When to Say It--and When to Be Silent June 27, 1954
As was observed many centuries ago: There is “a time to every purpose . . . ” And there are times when some things should be said, and times to keep silent. There are times when we are...
To See the Human Soul Take Wing April 18, 1954
In The Prisoner of Chillon, Lord Byron said in the awesome words of a classic couplet: Oh, God! it is a fearful thing To see the human soul take wing.¹ Fearful, yes–but just so surely as our loved...
Throwing Away Experience February 14, 1954
IN THE pungent phrasing of Benjamin Franklin: “Experience is a dear school, but a fool can learn in no other.” These words suggest two ways by which we learn the lessons of life: by our...
The Spirit of "Getting By"… March 14, 1954
There is a spirit that blights and shrivels the human soul whenever it remains unchallenged and unchecked. For want of better words, perhaps it could be called “the spirit of getting by”...
The Sound Is Silenced… February 28, 1954
Sometimes there are sounds which at first we are only vaguely aware of, intrusive, insistent sounds that are all around us, but which don’t quite break through to our full consciousness,...
The Root and the Tree April 11, 1954
Frequently we see people come to a place of prominence or pre-eminence in some particular profession. But what we frequently fail to see is the groundwork, the long growth, the prolonged preparation...
The Law of Harvest--the Law of Return August 8, 1954
Here is a simple statement of the law of harvest, of the law of return: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” In plain, inelegant language, it is the...
The Faith Within Us… December 12, 1954
May we look further for a moment at a conclusion already arrived at: that every man has more faith within himself than he sometimes supposes—not only faith in tangible and touchable factors and...
The Duty of Being Happy March 7, 1954
“There is no duty,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, “we so much underrate as the duty of being happy.” We think of happiness as being deeply desirable but seldom perhaps think...
The Deeper Kind of Differences… June 13, 1954
For you who have already made your marriage, there is simply this to be said: Make it work. In marriage there is no ready-made formula for success. It requires character and consideration, honor and...
The Coming of Commencement… May 23, 1954
The coming of each commencement calls to mind the passing of another year so swiftly and so soon and suggests once more to all of us that we ought to start early to do what we ought to be doing. A...
Thanksgiving--the Fruits of Faith November 21, 1954
In its own way, Thanksgiving is the fruition of faith − with the fruits of the field before us because someone had the faith to plow and plant, and because God gave the increase. So now we have our...
Thank God for Freedom July 4, 1954
May we take a moment from some of the side issues and clear our thoughts and humble our hearts and get down on our knees and simply, fervently, thank God for freedom and then get on our feet with a...
Swiftly, Silently, Certainly January 10, 1954
Sitting This One Out… February 7, 1954
Sometimes too much of what we do⎯or think we do⎯is in the nature of simply sitting and seeing someone else do something. It is good to watch, to listen, to appreciate as others perform, but it is...
Saving Ourselves August 1, 1954
There is much emphasis these days on “saving” ourselves, at least in a mental and physical sense. Blessedly, we have machines that do the work of millions of men from the moving of...
Remembrance… May 30, 1954
Remembrance is a mark of a thoughtful, grateful man⎯but sometimes it is acute and cutting, as suggested by Shakespeare: “How sharp the point of this remembrance is!” he said. Remembrance...
Quick-Triggered Temper October 17, 1954
It is written in the scriptural record that the Lord God gave man dominion over all the earth.43 But subduing the earth loses much of its meaning unless we also subdue ourselves, our appetites, our...
Physician, Heal Thyself… August 22, 1954
One of the challenging statements made by the Master was the one wherein He repeated the proverb: “Physician, heal thyself.” There is an interesting idea that sometimes seems to be...
Parents Must Be Parents… September 12, 1954
Young people often ask: “Why do parents worry so much, and watch us so closely, and repeat so often the same precautions? We are able to take care of ourselves. Why don’t they leave us...