"My prescription for success is based
on something my father always used to tell me; you should
never try to be better than someone else, but you should
never cease trying to be the best you can be."
---John
Wooden, famous basketball coach at UCLA
October 11, 2005
"You can't have a better tomorrow if
you are thinking about yesterday all the time."
---Charles F.
Kettering
October 12, 2005
"I was taught moral principles from
childhood and tried to win God's approval by good works, but
I was motivated by guilt. I finally came to realize that if
anyone is trying to impress God, it is not of Him. Then in
1995 as a result of the Braves chapel services I came to
understand my need to have a personal relationship with
Christ."
---Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz
October 13, 2005
"The diamond cannot be polished
without friction, nor the man perfected without trials."
---Chinese Proverb
October 14, 2005
"The Cross is the ladder to heaven."
---Thomas Drake
October 15, 2005
"The man that worships the dollar
instead of thinking of the purposes for which it ought to be
used, the man who simply idolizes money, the miser that
hoards his money in the cellar, or hides it in his stocking,
or refuses to invest it where it will do the world good,
that man who hugs the dollar until the eagle squeals, has in
him the root of all evil."
---Russell H. Conwell, in Acres of
Diamonds
October 16, 2005
"I believe God made me for a purpose,
but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God's
pleasure."
---Olympic runner Eric Liddell in the film
Chariots of Fire
October 17, 2005
" I don't know God's plan for your
life...But for all you know, He is training you and shaping
you this very moment to step in and serve as a pastor or an
officer or as a board member or as a student body leader, to
fill the shoes of someone who has done a bang-up job. Sure,
you're different from that person. But if God is calling you
into that unenviable place of His appointment, He can use
you in a remarkable way."
---Charles R. Swindoll
October 18, 2005
"It is not failing that's the sin!
It's accepting failure as final--that's the sin! No matter
how often a man fails--HE'S NOT A FAILURE UNTIL HE TAKES IF
AS FINAL!"
---Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the
United States Senate
October 19, 2005
"We make a living by what we get, but
we make a life by what we give."
---Paul C. Johnson
October 20, 2005
"Well done is better that well said."
---Benjamin Franklin
October 21, 2005
"Your attitude determines your
altitude."
---Zig Ziglar
October 22, 2005
" I would rather fail in the cause
that some day will triumph than triumph in a cause that will
some day will fail."
---Woodrow Wilson
October 23, 2005
"You've have heard people say, 'I
can't make it to the meeting tonight, but I'll be with you
in spirit.' Do you know what that means? Nothing. It's
worthless! As long as you're on earth, your spirit can only
be where your body is. If your body isn't there, neither are
you!"
--- Rick Warren “The Purpose Driven Life”
October 24, 2005
“It is not fitting, when one is in
God’s service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.”
---Saint Francis of Assisi
October 25, 2005
“Treat a man as he is and he will
remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he
will become as he can and should be.”
---German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832
October 26, 2005
“Failure is the opportunity to begin
again more intelligently.”
---John Maxwell
October 27, 2005
“Some people, no matter how old they
get, never lose their beauty—they merely move it from their
faces into their hearts.”
---Author, Barbara Johnson
October 28, 2005
“No one can cheat you out of ultimate
success but yourself.”
---Ralph Waldo Emerson
October 29, 2005
“The trouble with the rat race is
that even if you win, you’re still a rat.”
---Lily Tomlin
October 30, 2005
“The great task of the church is not
only to get sinners into heaven, but also to get the saints
out of bed.”
---A.L. Todd
October 31, 2005
“The mask we most often wear, the one
called, “Self,” distorts any vision of God into a picture of
idolatry.”
---David B. Whitlock
November 1, 2005
“Lead the life that will make you
kindly and friendly to everyone about you, and you will be
surprised what a happy life you will lead.”
---Charles M. Schwab
November 2, 2005
“Life is God’s gift to us. What we do
with it is our gift to God.”
---Horace Mann
November 3, 2005
“No matter what the level of your
ability, you have more potential than you can ever develop.”
---Business consultant, James T. McKay, quoted in Bits and
Pieces
November 4, 2005
“Those are weaklings who know the
truth and uphold it as long it suits their purpose, and then
abandon it.”
---Blaise Pascal
November 5, 2005
“Many a time I have wanted to stop
talking and find out what I really believed.”
---Walter Lippmann
November 6, 2005
“If we do not worship God somewhere
we will soon not worship Him anywhere.”
---Herschel H. Hobbs
November 7, 2005
“Don’t blame suffering in the world
on the anger of God. He’s not mad; he didn’t mess up. Follow
our troubles to their headwaters, and you won’t find an
angry befuddled God. But you will find a sovereign God.”
---Max Lucado, Christian author, in It’s Not About Me.
November 8, 2005
“If I had to go through the arrest
again, I would do it. I live without regrets. I try to do
the best I can with the present and hope for the best in
whatever the future brings. The past takes care of itself.”
---Rosa Parks, Pioneer of Civil Rights, 1913-2005
November 9, 2005
“When no one else is putting pressure
on you, put it on yourself. Don’t wait for pressure and the
right circumstances to bring out the best in you. If nothing
and no one are demanding a superior performance from you,
demand it of yourself.”
---Rick Pitino, basketball coach, University of Louisville
November 10, 2005
“How much we can do depends on how
much we think we can do. When you really believe you can do
more, your mind thinks creatively and shows you the way.” ---David J. Schwartz, in The Magic of
Thinking Big
November 11, 2005
“If you can read this, thank a
teacher; since it’s in English, thank a veteran!"
---Anonymous
November 12, 2005
“One of the tragic things I know
about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.
We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the
horizon—instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming
outside our windows today.”
---Dale Carnegie
November 13, 2005
“A love relationship with God is more
important than any other single factor in your life.”
---Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing God
November 14, 2005
“The direction of your thoughts
determines the destination of your life.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
November 15, 2005
“God is here. The whole universe is
alive with His life. And He is no strange or foreign God,
but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love
has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of
men.”
