Browsed by
Tag: self-improvement

On the Tip of Your Tongue

On the Tip of Your Tongue

Comments 6 comments

On the Tip of Your Tongue -- dog with tongue outHave you ever had someone’s name on the tip of your tongue? You know the person well, but the name simply will not come to mind.

On the tip of your tongue means something you can almost remember.

The thought is nearly there but not quite. When you start to say it, it disappears. You could kick yourself, but that would do no good.

On the tip of your tongue refers to more than names.

People often forget:

  • Answers to questions
  • Thoughts
  • Quotes
  • Words

The inability to recall information affects everyone.

However, certain conditions make the situation worse.

  • Age
  • Stress
  • Multi-tasking
  • Distractions
  • Illness

Those and other circumstances often make the brain work at a snail’s pace.

Humor helps when anything remains on the tip of your tongue.

Like water off a duck’s back, let it go. Learn to laugh at yourself. You are not alone.

Aren’t you glad God never forgets?

Never has. Never will.

“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely” (Psalm 139:4 NIV).

Thanks to Lindy Pierce for the suggestion and to Chelsey Stone for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

In a Pickle

In a Pickle

Comments 10 comments

In a Pickle--two shelves of assorted picklesA friend recently said, “I don’t like to put you in a pickle.” She did not want her plans to cause me trouble.

In a pickle means in a difficult situation.

Similar expressions include in a jam or in hot water.

We often end up in a pickle or in a jam through no fault of our own.

  • Circumstances work against us.
  • People’s actions hurt us.
  • Weather destroys our property.
  • Sickness strikes our family.

We have no control over those situations.

Occasionally we get ourselves in a pickle or in hot water.

Our actions work against us when we:

  • Mistreat others
  • Break laws or rules
  • Refuse to work

Sometimes we add words to this expression.

Examples include:

  • In a pretty pickle.
  • In a right pickle.
  • In a real pickle.

However we say it, we get in a mess.

Simple steps may help us out of our messes.

  • Request help from friends, family, or coworkers.
  • Apologize for mistakes.
  • Pray for God’s guidance.

“I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don’t let me make a mess of things” (Psalm 119:31 TLB).

Thanks to Rita Smalley for the suggestion and to Gail Gosser for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

Half-baked

Half-baked

Comments 4 comments

Half-baked--strawberry cupcakesI don’t like half-baked food, do you? Instead, like these beautiful cupcakes, bake everything until fully done. Yum!

Half-baked means partly baked.

Half-done food:

  • Rarely tastes good
  • May not be safe

Anything half-baked, food or nonfood, is incomplete.

Poor planning and practice doom our projects. Success requires good judgement in preparation and procedure.

Half-baked also means foolish.

Ideas are:

  • Impractical
  • Uninformed
  • Unrealistic

Impolite descriptions include:

  • Stupid
  • Crazy
  • Brainless

Such ideas often result from a lack of maturity or experience.

However, age and ability don’t guarantee wise judgement. Neither do youth and a lack of experience mean certain failure.

At any age or skill level, we gain when we:

  • Take our time.
  • Plan well.
  • Work hard.

If we want to take the cake, we can’t use half-baked ideas.

God never offers partial plans.

In a recent sermon, our pastor described a half-baked or half-done scheme. Because of poor planning and performance, it failed.

However, God never does anything halfway. We find the ultimate example of God’s complete work in Jesus. Sent to earth as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, Jesus saves us entirely and eternally.

God gives the best. Never settle for less.

“My people mingle with the heathen, picking up their evil ways; thus they become as good-for-nothing as a half-baked cake!” (Hosea 7:8 TLB).

Thanks to Pastor Dwayne Norman for the idea and to Carol Sullivan for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

Where Bees Are, There Is Honey

Where Bees Are, There Is Honey

Comments 10 comments

Where There Are Bees, There Is Honey--two people in protective suits capturing a swarm of honeybees

My dad loved taking care of bee hives. A cousin continues Dad’s tradition. He knows that where bees are, there is honey.

Where bees are, there is honey has a clear literal meaning.

Honeybees produce honey.

