To be right requires being right not just in what you do and say but in the way you do and say things. (Paraphrased from Eric Metaxas, author) Sometimes we excuse our unkind actions or harsh words because what we are doing or saying is right and true. Metaxas’...
Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. (Publilius Syrus, 1st century B.C. Latin writer) It doesn’t take a lot of skill or courage to guide a ship when there is no strong wind or high seas. But when the storms come, you really want a trained and experienced...
Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man. (Ben Franklin, early American statesman) Three important thoughts: 1) “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body” (Joseph Addison). 2) Meditate on [God’s Word) day and night so you...
The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention. (Oscar Wilde, 19th century Irish poet and playwright) It’s said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Sometimes another phrase is added: “but heaven is full of good works.” Wilde...
Dare to reach your hand into the darkness to pull another hand into the light. (Norman Rice, former mayor of Seattle, Washington) Sometimes we are so afraid of being hurt or of endangering ourselves that we refuse to reach out to someone in need because he or she is...
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. (Edmund Burke, 18th century Irish statesman and author) Evil raises its ugly head far too frequently in modern society. Whether it is drug abuse, civil uprisings, or crime, we see it all too often in the...
At last it dawned on me that … obstacles were my life. (Fr. Alfred D’Souza, (Catholic Archbishop in India) That is D’Souza’s discovery. He wrote: “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...
Never take down a fence until you know why it was put up. (Warren Wiersbe, pastor, author) This is one of Wiersbe’s lessons for life, and it may be helpful to learn. Fences are a kind of boundary; they may say “Stay out” or “Stay in.” They may be there to protect...
I believe that the best way to be a better teacher is to be open to the idea that there is more to learn. (Rita Platt, teacher) What is the goal of teaching? A good purpose might be stated this way: “The teacher’s goal is that the student learns and changes.” Wouldn’t...
You always have to watch out when someone steeples their fingers. (George W. Bush, 43rd U.S. president) We may not know for sure what Bush was referring to. Was he thinking of someone whose posture suggested deep and intense thought? Or was he referring to the posture...
Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous. (Plato, classical Greek philosopher) There is more available knowledge today than ever before, and with the Internet, that knowledge is accessible to millions of learners. It’s important to be knowledgeable about our...
Yesterday is ashes, tomorrow wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly. (Eskimo Proverb) As we grow older, we tend to become more nostalgic. We long for the “good old days,” and we rehash the good memories, probably forgetting the less pleasant experiences. Others...