Be Careful Prevention is better than recovery. (Stonestreet and Kunkle, authors) Author Josh McDowell illustrated the principle this way, “I’d rather put a fence at the top of the cliff than an ambulance at the bottom.” Seat belts, bike helmets, warning lights, and...
Tenacity The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is, the one comes from a strong will the other comes from a strong won't. (Henry Ward Beecher, 19th century social reformer) Perseverance is an admirable quality. We respect people who stay with a tough...
Image I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. (Margaret Chase Smith, late U.S. senator) We are often not able to control our environment or circumstances. “Things happen,” as they say, and we must deal with them the best we can. As...
Silence Silence and smile are two powerful tools. Smile is the way to “solve” many problems and silence is the way to “avoid” many problems. (Betsy Shuttleworth, exercise guru) Did you know that "smiles" is the longest word in the dictionary? There's a mile between...
Aim Ahead A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be. (Wayne Gretzkey, Canadian hockey star) What a great skill to develop! Think of rocket scientists. When they send a rocket into space, they’re not aiming...
Be Wise! There are two kinds of people in the world, those that are wise and those that are otherwise. (Jim Brown, professional athlete) Who are the “otherwise”? It would certainly include the foolish: “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than...
Think! To help thinkers believe and believers think. (Ravi Zacharias, late apologist). This was Zacharias’ life mission, as he tried to help Christians learn how to defend their faith. Today many people are dangerously fervent about a particular philosophy or...
Hard Work Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can. (Lowell Thomas, columnist) Have you ever become so weary in the middle of a project that you felt you just couldn’t go on for another minute? Near the end of a tiring workday we might just want to...
Affliction II Affliction may be lasting, but it is not everlasting. Affliction was a sting, but withal a wing: sorrow shall soon fly away. (Thomas Watson) We’ve all experienced times of great difficulty which seemed like they would never end. Watson’s poetic words...
Affliction I Poverty and affliction take away the fuel that feeds pride. (Richard Sibbes, 17th century Anglican theologian) Sibbes was probably not promoting poverty and affliction as circumstances of life to be desired. Rather, he was emphasizing the danger of...
Winds When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. (Peter Marshall, late US Senate chaplain) Who doesn’t want a life of ease with a minimum of trials and difficulties? Yet, as...
Religion II Religion is not a thing which it is possible to put off and put on like a Sunday dress… If you think you are doing so, believe me that as yet it is not a religion, but a web of delusions. (Edward Reynolds, 17th century English bishop) In many churches...