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...
Sunshine Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. (Anthony J. D’Angelo, author) There used to be a character in the Li’l Abner cartoon strip that was always pictured with a dark cloud over his head. Wherever Joe Btfsplk went, bad...
Strength in Numbers Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. (Kenyan Proverb) Phone books are becoming relics in many places as more and more people give up their landlines. So, we may never see a man tear a phone book in half, which use to be a good party trick. For...
Surprise “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” (Abraham Lincoln) That’s certainly not a common reaction, is it? There will likely always be people we don’t like (and some who won’t like us, no doubt). Often those people might be in a place where we...
Endurance Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems. (Gever Tulley, educator) Some people recognize that they don’t have much perseverance. They easily start one project or another with good intentions to...
Cooperation Coming together is a beginning. Staying together is progress. And working together is success. (Henry Ford, early auto manufacturer) Gathering a group to launch a project or to work together in any meaningful project is only the beginning. The mix of...
Accuracy Strive to be like a good watch, have busy hands, be full of good works and be clean inside. (J. Davis Illingworth, Sr, retired pastor) What a great picture of a wholesome, productive life! Watches are often made to be beautiful in appearance with gold cases,...
Never Give Up Failure is not a reason to give up. Failure is a reason to try harder and seek new solutions. (Jim Hocking, Founder, Water 4 Good) When Hocking launched his well-drilling enterprise in central Africa, he and his crew tried lots of ways to successfully...
Civility A person of faith…must avoid crude humor, selfish anger, discourtesy, and any action that blatantly disregards the norms of common civility. (William Wilberforce, 18th-19th century English statesman) Wilberforce’s efforts to restore civility were painful and...
Luck? A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. (Howard Shultz, businessman and author) Schultz continues, “It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future.” We often wish others, “Good Luck.” Our intention, no doubt, is to encourage them...
With Love If our zeal is embittered by expressions of anger, invective, or scorn, we may think we are doing service to the cause of truth, when in reality we shall only bring it into discredit. (John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace”) Although Newton wrote in the 18th...