Unfinished Business… December 27, 1953
All of us always have unfinished business. Most of us have unfulfilled obligations. Most of us have things piled far before us that always weigh on us and worry us⎯things we never quite get to,...
So Different a Day… December 20, 1953
There is a question concerning Christmas that keeps recurring: What is it that makes it so different a day? Except for some very real and far-reaching considerations it wouldn’t be so...
The Light That Leads to Further Light December 13, 1953
Men seem to have an urgent sense of searching for something that they are not now aware of having seen. They are not content with only what their hands can touch, with only what is immediately...
The Light "Which Lighteth Every Man" December 6, 1953
It is recorded in the first book of the Bible that God said: “Let there be light” (Gen.1:3)—and form there on through scripture, the great theme light is over and over emphasized:...
The Making of Memories November 29, 1953
Some years ago Gustaf Stromberg, eminent Swedish-American scientist, had some significant things to say in one of his scholarly works concerning the memories of men: “A study of the nature of...
The Gift of Gratitude November 22, 1953
One doesn’t have to live very long before he becomes aware of the pleasure of doing things for appreciative people and the disappointment of doing things for people who seem to lack a sincere...
Fear God, and Work Hard November 15, 1953
There is no one we know of who is free from problems. Most of us at times have difficult situations to solve. But there are some who succumb to adverse circumstances more easily than others...
A Fresh Look at Life… November 8, 1953
Sometimes it would be well if we could step aside and see ourselves as if we had never seen us before—and see not only ourselves, but see also the things around us, free from the tired impressions...
On Multiplying Mistakes November 1, 1953
Perhaps we have all had the experience of trying to find a place we haven’t been before, and of turning off the right road⎯and then somehow sensing that we had turned off the right road. But...
On Altering Attitudes October 25, 1953
There is a profound thought in these words of William James: “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”...
Concerning Unproved Suppositions… October 18, 1953
As young people face their formal education, there may be many puzzling questions which concern conflicting theories. The past century or so has seen a profound unfoldment of truth, and the mind of...
The Unanswered Questions October 11, 1953
No doubt all of us are troubled at times by the unanswered questions of life. No doubt all of us are given to wondering at times about the point and purpose of many things, and even to wondering why...
Keeping Up… and Catching Up October 4, 1953
We recall the often quoted comment of Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen: “Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place.” One of life’s most...
The Weight of the Future… September 27, 1953
Most of us at times feel overpowered and depressed by the tasks that lie before us, by the undone things that we have yet to do. A young man, for example, may look ahead at what he feels he must...
Hate--and Happiness September 20, 1953
Among the long list of things that make men unhappy, none is more devoutly to be avoided than hate in the human heart. And among all the elements and ingredients of which human happiness is made,...
On Harvesting Too Soon… September 13, 1953
In days of relentless and of uncertainty, some times people (including young people) are disposed to make shortsighted decisions⎯decisions that seem attractive at the moment, but which may imperil...
Do the Best You Can… September 6, 1953
It is an unhappy day in the life of anyone when he fails to find sincere satisfaction in doing useful things for the joy of doing them and in doing them to the best of his ability. We all have...
Serendipity August 30, 1953
There is a word in our language, an unusual word coined by Walpole. The word is serendipity—which means essentially: something unexpected that you find along the way when you are looking for...
The Courage to Make Decisions August 23, 1953
Taking time to decide is frequently an essential factor of safety. But there is also such a thing as taking too much time. The power of decision is sometimes seized from us by too long a delay. We...
Until the Next Step Shows Itself August 16, 1953
Always when we are faced with decisions, we wish that we could see the end from the beginning: As between two jobs, for example, both of which have something to be said for them, it would be...