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Up a Stump

Up a Stump

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Up a Stump--stump I always thought up a stump meant the same as stumped. My friend Patty Cooper Emerson explained a difference in the two.

Stumped means confused or puzzled.

We cut a few trees in our back year. I was stumped about what to do with the stumps. Should I:

  • Dig them up
  • Burn them
  • Leave them alone

Up a Stump--honeysuckle-covered stumpWith one stump, I let nature take control. Honeysuckle grew near it. I allowed the honeysuckle to keep growing. Now, it covers the stump and blooms all summer. Problem solved.

No longer stumped, I have a pretty stump.

Up a stump means a situation too big to manage.

I cannot solve the problem. I:

  • Have no choice
  • Must live with it

Patty gave the example of a young man who arrives 30 minutes late to work every day. If he is my sister’s son, I might feel up a stump – like I can do nothing.

What makes me feel up a stump may not make you feel that way.  

  • You may be comfortable firing your sister’s son.
  • I may feel comfortable with a problem you cannot manage.

Nothing leaves God up a stump. Rather than tying myself in knots or becoming a worry wart, I can take all my problems to God. So can you.

“A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree” (Proverbs 11:28 MSG).

If you use up a stump and stumped, do you mean the same? Please comment below.

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Down in the Mouth

Down in the Mouth

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Down in the Mouth-sad puppy between two smiling scarecrowsWe all get down in the mouth sometimes.

Down in the mouth and down in the dumps mean almost the same. We feel:

  • Sad
  • Depressed
  • Hopeless

In the middle of smiling faces, we still feel bad.

We may be able to hide how we feel when we get down in the dumps.

Usually people know when we feel down in the mouth.

Happy faces disappear. Smiles turn upside down. We:

  • Frown
  • Cry
  • Have nothing good to say

Hard times often make us down in the mouth.

We have trouble with:

  • Relationships
  • Jobs
  • Health
  • Daily life
  • Bad news of any kind

We don’t have to stay down in the mouth.

Sure, life gets hard. We all have problems. However, good can come from the hardest times. God offers hope in both good times and bad.

Therefore, let’s remember to always:

  • Count our blessings
  • Learn from tough cookies who have gone through worse times than ours
  • Look to God for guidance

“My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you” (Psalm 42:6 NIV).

Thanks to Brad Leverett for the suggestion and to Gosser Farms for the photo.

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Mad as a Wet Hen

Mad as a Wet Hen

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Mad as a Wet Hen--chickenWhen we get mad as a wet hen, we get angry – very angry.

This seems like a strange expression, because most hens don’t mind getting wet. (Hen usually means a female chicken.)

We may not get mad often. Yet, most of us get mad as a wet hen or fit to be tied when people:

  • Hurt someone we love
  • Steal from us
  • Lie to us

Sometimes we get mad as a wet hen for no good reason. A little problem occurs, but we make a mountain out of a molehill. We usually regret that anger.

How do we act when we get mad as a wet hen?

We have several bad choices:

  • Fly off the handle and do something we regret
  • Scream like a baby
  • Destroy property
  • Hit something or someone

We also have several good choices:

  • Think before we act
  • Admit our anger
  • Learn how to express anger without hurting anyone
  • Use our anger to improve life for everyone, if possible

As with all emotions, we choose how we show anger.

May we always use it for good.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV).

Thanks to Pam Barnes Harlow for the photo.

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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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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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Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill

Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill

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Make a Mountain out of a molehill--mountain reflected in waterWe often let the smallest problem bother us most.

We make a mountain out of a molehill. We make:

  • Something easy seem hard
  • A small problem seem big
  • Something unimportant seem important

Moles are small animals. So are the hills they make. Yet, we don’t like them.

  • They make a mess in yards and fields.
  • We may fall if we step on them.

However, if we watch our step, we can walk around or over molehills. We must climb for days to the top of some mountains.

