Tuesday, April 25, 2017

2017-17 - I just stopped...

A little girl was one day very late coming home for supper. Her mother made the expected irate parent's demand to know where she had been.

The little girl replied that she had stopped to help Janie, whose bicycle was broken in a fall.

"But you don't know anything about fixing bicycles," her mother responded.

"I know that," the girl said. "I just stopped to help her cry."

~ Author Unknown



From caring comes courage.

~ Lao Tzu



Tuesday, April 18, 2017

2017-16 - Bearing Another's Burden

Albert Schweitzer was one of the most famous missionaries of the modern era. Leaving behind both an academic career, and a musical one, he set up a medical clinic in French Equatorial Africa. He was 85 years old when Andrew Davison of Colgate Rochester Seminary had the privilege of visiting.

Davison tells how one morning, at around 11.00, he, Schweitzer and some others were walking up a hill. It was extremely hot. Suddenly the 85 year old Dr Schweitzer walked away from the group. He made his way toward an African woman struggling up the hill with a large load of wood for the cookfires. Schweitzer took the entire load of wood from the woman and carried it up the hill for her.

When Schweitzer rejoined the group one of them asked why he did things like that. With the rest of the group this person was surprised and concerned that a person of Dr Schweitzer's age would strain themselves so. Dr Schweitzer looked at the group, and said, "No one should ever have to carry a burden alone."

~ Andrew Davison



No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of anyone else.

~ Charles Dickens

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

2017-15 - Yes and no...

Sometimes it is best to say yes. Other times it is best to say no. When you never say yes, you miss out on most of what life has to offer. When you never say no, you encourage others to take advantage of you and to foster their own false expectations.

One of the most valuable skills you can possess is the ability to make wise, timely and useful decisions. The more of yourself you put into a decision, the more appropriate and beneficial it will be. Your knowledge, your experience, your love, your integrity, your compassion, your purpose will all contribute positively to your decisions.

Just because you've made some wrong decisions in the past is no reason to avoid decisions. Learn from your mistakes and your decisions will improve dramatically.

~ Ralph Marston



"Follow your heart and make it your decision."

~ Mia Hamm


Tuesday, April 4, 2017

2017-14 - I Wish You Enough

Speaker Bob Perks was at an airport when he overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough." She in turn said, "Daddy, your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough too."

They kissed and she left. He walked over toward the window where I was seated. "When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?" I asked.

He smiled. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more."When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," and then turning toward me he shared the following from memory.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
My friends, I wish you enough!

~ Author Unknown



The greatest wealth is to live content with little.

~ Lucretius