“A man’s words are a mirror to his soul.” Unknown.
“It is not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles them. . . but what comes out of their mouth that defiles them.” Jesus of Nazareth, Matt 15:10; (paraphrase)
[From a letter to my kids, 1995]
“I just don’t know what to do with people that won’t talk. It’s hard for me to deal with them. People that talk a lot, which includes most everybody in my family, are easy to read. They tell you a lot about themselves. If they’re not talking, they must be sick, or mad at somebody.
“There is nothing more fun and pleasurable than spending an afternoon or evening solving the world’s problems with somebody who enjoys talking and listening. It helps your mental, emotional health. When necessary, it’s a legitimate and inexpensive alternative to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Personally, I enjoy a ‘highball of an evening’, with my talking companions, but the highball is not required. Tea, cokes, or red Koolaid will substitute nicely.
“In Ireland of old, next to the kings, the persons held in highest esteem were the bards, who were the government supported combination priests, historians, and storytellers. Some say that the oldest uninterrupted literary tradition in Europe was the orally maintained and transmitted stories of the Celtic Bards. Those folks raised talking to the level of an art, a science, almost a religion. That’s where we came from, a long and uninterrupted line of talkers. Talking is in our blood, so in choosing what you want to do in your life, find something that involves talking. You’ll enjoy it, you’ll be good at it, because you’ve got it in you.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but talkers get extra attention, and they often end up being leaders, because they don’t mind telling people what they think. It is a big responsibility, so don’t take it lightly. You have a lot of influence just because you talk, as long as you know what you’re talking about, and you have love in your heart. Always remember to use your influence for good. Really, that just sorta happens, because that love in your heart comes out.
“Talking is one of my favorite pastimes. It’s good cheap entertainment. You can do it anytime, any place. You can even talk to yourself.”
“God has a purpose for your life. All you’ve got to do is figure out what it is.” [This is from a letter to my ‘young-adult’ kids in 1995] “I used to wonder what I was doing here. Sometimes I even wondered what you were doing here. I finally got the message. God has a plan for my life. Actually, I think He has a plan for every person’s life, but some folks never figure out what it is.
For several years I’ve been writing this book, and after many ups and downs, God let it be published. It’s about discipleship, but it’s not your standard book on the subject. The other day I was at the bank talking to them about opening a new bank account for marketing and promotion of the book, and I was talking to the bank manager and one of the cashiers named Polly. I showed them a copy I just happened to have handy (Ha!). I told them a little about it, and I mentioned that it was available on the Barnes and Noble website on the ‘Net’. I said I had been looking at their website and they had the first 29 pages of the book as a ‘reading sample’. I thought that was pretty cool. They were nice and said they thought it was really neat that I had actually gotten a book published! I said, “Thanks.”
lifevolumeone 