Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. (John W. Garner, late U.S. cabinet member) Like words, you can’t look back and change the things you’ve done in the past. You may be able to erase words from paper or delete them on the computer, but you can’t treat life...
Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out. (Toby McKeehan, songwriter and recording artist) As someone else put it, “It’s better to bite your tongue than eat your words.” It is embarrassing to admit that you’ve said something you shouldn’t have. What’s...
Watch, lest prosperity destroy generosity. (Henry Ward Beecher, 19th century social reformer) It’s a puzzle, isn’t it? You would think that the more we have, the more generous we would be. But that doesn’t seem to be the way life really is. Have you noticed that even...
He is a fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. (Jim Elliott, martyred missionary) Practical jokes on April Fool’s Day are often silly and comical. Everybody laughs (except for the victim of the prank). But Elliott was speaking of something far...
What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon. (Denis Waitley, motivational speaker) Our actions are determined beforehand by our thoughts. Occasionally, we may act instinctively without much thought, but that’s pretty rare. Most of the time, we do what we do because...
Our responsibility is not change; it quite simply is choice. (Paraphrased from Josh Grill, psychologist) When we look around at the world’s turmoil, we may wonder what our responsibility is. How can we change society? How can we bring peace to war-torn nations? In...
He who is nearest to God is closest to man. (F. B. Meyer, 19th-20th century English pastor)) How can knowing God help us know our fellow man? Is it because God created mankind and knows his makeup? Is it because God sees the thoughts and intents of a man’s heart? Or,...
Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world. (Hans Margolius, 20th century ethicist) You can’t get a good reflection of yourself if you’re looking into the ocean or a river or even a lake...
Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom. (Merry Browne, late athlete) “Don’t confuse me with the facts; I’ve already made up my mind,” we joke. But it’s no joke. Our prejudices and biases often pre-determine what we think before we consider the...
A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. (Thomas A. Kempis, 14th-15th century churchman) Whether it’s Christmas, your birthday, Valentine’s Day, or a surprise, everyone likes to receive gifts. With children it’s the gift that...
Freedom without moral commitment is aimless and promptly self-destructive. (John W. Gardner, late government official) Some people seem to think that freedom means they can do whatever they want to do whenever they feel like it and wherever they may be at the time. We...
It is the best and truest friend who honestly tells us the truth about ourselves even when he knows we shall not like it. (R. C. H. Lenski, scholar and author) It’s tough to be corrected or criticized, isn’t it? Even when the criticism is right or we need to be...