A New Year is on the way and the possibilities are endless. (Source unknown) We wrap up 2017 tonight, and many people will celebrate the coming of the New Year with raucous entertainment and thoughtless behavior. But, tomorrow we will all begin a new calendar with...
Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. (Hal Borland, late author and naturalist) This is the time to review the events and activities of 2017. There were highlights and disappointments—things...
If you see someone without a smile give them yours. (Dolly Parton, singer, songwriter) Dolly Parton and many other popular entertainers bring smiles to people’s faces in their light-hearted performances. But, life doesn’t involve only times for amusement and...
Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. (Warren Buffett, investor and philanthropist) In a day of lightening speed Internet, we’ve become accustomed to getting what we want when we want it—like right now. The word-picture...
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. (Marcus Aurelius, 2nd century Roman philosopher) Our thought-life is a very private thing, isn’t it? Sometimes we wish people could know what we’re thinking. At other times we are no doubt glad that...
Happy Day after Christmas! Merry rest of the year; even when Christmas is over, the Light of the World is still here. (Matthew West, musician) For some folks, December 26 is the day to return unwanted or wrong-sized gifts. Too often the joy and happiness of the...
A thousand times in history a baby has become a king, but only once in history has a king become a baby. (Often quoted but source unknown) The Incarnation is fundamental to the Christian faith. Manger scenes often give people tender thoughts about the Christ child,...
From home to home and heart to heart, from one place to another, the warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other. (Emily Matthews, poet and writer) Many families celebrate the holiday on Christmas Eve. While there may be a confusion of gifts being...
Love the giver more than the gift. (Brigham Young, late religious leader) With Christmas just two days away, the excitement may be building—especially in the hearts of the children as they anticipate the gifts they’ve asked for. Parents hesitate to remind them to be...
You can observe a lot just by watching. (Yogi Berra, late All-Star major league baseball player). Berra was known for his malapropisms (misused words), but sometimes there’s wisdom in them. As he implied, we often see but don’t fully comprehend what we’ve seen. It may...
Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them. (Albert Einstein, late world-renowned scientist) Though we are created equal (US Declaration of Independence), we don’t all have equal skills or talents. We experience certain limitations when we try to do something beyond...
Not knowing how or what could fill the deep longing of our soul is a gnawing ache. (Lysa Terkeurst, Devotional writer) “Empty is a heavy load to bear,” Terkeurst writes. She says that such “a search can seem both futile and shattering at times.” So many people appear...