"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."—Matthew 5:6 When I was a child, I used to sneak into the freezer in our garage on the way into the house after school and eat a chunk of the icing off of buttermilk brownies my mom had made for …
“Certainly it is heaven upon earth, to have a man’s mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.” ~ Francis Bacon Whether or not a fiery hell awaits those who fail to meet the criteria of the various religions on earth in the afterlife I cannot be sure, but …
Dignity is a product of internal choices. It is not conferred or situationally-dependent and no one one, no matter how cruel or heartless he or she may be, can strip you of your dignity. Dignity is the reward of righteousness. You can wear the crown of your soul no matter how much you are mocked, …
Why is it that the notion of not resisting evil is so difficult to understand and put into action? It sounds so appealing when we feel its power in a church sermon, when we see the effects of those precious few leaders in history who have embraced it in their living, but when it comes …
In a world governed by men who are naked and ashamed, success is measured by material prosperity, physical prowess, and the size of one’s tribe. Rather than valuing that which distinguishes him in the natural world – his ability to perfect reason and embody virtue – his highest aim is to accumulate the trappings of …
There is a particular type of discomfort which accompanies personal growth. I say "particular" because it is different than the discomfort that comes from failure, dishonesty or disobedience. It is more like the "good burn" you get from an intense workout than the aches and pains which follow periods of sustained idleness. Your tolerance for …
One of the great secrets of living is this: if you live radiantly, truly radiantly, then you will begin to recognize compromises you have made in your expression of who you really are and abandon those compromises forthwith. To be sure, true expression is tempered by many things, not the least of which is the …
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do …
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - Theodore Roosevelt Call it a midwestern bias, but to my mind the most important quality of the American spirit is the notion of "duty-first." Moreover, the degree to which an …
You'll know it — as you know 'tis Noon — By Glory — As you do the Sun — By Glory — As you will in Heaven — Know God the Father — and the Son. By intuition, Mightiest Things Assert themselves — and not by terms — "I'm Midnight" — need the Midnight say …
Gregory Hake 