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Volume 28, # 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2012 |
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![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-1c.jpg)
![inspiration, motivation, Apple Seeds, [Apple]](AppleSeeds-2c.jpg)
Plant these "seeds" well and water often. Enjoy!
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On Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abigail Adams
"Learning is not attained by chance,
it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."
What We Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Carlyle
"All that a university or final highest school can do for us is still but what the first school began doing – teach us to read. We learn to read in various languages, in various sciences; we learn the alphabet and letters of all manner of books. But the place where we are to get knowledge, even theoretic knowledge, is the books themselves. It depends on what we read, after all manner of professors have done their best for us. The true university of these days is a collection of books."
Our Ordinary Duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandre Havard, Virtuous Leadership
"If we are to fulfill our ordinary duties perfectly, we need a visionary sense of the ordinary. We must be convinced that we will either find greatness in the context of humdrum reality and in service to the people we deal with every day or we will not find it at all."
The Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coach Don Shula
"The start is what stops most people."
Spoke the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Chatham, STORYTELLING Magazine, May-June 2001, 34
"In the beginning was the Word. The Author shaped the Word and gave it life on the printed page. The Reader delighted in the Word and gave it life in one mind. And the Storyteller spoke the Word and gave it life in many delighted minds."
Your Unique Self . . . . . . . . . . . Archbishop Rembert Weakland, OSB, "Walking on the Wings of the Wind"
"I am always amazed at how many people do not have a good feeling about their unique self. They must be constantly encouraged and their worth must be affirmed and pointed out over and over again to them. If each one of us could rise each day with full trust and confidence in God’s goodness and in his care for us, how much more joy and happiness we would all bring into the world."
Vision – Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Johnetta B. Cole
"While it is true that without a vision the people perish, it is doubly true that without action the people and their vision perish as well."
Fortune Cookie Wisdom
"A different world cannot be built by indifferent people."
Vocation of the Laity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blessed John Paul II
In the Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, "Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People: On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful and in the World," Blessed John Paul II wrote: The laity’s "own field of evangelizing activity is the vast and complicated world of politics, society and economics, as well as the world of culture, of the sciences and the arts, of international life, of the mass media.…The more Gospel-inspired lay people there are engaged in these realities, clearly involved in them, competent to promote them, and conscious that they must exercise to the full their Christian powers…the more these realities will be at the service of the Kingdom of God and therefore at the service of salvation in Jesus Christ…"
Lightless Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Keller
"The only lightless dark is the night of ignorance and insensibility."
Exercise of Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled, p. 64
"[T]he exercise of discipline is not only a demanding but also a complex task, requiring both flexibility and judgment. Courageous people must continually push themselves to be completely honest, yet must also possess the capacity to withhold the whole truth when appropriate. To be free people we must assume total responsibility for ourselves, but in doing so we must possess the capacity to reject responsibility that is not truly ours."
A Better Way to Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Og Mandino, p. 72
"Rule Six:…Let your actions always speak for you, but be forever on guard against the terrible traps of false pride and conceit that can halt your progress. The next time you are tempted to boast, just place your fist in a full pail of water, and when you remove it, the hole remaining will give you a correct measure of your importance."
Seize or Forego Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Disraeli
"Next to know when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage."
Top-notch Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOUNDINGS, Feb. ‘90, p.3
"When you have top-notch teamwork, everybody seems to know what’s going on. They understand what the group is trying to achieve and why. Ideas flow freely."
Wisdom Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward
"It is wise to inventory and insure our valuables;
It is vital to examine and ensure our values."
Heroic Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
"When you consistently make heroic choices, you create a heroic life.…When you make enough heroic choices, you create a heroic masterpiece."
All People are Significant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
A student relates about a time her professor gave a pop quiz. She was a conscientious student and breezed through the questions. That is, until she read the last one: "What is the name of the woman who cleans this floor of the building?"
She knew the woman referred to in the question. She’d seen the cleaning woman many times. She was tall, dark-haired, probably in her 50s. But the student had to hand in her paper, leaving the last question blank.
When one student complained and asked if the last question would count toward the grade, the professor replied, "Absolutely! In your careers you will meet many people. All of them are significant! They deserve your attention and care, even if all you can do is smile and say hello."
It was an example the student never forgot. And, oh!, the cleaning woman’s name – Dorothy. We may never remember all the names, but when do we ever have an excuse not to care?
"Courage To Stand Up" . . . . . . . . . Rev. Lawrence Lovasik, Catechism In Stories, p. 158
Gene Tunney, a man of grit, once was the world’s heavyweight boxing champion. It was in a Midwestern city where a group of businessmen were entertaining him at a dinner. After the meal, dancers appeared to put on a floor show which quickly was becoming risqué. They didn’t get too far into their number when Tunney, who was trained from childhood in the high standards of modesty, made up his mind to do one thing – his duty. And he did just that.
Getting up from his seat at the head table, Tunney said simply, "Gentlemen, I don’t care for this type of show. I find it indecent and offensive. You will have to excuse me."
Silence reigned for a moment as Tunney walked quickly from the room with every eye upon him. Soon other chairs were pulled back and then almost everybody began to leave the hall. Finally the half-dressed dancers rushed off in shame.
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Graphics used with permission from ChurchArt Online. They are not to be copied or downloaded.