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One of Mark Twain’s stories tells of an artist, George Sterling, who finds most of humanity—other than himself—rather uninteresting. Self-absorbed in his own career and interests, he takes little notice of the people around him.
At the start of a new semester, the president of a large university advised his students: “We will all fail. More than once. Every day.” Not exactly the inspiring pep talk they may have expected. But then he added: “My plea for you today is to learn how to fail successfully.”1
Few things release the feelings of the heart like singing does. It brings deep emotions to the surface that we might otherwise struggle to express. When we sing, we reveal what’s in our soul, and this honesty of heart connects us with others despite barriers of time, place, and culture.
In 1753 the British government, with its heavy hand on the American colonies, put Benjamin Franklin in charge of the colonial postal system north of Maryland. Postage prices were assessed by the mile in those days, and Franklin’s fellow colonists were suspicious that the British were overcharging.
We live in a time of great division. Advances in technology have, in many ways, made our world smaller, but instead of coming together, we seem at times to be growing farther apart. Many of us wish for a way to bridge the cultural divides around us. We see people of other faiths or other nationalities, and we wonder how we might befriend those who seem so different from us.
If you knew that this was your last day on earth—that tomorrow your life would end—what would you do today? Most people would probably not try to squeeze in one more day at the office or one last television program. More than likely, you would spend most of the day trying to reach the people who are dear to you, simply to say, one last time, “I love you.”
No one ever does everything perfectly right all the time. Each of us makes mistakes and falls short of perfection. That’s life, and that’s OK.
Broadway musical star Idina Menzel shared how she came to this realization. Recently, she wrote: “There are about 3 million notes in a two-and-a-half-hour musical; being a perfectionist, it took me a long time to realize that if I’m hitting 75 percent of them, I’m succeeding. . . . I am more than the notes I hit, and that’s how I try to approach my life. You can’t get it all right all the time, but you can try your best. If you’ve done that, all that’s left is to accept your shortcomings and have the courage to try to overcome them.”1
Feeling genuinely happy for another person’s good fortune may be one of the truest marks of authentic goodness and real friendship. Surprisingly, it sometimes seems easier to find someone who will weep with us during our hard times than to find someone who will rejoice with us in our successes. Most people are compassionate and caring toward those who suffer, but a special quality manifests itself in those who are genuinely happy for the good fortune of others
In many ways, life gets better with age—sometimes surprisingly so. The common belief is that a person’s overall sense of well-being goes downhill as he or she gets older, but researchers are finding—and many older people themselves are discovering—that this is not necessarily the case.
Always there have been struggles—for individuals and for groups. But for each struggle, there are always men and women who rise above the ugly and the combative and make the world a better place—people whose greatness seems a perfect match for the challenge of the day.
Every magician knows that the secret to any magic trick—from pulling a rabbit out of a hat to making a coin disappear—is really quite simple: distraction. All the magician has to do is focus our attention on something that seems important but is really unrelated—the waving of a wand or a flurry of fingers. Meanwhile, the trick is taking place on the side, and we don’t even notice it.
As another new year rolled around, a middle-aged man sat quietly in his favorite chair. His wife noticed him staring ahead with a thoughtful look on his face and said, “Jim, you look troubled. Is there something on your mind?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Here we are at the beginning of another year, and it doesn’t look like it will be any different from the last one—or the one before that. It makes me wonder how much meaning my life really has. I feel like I work hard every day, but what’s the real purpose of it all?”
Benjamin Franklin is known for many things; he was a founding father, statesman, scientist, philosopher, author, entrepreneur, inventor, and businessman. But as great as his achievements are, he was aware of his own failings and tirelessly sought to improve them. He wrote, “I was surpris’d to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish.”1
During this joyful season, we reflect upon the greatest story ever told. It is not a long story, comprising only a chapter or two of scriptures, but it is so rich with meaning that with each reading we can find a new pearl of truth, a new insight that endears the story to us even more.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…
What is it that makes this such a magical time of year? Undoubtedly, part of the reason is the eager smiles and happy anticipation of the children around us. The air seems to tingle with their joy and excitement. Yet, as we age, we sometimes lose that innocent, joyous outlook.
