Who you choose as your mentor and “spiritual guide” matters.

The people you select as friends matter.

The religion/church you support with your presence, your service and your money matters.

The people your church honors matter.

Your words matter.
 ”But she is a typical white person . . . “ (Barack Obama, March 2008, speaking of his grandmother)

“For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country.” (Michele Obama, Feb. 2008)

Your actions matter.

Barack Obama is clearly not the person we want for President of the United States.  And for the people who are still cheering him on: there are few things worse than deliberate ignorance.

Just saw this quote and thought I’d share.  Ain’t it the truth?

“Be happy in your body . . . It’s the only one you’ve got, so you might as well like it.”

~Kiera Knightley~

I used to read every Lewis Grizzard book that was published.  I was so sad when he died.  I think I have a copy of each of his books.  Maybe it’s because he was born in Georgia that I identify so much with his humor and writing.  Only a couple years after he died, I was driving to visit family in Georgia and I went through his hometown.  I took a detour of less than two miles to drive by the cemetery where he is buried.  I wanted to pay my respects to someone who wrote so much that I enjoyed.  I came across this quote today, and it is as true as anything I can think of:

“It’s difficult to think aything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”

~Lewis Grizzard~

Amen.

From the first time I read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl many years ago, it has been one of my favorite books.  Viktor Frankl spent three horrifying years at Auschwitz and other Nazi prisons during World War II.  When he gained his freedom, he learned that almost his entire family had been killed.  Man’s Search for Meaning is his description of his experiences and his beliefs about the higher meaning in life.  A really amazing book with so much to make you think.

There is so much basic human truth in it - in addition to being such an incredible story of survival and triumph over the worst that mankind can throw at a person.  Here’s a rather long quote, but one that I feel is important:

“The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportuntiy - even under the most difficult circumstances - to add a deeper meaning to his life.  It may remain brave, dignified and unselfish.  Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal.  Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forego the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him.  And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not.”

That just reminds me of John McCain and how he handled being a POW during the Viet Nam war.

The greatest freedom and human fulfillment comes from engaging in a noble enterprise, larger than oneself.

~John McCain, in Faith of My Fathers~

“Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.”
~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.~

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” 

~Frederick Douglass~

I don’t think I agree with this 100%, but knowledge is certainly the beginning of freedom.

I love it when someone can put a lot of meaning into just a few words or express a universal truth in a unique way.  So I’m always on the lookout for great quotes.  Here are thirteen great ones:

(1) “Courage is only an accumulation of small steps.”  ~George Konrad~

(2) “Not everything can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” ~James Baldwin~

(3) “You can’t throw a stone in any direction without finding someone in more need than you.” ~Will Rogers~

(4) “There’s no labor a man can do that’s undignified - if he does it right.” ~Bill Cosby~

(5) “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.  But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”  ~Proverbs 28:13~

(6) “Divine service done here three times a day.” ~a sign hanging over the sink at the home of Ruth and Billy Graham~

(7) “A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart.” ~William Arthur Ward~

(8) “The best way to teach character is to have it around the house.”  ~Anonymous~

(9) “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” ~African proverb~

(10) “You can stand tall without standing on someone.  You can be a victor without victims.” ~Harriet Woods~

(11) “Try not to become a person of success, but rather a person of value.” ~Albert Einstein~

(12) “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” ~From the musical Mame~

(13) “The most influential of educational factors is the conversation in a child’s home.” ~William Temple~

I just saw this story over at Hot Air.  It’s hilarious.   Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright makes no sense at all.

Albright’s message centered on the need for equality – not just domestically, but also on a global scale.

“If we were all rich, that would be very nice,” Albright said. “If we were all poor, it would be too bad, but we would be the same. What the problem is now is the poor know what the rich have as a result of information technology and the spread, generally, of knowledge. And, it creates a whole new host of problems in terms of disquiet and anger.”

It’s sad when a supposedly intelligent person can’t put together a coherent few sentences.

I found the following site that has 2007 Quotes of the Year.  Amazing things that people say.  This will make you incredulous . . . and angry!

 Okay, I can’t resist.  Here are a couple samples - and neither of these quotes were the winners in their respective categories:

ABC’s Sam Donaldson: “[Senator Barack Obama is] an African-American. Is the country ready? Well, I think it is. And he said he thinks it is. He said he thinks he’ll lose some votes because of that, and so the question is, what does the word ‘some’ mean?…”
Moderator George Stephanopoulos: “Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m naive, but Sam, I guess I think that anyone who’s not going to vote for Barack Obama because he is black isn’t going to vote for a Democrat anyway.”
— Exchange on ABC’s This Week, May 13. [71]

“I think a draft produces a better Army than the one we would have with all volunteers, because I think you get average Americans if you have a draft. And if it’s an all-volunteer Army, you get people who join up because of some problem in their own lives. They don’t have anything else to do, they don’t have a job, or they can’t find what they want to do, so they join the Army. And it doesn’t produce the best Army.”
— CBS’s Andy Rooney on MSNBC’s Imus in the Morning, March 14. [71]

Tiara-Tip to Beth at Yeah, Right, Whatever.