Thoughtful Giving Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. (Ruth Carter Stapleton, 20th century American writer) As we plan our Christmas giving, we should remember Stapleton’s observation. It isn’t...
Only Five More Days It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. (W.T. Ellis, 19th century U.S. congressman) We’ve been hearing the popular seasonal tune, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas for weeks now. And we do “feel” it, don’t we? But as...
Living Life Life is what happens when you’re making other plans. (John Lennon, late singer, songwriter) Some of us long so much for the “good ole days” that we’re hardly aware of what’s happening right now. Others are making detailed plans for the future—our work, our...
One Week to Christmas At Christmas all roads lead home. (Marjorie Holmes, 20th century American columnist) I’ll Be Home for Christmas is one of our most beloved Christmas songs. The very sentimental lyrics bring tears to our eyes, as we realize that the singer is...
Failure There is no failure except in not trying. (Elbert Hubbard, 19th-20th century American writer) Hubbard also wrote: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” An anonymous author offered this provocative question:...
Advancing Years A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. (Abraham J. Heschel, 20th century rabbi) With newer medications and improved health care, people are living longer, so Heschel’s comment is appropriate. He continues: “It is easy to love children....
Decisions Each day, you have three choices: go backward, stay the same or go forward. (Chris Suitt, pastor) We may not often stop to think about it, but it’s true that our choices often determine failure or success—or maybe it’s just a stalemate. Suitt advises: “Go...
Volunteering There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer. Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, famed World Ward II pilot) Four months after the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec. 1941, Doolittle, the first Air Force general, led a courageous bombing raid on...
Change Change will never be easy, but it is an unchangeable fact of life. (Kenneth J. Brown, author) Change is inevitable, and that’s usually a good thing. We move from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade, and we certainly have seen lots of changes over that...
Artistry Every artist was first an amateur. (Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century American essayist) Except for the rare child prodigy, no one becomes a concert pianist without long years of learning and practice. The quality of some world-renowned artists’ work was not...
Christmas Giving Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting. (Brian Tracy, Canadian American motivational speaker) Perhaps you’ve been going through the list of Christmas cards you received last year, wanting to be sure you don’t forget...
Success Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. (Albert Einstein, late theoretical physicist) People seem to be born with drive to be successful. As we grow into our teen years, it might be in sports, drama, or music that we dream of being the star....