When you hold grudges, your hands aren’t free to catch blessings. (Source unknown) Someone else said it this way: “Let your hands be so busy catching blessings that you don’t have the capacity to hold on to grudges.” Another: “Holding a grudge is like letting someone...
Our life is the sum of the choices we make. (Mike Lee, American pastor) One of the few things we can control in life is our choices. From childhood we began to make choices, and as we grew, the choices became more numerous and, often, more difficult. Those choices...
Cultivate a calm and judicious life from the time you're young, and then let your life ripen. (Cicero, 2nd century B.C. Roman philosopher) What we learn and practice during our childhood will largely determine how we behave in adulthood. If, as children, we regard...
The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear. (Ram Dass, spiritual teacher) This simple statement is true enough, but it may have a deeper meaning than just being quiet. All too often when two people are conversing, the listener is likely to be thinking about...
Initiative is recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it. (Bill Gothard, speaker and writer) We used to describe a person with initiative as someone who has the “get up and go” gene. He or she doesn’t wait for permission or advice; they...
There is no sense in doing a lot of barking if you have nothing to say. (Snoopy in the “Peanuts” cartoon.) A barking dog can be either an important warning or a continual annoyance. The same can be said about human beings and their speaking. Sometimes when we are...
Those who travel the high road of humility will not be troubled by heavy traffic. (Alan Simpson, former United States Senator) Much has been said about having a proper self-image. We want our children to have a good understanding of who they are and their character...
I’d rather be in the mountains thinking of God, than in church thinking about the mountains. (John Muir, 19th century Scottish-American naturalist) Certainly God has revealed Himself in nature, so Muir’s thought is helpful. The beauty of a sunrise or a sunset over the...
Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something. (H. Jackson Brown, inspirational author) What do you see when you meet a person, perhaps for the first time? We may have completely wrong ideas about someone because of...
Three things you can’t recover in life: the moment after it’s missed, the word after it’s said, and the time after it’s wasted. (Source unknown) Someone has added: “So choose your words wisely, embrace every moment you have with those you love, and never waste time...
Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. (Francis of Assisi, 13th century Roman Catholic friar and preacher) Fear and ignorance are characteristics we certainly want to avoid. According to Francis, we can do so by practicing both charity...
Humility is not denying your strengths. It's about admitting your weaknesses. (Rick Warren, American pastor and author) Humility is the opposite of pride. It’s when you recognize your weaknesses and don’t ignore your God-given abilities. But, there is such a thing as...