Suffering Suffering is a mystery that demands a presence. (John Watt, pediatrician) Watt’s full statement: “Suffering is not a question which demands an answer; it is not a problem which requires a solution, it is a mystery that demands a presence.” When we suffer, we...
Encouragement Be kind. For everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. (Ian MacLaren, pen name of John Watson, 20th century Scottish minister) It’s so easy to make snap judgments about other people. When someone speaks rudely to us or pushes in...
At Heart The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, late Soviet dissident and novelist) It’s an idea that many people want to refute or ignore. We really don’t want to think that anything evil could ever be in...
Just Do It Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly. (Robert Schuler, late pastor) Motivation speaker Kary Oberbrunner says, “Perfectionism is just fear in disguise.” Such fear may well result in a lack of effort, an unwillingness to do...
Help A crisis is no time to be hysterical. It is the time for self-control and unselfish behavior. (Gloria Gather, songwriter) Gaither highlights an experience she witnessed as a child. A terrible accident occurred outside her house, and someone viewing it from inside...
Mistakes The person who doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything. (Paul Arden, author) The fear of failing keeps many of us from trying anything new. As philosopher Elbert Hubbard put it “The greatest mistake one can make is to be afraid of making one.”...
Truth Everything is as good or as bad as our opinion makes it. (C S. Lewis, late British professor) That fits well with what author Herbert V. Prochnow wrote: “A great many people mistake opinions for thought.” It seems that authoritative truth doesn’t exist anymore....
The Right Road The detour you are on is actually the road. (Caroline Lusk, writer) It’s helpful when your GPS recognizes detours in your itinerary and offers alternative routes. But when you encounter an unexpected detour sign, it can really be aggravating. Life...
Hard Times When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?” (Sydney Harris, 20th century American journalist) It has always been true that life is difficult for a lot of people. Economic woes, war, disease—all of those factors...
Love Produces Much Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well. (Vincent Van Gogh, 19th century Dutch painter) Van Gogh was a post-impressionist artist, whose work was most highly respected after his death. Not...
Friendship Listen deeply, respond authentically, avoid judgment, and love well. (A Father’s Advice) These might be called the four laws of friendship. Many of us have a hard time listening well because we’re thinking about our response. And sometimes our answers are...
A Temple on Earth Your body is a temple, but only if you treat it as one. (Astrid Alauda, poet) Our bodies are wonderful things. Just to think of the circulation, digestive, and nerve systems is mind boggling. To be healthy, we must take care of them with nutritious...