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Tag: Words Wit and Wisdom

Highfalutin

Highfalutin

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Highfalutin--four young girls in fancy dresses on steps

Children love to pretend. Many enjoy acting highfalutin. They want to look like someone else – a parent, hero, older sibling, or friend.

They often dress in the other person’s clothes or shoes. Many times, they try to walk or talk like the person. What they see is what they want to be and do.

We smile or laugh at their behavior. However, many never outgrow that desire to be someone they are not.

Highfalutin people pretend to be more important than they are.

They want to appear:

They act proud, trying to impress everyone. However, they usually fall flat.

Acting highfalutin usually makes people look silly.

Years ago, I served as juvenile counselor for a young man on probation. He made several improvements. Then he ran away to a large city. When he returned about two weeks later, everything about him changed. He:

  • Spoke with an artificial accent
  • Walked with a defiant swagger
  • Wore fancy clothes with his hat cocked on the side of his head.

He tried so hard to rid himself of his country background. Instead, he made everyone laugh.

All people have worth without having to pretend.

God created each one:

  • Not better than anyone else
  • Not worse than anyone else
  • Not to be anyone else
  • To be the best unique person possible

A simple down-to-earth life far outweighs a highfalutin one.

“The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11 NIV).

Thanks to Harriet Michael for the suggestion and to Jennifer Van Mersbergen for the photo.

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Bring Down the House

Bring Down the House

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Bring Down the House-cast of Once Upon a MattressUniversity and community plays often bring down the house. Audiences love local drama and give frequent standing ovations.

Actors have a great time too, as we see with this Campbellsville University cast.

Entertainers bring down the house when the audience claps, stands, or cheers for a long time.

 The greater the approval, the longer the ovation. Comedies bring down the house with laughter.

According to The Free Dictionary, “The term comes from the mid-eighteenth-century theater.” It implied noise loud enough to endanger a house. Back then, if audiences did not laugh or clap at a joke, comedians would say, “Don’t clap so hard; you’ll bring the house down (it’s a very old house).”

Real life rarely brings down the house.

We don’t receive applause for activities such as:

  • Cleaning
  • Going to work
  • Cooking
  • Mowing
  • Caring for family needs

However, all that work needs to be done – over and over again.

Keeping up the good work means far more than bringing down the house.

May we always prove worth our salt, whether we receive praise or not.

  • Faithfully follow God’s call.
  • Work well.
  • Serve others.
  • Live the best life possible.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?” (Galatians 1:10 NIV).

Thanks to Jane Ashley Pace for the suggestion and to Ariel C. Emberton for the photo.

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Cat Got Your Tongue?

Cat Got Your Tongue?

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Cat Got Your Tongue--cat with tongue out and paw up“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” I have heard several older relatives ask this, especially to children. Sometimes the children were shy. Other times, little ones feared a truthful answer would get them in trouble.

Rarely have I heard the full question, “Has the cat got your tongue?”

Many people wonder what cats have to do with people not talking. Although a few ideas exist for this expression’s origin, none can be proved.

People usually ask, “Cat got your tongue?” if they think people should be talking.

They may ask the question for fun. Other times, they ask with anger or impatience.

Sometimes we should stay quiet.

We never want to put our foot in our mouth. Better to bite our tongue than speak hurtful or foolish words.

Other times, we should speak.

Whether easy or hard to say, we need to speak up if we know our words will:

  • Improve a situation
  • Help other people
  • Spread love rather than hate

Whatever we say, may we always speak from loving hearts of gold.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” (Psalm 34:13 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Maniscalco for the suggestion and to Jacqueline Graves for the photo.

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See the Light

See the Light

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See the Light -- light over nativity“I see it!” I see the light!” When my brother was little, he loved lights. That was especially true at Christmas.

I share that love. Nighttime drives to view Christmas lights remain a favorite activity. They fill me with peace and joy.

To see the light means to finally understand or accept something.

Its meaning becomes clear. Until then, we may:

  • Think or wonder about an issue
  • Feel confused by it
  • Doubt it
  • Reject it

When we see the light, we change.

Understanding or accepting a new idea or belief affects our feelings and actions. We turn away from our previous behavior. We realize we have found a better way.

The Wise Men in the Christmas story searched for the light.

When they finally saw the star in the east, they followed it until they found Jesus.

To see the light often means to believe – to have a religious experience.

Such faith makes all the difference. The song, “I Have Seen the Light,” offers a beautiful description of that event.

Have you seen the light? If not, search for it today. If you have seen it, don’t leave others in the dark. Share the light of God’s love with them.

Merry Christmas!

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10 KJV).

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Image courtesy of  Pixabay

Needle in a Haystack

Needle in a Haystack

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Needle in a Haystack--field of haystacksHave you tried to find a needle in a haystack? Believe me, it is not easy. I have never looked for a real needle in a stack of hay. However, I have hunted for several hard-to-locate items.

I have searched high and low and looked up one side and down the other for:

  • A black button in a pile of black clothing
  • A needle in a box of pins
  • A four-leaf clover in a three-leaf clover field

A needle in a haystack means anything hard to find.

A few items are almost impossible to locate. When mixed with other things that look about the same, I can spend hours hunting. Sometimes I succeed. Other times I fail.

Some needles are worth the effort. Others are not.

  • When I need a black button, I keep looking for it.
  • If I have to sew that button on a shirt, I keep looking for the needle.
  • Only when I have free time do I look for four-leaf clovers.

Opportunities to help others require little searching.

Needs exist everywhere.

  • News reports tell of recent events.
  • Churches use volunteers and offerings for local and world-wide ministry.
  • Crisis relief centers meet daily emergencies.