We sometimes hear a less grammatically correct version of this expression: Where there’s bees, there’s honey.

Bees work hard, and their hard work pays off.

In addition to providing a natural sweetener, they pollinate plants.

  • Flowers
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits

Without bees, we suffer.

Where bees are, there is honey also applies to people.

Where we find people busy as a bee, we find results.

Success and better pay usually follow hard work. Hard work also makes our world a better place.

Bees teach us to work together.

Large numbers in bee swarms make their efforts faster and more effective. Likewise for people, many hands make light work.

May we learn from bees and from all God’s creation.

“The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:9-10 NIV).

Thanks to Kristy Horine for the suggestion and to Jewell Withers Wade for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

Green as a Gourd

Green as a Gourd

Comments 6 comments

Green as a Gourd--old gourd hanging on a wallMy grandmother grew gourds. I did not understand why. What good were they? I thought they tasted awful. Plus, my grandmother often referred to people as green as a gourd. That expression was not a compliment.

As green as a gourd means not ripe.

Gourds need time to ripen before they become useful. People also need time to mature before we tackle certain tasks. Youth has its advantages, but so does maturity with its time and experience.

Similar expressions include:

  • Green behind the ears
  • Greenhorn

As green as a gourd also refers to the gourd’s color.

When we have stomach trouble, we turn green as a gourd from nausea. We feel and look horrible. Not a condition we desire.

Dried or cured gourds once served a variety of roles.

After time to mature, they became:

  • Dippers
  • Containers
  • Birdhouses
  • Musical instruments
  • Arts and crafts

They continue to serve some of those purposes.

The gourd in this picture belonged to my great-great-grandmother. She used it as a salt container. It has served and lasted well. May we also be worth our salt, serving long and well.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14 NIV).

Thanks to Darrin Jenkins for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

Written in Stone

Written in Stone

Comments 6 comments

Written in Stone--Statue of Moses with the Ten CommandmentsWhen we receive instructions, we may wonder if they will change or if they are written in stone. That is true for orders from:

  • Parents to children
  • Employers to workers
  • Governments to citizens

Anything written in stone (or set in stone) cannot be changed.

It is:

  • Permanent
  • In final form

Similar expressions include cast in stone or etched in stone.

Written in stone probably originated with the Ten Commandments in the Bible.

Those rules, given by God to Moses, were engraved on stone. They provide direction for every part of our lives.

The first four commandments address our relationship with God.

They tell us to:

  1. Have no other gods before God.
  2. Make no idols.
  3. Never take God’s name in vain.
  4. Remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.

The last six commandments address our relationships with other people.

They tell us to:

  1. Honor our fathers and mothers.

And not to:

  1. Murder
  2. Commit adultery
  3. Steal
  4. Bear false witness
  5. Covet

Years later, a law expert asked Jesus which commandment is greatest.

Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Love God. Love others. That covers all the commandments in a nutshell.

Thanks to Tracy Crump for the suggestion. Image by Enlightening Images from Pixabay.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

Elephant in the Room    

Elephant in the Room    

Comments 6 comments

Elephant in the Room--three small ceramic or jade elephantsFew of us desire an elephant in the room. Not the kind on four legs and not unpleasant subjects.

An elephant in the room means a problem no one discusses.

The situation is:

  • Serious
  • Important
  • Obvious

We need to address the topic.

Everyone knows about it. However, no one wants to discuss it because it makes us feel:

  • Uncomfortable
  • Embarrassed
  • Awkward

As a result, we ignore the issue rather than rock the boat.

  • Families don’t mention strained relationships.
  • Workers overlook wasteful systems.
  • Friends choose peace over responsibility.

Excuses for ignoring difficult situations include:

  • “It’s none of my business.”
  • “No one gets hurt.”
  • “I don’t have time to get involved.”

We want to remain on the right track. At times, that means we avoid unnecessary problems. Other times, it means we stand firm for truth and examine the elephant

An elephant in the room’s origin is unknown.

According to The Phrase Finder, it probably began in the United States.

