"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."

Daily Words . . . . . May 1990, p. 26

     "This is a special day. There will never be another exactly like this one. The Lord has made this day, and I rejoice in it. I release all negative thoughts of yesterday, for dwelling on the challenges of yesterday would keep me from recognizing the good in today.

Wonder Declines . . . . . Rabbi Heschel

"As civilization advances,
the sense of wonder declines."

     "Manners toward strangers are fine things but in family life they are essential. Courtesy, consideration, kindness: these help create feelings of warmth, caring and acceptance in the home. All are facets of love."
 

We Have Duties . . . . . Theodore Roosevelt

     "Much has been given us, and much will rightfully be expected from us. We have duties to others and duties to ourselves; and we can shirk neither."
 

     "The vision that shapes our personalities is a habitual outlook, and we are creatures of habit. Habit makes us repetitive. The natural, human tendency to unity and a unified approach leads us into habitual rhythms, cycles and reactions. At any rate, the point is that the basic question, or mind-set, is a consequence of one’s fundamental vision of reality."

Gratitude . . . . . A.J. Cronin

     "Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much. For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build up their philosophy of life."

Knowledge . . . . . Richard Whately

"The word knowledge, strictly employed,
implies three things:
truth, proof, and conviction."

     "Listening, as an act of the heart, makes room for other people in one’s life. The fears, joys or even the everyday experiences of someone else start to matter. It creates a new view of self and the surrounding world. Listening becomes a bridge that provides a connection with other members of a human family."

Intelligent Ignorance . . . . . Henry Ford

     "I’m looking for a lot of men with an infinite capacity for not knowing what cannot be done."

     "A common fault, as people gain more authority, is a lack of patience in listening to those under them."

     "Life is an unanswered question, but let’s still believe in the dignity and importance of the question."

     "The potential for greatness lies within each one of us. It is, simply, our best! A person who can peacefully lay one’s head upon one’s pillow of rest each night, thankful to God for the blessings of the day, secure in the knowledge that he or she has given one’s best to all he or she has done, is great."

     "When Dr. Albert Schweitzer was asked, ‘Why are we here?’ he replied, ‘We are here to serve one another only.’"

On Encouragement . . . . . Goethe

"Correction does much,
but encouragement does more."

Lost His Doxology . . . . . Fred Craddock

     Once in a while we have a seminarian who gives up. Not suddenly but slowly, zeal cools, faith weakens, appetite for Christian enterprises disappears, the springs dry up, the soul is parched, and you can see it in eyes grown dull and flat. What happened? Did evil storm his citadel and take over? No. Did much study drive him into doubt? No. Did attractive alternatives to ministry turn his head? No. Nothing quite so dramatic. He simply made the fatal offer of assuming that spending so much time talking about God was an adequate substitute for talking with God. He lost his doxology, and died.

     For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

     The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by physicists … The element tentatively named administratium, has no protons, thus an atomic number of zero. However, it does have 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 312.

     These 312 particles are held together in a nucleus by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons. Since it has no electrons, administratium is inert. However it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with.

     According to the discoverers, a minute amount of administratium caused one reaction to take over four days to complete, when it would normally occur in less than one second. Administratium has a normal life of approximately three years, at which time it does not actually decay, but instead, undergoes a reorganization in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Studies show that for some strange reason the atomic number increases after each reorganization.

     Researchers at other laboratories indicate that administratium occurs naturally in the atmosphere and tends to concentrate at certain points, such as government agencies, large corporations, universities, and … also in churches and religious institutions.

     Scientists warn that administratium is known to be toxic and hazardous to one’s health — corporately and individually.