Love, family, and faith make Christmas meaningful. Store-bought stuff may fill stockings and surround trees, but it doesn’t fill our hearts with joy and contentment for long. During the holiday season, the more we chase after merchandise, the further we get from the true spirit of the holiday.
A time to give thanks for life’s bounties and blessings deserves a place on our calendars and in our hearts. Despite problems personal and global—or perhaps because of them—taking time to count our blessings is good for the soul.
We live in a society that often seems to value outgoing, adventurous personalities over others. In a variety of ways, our culture suggests that we need to be bold to be successful, talkative to be happy, even loud to be worth hearing. This message is so pervasive that those who are more introspective, private, and quiet can begin to feel ashamed of their personality traits.
(Lloyd) In 1948, three years after World War II, Stalin made a grab for all of Eastern Europe, leaving over two million people in West Berlin isolated and desperate for basic necessities. To help relieve their suffering, the Allies began airlifting supplies. One of the pilots, Gail Halvorsen, met some destitute but hopeful West Berlin children through a barbed wire fence near the runway.
Love has no end and no limits. It remains when all else fails; it grows as hearts are knit together in the bonds of kindness, selflessness, and compassion; it simply endures. And just as true love never quits, it also never counts or itemizes—it flows freely from an abundant heart
Our lives are enriched—usually without our knowing—by countless people we’ll never meet. They are the people working behind the scenes, and a football game, a Broadway musical, even a cup of yogurt on a market shelf—to cite just a few examples—could not happen without them. In fact, this broadcast would not be possible each week without a host of dedicated people whom you don’t see.
Stories of admirable people often reveal that great achievements grow not from a life of ease and comfort but from the fertile seedbed of heartache and difficulty. The life of Juliette Gordon Low is one of those stories.
Have you ever wanted to trade places with someone? Maybe you know someone whose life appears to be so happy, so free from heartache, pain, and difficulty—especially when compared to yours. Perhaps he or she has better health, a more exciting job, or more possessions or prestige. Or maybe you’ve wished you could live in a different age of history, when times seemed simpler and stresses seemed more manageable.
In Proverbs we read the admonition “Ponder the path of thy feet” (Proverbs 4:26). Often our feet move so quickly from one important task to another that thoughtfully pondering our path can seem unrealistic—or even a waste of time.
An old legend tells of a wise grandfather teaching his grandson about the importance of making good choices. “A fight is going on inside me,” he explained to the boy. “It’s a terrible fight between two wolves. One is evil: he is anger, greed, selfishness, resentment, lies, and pride.”
Every veteran has a story. Some spent their military service in the line of fire; others gave their service behind the scenes. Some carried weapons; some carried a medical bag. Whether on the ground, in the air, or on the water, all who willingly respond to the call to serve their country see it as a high and holy calling to protect, safeguard, and strengthen the land they love.
On New Year’s Day 1892, a ship of immigrants docked at Ellis Island in New York harbor. Annie Moore, a teenager from County Cork, Ireland, was the first immigrant registered at America’s new reception station. She and her two younger brothers, Anthony and Phillip, had sailed in steerage class for 12 days on the steamship Nevada to join their parents, who had arrived in the United States previously
This will always be a world of differing opinions. Like a brook that bubbles over rocks and obstructions, we frequently bump up against those who disagree with us. Learning how to deal with such obstacles is essential to happy living. Sometimes we navigate around them, proceeding on our way. Other times we find ourselves swirling in an eddy, unable to go forward—or worse, immobile and stagnant.
Work is what people do—and not just when they are grown. Toddlers have their work too: learning to walk and speak and use a spoon. Teenagers work at learning responsibility and at discovering and developing their talents. Adults work at applying those talents to make a difference in their families and the community. The true reward for work is not a paycheck—it is life!