 “It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret” (Ephesians 5:12 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Klotz and Darrin Jenkins for the suggestion.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm Matin Wiles book
Version 1.0.0

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.” Congratulations to Larry Bowen whose name was randomly selected from my mailing list to receive a free copy of Martin Wiles’s book, “Don’t Just Live…Really Live.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Milktoast

Milktoast

Comments 6 comments

Milktoast--milktoast on a plate on a table with flowers in the middleI don’t want milktoast for breakfast or any other meal. Although I like milk and toast, I prefer them separate. I also want more flavor. Even with sugar, cinnamon, or other spices added, it remains a bland dish. Give me eggs or cereal with fruit and nuts.

Neither do I want to be a milktoast person or give milktoast responses. However, I have been guilty of both.

Milktoast means weak or ineffective.

It can be a noun or an adjective. The person or response is:

Milquetoast mean the same.

According to The Free Dictionary, the character description refers to H. T. Webster’s comic strip character, Caspar Milquetoast. Like edible milktoast (or milk toast), Caspar had a bland personality.

Milktoast is easy to digest.

With so little flavor, it does not upset the body’s system. Neither do weak people upset their social systems of:

  • Business
  • Government
  • Religion
  • Families

They value the status quo above truth or progress.

God seeks boldness in service.

Certainly, quietness and meekness are often appropriate. Yet, God expects and provides courage when the time comes to speak up and stand tall.

“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29 NIV).

Thanks to Gail Johnson for the suggestion and to Jeri Gumm Stone for the photo.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm Matin Wiles book
Version 1.0.0

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.” On 3-29-25, one name will be randomly selected from my mailing list to also receive a free copy of Martin Wiles’s book, “Don’t Just Live…Really Live.” If your name is already on the mailing list, you are automatically entered. Please encourage your friends to subscribe.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

So Tight They Squeak When They Walk

So Tight They Squeak When They Walk

Comments 6 comments

So Tight They Squeak When They Walk--Man's feet walking down stepsOne of my high school teachers could never sneak up on our class. We could hear his squeaky shoes from the far end of the hall. He was not like some people who are so tight they squeak when they walk. He simply had squeaky shoes.

So tight they squeak when they walk means extremely stingy.

Similar expressions include:

Turning loose of money or possessions hurts such people worse than a toothache. They refuse to give to others. Often, they fail to buy what they need themselves. They suffer rather than let go of what they own.

People so tight they squeak when they walk go far beyond thrifty.

Thrifty people save for a rainy day. They remain ready for emergencies. However, they also spend as needed now. Those so tight they squeak when they walk don’t want to spend even when emergencies arise.

They can’t take it with them, so why hang on so tightly now?

How sad to never experience the joy of sharing. Both they and a world of others lose when they ignore opportunities for good.

The owner becomes the owned.

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV).

Thanks to J.D. Wininger for the suggestion and to Laura Mitchell Wilds and Billy Joe Douglas with Mitchell’s for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or thoughts 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.

Stinking Thinking

Stinking Thinking

Comments 8 comments

Stinking Thinking-skunk behind a logJust as we avoid a skunk’s stinking spray, we want to avoid stinking thinking. We accomplish nothing when we focus on messages like:

  • Woe is me.
  • I’m awful.
  • You’re awful.
  • The whole world is awful.
  • Life is awful.
  • Nothing will ever get better.

Do you see a pattern here?

Stinking thinking means negative thinking.

We see only the wrong, never the right. Everything and everyone ruffle our feathers.

Rather than happy-go-lucky we remain:

Focused on problems, our outlook grows progressively worse.

*Stinking thinking can lead to emotional problems.

After long stretches of negative self-talk, we have a tough time changing. Our thinking, feelings, and actions grow worse. As our stress level increases, tolerance decreases.

God offers a better life.

The one and only God who created the world created us. God also:

  • Loves us
  • Has a special plan for us
  • Forgives us when we repent of our wrongs
  • Gives eternal life and a home in heaven to all who follow Jesus

That should give us a positive outlook on life. Don’t you agree?

“Their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion. Photo by Jack Bulmer on Pexels.

Do you have other examples of stinking thinking or an expression you want explained? 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.

*Seek professional help if needed to overcome extreme negative thought patterns.