Others What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other? (George Eliot, pen name for Mary Ann Evans, 20th century English writer) People today often seem to be so self-centered that we might wonder if Eliot’s observation is really true. From...
Control You can’t change or control the world around you. You can change and control the world within you. (Warren Wiersbe, late American author) After reading the newspaper or watching the evening TV news, do you ever begin to wish you really could “change the...
Talents If you’re an eagle at heart, what are you doing on that perch? (Charles Swindoll, pastor, writer) Swindoll continues: “Do you have any idea how greatly you’re needed to soar and explore?” We all have unique gifts and talents, and they are not given to us...
Too Much A desire for even a good thing becomes a bad thing when that desire becomes a ruling thing. (Paul David Tripp, devotional writer) Can you get too much of a good thing? Many of us have discovered that second helpings of a delicious dish may have unpleasant...
Humility The first product of self-knowledge is humility. (Flannery O'Connor, 20th century novelist) It is perfectly natural to think of ourselves first. If we don’t, who will? But as we grow and become more mature in our reasoning, we begin to realize that we may not...
Humility Humility is the only soil in which true unity can grow. (Michael Reeves) Stardom (and even superstardom) is the goal of many youngsters starting out in sports, entertainment, or the arts; It’s all “me first,” or “I’ll do it my way.” Many stars seem to forget...
Nature One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books. (John Muir, 19th-20th century environmental philosopher) Muir was not intending to discredit enjoying and learning from books. Rather, he simply wanted to encourage people to move on from books...
Home There’s no place like home. Ask any prodigal who has come back. It’s a familiar thought, often repeated when returning from an extended vacation. People who may be dissatisfied with their job or circumstances sometimes think it would be really good to move...
Perfection This life was not intended to be our place of perfection, but the preparation for it. (Richard Baxter, 17th century English Puritan writer) Although God’s creation was perfect (Genesis 1), after sin entered so did imperfection and hardship. God’s intention,...
Wanting It All Wanting all you can get will keep you from becoming all you can be. (Brent Sandy, author) Remember the bumper sticker that said: “He Who Dies with The Most Toys Wins!” That does seem to be a constant theme in society yet today. We often judge success by...
Starting Over Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning . . . Anyone can start over and make a new ending. (Chico Xavier, Brazilian philanthropist) How many times have you wished you could just start over? You made a big mistake that ruined a project and...
Mistakes Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein, noted 20th century physicist) We all make mistakes; no one is exempt. But Einstein’s observation is a challenge to keep on trying even after we’ve made a blunder. Often those...