A student in a philosophy class responded to a classroom assignment to take on a personal growth project, and he cleaned himself up from addictions to alcohol, tobacco, and hard drugs. By the end of class, his self-respect had taken a big step forward. Self-respect, or the lack of it, often seems …
Want the core of strong character as a gift?
The core of strong character is righteousness, which is not something that we can achieve by human effort alone. We need to come, as members of God's universal family, to hunger and thirst for it. Only that supreme desire--which I crudely compare to that of the wrestler pictured on the …
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Ten Rules of Fishing for Souls
Ten Rules of Fishing for Souls Decide what kind of fish you want to catch before going out.Find a lake or stream that has that type of fish. Pick a spot you know has fish from your past experience, or ask experienced fishermen where to find them.Learn the waters and discover where the fish are. …
Let’s be merciful
I need your mercy. Do you need mine? I'm ready to forgive. We all need God’s mercy, but in my case, I don’t have any idea what for at the moment. I feel caught up for now, up to date. I know the mercy is always there—I have always been forgiven—but only when unbeautifulness (ugly) arises from …
The planet and step one
The Jellinek Curve symbolizes and describes a process of alcoholism starting innocently and gradually getting into trouble, with increasing evidence of being seriously off track, until one spins around in chaos at the bottom of the curve, perhaps having been thrown out of one’s house and fired from …
Wisdom from an African philosopher
[From the introduction by the editors] Zera Yacob (1599-1692) was the son of a poor Ethiopian farmer. He attended traditional Ethiopian school, studying the Psalms, sacred music, and Ethiopian literature. The school encouraged questions and discussions; it taught reflection, criticism, and the …
