Any time we bury a hurt alive, it will keep rising from the dead to haunt us. (Renee Swope, Christian author) Sometimes when we’ve been hurt deeply, we intentionally avoid any attempt to resolve the conflict that created the wound. Instead, we bury it, thinking that...
People tend to forget their duties but remember their rights. (Indira Ghandi, former prime minister of India) Ghandi’s comment certainly seems to be true in 21st century America. We believe deeply in individual freedoms and guaranteed “inalienable rights,” so, as free...
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. (Molière, 17th century playwright and actor) It’s exciting to win at any contest. But when an “underdog” team defeats a highly favored opponent, it is even more exhilarating. The fans of the winning team will...
One must not tie a ship to a single anchor, nor life to a single hope. (Epictetus, 1st century Stoic philosopher) Boatmen will understand the philosopher’s reference to the value of multiple anchors. The rest of us might wrestle with applying the metaphor. It surely...
Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul. (Marcus Aurelius, 2nd century Roman emperor) In the hectic lifestyle of modern western society it’s often difficult to find a place of solitude. Yet, getting away by oneself, apart from...
Fears of what might happen in the future rob us of the joy of now. We miss out. (Jennifer Studio) Many people seem to be afraid of life. They are often second-guessing themselves: “what if I had …?” The quote above also pondered, “How easily the what ifs can make us...
With greater freedom comes greater responsibility. (Victor Hugo, 19th century French author and dramatist) Some seem to think that freedom means they can do whatever they want to do without any restriction. That view overlooks the accountability that comes with...
Love is measured by what we do, not in the results we see. (Florent Varak, French pastor and author) The same thing could be said about success, but we most often judge success by the results of an effort. Is a sports team successful if it loses a game? As the old...
In some practical way, some daily way, [we have to] figure out how to see people differently from the way we were brought up to. (A Paraphrase of Alice Walker, American author and activist) Walker prefaced this quote with “I think we have to own the fear we have of...
If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember this whole thing was started by a mouse. (Walt Disney, entrepreneur and creator of Disney World) That’s a very positive outlook on life, isn’t it? It surely would be an encouragement to someone who has a vision and...
Worry is a cycle of inefficient thought, centered on a fear. (Quoted by Corrie ten Boom, Holocaust survivor) People worry about a lot of different things: money, romance, politics, crime—the list is endless. We all know, of course, that worrying doesn’t solve...
It’s not how much we give, it’s how much love we put into our giving. (Mother Teresa) The reasons for giving are many. Sometimes we give out of a sense of obligation; it’s something we should do, so we give. At other times we are motivated to give because we recognize...