Riches and Poverty We regard wealth as something to be properly used, rather than as something to boast about. (Pericles, 5th century B.C., Greek orator) He continues, “As for poverty, no one need be ashamed to admit it. . .” Wealth and poverty are extremes which...
Encouragement The fact that you are willing to say, “I do not understand, and it is fine,” is the greatest understanding you could exhibit. (Wayne Dyer, self-help, best-selling author) When a friend shares his difficult situation with us, we may be so eager to help...
Blending There may need to be some bending to achieve good blending. (Brent Sandy, author) Using the analogy of the popular smoothie drinks, Sandy referred to the multitude of blended families in our society. In any merger involving parties from different backgrounds...
Hope and Action Hope in every area of life is a privilege that attaches to action. No action, no hope. (Peter Levi, poet) Pastor Chris Suitt adds, “You know the type. Those who are all talk, but no action. . . Our world needs hope, not mere words.” Remember the old...
Thinking and Acting Doing and thinking work together to form character. (Paraphrase of Larry P. Arnn, president of Hillsdale College) He continued, “If their characters are not courageous, moderate, and just, then not only will they [lack courage] in action, but their...
Friendship I find friendship to be like wine, raw when new, ripened with age, the true old man's milk and restorative cordial. (Thomas Jefferson) On Presidents’ Day we look to our third president for a helpful comment about friends. Various drinks are often cited for...
Needs & Wants Giving the people what they want is not nearly as powerful as teaching people what they need. (Seth Godin, author and marketer) It’s often a difficult dilemma when we have to choose between wants and needs. It might be easy for parents to choose when...
Tact It takes tact to have contact. (Warren Wiersbe, author) To have a fulfilled life, we need to have good relationships with at least a few close people. These connections are sometimes difficult to create and maintain. As Wiersbe suggests, tact is important. We may...
A Smile If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. (Maya Angelou, late US Poet Laureate) “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue . . .” is the way our childish Valentine cards often began. It’s Valentine’s Day, and we’re expected to card and gift...
Coincidence Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. (Albert Einstein, late noted scientist) When certain circumstances of life seem to converge in an unexpected, “accidental” sort of way, we often wonder why and how. Although Einstein would probably not be...
Love II When we give love away, it always comes back to us. Love is a verb… it is an action… it is THE action. (Dan O’Deens, author) Many people mistakenly think of love as just an interaction between two bodies that may or may not convey any true sentiment of caring....
Love I Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved. (Victor Hugo, 19th century French dramatist) “What the world needs now is love, sweet love; that’s the only thing there’s too little of.” So go the words of a popular 1965 song. It could be...