An ancient Greek idiom translated says, 'to grasp the ground with the teeth', and that gives us our use today, 'to bite the dust.'

We hope to slow down a little this week. At the same time, we've been around long enough to know that life is filled with a mixed bag including unfulfilled expectations. We have been somewhat on the run since last November, but, we know we are blessed to be able to be as active as we are. It is Tuesday, January 14, 2020, and, I do hope your day is off to a good start. We have been thinking of doing some type of getaway soon. It is more accurate to say we are thinking about thinking about it. But, as they say, one has to start somewhere. The wife loves to do things that have an entertainment and amusement context to them. Like Branson. Me? Not so much. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the shows and other venues but not so much as a preference. It may be her time to choose since last August we did make that long journey all the way to Colorado and New Mexico in search of a breath of cool air. That was entirely my idea. Way back we both completed a questionnaire that helped show our personality profiles. She is naturally a people person who loves to serve and be involved in all kinds of activities. Me? Mine came out as a blended hue meaning I can do those things but I am also perfectly satisfied if not happier being a homebody. That has pretty much played out in our more than 55 years of being together. She has made trips and done things with groups probably on a 10 to 1 ratio compared to me. And, I have been okay with that. At the same time, we have enjoyed our times of traveling together as well. We have been to Great Britain and to Mexico. We've done a cruise and the Branson excursion. We have made destination trips to various states where we have enjoyed things like the Andre Rieu concert in Sunrise, Florida back in early November 2017. Come to think about it. That might have been a model trip because we got to do a lot of things she liked and some things I liked as well, like the concert. Maybe I will run that one up the flagpole and see if I get any salutes.

I actually thought the flagpole idiom was much older but here's what the online Wikipedia says, "Let's run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it" is a catchphrase which became popular in the United States during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It means "to present an idea tentatively and see whether it receives a favorable reaction." It is now considered a cliché. Sometimes it is used seriously, but more often it is used humorously, with the intention that it be recognized as both hackneyed and outdated. A non-joking equivalent would be "to send up a trial balloon." There was a comedian who came up with a joke about George Washington originating this saying as he worked with Betsy Ross on finalizing the nation's official flag. That actually sounded plausible to me but maybe that's because I've long been a fan of our founding father. One would think that someone like Will Rogers or Mark Twain would have whittled out something like this, and, maybe you know more about it than me. Let me know if you do. You know, you can run it by me and see where it goes. Another idiom, and, I suppose this could go on and on as in 'throw it on the wall and see if it sticks'.

That ancient Greek idiom mentioned in the title may well have been superseded by many found in a very common but inspired source, The Holy Bible.

Bite the Dust from Psalms 72:9, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.” (KJV)

The Blind Leading the Blind Matthew 15:13-14, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”

By the Skin of Your Teeth from Job 19:20.  The Geneva Bible translated the Hebrew Literally which read, “I have escaped with the skin of my teeth.”

Broken Heart from Psalms 34:18, ” The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (KJV).

Can a Leopard Change his spots? from Jeremiah 13:23 (KJV), “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

Cast the First Stone from John 8:7, “And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Drop in a Bucket from Isaiah 40:15 declaring God’s sovereignty and power over the nations, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as fine dust” (ESV).

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry from Ecclesiastes 8:15, “because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.”

Eye for Eye, Tooth for tooth from Matthew 5:38, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

Fall From Grace from Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Fly in the Ointment from Ecclesiastes 10:1 (KJV), “”Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.””

For Everything there is a Season from Ecclesiastes 3.  Ecclesiastes 3 is also the motivation for the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds.

Forbidden Fruit from Genesis 3:3 when Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

Go the extra mile from Matthew 5:41 that says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (KJV).

Good Samaritan from Luke 10:30-37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword from Matthew 26:52, “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”

How the Mighty have Fallen from 2 Samuel 1:19, “The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!”

Let there Be Light from Genesis 1’s creation account.

The Love of Money is the Root of All Evil from 1 Timothy 6:10 and is actually usually misquoted.  Here is the ESV translation, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Nothing but skin and bones from Job 19:19-20, “All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. I am nothing but skin and bones.”

The Powers that Be from Romans 13:1 (KJV), “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Pride comes before a fall from Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (KJV)

Put words in one’s mouth from 2 Samuel 14:3, “And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.”

Rise and shine is from Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”

The Root of the Matter from Job 19:28 (KJV), “But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the Root of the matter is found in me?”

Scapegoat from the Old Testament Law (Leviticus 16:9-10 specifically) where a goat is chosen by lot to be sent into the desert to make atonement for sin.

See eye to eye from Isaiah 52:8 (KJV), “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.”

Sign of the times from Matthew 16:3 (KJV), “And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Strait and Narrow from Matthew 7:14, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Twinkling of an Eye from 1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

There’s nothing new under the sun from the book of Ecclesiastes.  Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)  says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

Wash your hands of the matter from Matthew 27:24 (KJV), “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”

Weighed in the balance from Job 31:6, “Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.”

What God has joined together let no man put asunder from Matthew 19:6 in Miles Covedale’s translation of the Bible which says, “Now are they not twayne then, but one flesh. Let not man therfore put a sunder, yt which God hath coupled together.”

Wit’s End from Psalm 107:27 (KJV), “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.”  And the Psalm does not refer to the Whit’s End with the Imagination Station.

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing from Matthew 7:15 (KJV), “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

Writings on the Wall from Daniel 5.  “The writing is on the wall” is now a popular idiom for “something bad is about to happen”.

Copied from an article written by Kevin Halloran on the website Unlocking The Bible, with this title: 37 Common English Sayings (From the Bible). Worth reading, I might add. Have a great rest of your day. Amen. ....More later.