Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims. (John Stonestreet, Biblical worldview author) We’ve all seen the bulb light up in a cartoon character’s head, indicating that he or she has just had an inspiration. Those ideas can often become the basis for...
Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. (William Arthur Ward, American author of inspirational maxims) It’s Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and many families are...
Jump and build your wings on the way down. (Ray Bradbury, late author and screenwriter) A paratrooper’s first jump must be frightful. Yet, we’re told that it soon becomes exhilarating, a pleasure the jumper would never have if he hadn’t jumped out that first time....
A master in the art of living always appears to be both working and playing. (L. P. Jacks, English educator) Remember the proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”? It teaches that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring. Jacks...
Nothing is true, but that which is simple. (Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, 18th-19th century German writer and statesman) We need to think carefully about that statement. If you look at Einstein’s theory of special relativity (E = mc2), the equation appears simple and...
Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels. (Faith Whittlesey, former White House staff assistant) Old-timers will remember the extravagant movie musicals of yesteryear. Astaire was an amazing dancer who was able to make...
A smile is a curve that can set a lot of things straight. (Victor Borge, America-Danish comedian) When we read the news or watch TV news coverage, we often don’t find much to smile about. Whether it’s a personal, national, or world news story, it is often...
Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. (Albert Einstein, noted scientist) Ours is a success-oriented society. It’s more than just wanting not to fail. From early childhood we want to be first in everything, and from there to...
Pretty much all the honest truth-telling there is in the world is done by children. (Oliver Wendell Holmes, 20th century justice of the United States Supreme Court) Before they learn to be deceitful, children are often very blunt, stating the facts as they see them....
Never put the key to happiness in someone else’s pocket. (Author unknown) What is it that makes you happy? Maybe it’s winning at sports? Or, acing an exam. More often, it’s a person—someone you like to be with. Are you, perhaps, the person who someone else is...
Perfectionism can turn us into an unwitting accomplice for the status quo. (Bobby Gruenewald, pastor and innovator) More: “Improvement is admirable. Perfection is impossible. . . . Our pursuit of an unattainable standard can keep us from getting anywhere near our...
The more teachable we are, the more mature we will become. (David Egner, philanthropist) Teaching is sometimes a difficult task. Either the subject is extremely difficult to understand or the classroom environment is not appropriate. Sometimes we might even think the...