Christmas I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old familiar carols play / And wild and sweet, the words repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 19th-century American poet) In a world that has been continually torn with constant...
GOD OF HOPE
God of Hope
Stop & Think: December 24, 2020
Christmas Eve Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends. (Margaret Thatcher, late British prime minister) Christmas has so many wonderful traditions, including music. Hearing the song, I’ll Be Home for...
Stop & Think: December 23, 2020
Anno Domini Christmas is the day that holds all time together. (Alexander Smith, 19th-century Scottish poet) Have you ever wondered why this year is designated 2020 AD? When it was determined to synchronize calendars around the world, the pivotal starting event was...
Stop & Think: December 22, 2020
Christmas and Easter It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. (W. T. Ellis, Civil War veteran) So much of the “Christmas spirit” is manufactured by advertising and showy programs, but, as Ellis suggests, the real Christmas spirit comes from the...
Stop & Think: December 21, 2020
Christmas Joy Christmas is for children. But it’s for grown-ups, too. (Lenora Mattingly Weber, 19th-20th century American author) With a rather disheartening comment, Weber continues, “Even if it’s a headache, a chore, a nightmare it is a period of necessary...
Stop & Think: December 20, 2020
Christmas is Coming For children Christmas is anticipation. For adults Christmas is memory. (Eric Sevareid, late American news journalist) This is Christmas week, and children are eagerly awaiting the parties and, especially, the opening of gifts on Friday. Although...
Stop & Think: December 19, 2020
Arrogance Arrogance blocks honor either by seeking it or by rejecting it. (Dan Rockwell, fitness enthusiast) We are often disappointed by someone who is a successful winner but who is arrogant. Pride is a strong turn off for lots of people. Rockwell also says,...
Stop & Think: December 18, 2020
Ready for Christmas? A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together. (Garrison Keillor, American storyteller) In most of the so-called civilized world, Christmas will be observed in just one week even by...
Stop & Think: December 17, 2020
Principles A principle is an approach you stick with even if you know it might lead to a short-term outcome you don’t prefer. (Seth Godin) Godin continues, “If your guiding principle is to do whatever benefits you right now, you don’t have principles of much value.”...
Stop & Think: December 16, 2020
Judgment We don’t see things the way they are, but the way we are. (Anaïs Nin, 20th-century French-Cuban American writer) It’s often a question of viewpoint or perspective. We evaluate what we see and make our judgments based on our personal experience and bias....
Stop & Think: December 15, 2020
Living One day your life will flash before your eyes; make sure it’s worth watching. (Gerard Way, American singer and songwriter) Whether it’s true that people see their lives flash before them in moments of extreme danger, the idea is both frightening and...
Stop & Think: December 14, 2020
Friendship III Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you. (Elbert Hubard, 19th-century American writer) Friendships can be pretty fragile when there isn’t a firm commitment. Before we discard a friend because we learn something about him or...