (Proverbs 14:18 MSG).

 Thanks to Jeri Stone for the suggestion. Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay.

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

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Tongue Lashing

Tongue Lashing

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Tongue Lashing--Man speaking to dog. Dog's paws on man's hands and head downOne time when I disobeyed my dad, he caught me red-handed. However, he did not get home to discuss my misdeed until late. I worried all day that I was in hot water. I dreaded the tongue lashing to come.

Dad never said anything. I think he knew I had suffered enough.

Tongue lashings hurt. A lot.

Just ask any of us who have received one. Most people I know prefer almost any other form of correction.

Corporal punishment is seldom used anymore. Yet, we often hear people say they would rather have a spanking than a tongue lashing.

A tongue lashing means a scolding.

Sometimes severe and lengthy, the speaker lectures the other person (or animal). Words may include:

  • Criticism
  • Anger
  • Disappointment

Disappointment is often harder to hear than anger or criticism.

If we have a close relationship with the speaker, we don’t want to let him down. That was the case with my dad.

Tongue lashings can be for our good, or they can be cruel.

Either is hard to take. However, if we know the person desires the best for us, we gain from what he says.

May we speak strong words when needed. May we always speak from a heart of love.

Thanks to Marita Smeathers Mantooth for the suggestion and to Bethany Ferr with Pexels for the photo.

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

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Read Between the Lines

Read Between the Lines

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Read between the lines--white writing on red background "I'm not angry" with "not" covered with a black X“I’m not angry!” she yells as she clenches her fists and stomps away! If we read between the lines, we hear the message of her behavior rather than her words.

To read between the lines means to find the true message.

We understand what was not said or written — what a person really means. Hidden feelings or thoughts become clear.

This can also happen when anyone hems and haws, trying to avoid giving an answer.

Read between the lines comes from cryptography.

Secret writing hides true messages between the lines of text. The Free Dictionary’s explanations include:

  • “In one code, reading every second line of a message gives a different meaning from that of the entire text.”
  • In another method, people “write the secret information in invisible ink between the lines of a document.”

Honesty with self and others makes life easier.

When we try to fool anyone, no one wins. Better to say and do what we mean, to remain on the up and up. The Apostle Paul left his readers a good example.

“My letters have been straightforward and sincere; nothing is written between the lines!” (2 Corinthians 1:13 TLB).

Thanks to Amy Walsh for the idea from a recent social media post.

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

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