Search for and help with God’s work wherever you find it.

[There is] “a time to search and a time to give up.” (Ecclesiastes 3:6 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion. Image by Bronisław Dróżka from Pixabay.

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Ups and Downs

Ups and Downs

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Ups and Downs--Grand Tetons behind the Snake RiverWe all have our ups and downs.

  • Good and bad times
  • Positive and negative relationships
  • Happy and sad days
  • Successes and failures

That’s life.

Like a hike up a mountain, our journey through life often feels like an uphill battle. However, once we reach the top, the view takes our breath away.

When we look down, we see how far we have come. A look around reveals the possibilities on every side of us. If we look up, we realize we have hope for future mountains.

We choose whether to focus on the good or the bad.

The choices we make determine how we feel.

When hard times hit, we can dwell on the negatives. Or, on the other side of the coin, we can focus on the positives and hope for the future.

Ups and downs occur in every area of life, including:

  • Marriage
  • Work
  • School
  • Parenting
  • Social activities
  • Health

All our experiences offer opportunities to grow.

Through each one, let’s keep on keeping on. Remember, like a mountain climb, our hardest times often teach the greatest lessons.

“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights” (2 Samuel 22:34 NIV).

Thanks to Laura Lee Leathers for the suggestion.

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Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey

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Cold Turkey--two turkeys in the snowI love to eat cold turkey. However, I hate to quit a habit cold turkey.

To stop a habit immediately and completely usually hurts.

Cold turkey means no slow withdrawal. Instead, we tackle the problem all at once.

Few of us enjoy giving up anything that has been part of our lives a long time. Although it may be bad for us, we have a hard time letting go.

Addictions are especially hard to quit cold turkey.

For that reason, support groups exist for addictions to:

  • Alcohol
  • Drugs
  • Gambling
  • Eating
  • Plus, a long list of other behaviors

Support group members talk turkey. Speaking plain hard facts encourages hard, but needed, actions.

Support groups remind us to help one another in all of life.

We may not suffer addiction. Yet, we all need encouragement to make good choices. We also need guidance back to the straight and narrow when we choose poorly.

While we enjoy our post-Thanksgiving cold turkey sandwiches, think:

  • Why wait until the new year to begin better habits?
  • Perhaps now is our best time to quit bad habits once for all.

“Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall” (Ezekiel 18:30 NIV).

Thanks to Tim Lewis  for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Robert Jones on Pixabay.

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Holier than Thou

Holier than Thou

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Holier than Thou--church steeple framed by treesEveryone makes mistakes. Those who act holier than thou rarely admit them.

People with a holier-than-thou attitude look down on others.

Because they view themselves as better than everyone else, they show:

  • Pride – “Look how great I am.”
  • Disrespect – “What you think or feel matters little.”
  • Rudeness – “Get out of my way.”
  • Contempt – “You disgust me.”

Holier-than-thou people are self-righteous.

Truly righteous people love and care for others. Self-righteous people show a hateful, non-caring attitude. Like wolves in sheep’s clothing, they are not what they pretend to be.

The Bible says to be holy. It does not say to be holier than thou.

This expression comes from Isaiah 65:5 (KJV).  Isaiah listed behaviors that displease God. His list included the pride and hypocrisy of those who say, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.”

Rather than focus on themselves, genuinely holy people focus on God and others. They are the real McCoy. Like  a church steeple, they stand tall and point toward God.

“Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV).

Thanks to Judy Corbin for the suggestion.

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Bite the Dust

Bite the Dust

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Bite the Dust-oak treeI watched an old friend bite the dust last week. He had greeted me faithfully every day for years. Standing stately and tall, the mighty oak inspired me to do the same.

I knew my friend was dying.

He was many times older than me. With each new season, he grew weaker and suffered more losses. Yet, my heart hurt when he finally fell.

Oh, the stories he could have told, if only he could have talked.

  • Birds born in his branches
  • Children who played in his shade
  • Young love ignited with spring’s new growth
  • Seniors who smiled at memories shared
  • Death of people, plants, and pets

Bite the Dust-Fallen oak Tree trunk circlesLike the circles inside his trunk, so goes life.

We all die. Eventually we bite the dust.

However, death does not have to be the end.

When Jesus rose from His tomb on the third day, He defeated sin and death.

If we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, we receive His victory over sin and death.

He promises an eternal home in heaven when we leave this world.

Thank you for the reminder, dear friend. I will miss you.

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 NIV).

Thanks to Jeri Stone for the photo of my friend before he bit the dust.

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Brass Ring

Brass Ring

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Brass Ring-Ann Klotz on carousel horse reaching for brass ring My friend Ann learned to grab the brass ring while at the Flying Horses Carousel on Martha’s Vineyard.

For years, many merry-go-rounds placed a brass ring in hard-to-reach places. Riders who reached the ring received a free ride.

The brass ring represents success or the opportunity for success.

Success might mean:

  • Achievement
  • Profit
  • Rewards

People who grab the brass ring show great ambition.

They don’t wait for someone else to hand them an easy job. They take the steps necessary to get where they want to go.

To reach for or grab the brass ring usually involves hard work.

Like farmers, workers get up early to put their hands to the plow. Their efforts usually include:

  • Long hours
  • Willingness to grow and change
  • More work than most co-workers
  • Jobs no one else wants to do
  • Going back to the drawing board when they make mistakes

Success means different things to different people.

Some people thrive in the rat race of competition. Others desire a slower, quieter life. Whatever route a person takes, the key lies in finding one’s purpose in life.

“If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work (2 Timothy 2:21 ESV).

Thanks to Joe and Ann Klotz for the suggestion and photo.

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