STOP AND THINK If you’re going through hell, keep going. (Winston Churchill) Life sometimes is very hard, and we may be inclined to give up or to find some way to change our circumstances or environment. But there is much to be gained by perseverance, by...
STOP AND THINK Sickness is meant to prompt us to ask, “Am I ready for my great change if I should not get better? Am I prepared to meet God? (Author unknown) When we’re injured or sick for a long time, we tend to think more seriously about life. We begin...
STOP AND THINK Youth is the time when we have generally our most health and strength: death seems far away, and to enjoy ourselves in this life seems to be everything. (J. C. Ryle, 19th century Anglican bishop, speaking to young men) “Eat, drink, and be...
Your character isn’t manifest by what you prepare to do. It’s manifest by what you’re not prepared for and how you react to that. Your involuntary reaction shows your character. (paraphrased from John MacArthur, American preacher) MacArthur...
STOP AND THINK Choices, not chance, determine destiny. (From a church sign board) Some folks like to leave everything to chance. “What will be will be,” they say. However, experience teaches us all too quickly that our choices really do determine what...
STOP AND THINK A joy that is shared is a joy that is doubled. (John Ray, 17th century English naturalist) It’s two weeks till Christmas. Already, children are eagerly anticipating the joy of new toys, gifts from Saint Nicholas, and family fun. Their parents know...
There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. (C. S. Lewis, British Christian apologist)) Because we can’t see into the future, we sometimes are afraid to think about it or to imagine what lies ahead. Yet, we can’t hang on to the past;...
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. (Frank A. Clark, 20th century writer and cartoonist) We all discovered early on that life isn’t just one long, smooth road. In fact, we’ve faced all kinds of problems and...
I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards. (Abraham Lincoln) “Slow and steady wins the race,” they say. But unless it’s a childhood game, walking backwards doesn’t win. It’s steadfastness, consistency, persistence in the right...
Appreciation can make a day—even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. (Margaret Cousins, early 20th century political activist) It’s easy to criticize, to make judgments, and correct others in their errors. That...
If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you’ll be amazed at the results. (George Patton, U.S. Army general in World War II) They’re called “micro-managers,” the people who are controllers by nature. They not only tell you what...
Hatred can be communicated in one sentence. Love has to be lived out. (John Shirk, contemporary American poet) A hateful thought or word can be expressed in an instant of time, but the effects will be long-lasting. Love, on the other hand, can be thought and expressed...