---A.W. Tozer, 1897-1963, in The Pursuit of God
November 16, 2005
“One day you will wonder how you
could have resisted your Father’s kindness for so long and
at such cost.”
---Bruce Wilkinson, Christian author, in Secrets of the
Vine
November 17, 2005
“No man is able to progress when he
is wavering between opposite things.”
---Greek philosopher, Epictetus, c.55--c.135 C.E
November 18, 2005
“You can see God using some lives,
but into your life an obstacle has come and you do not seem
to be of any use. Keep paying attention to the Source, and
God will either take your round the obstacle or remove it.”
---Christian leader, Oswald Chambers, 1874-1917
November 19, 2005
“Our actions are but a reflection of
our heart’s desires.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
November 20, 2005
“The same people who want
sixty-minute worship services rent two-hour videos and watch
NBA and NFL games that run even longer. The issue is not
length but appetite.”
---Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, in
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire
November 21, 2005
“Only those who
understand the depth of your pain can celebrate the height
of your joy.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
November 22,
2005
“Integrity is
doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.”
---Jim Stovall, You Don’t Have to Be Blind to See
November 23,
2005
“O Lord,
baptize our hearts into a sense of the conditions and need
of all men.”
---George Fox, English founder of the Quakers, 17th century
November 24, 2005
“Thou who hast given so much to me, give one thing more—a
grateful heart.”
---George Hebert, early seventeenth century English poet
November 25, 2005
“I find the doing of the will of God leaves me no time for
disputing about His plans.”
---George McDonald, nineteenth century Scottish novelist and
poet
November 26, 2005
“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably
the reason why so few engage in it.”
---Henry Ford
November 27, 2005
“One on God’s side is a majority”
---Wendell Phillips, American antislavery orator
November 28, 2005
“Afraid to try something new? Most of us are. But it’s all
over so soon that our regrets will invariably be for what
we didn’t do rather than for what we did. The missing
ingredient is courage.”
---Harvey Mackay, Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His
Shirt
November 29, 2005
“I have learned to use the word ‘impossible’ with the
greatest caution.”
---Werner von Braun, Engineer
November 30, 2005
“Often the reason young people become more self-destructive
as they reach adult years is because they never
learned to make good, solid, wise choices as a child.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
December 1, 2005
“I used to ask God if He would come and help me. Then I
asked if I could come and help Him. Finally I ended by
asking God to do His own work through me.”
---J. Hudson Taylor, nineteenth century Christian missionary
and founder of the interdenominational China Inland
Mission
December 2, 2005
“I was born excited.”
---Mark Twain, when asked the reason for his success
December 3, 2005
“No man ever became great by imitation.”
---Samuel Johnson, eighteenth century English essayist
December 4, 2005
“For they can conquer who believe they can.”
---Virgil, ancient Greek poet
December 5,
2005
“It makes a
tremendous emotional and practical difference to one whether
one accepts the universe in the drab discolored way of stoic
resignation to necessity, or with the passionate happiness
of Christian saints.”
---Pioneer Psychologist, William James (1842-1910), in The
Varieties of Religious Experience
December 6,
2005
“The best way
to discern what a person truly believes is to scrutinize
their actions.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
December 7,
2005
“Don’t worry
about it.”
---The words of the lieutenant at a small radar station in
the Pacific when informed by subordinates that dots and dots
appeared on their radar screen, 137 miles from Pearl Harbor
at 7 A.M. on December 7, 1941
December 8,
2005
“Find something
to laugh about.”
---Maya Angelou, writer
December 9,
2005
“It’s very hard
to take yourself too seriously when you look at the world
from outer space.”
---Thomas K. Mattingly II, Apollo 16 astronaut, in Bits and
Pieces
December 10,
2005
“No, no! I go
to receive mercy!”
---Puritan preacher Thomas Hooker (1586-1647), on his
deathbed, when a friend tried to console him by saying, “You
are going to receive your reward.”
December 11,
2005
“True worship
compels us, forces us to fall flat on our faces, to be
humbled before God, to be refueled spiritually.”
---Don Julian, in Parables, etc., February, 1999
December 12,
2005
“God grant me
the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage
to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the
difference.”
---St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1286)
December 13,
2005
“It’s easy to
love the people far away. It is not always easy to love
those close to us…Bring love into your home, for this is
where our love for each other must start.”
---Mother Teresa
December 14,
2005
“There are
times when the best way to deal with conflict is to avoid
it. As my father used to tell me when I was a boy trying to
get along with kids in the schoolyard, ‘The easiest fights
to win are the ones you stay out of.’”
---Gary Preston, in Leadership, Summer 1999
December 15,
2005
“I don’t care
how big, or strong, or fast, or whatever else an athlete is,
if a man doesn’t think he can win, he is not going to win.”
---Football coach, Bobby Bowden, in More Than Just a Game.
December 16,
2005
“Do not go
where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.”
---Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone,
everywhere (Mark 16:15).
December 17,
2005
“Do little
things as if they were great because of the majesty of the
Lord Jesus Christ who dwells in you; and do great things as
if they were little and easy because of His omnipotence.”
---Blasé Pascal (1623-1662)
Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do
all for the glory of God. (I Corinthians 10:31).
December 18,
2005
“Relying on God
has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet
been done.”
---C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside
your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow
me (Luke 9:23).
December 19,
2005
“Time and
again, the way the Bible tells it, when we human beings have
stormed off to pout like spoiled children, or slammed the
door in a huff like angry lovers, or hidden within the
shadows out of shame, this loquacious God has come looking
for us, come wanting to begin the conversation for the
thousandth time, breaking our silences in the name of
steadfast love.”
---William H. Willimon, United Methodist Bishop, in The
Christian Century, December, 1984
While he was still a long distance away, his father saw him
coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son,
embraced him, and kissed him. (Luke 15: 20)
December 20,
2005
“A prison cell,
in which one waits, hopes, does various unessential things,
and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of
freedom has to be opened from the outside is not a bad
picture of Advent.”
---Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), in a letter to his
fiancée, from Tegel Prison in Germany, November 21, 1943
God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip
that scourges them…In that day of peace, battle gear will no
longer be issued…For a child is born to us, a son is given
to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These
will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9: 4-6
December 21,
2005
“It is in the
giving at Christmas that we receive our greatest gift.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
When they saw the star they were filled with joy…Then they
opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2: 10&11)
December 22,
2005
“Mary’s calling
was to carry the body of God, and to bear not only her own
pain but her son’s, feeling his anguish as intensely as all
mothers before or since have felt with their children.”
---Luci Shaw (1928--), in Christianity Today, December 12,
1986
But Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and
thought about them often. (Luke 2:19).
December 23,
2005
“‘I Hear the
Bills on Christmas Day.’”
---A misprint in a church bulletin on the Sunday before
Christmas, as cited by Bob Phillips, in The Return of the
Good Clean Jokes.
Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts
will be also. (Matthew 6:21)
December 24,
2005
“We must never
allow anything to blind us to the true significance of what
happened at Bethlehem so long ago. Nothing can alter the
fact that we live on a visited planet.”
---J.B. Phillips, from Good News, cited in Parables, Etc.,
December, 2002
So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us.
(John 1: 14)
December 25,
2005
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
“Happy, happy
Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our
childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his
youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside
and quiet home!”
---Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
Simeon…took the child in his arms and praised God saying,
“Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have
seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light
to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your
people Israel!”(Luke 2: 28-32)
December 26,
2005
“It is no use
giving us rules of conduct; we cannot keep them…A lecture
will not solve our problem; we need a Saviour.”
---John R.W. Stott, in Basic Christianity
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me
to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
that captives will be released, that the blind will see,
that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.(Luke
4:18-19)
December 27,
2005
“Remember, God
loves you simply because he has chosen to do so. He loves
you when you don’t feel lovely. He loves you when no one
else loves you. Others may abandon you, divorce you, and
ignore you, but God will love you. Always. No matter what.”
---Max Lucado, Christian author, in A Love Worth Giving to
You at Christmas
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life. (John 3:16)
December 28,
2005
“Let the
desolate soul take comfort from the fact that God is just as
present with His lonely children today as He was with His
Son.”
---J. Oswald Sanders (1917-1972), Christian leader in Lonely
but Never Alone
I will never fail you. I will never forsake you. (Hebrews
13:5)
December 29,
2005
“Love is an
irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”
---Robert Frost (1874-1963)
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all
the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)
December 30,
2005
“The mind of
man is like a clock that is always running down, and
requires to be as constantly wound up.”
---William Hazlitt (1778-1830), English essayist
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will
of God is, that which is good and acceptable. (Romans 12:2)
December 31,
2005
“We cannot
grasp the opportunities of the New Year while holding to the
limitations of the past year.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching
forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:13-14)
January 1, 2006
“We have passed
through one more year. One long stage in the journey of
life, with its ascents and descents and dust and mud and
rocks and thorns and burdens that wear the shoulders, is
done. The old year is dead. Roll it away. Let it go. God, in
His providence, has brought us out of it. It is gone…And now
we stand at the beginning of the next, the new.”
----Henry Ward Beecher, Congregationalist preacher
(1813-1887)
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the
things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it will
spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way
in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43: 18-19
January 2, 2006
“Resolutions
are futile efforts for temporary self improvements unless
they are accompanied by a permanent revolution of the mind.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
Let God transform you by changing the way you think. Romans
12:2
January 3, 2006
“‘Always’ and
‘never’ are two words you should always remember never to
use.”
---Wendell Johnson (1927-1990)
But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No, “No.” Matthew
5:37
January 4, 2006
“Take one giant
step at a time. Military strategists teach their armies to
fight on one front at a time. Settle on one attitude you
want to tackle at this time.”
--- John Maxwell, in The Winning Attitude
But I am focusing all my energies on this one thing.
Philippians 3:13
January 5, 2006
“Every man
would like to be God, if it were possible; some few find it
difficult to admit the impossibility.”
---Bertrand Russell (1870-1972)
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your
fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are
people that you should care for them, mere mortals that you
should think about them? Psalm 8:3-4
January 6, 2006
“Lord, let me
never, never outlive my love to Thee.”
---Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), found in his hymn, “O
Sacred Head”
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to
you in prayer. Psalm 63:4
January 7, 2006
“Often the
opportunity to rise to the occasion comes because we got up
one more time.”
---David B.Whitlock, Ph. D.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not
crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are
hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked
down, but not destroyed. II Corinthians 4:8-9
January 8, 2006
“To gather with
God’s people in united adoration of the Father is as
necessary to the Christian life as prayer.”
---Martin Luther (1483-1546)
A single day in your courts is better than a thousand
elsewhere! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my
God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
Psalm 84:10
January 9, 2006
“It is not the
blowouts that will destroy your marriage, but the slow
leaks.”
---Jay Kesler, President Emeritus and Chancellor, Taylor
University
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another
in marriage. Hebrews 13:4
January 10,
2006
“Keep your face
to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.”
---Helen Keller (1880-1968)
Make your face shine down upon us. Psalm 80:7
January 11,
2006
“The vision
must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare
up the steps; we must step up the stairs.”
---Vance Havner, (1901-1986), Bible teacher
I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven. Acts 26:19
January 12,
2006
“Put some good
thoughts in your head and you’ll discover that when you
change your thinker, life isn’t such a stinker.”
---Charles Lowery, inspirational speaker
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be
glad in it. Psalm 118:24
January 13,
2006
“Sorrow looks
back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.”
---Daily Bread, October 3, 1997
My eyes are always looking to the Lord for help.” Psalm
25:15
January 14,
2006
“I can never
think of the victories my teams have attained without also
considering the difficulties we had to overcome.”
---Lou Holtz, football coach and television commentator
You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out
of the thundercloud and tested your faith…Psalm 81:7
January 15,
2006
“Things turn
out best for the people who make the best of the way things
turn out.”
---Art Linkletter (1912--)
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in
the Lord. Philippians 3:1
January 16,
2006
“Like anybody I
would like to live—a long life—longevity has its place. But
I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s
will.”
