Usefulness A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. (John A. Shedd, late business executive) There are lots of mankind’s creations that bring satisfaction in just their appearance—a fancy automobile, for example, or a well-made formal...
Faith Faith is the bird that sings while it is yet dark. (Max Lucado, author) 2020 was a dark year for a lot of people. Whether it was the pandemic, the economy, or politics, many folks found it difficult to face life and its problems with any hope. Yet, there were...
Youth When it comes to staying young, a mind-lift beats a face-lift anytime. (Abraham Maslow, late American psychologist) Is there any end to the TV commercials promoting face creams and supplements to make you look younger? It always sounds like you can just apply...
Be Involved Participation is more satisfying than perfection. (Ferida Wolff, journalist) Everybody wants to be a winner, and some work hard to be perfect in their particular pursuit. We’ve all found that winning is really fun, but few are ever satisfied that they’ve...
Life For a long time, it had seemed to me that life was about to begin — real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. (Alfred D’Souza, archbishop in India) D’Souza continues, “Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be...
Jesus Speaks: Empty Promises Jesus visited earth over 2,000 years ago. What He said was recorded by eyewitnesses in the book of Matthew in the Bible. This is what Jesus said about making empty promises: “And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded...
Affliction The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction. (C.H. Spurgeon, late British preacher) It’s only natural to avoid affliction and trials as much as possible. Yet, we often find ourselves in trying circumstances, not always of our own...
Friendship III I can trust my friends. These people force me to examine [and] encourage me to grow. (Cher, singer) Friends are not just “yes” men or women. Good friends speak truth into a situation even when it may hurt a bit. That’s one of the ways that we...
Friendship II The real test of friendship is: can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple? (Eugene Kennedy, late psychologist and author) Is a protracted silence among friends difficult for you? Do...
Friendship I Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things in life. (James Francis Byrnes, late Supreme Court Justice) Who are our real friends? Who enjoys and serves us without hidden agendas or designs to use us for their own advancement?...
Change II When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. (Inspiration Line) While change may often be difficult, there are times when we really wish we could bring about change in one circumstance or another. Sometimes it is...
Change I Change does not imply weakness as much as offer wisdom. (Tim Sprankle, pastor) Change is difficult even in the world of physics. Inertia, for example, is the rule that things in motion tend to stay in motion and things at rest tend to stay at rest. Many of us...