giving

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was involved in a discussion about religion. The other person believed that children should not be given formal religious education of any kind. They would then be free to select their own religion when they were old enough to decide. Coleridge did not bother to debate the point, but invited the man to see his rather neglected garden. "Do you call this a garden?" asked his visitor. "There are nothing but weeds here." "Well, you see," said Coleridge, "I did not wish to infringe on the liberty of the garden in any way. I was just giving the garden a chance to express itself and choose its own production.

Somewhere on this globe, every ten seconds, there is a woman giving birth to a child. She must be found and stopped.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love. Where there is injury . . . pardon. Where there is doubt . . . faith. Where there is despair . . . hope. Where there is darkness . . . light. Where there is sadness . . . joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled . . . as to console, To be understood . . . as to understand; To be loved . . . as to love, For It is in giving . . . that we receive. It is in pardoning . . . that we are pardoned, It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Success is recognizing where our talents, gifts and attributes come from-then always giving the Lord the credit. In this way it is possible to stay humble and successful at the same time. Success and glory (as the world understands it) is very addicting, but for someone whose satisfaction comes from doing the Lord's will, the true understanding of success is comprehended. As John Taylor so beautifully stated (July 7, 1878), "We are here as Jesus was here, not do do our own will, but the will of Him who sent us." The most successful experience in life is to find out His "will" for our individual lives and do it, Thus fulfilling the measure of our personal creation.

Life . . . is a joyful expression of love, praise and thanksgiving instead of a hopeless struggle which eventually ends in death. Giving thanks in every circumstance, we forego the logic and reason which asks, "Why me?" and open our hearts and learn to trust. Every obstacle becomes an occasion for rejoicing. We put love at the center of our universe and we are lifted beyond the world of limitation, doubt, and fear into the realm of love, hope, and eternal happiness.

You cannot hold on to anything good. You must be continually giving - and getting. You cannot hold on to your seed. You must sow it - and reap anew. You cannot hold on to riches. You must use them and get other riches in return.

A man who gives his children habits of industry provides for them better than by giving them a fortune.

Marriage requires the giving and keeping of confidences, the sharing of thoughts and feelings, respect and understanding always, marriage requires humility - the humility to repent, the humility to forgive. Marriage requires flexibility (to give and take) and firmness: not to compromise principles. And a wise and moderate sense of humor. Both need to be pulling together in the same direction.

Failing doesn't make you a failure. Giving up, accepting your failure, refusing to try again does!