Motivation Inspiration Quotations "Apple Seeds" December, 2003

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Apple Seeds

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Volume 19, # 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December, 2003

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©

Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!

December 2003

Academic Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Dan Fredericks

    "College is no place for timid souls. If you want to think about only the information you already know and only the ideas with which you are already familiar, then college is probably a waste of your time. If you want to remain only within the limits that you have already reached and do only the things that you have already done before, then college is apt to be an uncomfortable place in the long run. The main intellectual habit that will allow you to go beyond where you already are is the courage to ask yourself questions that do not have easy answers."

Measure of a Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louis Pasteur

"Chance favors the prepared mind."

Come Alive! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gil Baile, Wild at Heart, p. 200

    "Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

Murphy’s Laws & Corollaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous

Murphy’s 1^st Corollary: Nothing is as easy as it first appears.

Shapiro’s Law of Reward: The one who does the least work will get the most credit.

Witzling’s Law: Any student who chatters non-stop will refuse to utter a sound when asked to.

Purification of Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pope John Paul II,
                                                                                                                                                          Congress of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, 10/31/2003

    "This effort to purify one’s memory entails for individuals as well as peoples the recognition of errors for which they must ask forgiveness. This sometimes requires much courage and self-denial. However, it is the only way that social and national groups, freed from the remnants of old resentment, can come together with fraternal and reciprocal loyalty in order to build a better future for all."

Two Paths in Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Canfield & Mark V. Hanson, The Aladdin Factor, p. 99

    "Each day ask for something a little bigger. Ask someone a little bit harder. Keep stretching into bigger and bigger challenges. You learn to be a better asker by practicing asking."

Set Exciting Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Robert Schuller, INSIGHT, # 71, p. 44

    "A person dies when he or she stops dreaming. Fear not that you shall die. Fear, rather, that you shall stop living before you die! On the plains of hesitation lie the bones of countless millions who, upon the dawn of victory, sat down to rest and resting, died."

Approach Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bits & Pieces, Jan. ‘89, p. 4

    "There’s nothing wrong with a pleasant, good-natured approach to people and problems—in fact, there’s none better. The strange thing is that we so often forget to use it."

Openness to Mystery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wendy M. Wright

    "A novice master once responded when asked about a life lived in Christian authenticity said that to be a Christian was not to know the answers but to begin to live in that part of the self where the question is born…He was speaking of an attitude of listening, of awareness of presence, of an openness to mystery."

Life is a Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Killinger, Christmas Spoken Here, p. 117

    "The important stance in life, the most important way to be, is openness. It is realizing that life is a gift and that those persons receive most who are poised to receive…Life is an adventure, and those see most who are most ready to follow."

Harness Thought to Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B.C. Forbes

    "The victors of the battles of tomorrow will be those who can best harness thought to action…The prizes will be for those who most effectively exert their brains, who take deep, earnest and studious counsel of their minds, who stamp themselves as thinkers."

Smart—Brilliant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orben

    Smart is when you believe only half of what you hear. Brilliant is when you know which half to believe."

The Gift of Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Beaudin, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, Vol. 10, # 1, p. 45

    "It seems we live our lives trying to understand ourselves, our needs, our motivations. Our lives are wrapped up in making a difference, making a point, making a niche for ourselves. There is a part in each one of us that strives for immortality, and most often the greatest human fear presents itself in terms of a question: Will my life make a difference in this world?"

This Day Is Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Douglas A. Cox

    "Today I will give thanks upon awakening, for my life, for the sunlight and for the restful healing night.…Today, a bit more than yesterday, I will give without expecting. I will not try so hard to explain everything, but instead I will let it be. Like our mind and our muscle, the spirit which is always within us, bursts forth with exercise.

    This day is mine!"

A St. Nicholas’ Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac (adapted)

    "It is fitting that the feast of St. Nicholas comes at the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the shopper’s season. As the patron saint of shoppers he proclaims, ‘Keep it simple!’ Keep it simple enough to fit in a shoe or a stocking.
    One gift that could fit in a…shoe, or in a stocking hanging on the fireplace, is a note that speaks of one of our most precious gifts, the gift of time. Such a St. Nicholas note might read: ‘The gift I give to you is half an hour of quality conversation each night right after the dishes are done.’ Or, ‘The gift I give to you is one Saturday a month to be with you and do whatever you want to do.’ We can appreciate the value of such a gift if we keep in mind that according to a recent survey, the average married couple in America has only 30 minutes a week of communication outside of exchanges that take place at the dinner table, and between parent and child is only 14 minutes. As you can see, the possibilities are almost unlimited for these St. Nicholas shoe gifts.

    Come, St. Nicholas, patron of shoppers and gift-seekers, and make Christmas this year fun, creative and love-filled."

The Gospel Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous

There once was a shining Christmas tree
Standing out where all could see.
Its brilliance captured every eye
And seemed to cheer each passer by.
"The lights are so bright," they would say
And hesitate to walk away.
The tree stood proud ablaze with light
For every light was burning bright.

Then one bulb was heard to say
"I’m tired of burning night and day;
I think I’ll just go out and take a rest
For I’m too tired to do my best;

Besides I am so very small
I doubt if I’d be missed at all."
Then a child lovingly touched the light,
"Look, mother, this one shines so very bright.

I think of all the lights upon the tree
This one looks the best to me."
"Oh my goodness," said the light
"I almost dimmed right out of sight.

I thought perhaps no one would care
If I failed to shine my share."
With that a glorious brilliance came
For every light had felt the same.

Our Gospel, like this Christmas tree,
With little lights which are you and me,
We each have a space that we must fill
With love, and lessons and good will.

Let’s keep our tree ablaze with light,
With testimonies burning bright.
For our Gospel is a living tree
That lights the way to eternity.

Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year!

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