---Martin Luther King, Jr. (1921-1968), speaking in Memphis,
TN, at a rally the night before he was killed on April 4,
1968
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind
me that my days are numbered, and that my life if fleeing
away…And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is
in you.” ---Psalm 39:4, 7
January 17,
2006
“Every man who
ever became somebody for God has this at the core of his
priorities: time alone with God!”
---Richard Foster, Quaker writer on Christian spirituality
The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went
out alone into the wilderness to pray. –Mark 1:35
January 18,
2006
“A loving
Personality dominates the Bible, walking among the trees of
the garden and breathing fragrance over every scene. Always
a living Person is present, speaking, pleading, loving,
working, and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His
people have the receptivity necessary to receive the
manifestation.”
---A.W.Tozer (1897-1963), in The Pursuit of God
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those
who take refuge in him! ---Psalm 34:8
January 19,
2006
“My parents
always told me that people will never know how long it takes
you to do something. They will only know how well it is
done.”
---Nancy Hanks (1783-1818), Mother of Abraham Lincoln
“Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what
you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who
wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it.
Now you should finish what you started.”---I Corinthians
8:10-11
January 20,
2006
“Seek the
truth; listen to the truth; teach the truth; love the truth;
abide by the truth; and defend the truth unto death.”
---John Hus (1370-1415), Christian martyr
“And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you
free.”---John 8: 32
January 21,
2006
“It is often
from life’s most tragic defeats that life’s sweetest
victories are born.”
---David B.Whitlock, Ph.D.
Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours
through Christ, who loved us. ---Romans 8:37
January 22,
2006
“Worship is not
about filling God’s unmet ego needs. God has made us so that
when we experience something transcendentally great, we have
a need to praise it.”
---John Ortberg, in If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got
to Get out of the Boat
“Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the
Lord our maker.”---Psalm 95:6
January 23,
2006
“It is the
willingness of people to give of themselves over and above
the demands of the job that distinguishes the great from the
merely adequate organization.”
---Peter Drucker
Though they have been going through much trouble and hard
times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed
in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not
only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of
their own free will.—I Corinthians 8:2-3.
January 24,
2006
“There is less
fear from outside competition than from inside inefficiency,
discourtesy and bad service.”
---Anonymous
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady,
always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that
nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. ---I
Corinthians 15:58
January 25,
2006
“Show me a man
who is a good loser and I’ll show you a man who is playing
golf with his boss.”
---Anonymous
Remember in a race everyone runs, but only one person get
the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will
win. ---I Corinthians 9: 24
January 26,
2006
“Nothing
splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared
believe that something inside them was superior to
circumstance.”
---Bruce Barton (1886-1967), popular religious author
“What do you mean, ‘If I can?’” Jesus asked. “Anything is
possible if a person believes.”---Mark 9:23
January 27,
2006
“I have seen
the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat,
And snicker,
And in short, I was afraid.”
---T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), in The Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good
cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”---Matthew 14: 27
January 28,
2006
“Sometimes the
most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap!”
---Warren Wiersbe, Bible teacher
“Sirs,” he (Abraham) said, “please don’t go any further.
Stop awhile and rest in the shade of this tree…”---Genesis
18:1
January 29,
2006
“I have one
passion only: it is He! It is He!”
---Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (1700-1760)
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,
and all your mind.”---Matthew 22:37
January 30,
2006
“Instead of
chasing the dollar, we should live in such a way that true
riches chase us.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh
others will themselves be refreshed. ---Proverbs 11: 25
If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you
search for evil, it will find you! ---Proverbs 11: 27
January 31,
2006
“God didn’t
have time to make a nobody, only a somebody. I believe that
each of us has God-given talents within us waiting to be
brought to fruition.”
---Mary Kay Ash, (1918-2001) founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s
holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can
show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of
the darkness into his wonderful light. ---I Peter 2:9
February 1,
2006
“You have
defeated me! But you won’t defeat me again! Because you have
grown all you can grow…but I am still growing!”
---Sir Edmund Hillary, first to ascend Mt. Everest. The
words above are addressed to Mt. Everest after Hillary
failed in his first attempt to climb it.
Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
---Galatians 6: 9-10
February 2,
2006
“I am not what
I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. But by the cross
of Christ, I am not what I was.”
---John Newton (1725-1807), Anglican minister, author of
hymn, Amazing Grace.
For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be
called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward
me was not in vain.
---I Corinthians 15:9-10.
February 3,
2006
“Always
remember, as long as your opponent has life, don’t let that
sucker up until he concedes.”
---Lou Holtz, football coach and sports analyst
“We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and
methods. We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly
weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.”
---II Corinthians 10:3-4
February 4,
2006
“You are not an
accident…You were made by God and for God, and until you
understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do
we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our
purpose, our significance and our destiny.”
---Rick Warren, from his book The Purpose-Driven Life, and
one of 63 quotes on Starbucks coffee cups throughout 2006
“Our purpose is to please God…”
---I Thessalonians 2:4
February 5,
2006
“He that lacks
time to mourn lacks time to mend.”
---Henry Taylor (1800-1886)
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
---Matthew 5:4
February 6,2006
“Love is the
will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one’s
own and another’s spiritual growth.”
---M. Scott Peck, in The Road Less Traveled
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful
or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is
not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been
wronged.”
---I Corinthians 13: 4-5
February 7,
2006
“God may have
to weaken us and bring us down at the points where we
thought we were strong in order that we may become truly
strong in real dependence on himself.”
---J.I. Packer, theologian, in Never Beyond Hope
Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content
with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.
---II Corinthians 12:10
February 8,
2006
“The most
important prayer in the world is just two words long: ‘thank
you.’”
---Meister Eckhart (c.1260-1327), German mystic
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! His faithful love
endures forever.
---Psalm 136:1
February 9,
2006
"You have
little control over what happens to you. You have complete
control over your reaction. It’s all a matter of attitude.”
