The darker side of the City tried to emphasize the selfish parts of me by encouraging my sense of entitlement and my desire for personal space. But God seemed to whisper that the alternative existed: to let Him grow humility and concern for others in a way I had never experienced, to live out His peace amid whirling chaos. (p.67)
Our culture encourages us to plan every moment and fill our schedules with one activity and obligation after the next, with no time to just be. But the human body and mind require downtime to rejuvenate. I have found my greatest moments of joy and peace just sitting in silence, and then I take that joy and peace with me out into the world.
“We are committed to making sure that as many eligible customers enroll in CARE and benefit from the 20-percent savings on their natural gas bill. We have partnered with community groups throughout our service region to make sure customers who qualify, regardless of where they live, are aware of the CARE program and are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible.”
“I've always written [music]. I've always played the piano. And until recently-- with Metric being a touring band-- that's what I did. I'd be at home, usually hiding in some room playing the piano. It just made sense that I would finally release some of this music. Friends sort of encouraged me to do so.”
“The results of this eight state regional program over just three weeks prove conclusively that high visibility enforcement is the most effective tool we have to increase seat belt use and save lives. We are encouraging every state to use the federal funds it receives for seat belt programs to implement the 'Click It or Ticket' model.”
Religious extremism is fatal to those who don't conform to its values, or remold or submit themselves to its 'principles'. It craves control and power - and power is the one tool that enables it to wreak its characteristic havoc, destruction and cruelty upon those it chooses to label as scapegoats. Giving in to extremists enables them and empowers them - and worse, it encourages them.
There are no self made heroes or leaders. No matter how rugged or self assured, everyone requires a cast of players - friends, mentors, lovers, critics, villains and supporters - who call, invite, seduce, goad and encourage them to finally step into their true power. We are all heroes and leaders in some way, and we all need each other.
There is only one way to get anybody to do anything do you know what it is? This is far from a trivial question. Business is, after all, the ability to motivate a group of individuals to move an idea from concept to reality; to take a theory and make it a practice; to gain the buy-in of your employees and colleagues; to encourage others to execute your plans
The modern world has forgotten the necessity of encouraging men to be better. They speak of sick men or healthy men, of interesting people or uninteresting people; they never, or seldom, indicate that there is and must be an interior and spiritual improvement in man before any of the glowing coals of humanity can be reached. They have cultivated everything but the goodness of man. The result of such shallowness is everywhere apparent.
We all need role models in different seasons, people we look to who bring encouragement for the journey. Every role model but One will fail. If we get up-close we will see that each one is imperfect, except the One perfect lamb who was crucified for our sins. He was the scapegoat. He was the rejected One.