The chief lesson I have learned in a long life
is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him;
and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him
and show him your distrust.
~ Henry L. Stimson

I have seldom known a person who deserted the truth in trifles
And then could be trusted in matters of importance.
~ Babe Paley

We are told that talent creates its own opportunities.
But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but it’s own talents.
~ Eric Hoffer

Trust cannot thrive in an environment where we preach teamwork and cooperation,
But seldom recognize or reward it.
~ Wayne R Bills

It is happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.
~ Samuel Johnson

A person who trusts no one can’t be trusted.
~ Jerome Blattner

Without ambition one starts nothing, without work one finishes nothing.
The man who knows how will always have a job.
The man who knows why will always be his boss.

The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.
The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

While I don’t yet endorse Soul City Church, I do love the message behind this video, about getting church out of the “box” of Sundays only. I hope you find it challenging too!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHYj8QA-jas[/youtube]

Courage is the first of human qualities,
Because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
~ Winston Churchill

The World has a habit of making room
for the man whose actions show
that he knows where he is going.
~ Napoleon Hill

If you want to test a man’s character,
Give him power.
~Abraham Lincoln

The probability that we may fail in the struggle
ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
~ Abraham Lincoln

There was a time in my life where the truth of Scripture seemed so simple, so clear, and so compelling, that all I wished to do was share it with others…and I did. I took each opportunity that came my way, and taught. Lesson after lesson. Notes, Power Point slides, catchy lesson titles…I did it all.

Now, a half dozen years down the road, the truth that once was so crystal clear is a kaleidoscope of one liners, verses, and life experiences that I cannot readily systematize. I have trouble consolidating my thoughts to a 20 minute presentation…and I struggle diligently to separate wisdom I have learned from the world and in the church, from straightforward Biblical truth.

This new tension is deeply frustrating. Although I hope that it leads to a deeper level of understanding and maturity as a teacher, it currently stunts my desire to teach. I feel incompetent…”permanently disorganized”.

Perhaps it is a result of being exposed to so many men who have spent their lives studying the Word, and who teach based on their lifetime’s work attaining clarity.

“Please, Lord, send me a little insight down here…”