---Jack and Garry Kinder, sales and management consultants,
in 21st Century Positioning
“Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm
yourselves with the same attitude he had…”
---I Peter 4:1
February 10,
2006
“What a person
has within is much more important than what is lacking
without.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
You are living stones that God is building into his
spiritual temple.
---I Peter 2:5
February 11,
2006
“Do what you
know best: if you’re a runner, run; if you’re a bell ring.”
---Ingas Bernstein
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in
Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us
long ago.”
---Ephesians 2:10
February 12,
2006
“I do the very
best I know how—the very best I can; and I mean to keep
doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right,
what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end
brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would
make no difference.”
---Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809-April 15, 1865), 16th
U.S. president
Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will
conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, and show me which
way to turn.
---Psalm 5:8
February 13,
2006
“Money can’t
buy love, but it improves your bargaining position.”
---Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English poet
Giving a gift works wonders…”
---Proverbs 18:16
February 14,
2006
“The closer our
love is to the love of Jesus, the better our love life will
be.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
“He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.”
---John 1:14
February 15,
2006
“Only one life,
‘twill soon be past—only what’s done for Christ will last.”
---Anonymous
Be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for
the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is
ever useless.
---I Corinthians 15:58
February 16,
2006
“Often the
difference between a successful man and a failure is not
one’s better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one
has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk---and to
act.”
---Maxwell Maltz (1899-1975), physician and motivational
speaker
“Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to
catch some fish.”
---Luke 5:4
February 17,
2006
“I always try
to turn every disaster into an opportunity.”
---John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), industrialist and
philanthropist
“When trouble comes your way, consider it an opportunity for
great joy.”
---James 1:2
February 18,
2006
“Half our life
is spent trying to find something to do with the time we
have rushed through life trying to save.”
---Will Rogers (1879-1935), American humorist
“Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow
in wisdom.”
---Psalm 90:12
February 19,
2006
“Nearly all
born-againers say their spiritual life is very important,
but for 10 million of them spiritual life has nothing to do
with the church.”
---Tim Stafford, in “The Church: Why Bother?” Christianity
Today, January, 2005, p.44.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people
do, but encourage and warn each other…”
---Hebrews 10:24
February 20,
2006
“Success is
liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do
it.”
---Mary Angelou, poet and writer
God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does
the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of
us so we can help each other.
---I Corinthians 12:4-5
February 21,
2006
“A smooth sea
never made a skillful mariner.”
---English proverb
You know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has
a chance to grow.
---James 1:3
February 22,
2006
“Few men have
virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”
---George Washington (February 22, 1732-December 14, 1799),
first president of the U.S.
Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by
any evil.”
---Psalm 119:133
February 23,
2006
“If we leave
the devil with even one small peg in our life, he will
return to hang his rotting garbage on it.”
---Haitian pastor, cited in Rod Handley, Character
Counts—Who’s Counting Yours?
“Stand firm against all the strategies and tricks of the
Devil.
---Ephesians 6:11
February 24,
2006
“It is a funny
thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the
best, you will get it.”
---Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) British playwright, novelist
I am come that you might have life and have it most
abundantly.
---John 10:10
February 25,
2006
“Success is
creating a state of mind that allows you to obtain anything
you desire.”
---Mark Victor Hansen
May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans
succeed.
---Psalm 20:4
February 26,
2006
“There is
nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with
God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He
gives.”
---Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), in My Utmost for His Highest
“Seek the Kingdom of God first above all else, and live
righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
---Matthew 6:33
February 27,
2006
“Worry does not
empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its
strength.”
---Corrie ten Boom (1892-1980), survivor of Nazi
extermination camp and author of The Hiding Place
Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own
worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
---Matthew 6:34
February 28,
2006
“The more time
we spend in an awareness of Jesus’ presence, the larger our
circle of love grows.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
“When you each obey me, you remain in my love…I command you
to love each other in the same way I love you.”
---John 15: 10, 12
March 1, 2006
“Man is born
with his back toward God. When he truly repents, he turns
around and faces God. Repentance is a change of
mind…repentance is the tear in the eye of faith.”
---D.L. Moody (1837-1899), evangelist
“I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes
to show my repentance.”
---Job 42:6
March 2, 2006
“Only he who
believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes.”
---Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), German pastor who was
executed at Flossenburg, a Nazi prison camp.
Then Jesus told them, “You believe because you have seen me.
Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.”
---John 20:29
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones
who love me.”
---John14:21
March 3, 2006
“You can’t have
success without an occasional failure…but you can have
failure without an occasional success.”
---Jeff MacNelly, cartoonist, creator of the comic strip,
“Shoe.”
---“Please grant me success now as I go to ask the king for
a great favor.”
---Nehemiah 1:11
March 4, 2006
“What we do
upon some great occasion will probably depend on what we
already are; and what we are will be the result of previous
years of self-discipline.”
---Henry Parry Liddon (1829-1890), minister, quoted in Bits
and Pieces, October, 2005
“Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a
time as this?”
---Esther 4:14
March 5, 2006
“The
indifference of a few key people in an organization can
determine the difference between success and failure for
many.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
“(The rulers) have made the whole land desolate, and no one
even cares.”
---Jeremiah 12:11
March 6 2006
“If you can’t
control yourself at the store, don’t go. The more you shop,
the more you think you need. Find another source of
entertainment. Take pride in going without things; it makes
you feel good. You can handle this.”
---From the Armchair Millionaire, by Lewis Schiff
The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever
they get.
---Proverbs 21:20
March 7, 2006
“The longer we
walk in the garden, the more likely we are to smell like
flowers. The more we immerse ourselves in grace, the more
likely we are to give grace.”
---Max Lucado, minister and author, In the Grip of Grace.
March 8, 2006
“Those who
bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from
themselves.”
---Sir James M. Barrie (1860-1937), British writer
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
---Matthew 5:16
March 9, 2006
“Man’s mind,
once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original
dimensions.”
---Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Commit yourself to instruction; attune your ears to hear
words of knowledge.
