My Commonplace Book

Lynne Hybels spoke yesterday about engagement in the biggest issues of the world. She made the following points, which apply to giving leadership to all kinds of cultural change.
We must:
1. Be willing to start small. Just start somewhere, somehow. But be sure and start.
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has [...]

On Thursday we had a meeting of the Inklings. We dined at the Eastgate. I have never seen in my life Dyson so exuberant–”a roaring cataract of nonsense.” The bill of fare afterwards consisted of a section of the new Hobbit book by Tolkein, a nativity play from Williams (unusually intelligible for [...]

Since I’m in continuous meetings for weeks on end, I’m not reading much. So I pulled out an article I wrote several years ago on reading and the myths attached to it.
Several years ago, I ran across a great resource by Keith Drury (www.indwes.edu/tuesday) on improving our reading skills. Many folks have said [...]

My dear Samuel, the best preparation for being a good politician, as well as a superior man in every other line, is to be a truly religious man. For this includes in it all those qualities which fit men to pass through life with benefit to others and with reputation to ourselves. [...]

In Jesus’ summary of the Law, he tells us we are to love the Lord God with all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind (Luke 10:27; Mark 12:23). What does it mean to love God with all our mind?
For William Wilberforce, it meant that meant the discipline of rigorous mental pursuit. [...]

Once a day . . . call yourselves to account what new ideas, what new proposition or truth you have gained, what further confirmation of known truths, and what advances you have made in any part of knowledge. — Issac Watts