Spiritual Thoughts

W e were a group of friends in the midst of an after-dinner conversation. Because Thanksgiving was just around the corner and prosperity wasn't, we fell to talking about what we had to be thankful for.     One of us said, "Well I, for one, am grateful to Mrs. Wendt, an old schoolteacher who, 30 years ago in a little West Virginia town, went out of her way to introduce me to the works of the poet, Tennyson."     Then he launched into a colorful description of Mrs. Wendt, a lovely little old lady who had been his high school teacher and who evidently had made a deep impression on his life. She had gone out of her way to awaken his literary interest and develop his gifts of expression.     "And does this Mrs. Wendt know that she made that contribution to your life?" someone put in. ...

L ife always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath . ~ Charlotte Joko Beck C ount it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  ~ James 1:2-3

T he best that the great teachers can do for us is to help us to discover what is already present in ourselves. ~ Irving Babbitt  L earn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.  ~ Isaiah 1:17