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Volume 17, # 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December, 2001 |
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Volume 17, # 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December, 2001 |
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Memory Awakens Hope . . . . . . . . . . .
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Seek That Which Is Above,1986It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."
"Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope. The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…
Reading vs. Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Locke
"Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours."
Give Love… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mother Theresa
"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go; first of all in your own home. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor."
Faith in God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pres. Ronald Reagan (1982)
Reagan Ranch Historical Trust November calendar
"I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God’s help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can’t expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living."
Golden Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. John Vianney
"Love of our neighbor consists of three things: to desire the greater good of everyone, to do what good we can when we can, and to bear, excuse and hide others’ faults."
Skills in Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Scott Peck
, A World Waiting To Be Born, p. 284"What people get admired and appreciated for in community are their soft skills: their sense of humor and timing, their ability to listen, their courage and honesty, their capacity for empathy."
On Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Moser
"Characters live to be noticed. People with character notice how they live."
Sense of Urgency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bits & Pieces, Jan. `89, p.20
"The people who make things move in this world share a same sense of urgency.
No matter how intelligent or able you may be, if you don’t have a sense of urgency, now is the time to start developing it. The world is full of very competent people who honestly intend to do things tomorrow, or as soon as they can get around to it. Their accomplishments, however, seldom match those of the less talented who are blessed with a sense of importance of getting started now."
Maturity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
"Maturity: That stage of life where we may not see eye-to-eye, but we can still walk arm-in-arm."
Lateral Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Earl Nightingale, Insight, # 57, p. 10
"It is a well-established, yet always surprising, bit of knowledge that the answer to even our most pressing problem (provided, of course, that it lies within the realm of human solution) is usually at hand. It requires, however, a different kind of insight to see it.…
I understand that it’s particularly difficult for professional people to think creatively and laterally. It’s because they have been so thoroughly conditioned by their education. They’ve always been told what to do, and they’ve been told how it’s always been done. And they were never asked how to do it better."
Better Way To Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, The Choice
"The choice is up to you. Just choose to live each day as two others of long ago prayed they might live, two others who were surely special messengers of God. Take time to memorize their humble pleas…
‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.’‘I shall pass through this world but once, any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect, for I shall not pass this way again.’
There is a better way to live…Choose to use it!"
Wit & Humor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peggy Noonan, What I Saw at the Revolution
"Wit penetrates; humor envelopes. Wit is a function of verbal intelligence; humor is imagination operating on good nature."
These Small Candles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
tombstone inscription in BritainNo man is so poor as not to have many of these small candles. When they are lighted, darkness goes away—and a touch of wonder remains."
"In moments of discouragement, defeat, or even despair, there are always certain things to cling to. Little things usually: remembered laughter, the face of a sleeping child, a tree in the wind—in fact, any reminder of something deeply felt or dearly loved.
Excellence means… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Anonymous"Going far beyond the call of duty, doing more than others expect…this is what excellence is all about. And it comes from striving, maintaining the highest standards, looking after the smallest detail, and going the extra mile. Excellence means doing your very best—every day, in everything."
Looking for Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
There’s a Spanish tale of a father and son who had become estranged after years of bitter strife. The son finally ran away. Finding that his son was missing, the father became heartbroken and set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort, the father placed an ad in the city newspaper. The ad read:
Dear Paco,
Meet me in front of the bell tower in the plaza at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you.
Your Father.That Saturday 800 Pacos—men and boys—showed up in the plaza, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
Affirmations of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
I believe that Christmas is more than a time for parties and ornaments; it is a time for remembering Christ and the incarnation of God’s love in human flesh.
I believe there are gifts more important than the ones under the Christmas tree, the things we teach our children, the way we share ourselves with friends, and the industry with which we set about reshaping the world in our time.
I believe that the finest carols are often sung by the poorest voices; from hearts made warm by the wonder of the season.
I believe in the angel’s message that we should not be afraid—that the Child of Bethlehem is able to overcome all anxieties and insecurities.
I believe in prayer and quietness as a way of appropriating Christmas—that if I wait in silence I will experience the presence of the one born in the manger, for he lives today as surely as he lived then.
I believe in going away from Christmas as the wise men went: "another way." I want to be different when these days are past—more centered, more thoughtful, more caring.
And I believe God will help me. Amen.
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