---Proverbs 23:12
March 10, 2006
“It’s futile to
wait for your ship to come in unless you’ve sent one out.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
The king (Solomon) had a fleet of trading ships that sailed
with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships
returned, loaded down with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and
peacocks.
---I Kings 10:22
March 11, 2006
“May we never
experience success without prayer.”
---Raymond McHenry, minister
Our only power and success come from God.
---II Corinthians 3:5
March 12, 2006
“Adversity is a
test of our stability---our ability to endure, to survive.
But prosperity is a test of our integrity. Like nothing
else, it reveals the honest-to-goodness truth regarding our
most basic value system.”
---Charles Swindoll, in Strengthening your Grip
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man
is tested by the praise he receives.”
---Proverbs 27:21
March 13, 2006
“It’s not what
you have but what you do with what you have that will
determine your success or failure.”
---Brian Tracy, author, motivational speaker
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get
a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a
generous crop.”
---II Corinthians 9:6
March 14, 2006
“Each of us
will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our
standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our
measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our
seeming greatness.”
---William Arthur Ward (1921-1994), college administrator,
author, speaker
There is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day
to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone’s
work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it
keeps its value.
---I Corinthians 3:13
March 15, 2006
“No one is
useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to
anyone else.”
---Charles Dickens
Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way
obey the law of Christ.
---Galatians 6:2
March 16, 2006
“If I am
through learning, I am through.”
---John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach who won 10 NCAA
championships
“If you stop listening to instruction, you have turned your
back on knowledge.”
---Proverbs 19:27
March 17, 2006
“The harder you
work, the harder it is to surrender.”
---Anonymous
And since God in his mercy has given us this ministry, we
never give up.
II Corinthians 4:1
March 18, 2006
“I grew up
knowing the Bible was meant to show me how to love God
better, not just for me to behave better. Funny how the more
I learned to love God, the better my behavior became.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
“You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39
March 19, 2006
“The biggest
mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living
at doing what they most enjoy.”
---Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990), publisher
Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve
kings rather than ordinary people.
---Proverbs 22:29
March 20, 2006
“Never forget a
customer; never let a customer forget you.”
---Frank Bettger, in How I Raised Myself from Failure to
Success in Selling
Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into
caring for your herds.
---Proverbs 27:28
March 21, 2006
“I’ve learned
that taking criticism is vital to my continued growth not
only as a speaker but as a father and a husband.”
---Les Brown, motivational speaker and author
If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and
disgrace; if you accept criticism, you will be honored.”
---Proverbs 13:18
March 22, 2006
“One of life’s
greatest joys is to have a child walk with you as you both
follow the same Lord.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
“How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them
living in the truth, just as we have been commanded.”
II John 4
March 23, 2006
“Grace makes it
possible not only for us to want to do what is right but
actually to do it not in our own strength but by the help of
our Deliverer, who at the resurrection will give us that
perfect peace which is the consequence of good will.”
---Augustine (340-430), greatest of the Latin Fathers of the
church
The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us,
but all who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of
righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death
through this one man, Jesus Christ.
---Romans 5:17
March 24, 2006
“Most people
are afraid to ask for corrective feedback because they are
afraid of what they are going to hear. There is nothing to
be afraid of. The truth is the truth. You are better off
knowing the truth than not knowing the truth. Once you know
it, you can do something about it.”
---Jack Canfield, in The Success Principles
If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home
among the wise.
---Proverbs 15:31
March 25, 2006
“A particular
train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot
fail to produce its results on the character and
circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his
circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so
indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.”
---James Allen, in As a Man Thinketh
Above all else guard your thoughts, for they affect
everything you do.
---Proverbs 4:23
March 26, 2006
“As a magnet is
drawn toward iron, so faith is drawn toward God’s healing
power among those who believe.”
---Origen (c.185-c.254), early church theologian
She thought to herself, “If I can just touch his clothing, I
will be healed.”
---Mark 5:28
March 27, 2006
“There is no
substitute for guts.”
---Paul Bear Bryant (1913-1983), longtime head coach at the
University of Alabama where he won six national
championships
“We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live
close to death, but here we are, still alive. We have been
beaten within an inch of our lives.”
---II Corinthians 6:9
March 28, 2006
“What would men
be without women? Scarce, sir…mighty scarce.”
---Mark Twain
Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her
to Adam. “At last!” Adam exclaimed.
---Genesis 2:22-23
March 29, 2006
“It’s amazing
how often problems can be overcome and new opportunities can
be realized by simply quieting down “the inner chatter” of
our analytical thinking so that we’ll know what action (if
any) to take. This quieting of the mind allows us to get out
of our own way so that we can know how to put the odds in
our favor.”
---Richard Carlson, Ph.D.
I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is
quiet with its mother.
---Psalm 131:2
March 30, 2006
“It is not
difficult to obey when you know the character and love of
the one to whom you are submitting.”
---John Bevere, author and speaker, in The Bait of Satan
Lord, you are mine! I promise to obey your words. With all
my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful just as you
promised.”
---Psalm 119:57-58
March 31, 2006
“By the time a
man is wise enough to watch his step, he’s too old to go
anywhere.”
---Billy Crystal
I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your
commandments. I have refused to walk on any path of evil,
that I may remain obedient to your word.
---Psalm 119:101
April 1, 2006
“The difference
between stupidity and genius is there are limits to genius.”
---Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone despises a
mocker.
---Proverbs 24:9
April 2, 2006
“That which is
essential is invisible to the eye.”
---Antoine De Saint Exupery (1900-1944), French poet and
aviator, author of The Little Prince
What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we
hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we
cannot yet see.
---Hebrews 11:1
April 3, 2006
“The
alternative to discipline is disaster.”
---Vance Havner (1901-1986) evangelist and author
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest,
when I have preached to others, I myself should become
disqualified.
---I Corinthians 9:27
April 4, 2006
“Prayer
connects us with God’s limitless potential.”
---Henry Blackaby, Christian author and speaker
If my people who are called by my name shall humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their
sins and heal their land.
---II Chronicles 7:14
April 5, 2006
“Great hearts
can only be made through great troubles.”