Molehills destroy a yard’s beauty. A mountain’s volcano can destroy everything for miles.

We often forget how small our problems are.

Think about:

  • Colds compared to cancer
  • Flat tires compared to car wrecks
  • A bad meal compared to no food
  • A rained-out ballgame compared to an island destroyed by a storm

We may not feel on top of the world all the time. However, most days can be hunky dory.

Make a Mountain out of a MolehillLet’s not allow small problems to ruin our lives.

Rather than make a mountain out of a molehill, remember what matters most. Also remember, whether our problems are big or small, we never have to walk alone.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient” (Romans 5:3 TLB).

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In the Doghouse

In the Doghouse

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In the DoghouseDogs (especially puppies) often get in trouble. They:

  • Dig where they should not dig. We had a puppy dig a hole to the water line in our yard.
  • Chew things they should not chew. Our neighbor’s puppy loved our shoes and caps.
  • Jump on people at all the wrong times. Paw prints never look good on our best clothes.

When dogs get in trouble, their owners may put them in the doghouse.

Most dogs rather be with people than alone in their house.

Some people spend a lot of time in the doghouse.

They get in trouble with:

  • Bosses
  • Husbands or wives
  • Parents
  • Teachers
  • Friends

Because of their bad behavior:

  • Bosses give them more work or less pay.
  • Husbands or wives don’t want to spend time with them.
  • Parents take away fun activities.
  • Teachers give bad grades.
  • Friends stop being friends.

People in the doghouse don’t enjoy living a dog’s life.

Therefore, they need to watch their steps and stay out of trouble.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).

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Poor as a Church Mouse

Poor as a Church Mouse

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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.

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Cry Over Spilled Milk

Cry Over Spilled Milk

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Cry Over Spilled Milk--a glass of spilled milk“Dry your tears. There is no need to cry over spilled milk.”

As a child, I often heard those words. Sometimes I had spilled milk. Usually I was unhappy about something I could not change.

We cry over spilled milk when upset about what we cannot control. Often what upset us occurred in the past.

We cannot undo the past.

We cannot unspill milk. Neither can we undo anything that has already happened. The past is water under the bridge.

We can do something about the present and future.

  • If something bad happened in the past, we can learn from the experience.
  • If something good happened, we can remember and smile.
  • If we hurt someone, we can ask forgiveness.
  • If someone hurt us, we can forgive.

Instead of crying over spilled milk, we can let bygones be bygones. We can choose to grow from all that happens, good or bad.

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13 NIV).

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Batten Down the Hatches

Batten Down the Hatches

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Batten Down the Hatches--sail boatStorms occur at sea and in our lives.

When we batten down the hatches, we prepare for those storms. We see trouble coming and hard times ahead, so we get ready.

A hatch or hatchway is an opening in a ship’s deck. The ship’s crew covers the hatch when they expect bad weather. Storms at sea can destroy ships and the people on them. Sealing the hatch provides extra protection.

When we expect life problems, we also want to do what we can to protect against them.

Some storms do little damage.

  • Families may say, “Batten down the hatches. Aunt Mina’s kids are coming.” (I don’t have an Aunt Mina.)
  • Businesses may say, “Batten down the hatches. We expect poor sales next month.”
  • Governments may say, “Batten down the hatches. This decision will make some people mad.”

Some storms destroy.

  • Families may say, “Batten down the hatches. Dad’s drinking and threatening Mom.” (My dad did not drink and never threatened my mom.)
  • Businesses may say, “Batten down the hatches. We may have to close if sales get any worse.”
  • Governments may say, “Batten down the hatches. This decision may lead to war.”

Some storms we can prevent. Some we cannot.

We don’t always know when storms are coming. Therefore, we need to stay prepared as much as we can all the time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

If we cannot prevent storms, we try to survive them. We hang on for dear life to what matters most.

“I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm” (Psalm 55:8 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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Photo courtesy of Pixabay.