October 2

Real forgiveness involves no holding back at all. One must go the whole distance in restoring relationships. I f one says, "I will forgive you the wrong you have done me, but I can never forget it," that is only qualified forgiveness. To make it real forgiveness, forgetting must be added.

October 1

Fear is the strongest thought pattern, save one. Faith is always stronger than fear. Where faith is, fear cannot live. Faith withers fear. You can crowd fear out by filling your mind with faith. It is an absolute, demonstrable fact that the person who practices faith, real faith in God, rises so high above fear that it can no longer affect that individual.

September 30

Along in September, up our way, the "line storms" come. High winds of gale force were driving across the ridge on our farm. I heard something groaning and found it was a huge maple tree, 150 years old. But it wasn't groaning; actually it was laughing. It was having the time of its life with that wind. Maybe it's going to come down, I thought. "Don't worry," it seemed to say, "I was here before you and I'll be here after you're gone." Oh, trees do go down sometimes, but then what happens? A little shoot comes up and a new tree is started. Human beings are of the same breed. They are absolutely undefeatable when they know they are. But they've got to know it.

September 29

To combat that "overwhelmed" feeling, use the old military maxim: Concentrate your forces and attack at the point where you may achieve breakthrough. Don't sit around wringing your hands because so many problems and difficulties beset you. Pick out one, break it down into manageable parts, and go after each part in turn.