---C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), English Baptist preacher
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance
has a chance to grow.
---James 1:3
April 6, 2006
"Reputation is
what people think you are. Character is what you are when no
one else is around. That’s why God tests character.”
---Steve Farrar, in Tempered Steel
Remember how the Lord your God led you through the
wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing
you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not
you would obey his commands.
---Deuteronomy 8:2
April 7, 2006
“It is often in
the aloneness of the heart that one finds the sweetest
fellowship with the Lord.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out
to an isolated place to pray.
---Mark 1:35
April 8, 2006
“We are never
really happy until we try to brighten the lives of others.”
---Helen Keller (1880-1968), American writer and advocate
for the deaf and blind
You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all
our troubles.
---II Corinthians 7:4
April 9, 2006
“I always knew
growing up that if I ever got in real trouble, I could
depend on my older brothers to stand with me. I’m far from
perfect; and I’ve never been disappointed in my brothers.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
A brother is born to help in time of need.
---Proverbs 17:17
April 10, 2006
“Setting a goal
is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about
achieving it and staying with that plan.”
---Tom Landry (1924-2000, head coach of the Dallas Cowboys
from 1960-1988 and winner of two Super bowl titles and five
divisional titles)
This is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in
everything I do. I don’t just do what I like or what is best
for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved.
---II Corinthians 10:33
April 11, 2006
“The blessing
of a happy marriage is a blessing that blesses an entire
family and through them, potentially, an entire generation.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing
within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young
olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the
Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.
---Psalm 128:3-4
April 12, 2006
“Too often we
underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of
caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life
around.”
---Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998), American writer and educator
How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again.
I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t
have the chance to help me.
---Philippians 4:10
April 13, 2006
“The first duty
of love is to listen.”
---Paul Tillich (1886-1965, German-American theologian and
Christian existentialist philosopher)
O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are
fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too!
---Song of Songs 8:13
April 14, 2006
“Christ endured
the darkness so that we might enjoy the light.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the thick
veil hanging in the Temple was torn apart. Then Jesus
shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.”
---Luke 23:45-46
April 15, 2006
“The difference
between death and taxes is death doesn’t get worse every
time congress meets.”
---Will Rogers (1879-1935), American humorist
Give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that
belongs to God must be given to God.
---Matthew 22:21
April 16, 2006
“The most
powerful reason for believing in life after death is the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
---Billy Graham (November 7, 1918- ) American evangelist
And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the
most miserable people in the world. But the fact is that
Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the
first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life
again.
---I Corinthians 15:19-20
April 17, 2006
“We can never
expect to be quite free from doubters in the church, since
even in the presence of the newly risen Christ, ‘some
doubted.’”
---Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) English Baptist preacher
Then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, “Don’t be faithless any
longer. Believe!”
---John 20:27
April 18, 2006
“Every man is
born into the world to do something unique and something
distinctive, and if he or she does not do it, it will never
be done.”
---Benjamin Mays (1894-1984), American educator
In his grace God has given us different gifts for doing
certain things well.
---Romans 12:6
April 19, 2006
“Hold fast the
time! Guard it, watch over it, every hour, every minute!
Unregarded it slips away like a lizard, smooth, slippery,
faithless. Hold every moment sacred. Give each clarity and
meaning, each the weight of thine awareness, each its true
and due fulfillment.”
---Thomas Mann (1875-1955), German novelist and essayist
Don’t let people waste time in speculation over myths and
spiritual pedigrees… (Some) have turned away…and spend their
time arguing and talking foolishness.”
---I Timothy 1:4, 6
April 20, 2006
“Make no
judgments where you have no compassion.”
---Anne McCaffrey, writer
Stop judging others and you will not be judged. For others
will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use
in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are
judged.
---Matthew 7:1-2.
April 21, 2006
“I learned a
long time ago life isn’t fair…you forge ahead.”
---Dana Reeve (1961-2006), widow of actor Christopher Reeve,
Dana died of lung cancer at age 44.
He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends
rain on the just and on the unjust.
---Matthew 5:45
April 22, 2006
“If there is no
struggle, there is no progress.”
---Frederick Douglass (1817-1895), American abolitionist and
writer
Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not.
---II Timothy 4:2
April 23, 2006
“If you are
going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a greater
price.”
---Bud Wilkinson (1916-1994), Football coach of Oklahoma
University from 1947-1963, who led the Sooners to three
national championships, 47 consecutive wins (from
1953-1957), and a winning percentage of .826.
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is
painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of
right living for those who are trained in this way.
---Hebrews 12:11
April 24, 2006
“Being busy, in
and of itself, is not a sin. But being busy in an endless
pursuit of things that leave us empty and hollow and broken
inside—that cannot be pleasing to God.”
---Max Lucado, minister and author
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.
---Romans 12; 11, The Message
April 25, 2006
“Thou shalt not
be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all,
thou shalt not be a bystander.”
---Quote in the Holocaust Museum, Washington D.C.
Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as
they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by
saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all
hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you
knew.
---Proverbs 24: 11-12
April 26, 2006
“The greatest
good you can do for another is not just to share your
riches, but to reveal to him his own.”
---Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), British statesman and
writer
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then
bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase
your resources and then produce a great harvest of
generosity in you.
II Corinthians 9:10
April 27, 2006
“I consciously
memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league
threw his fastball, curve, and slider; then I’d pick up the
speed of the ball in the first thirty feet of its flight and
knew how it would move once it crossed the plate.”
---Stan Musial (1920--), baseball Hall of Famer, explaining
why he was so successful as a batter in his 22 years in
professional baseball, all of which were with the St. Louis
Cardinals.
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.
Proverbs 21:5
April 28, 2006
“No matter how
badly we have failed, we can always get up and begin again.
Our God is the God of new beginnings.”
---Warren Wiersbe, former pastor of Moody Bible Church and
popular Christian author
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper
time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
---Galatians 6:9
April 29, 2006
“Man is the
only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps
in it.”
---John Steinbeck (1902-1968) famous American writer in his
book Sweet Thursday.
