At Summer's End… September 20, 1959
The passing of any season is somewhat sobering, or any day, or any period of the past. When a season begins, when a day begins, we think what we will do with it−what we haven’t done−what we...
Little Brass Nails… September 27, 1959
Perhaps all of set our hearts upon some things which, after we acquire them, seem somewhat shallow, or at least unessential. And when we wonder why we wished for them so much and worked for them so...
The Moving Power of Prayer October 4, 1959
There likely isn’t much greater loneliness than the loneliness of a man who cannot find comfort and assurance and help outside himself. And there likely isn’t much greater loneliness...
The Attitude of Intent… October 11, 1959
We have read in some rules of safety the following sentence: “Never point a gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot.” This is basic to a whole series of parallel precautions...
To All Our Ancestors… October 18, 1959
Someone peering at a portrait of a great personality of the past was heard to say, altogether unimpressed: “Who’s he? What did he do?” We are often so absorbed in the present...
O Man, Whosoever Thou Art… October 25, 1959
There is a long-told tale of Alexander the Great, who paused, at the age of thirty-two at the tomb of Cyrus the Great⎯Cyrus who had preceded Alexander by some two centuries. Each in his own time had...
Settlement Before Sundown November 1, 1959
Forgiving and Forgetting November 8, 1959
Love at Home… November 22, 1959
An able physician recently suggested three short questions that could be asked to indicate how well a particular person might adjust to troubles and tensions: If the patient or the person can...
As Parents and Children Come to Common Ground November 29, 1959
Its is odd and interesting how each generation listens impatiently to the lessons of the past, and feels that they are old fashioned. Youth is so sure the rules have changed. Age is sure they...
A Short Walk… That Never Ends December 6, 1959
“Life is a short walk along a narrow thread . . . beginning and ending in a mysterious unknown. Hope keeps us balanced as we walk the narrow line. Life is short as we see it, but in reality ....
The Meaning of Honor… December 13, 1959
We recall a comment accredited to Thomas Carlyle: “Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct.” With this in mind we turn to the meaning of honor, without which there...
A Where One Door Shuts, Another Ope December 27, 1959
There is a maximum quoted Don Quixote which says: “Where one door shuts, another opens, …” We come to an end, and find a beginning. Often we worry about arriving at an end, with too...
When to Repent and Improve… January 3, 1960
We are disposed to attach particular significance to certain times and seasons. We look to special days and anniversaries and events. We speak of special hours the eleventh hour, the midnight hour....
The First Mistake--and the Second January 10, 1960
Sometimes, if we have made one mistake, we may think it will not matter much if we make one more of the same kind. We may fall into the fallacy of supposing that multiplying mistakes is...
Debt: A Real and Actual Obligation January 17, 1960
Debt is a burden, a worry (or should be) – that is, it should be if it is a debt past due. Debt is a real and actual obligation. It represents the use of something that actually wasn’t ours,...
The Warning Signs and Symptoms January 24, 1960
Speaking again of the power of prevention: Often we become so busy that we ignore the symptoms and the warning signs in many matters. Under the pressures of the lives we live, we sometimes become so...
Not Beyond Our Reach… January 31, 1960
We often think what we are going to do tomorrow, next week , next time, next season. We often plan; we often postpone. And sometimes, after postponing, we suddenly push ourselves at a fevered pace,...
Belief, Faith, Courage… February 7, 1960
There is a sentence accredited to William James, which says, “Our belief at the beginning of a doubtful undertaking is the one thing that insures the successful outcome of our venture.”...
The Quality of Courage… February 14, 1960
“Whatever you do,” said Emerson, “you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which...