The Connotations of Cleanliness June 12, 1955
There are many words whose sounds are sweet because of what they connote words such as warmth and love, home and friends, peace and quiet, comfort and kindness and so many more that have come to...
He Was Good to My Son June 19, 1955
Have you ever heard a father say of someone: “He was good to my son”? If you have, you have no doubt sensed something that goes far deeper than any ordinary gratitude. It seems that a...
The Unanswered Questions June 26, 1955
All of us are troubled at times by the unanswered questions of life. All of us wonder at times about the point and purpose of many things, and even wonder why we are here. Such thoughts may...
Thou Inquirest What Liberty Is… July 3, 1955
We begin with a sentence with which we could well conclude a sentence taken from the New Testament”Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” and then add to it a question and an...
When Are We Going to Get There? July 10, 1955
A frequent question from those who are going somewhere is this: “When are we going to get there?” It is a question typical of children headed for picnic places. It is a question typical...
To Enjoy the Journey July 17, 1955
On this question again of wondering always when we are going to “get there”: When our children are young and very dependent upon us, sometimes perhaps we think what we would do if we...
To Live, to Work, to Worship… July 24, 1955
“The beginning of things,” wrote an eminent American, “always causes emotions to arise.” The beginning of things: cities, countries—conveniences—we take them somewhat for...
The Beginning of Things July 31, 1955
The beginning of things is exceedingly important⎯the beginning of trends and tendencies: the beginnings of habits; of quarrels; of good or bad qualities of character; the beginnings of the symptoms...
Remembering--and Forgetting August 14, 1955
In Hamlet, Shakespeare penned this provocative sentence: “God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” God also gave us in our entrance into this life, a new start for...
Hidden in Their Hearts August 21, 1955
Most of those who move about us from day to day are carrying their share of trouble and disappointment and sorrow hidden in their hearts; and we, with unseeing wyes, are often indifferent, not...
The Long Look August 28, 1955
There seems to be little evidence that the Creator of the universe was ever in a hurry. Everywhere, on this bounteous and beautiful earth, and to the farthest reaches of the firmament, there is...
The Agony of Indecision September 4, 1955
As we look back upon Hamlet with all his problems, one thing for which he was most to be pitied was his agony of indecision – his hanging between “to be or not to be.” But Hamlet...
Why Should We Work? September 11, 1955
There is a tendency in most of us at times not to do anything that is difficult to do, not to perform any unpleasant service, engage in any inconvenient activity. The tendency is often more apparent...
Before We Learn to Live September 18, 1955
An ancient philosopher offered this interesting observation: “If we could be twice young and twice old, we could correct all our mistakes.”1 there is no real assurance that this is so,...
How to Behave Away From Home September 25, 1955
Harboring Our Hurts October 2, 1955
No doubt the course of history has many times been altered because someone has had his feelings hurt. There are some classic examples that suggest themselves, such as Achilles sulking in his tent at...
Telling the Truth October 9, 1955
From Samuel Taylor Coleridge, this sentence suggests a subject: “Veracity,” he said, “does not consist in saying, but in the intention of communicating truth.” Too often it...
The Things We Wish Were Not October 16, 1955
Sometimes we find ourselves praying and pleading to make some things as if they hadn’t happened. And we find ourselves blaming ourselves for what we did or didn’t do wishing for the...
Sins of Omission October 23, 1955
Sometimes we hear someone defensively say, “I haven’t done anything” – but innocence isn’t always merely a matter of not doing anything. The privilege of living calls for...