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Tag: success

Begin to See Daylight

Begin to See Daylight

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Begin to See Daylight -- a sunriseIf we get up early, we begin to see daylight as the sun rises. After a long night, daylight appears. We enjoy the promise of a new day.

Sometimes our lives feel like a long night.

We face problems with no end in sight.

  • We think we will never get out of school.
  • Our job never seems to end.
  • Goals appear too far away to reach.

We begin to see daylight when success seems possible.

  • Classes are almost over.
  • We near the end of our long task.
  • Our goals appear within reach.

We finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

We don’t see daylight when we look the wrong way.

If we fail to look outside, we never see the sun rise. If we always look on the bad side of everything, we never see the good. We remain down in the dumps.

As this New Year begins, we choose.

  • Will we focus on our problems and the dark side of life?
  • Or will we look up and begin to see daylight?
  • When we begin to see daylight, will we let our light shine?

“My God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28 NIV).

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A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

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A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss--a stream running between mossy rocksA rolling stone gathers no moss is more than a proverb. It is a fact. Moss grows slowly, and it does not grow well if moved. No moss grows on a rolling stone.

This proverb has a long history and two possible meanings.

  1. The most common meaning: A person who does not stay in one place (a rolling stone) has little success. He never grows (gathers moss) anywhere. The person:
  • Keeps changing jobs or where he lives
  • Owns little or nothing
  • Does not like responsibility

Therefore, we cannot depend on that person, because he:

  • May be gone when we need him
  • Gets nothing done
  1. Another possible meaning for a rolling stone gathers no moss: The ideas of a person who moves around (a rolling stone) do not grow old (gather moss). That person:
  • Finds new ideas
  • Becomes more creative

For him, gathering moss is like spinning his wheels.  He does something but feels like he gets nowhere. Therefore, movement keeps him fresh.

Perhaps we can find truth in both meanings.

We need to:

  • Accept responsibility
  • Stay useful

 At the same time, we want to:

  • Explore new ideas
  • Find better ways to do what needs to be done

Some of us find success in the same place doing the same thing – gathering moss. Others of us do better as a rolling stone – exploring different places and activities.

“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4 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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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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Spin Our Wheels

Spin Our Wheels

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Spin Our Wheels--car stuck in mudIf we spin our wheels, we move but get nowhere.

We may travel a muddy road and get stuck. We spin our wheels. The wheels go around, but the car stays stuck.

We walk on a treadmill. Although good for our health, all that walking takes us nowhere.

We try to work but have no success.

  • Ideas refuse to come.
  • What we try fails.
  • We spend time on useless work.
  • Someone or something destroys all we have done.
  • We do a bad job.

When we spin our wheels, we waste time.

Although active,

  • We do not go forward.
  • We do not go back.

Instead, we stay stuck where we are. We feel like we can’t win for losing.

How do we stop our wheels from spinning?

We can:

  • Move on to something else.
  • Work harder.
  • Find a new way to get the job done.
  • Slow down. Remember haste makes waste.

Don’t give up.

We all spin our wheels sometimes. Keep moving forward.

“Our only power and success comes from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 TLB).

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Hit the Bull’s-eye

Hit the Bull’s-eye

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Hit the Bull's-eye--young archers aiming at targetsThese young archers want to hit the bull’s-eye. They aim for the perfect center of their target.

We may not use a bow and arrow. However, most of us want to hit the bull’s-eye with our plans. We want to reach our goals perfectly.

When we hit the bull’s-eye, we hit our target.

We achieve what we want to do.

To hit the bull’s-eye usually requires practice and hard work.

The archer’s goal is the smallest circle in the center of the target. Hitting the larger circles is easier. That small dot in the center takes extra effort.

Reaching our goals also requires extra effort.

  • Getting a better job means harder work.
  • Winning first prize means extra practice.
  • Graduating means regular study.

We don’t hit the bull’s-eye every time.

Sometimes we hit the center of our target. Other times we hit the circles around the center. Occasionally we miss our target completely. After several failures, we may think we can’t win for losing.

Yet, when we miss the bull’s-eye, we still learn.

We may:

  • Realize we need to set different goals.
  • See the need for help from other people.
  • Understand we need to tackle our goal a different way.

Remember: We must make goals if we hope to achieve them.

“My question: What are God-worshipers like? Your answer: Arrows aimed at God’s bull’s-eye” (Psalm 25:12 MSG).