The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights
in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they
will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
---Proverbs 37:23-24
April 30, 2006
“There is no
more dangerous experiment than that of undertaking to be one
thing before a man’s face and another behind his back.”
---Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), American soldier and General
of the Army of the Confederate States
Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing.
---I Peter 2:1
May 1, 2006
“Let’s quit
fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world
to Christ.”
---Billy Sunday (1862-1935), evangelist and professional
baseball player
I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ
Jesus…Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the
time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and
encourage your people with good teaching.
---II Timothy 4:1-2
May 2, 2006
“Christianity
is flourishing wonderfully among the poor and persecuted,
while it atrophies among the rich and secure.”
---Phillip Jenkins, in The Next Christendom, The Coming of
Global Christianity, p.220
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.
---Mark 10:25
May 3, 2006
“Home is a
place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to
get back to.”
---John Ed Pearce
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At
home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here
I am dying of hunger! I will go home…’”
---Luke 15:17-18
May 4, 2006
“Pray for great
things, expect great things, work for great things, but
above all, pray.”
---R.A. Torrey (1856-1928), American evangelist, pastor,
educator, and author
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to
pray and not lose heart.
---Luke 18:1
May 5, 2006
“Ain’t no man
can avoid being born average, but there ain’t no man got to
be common.”
---Satchel Paige (1906-1982), pitcher in the “Negro Leagues”
as well as the Major Leagues of professional baseball and
considered to be one of the greatest pitchers of all time
You are a chosen people.
---I Peter 2:9
May 6, 2006
“As long as I
see any thing to be done for God, life is worth having; but
O how vain and unworthy it is to live for any lower end!”
---David Brainerd (1718-1747), pioneer missionary to North
American Indians
Everything else is worthless when compared with the
priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have
discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so
that I may have Christ and become one with him.
---Philippians 3:8-9
May 7, 2006
“I have a tip
that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game: it’s
called an eraser.”
---Arnold Palmer (1929--) one of world’s greatest golfers
Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could
ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn
to fear you.
---Psalm 130:3-4
May 8, 2006
"A principle
cannot be compromised but only adhered to or surrendered.
Honesty is abandoned as much by the theft of a dime as of a
dollar.”
---From Meditations on Freedom, by Leonard E. Reed.
The godly are directed by their honesty.
---Proverbs 11:5
May 9, 2006
“I asked God
‘why?’ He answered ‘I am.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
Then Job replied to the Lord: “You ask, ‘Who is this that
questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I. And I was
talking about things I did not understand, things far too
wonderful for me.”
---Job 42:3
May 10, 2006
“When we are
young, we want experience. When we’ve gained experience, we
want energy.”
---Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), British statesman and
author
Even in old age they (the godly) will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
---Psalm 92:14
May 11, 2006
“No one can
know what goes on in the soul of an afflicted person. No one
can know what secret inner ripening can come from suffering
and sorrow. All we know is that every individual’s life is
priceless—that each is dear to God.
---Christoph Probst (1919-1943), executed in Stadelheim
Prison for his anti-Nazi efforts
Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your
name.
---Psalm 119:132
May 12, 2006
“A man often
becomes disgusted when his wife doesn’t sparkle with romance
any more, not realizing that he killed that sparkle with his
hurtful ways.”
---From If Only He Knew, What No Woman Can Resist, by Gary
Smalley
Live happily with the woman you love.
---Ecclesiastes 9:9
May 13, 2006
“A man can be
as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and
have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the
competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the
little things in life and pay the price for the things that
are worthwhile, it can be done.”
---Vince Lombardi (1913-1970), football coach, named by ESPN
in 2000 as the Coach of the Century
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward
me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they
all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
---I Corinthians 15:10
May 14, 2006
“A mother is
someone who if she holds you and sings your favorite song,
it will stop thundering.”
---little girl quoted by Paul Harvey
Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching.
---Proverbs 6:20
May 15, 2006
“Some of life’s
deepest valleys of disappointment and pain are in the course
of time, by the hand of the Lord, inverted into mountain
peaks of joy and happiness.”
---David B. Whitlock, Ph.D.
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have
taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.
---Psalm 30:11
May 16, 2006
“The meeting of
two personalities is like the contact of two chemical
substances: If there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
---Carl Jung (1875-1961), Psychologist
But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.
I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your
people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”(19)
So the two of them continued on their journey.
---Ruth 1:16, 19
May 17, 2006
“When you part
from your friend, you grieve not: For that which you love in
him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the
climber from the plain.”
---Kahil Gibran (1883-1931), Lebanese-American philosophical
essayist, novelist, mystical poet
A friend is always loyal.
---Proverbs 17:17
May 18, 2006
“Just as God’s
laws are boundaries to keep believers in line, civil laws
are boundaries that keep all of us in line…Ultimately, God’s
laws are safeguards for our lives.”
---From Bonding with Your Teen through Boundaries, by June
Hunt
Submit yourselves to every human institution for the sake of
the Lord.
---I Peter 2:13
May 19, 2006
“Success is the
maximum utilization of the ability that you have.”
---Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker and author
Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other
administrators and princes. Because of his great ability,
the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.
---Daniel 6:3
May 20, 2006
“Opportunity is
missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls
and looks like work.”
---Thomas Edison (1847-1931), inventor
Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.
---Acts 3:12
May 21, 2006
“Obstacles
don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn
around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through
it, or work around it.”
---Michael Jordan, basketball player
We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether
they slander us or praise us.
---II Corinthians 6:8
May 22, 2006
"You may forget
those with whom you laughed, but you will never forget those
with whom you cried.”
---Anonymous
Then David bowed to Jonathan with his face to the ground.
Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and
said good-bye, especially David.
---I Samuel 20:41
May 23, 2006
“It is at the
intersection of fear and doubt that faith has its greatest
opportunity to move onto the avenue of victory.”
---David B.Whitlock, Ph.D.
“I do believe, but help me not to doubt.”
Mark 9:23
May 24, 2006
“I know the
price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting
devotion to the things you want to see happen.”
