Quotes to Live By

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
(John Quincy Adams)

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. (Aristotle)

Every artist was first an amateur. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. (Thomas Jefferson)

It takes ten years to build up a reputation, but only five minutes to ruin one. (Anonymous)

Monday, March 21, 2011

Appearances

Imagine what it would be like to change from Cinderella to a princess. Some people have this instant "luck", whereas others have to slave their way up the feudal system of society. Nowadays, anyone can "look" like a princess with a change of new clothes or a new hairstyle. A poor person can instantly look rich, if given a sports car, along with a new suit. A homey and plain woman when given a complete makeover can look like a model.

Although these changes are superficial, we as human beings still fall for the same old act each time. When I first got my haircut a few days ago, I was reminded that I was still the same person inside, even though my outer appearance has changed. I look different, but my heart is still the same. No matter how much I change myself on the outside, our heavenly father from above only looks at our hearts.

So to change ourselves, we should do it from the inside out, instead of the other way around.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

God Gave Us the World, by: Lisa Tawn Bergren

This heartwarming story is about a mother and daughter pair of polar bears. The little cub questions all about her identity and why God didn't make every other bear just like her. She learns from her mother that God makes all bears differently because God is creative and it follows his plan to make special bears from all over too. Mother bear gives an example that even bears of the same kind are different inside. Some are quiet bears, whereas others are loud bears.

This book is especially for children, but the theme revolves around older folks too. Oftentimes, we are associated with different people from different cultures that do things differently than we are used to. Too often, we judge what we see based on what other people do. I often make the same mistake too. I have asked God to help me understand the people different than me, instead of acting way more superior than they are. We are all humans created in the likeness of God. To criticize someone different is like criticizing God. So in order to understand different cultures, we have to reach out with helping hands.

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"