In the later years of his life, the great 19th century American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson suffered from an increasingly faulty memory. When things would slip his mind, he complained of his “naughty memory,” as he called it. Sometimes Emerson would forget the names of different objects. In order to speak of them, he would refer to them in a …
Not expecting to do well on the economics exam, Bill was heartened by the first question: “In any given year, and to the nearest ton, how much wheat did the United States export?” Smiling confidently, he wrote, “In 1492, none.”
In the April 29 Turning Point Daily Devotional, David Jeremiah shares this: “You know you’re in trouble when your guide gets lost. In 1910, four Mounties headed into a treacherous part of Canada by dog sled, hoping to make it to Dawson City. Their guide got lost and they wandered endlessly, lost on wrong trails. They ate their dogs and …
“David was far more concerned about his integrity before God than he was his popularity or success before men. He was more concerned that his trust for his life, his family or his future not shift from God. He wanted integrity before God. He wanted to please God and to serve God uninterrupted. He knew that this integrity would give …
In a copy of his church newsletter, Pastor Vic Pentz of Atlanta’s Peachtree Presbyterian Church told about the time that then-Vice President George H.W. Bush represented the United States at the funeral of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. “Bush later told how he was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow. She stood motionless by the coffin …
It was a terrible night, blowing cold and rain in a most frightful manner. The streets were deserted, and the local baker was just about to close up shop when a little man slipped through the door. He carried an umbrella, blown inside out, and he was bundled in two sweaters and a thick coat. But even so, he still …
Leonard Sweet shares this story: “Best-selling author Robert Fulghum is well-known for his ‘all-I-really-need-to-know-I-learned-in-kindergarten’ books. Less well known is the fact that he spent many years in the pulpit in Washington State. He writes about his preaching days and his fear of Mother’s Day in his book It was on Fire when I Lay Down On It: ‘For 25 years …
A mother was talking to an old friend and said, “I remember before I was married that I had three theories about raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.”
In 1983 Mehmet Ali Agca was in the midst of the crowd in St. Peter’s Square. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II. He was arrested and imprisoned. In January 1984 the Pope visited the prison, and when he walked through the cell door, he said to the young man, “I …
Little Johnny was in the garden filling in a large hole when his neighbor peered over the fence. Interested in what the youngster was up to, he politely asked, “What’cha doing, Johnny?” “My goldfish died,” replied the boy tearfully, without looking up. “I’ve just buried him.” The neighbor was concerned. “That’s an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn’t it?” …
