|
|
 ®
Volume 32, #4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2016 |
|
© |
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-1c.jpg)
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-2c.jpg)
Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!
Download
PDF
A New Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, The Choice
"Henceforth, each morning, I will awake and fall on my knees and give thanks to God for the gift that only he can bestow – a new day.…I am grateful for this fresh opportunity. I will show my gratitude in everything I do, this day. How fortunate I am to be here."
Which Matters Most . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Goethe
"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."
An Actor Prepares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Constantin Stanislavski
"How can we teach unobservant people to notice what nature and life are trying to show them? First of all, they must be taught to look at, to listen to, and to hear what is beautiful.…Nothing in life is more beautiful than nature, and it should be the object of constant observation.…And do not shun the darker side of nature. Look for it in the marshes, in the slime of the sea…and remember that hidden behind these phenomena there is beauty, just as in loveliness there is unloveliness.…"
Do Something . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
"‘I must do something’ will always solve more problems than ‘something must be done.’"
Saving Grace of Humor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christophers, #284
"Laughter. Humor. It not only serves as an adult, but it can also open lines of communication, relieve pressure, ease tension, provide a much needed safety valve for emotions in times of stress and even help put life in perspective.
Cracking jokes and making people laugh is only part of humor – ‘the saving grace of humor.’ A good sense of humor means ‘not only an ability to laugh, but most savingly, most gracefully, an ability to laugh at ourselves.’"
Wisdom Helps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FAITH TODAY, 5/16/85
"Wisdom helps people to make judgments, to know what really counts. It enables people to sift through the often contradictory messages they hear."
A Heroic Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Paton, Instrument of Thy Peace
"Many writers on despair believe that the person in despair must himself help to liberate himself. He
can be helped by others, by the grace of God, but his own action is required.
If you have a negative feeling (worry, fear, anxiety, hate…) and it does not go away when you meditate, you must take immediate action.…
Instead of sitting down in front of that mood to wrestle with it by denials, do a heroic thing…make yourself act quickly on the opposite side of that state.…
You have no idea of the virtue of acting on what you know is right if you want to overcome your feelings or nerves."
Called to be Witnesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connections, 12/11/94
"…[W]e are called to be witnesses of God’s love by the love we extend to others; precursors of his justice by our unfailing commitment to what is right and good; lamps reflecting the light of God’s Christ in our forgiveness, mercy and compassion; harvesters of souls through our humble and dedicated servanthood."
Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bennis & Nanus, p. 18
"Leaders – assume responsibility;
– adapt to changes;
– direct change;
– build confidence…empower;
– seek new ways…create vision;
– overcome resistance;
– evoke mastery.
Overcome Difficulties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Somerset Maugham
"A little common sense, a little tolerance, a little good humor, and you don’t know how comfortable you can make yourself on this planet."
Meanings of Christmas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Andrew Greeley, Woman’s Day, 12-22-81
"It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the
demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God – the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people – kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people – no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…"
Personal Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Lowney, Heroic Leadership, p. 20
"Leadership is not a job, not a role one plays at work and then puts aside during the commute home in order to relax and enjoy real life. Rather, leadership is the leader’s real life."
On Gratitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G.B. Stern
"Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone."
Rights Respected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Henry George, Elbert Hubbard’s Scrapbook, p. 17
"That we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us – that we should respect the rights of others as scrupulously as we would have our rights respected – is not a mere counsel of perfection to individuals – but it is the law to which we must conform social institutions and national policy, if we would secure the blessings and abundance of peace."
Optimists Enrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward
"Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible."
One’s Goodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michel de Montaigne
"Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one’s own goodness."
On Virtues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christophers News Notes, # 508
"Virtues are dispositions and habits that enable us to act according to the highest potential of our character and on behalf of values like…honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, tolerance, love, fidelity, integrity, self-control, and prudence. Virtue asks of any action, ‘What kind of person will I become if I do this?’ or ‘Is this action consistent with my acting at my best?’"
We’ve Lost Sight of Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . Fresh Packet of Sower’s Seeds, p. 9
During the frenzied pace of the Christmas season, we tend to lose sight of the message and promise that Christmas heralds. So often we’re caught up in getting ready for this’s and last minute that’s. We rush here. We push there, and practically run over people seeking that special gift which we really cannot afford.
Could all this hurrying and scurrying be Satan’s vengeance against God, or his revenge against the Incarnation – the birth of the Son of God? Satan blinds us all with the glitter and gloss, sounds of bells tingling and cash registers jingling. We’ve lost sight of the meaning of Christmas – the message of peace among all men and women, the promise of joy to everyone of good will.
Christmas’ true splendor is found more often in simplicity – simplicity rooted in awareness and listening. For as we listen more to the world around us, we become increasingly aware of the troubles and pain, the anger and strain that men and women suffer. It is the message and promise of Christmas which can bring hope to the little, the lost and the least; to the bruised, the battered and the broken.
Unbearable Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anthony de Mello, SJ
"My suffering is unbearable," he told the Retreat Master.
Said the Master, "The present moment is never unbearable. It is what you think is coming in the next five minutes or the next five days that drives you to despair. Stop living in the future; start living in the present moment."
Apple images are from ClickArt Incredible Image Pak 65,000 Broderbund, Inc.
Graphics used with permission from ChurchArt Online. They are not to be copied or downloaded.