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By the Book

By the Book

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By the Book--stack of instruction booksSome people go by the book. Others fly by the seat of their pants.

People who go by the book follow directions.

They want to do their work right the first time. They don’t want to have to do it again. Therefore, they follow the rules.

People who fly by the seat of their pants think If all else fails, follow the directions.

Going by the book makes life easier.

It helps with:

  • Learning to use new products
  • Building anything
  • Measuring amounts for cooking or other work
  • Practicing new skills

People make mistakes when they fail to go by the book.

Sometimes their mistakes cause no big problem. They can go back to the drawing board and start over.

Other times, mistakes mean the difference in life and death.

For the best life, go by the best book.

  • Read the Bible.
  • Follow its directions.
  • Share its truth with others.

“Consult God’s instruction” (Isaiah 8:20 NIV).

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

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Fall Flat

Fall Flat

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Fall Flat--Yellowstone waterfallWaterfalls in Yellowstone National Park may fall on flat land. Yet, they never fall flat. They never fail to amaze us.

When we fall flat, we fail.

We fail in a big way. Often, we say we fall flat on our face.

We all fail.

We may wish for a failure-free life, but that will never happen. Sometimes our failures are small. Other times we fail in a big way – we fall flat. We feel like we can’t win for losing.

Since we all fail, what will we do with those failures?

  • Will we stop trying?
  • Will we blame others?
  • Or will we learn from our mistakes?

Why not turn failures into opportunities?

Failures teach us what does not work. Each failure moves us one step closer to success. We may find that success when we:

  • Make small changes to what we did before
  • Take a short break to rest our brains and bodies
  • Ask other people to help us
  • Spend our time on something different

If we learn, we have not failed.

Therefore, when we fall flat, let’s get up and try again.

“You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence” (1 Corinthians 10:12 MSG).

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Reach for the Sky

Reach for the Sky

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Reach for the sky--Devil's Tower with the sky aboveReach for the sky has two meanings.

  1. A robber tells people to hold their hands in the air by saying, “Reach for the sky.”
  2. We tell people to set high goals by saying, “Reach for the sky.”

We will focus on the second meaning.

When we look at the sky, it seems so far away.

  • The clouds float high above us.
  • Birds fly into it.
  • Children pretend to touch it.
  • Yet, how can we reach it?

When we look at goals, they may also appear far away.

  • Some goals seem greater than our ability.
  • Other people succeed while we fail.
  • We sometimes do nothing more than dream of what we want to do.

Far away does not mean impossible. 

In spite of challenges, we can reach the sky. In spite of challenges, we can reach our goals. Yet, how do we do that?

We reach goals, like most of life, one step at a time. We may never get as far as we hope. Yet, we will get closer than if we never tried. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

If we try, we may surprise ourselves. In addition to reaching our goals, we could go far beyond them.

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5 NIV).

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

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Win by a Nose

Win by a Nose

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Win by a Nose-a horse raceTo win by a nose means we barely win.

There is little difference between the winner and loser.

In horse racing, a horse often wins by a nose. Whether the first horse wins by a nose or a great distance, its owner gets the prize. The losers may win another day.

We may or may not run a physical race. Yet, we all compete for prizes:

  • Jobs
  • Grades
  • Gifts
  • Awards

Sometimes we win by a lot. Occasionally we win by a nose, barely getting the prize. Other times we lose.

We all like to win.

Yet, losing can teach us important lessons too:

  • Stay humble
  • Try harder next time
  • Share the joy of other people

Remember: The greatest prize in life is the gift of Jesus’ love, free to all.

“I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Philippians 3:14 TLB).

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

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Can’t Win for Losing

Can’t Win for Losing

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Can't Win for LosingDo you know how it feels to lose over and over again?

No matter what you do or how hard you try, you fail. Success seems impossible. You simply can’t win for losing.

Don’t feel bad. Most of us have been there. Some of us have been there many times. A few of us think we have been there most of our lives.

Often we believe we are the only ones who fail.

But consider the following quotes from extremely successful people. They have been there too.

  • When you come to a roadblock, take a detour. —Mary Kay Ash
  • Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. —George S. Patton
  • I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. —Michael Jordan
  • It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. —Bill Gates
  • I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. —Thomas A. Edison
  • If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost. —Zig Ziglar

When you feel like you can’t win for losing, don’t give up.

You are in good company. As Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion.

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