Uncle Ben's Quotebook
The title is also the name of a really good book; the following are my favorite quotes from each section of the book.
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Advice:
"World's Greatest Need"
A little more kindness and
a little less creed;
A little more giving and a little less greed;
A little more smile and a little less frown,
A little less kicking a man when he's down;
A little more "we" and a little less "I,"
A little more laughs and a little less cry;
A little more flowers on the pathway of life;
And fewer on graves at the end of the strife.
Ambition:
"How to live a Hundred Years happily"
1. Do not be on the
outlook for ill health.
2. Keep usefully at work.
3. Have a hobby.
4. Learn to be satisfied.
5. Keep on liking people.
6. Meet adversity valiantly.
7. Meet the little problems of life with decision.
8. Maintain a good sense of humor.
9. Live and make the present hour pleasant and cheerful.
Anxiety:
When we see the lilies
Spinning in distress,
Taking thought to manufacture
Their own loveliness,
When we see the birds
All building barns for store,
'Twill then be time to worry--
Not before!
Attitude:
Forget each kindness that
you do as soon as you have done it.
Forget the praise that falls to you the moment you have won it.
Forget the slander that you hear before you can repeat it.
Forget each slight, each spite, each sneer, whenever you may meet it.
Remember every promise made and keep it to the letter.
Remember those who lend you aid and be a grateful debtor.
Remember all the happiness that comes your way in living.
Forget each worry and distress, be hopeful and forgiving,
Remember good, remember truth, remember heaven is above you,
And you will find, through age and youth, that many will love you.
Bible:
"The Ten Commandments in Rhyme"
1. Thou no gods shalt have
but me.
2. Before no idol bow the knee.
3. Take not the name of God in vain.
4. Dare not the Sabbath Day profane.
5. Give to thy parents honor due.
6. Take heed that thou no murder do.
7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean.
8. Steal not, for thou by God art seen.
9. Tell no willful lie and love it.
10. What is thy neighbor's do not covet.
Blessings:
Clouds in our lives
are sent many times
to bring showers of blessings.
Challenge:
Shamgar had an ox goad,
David had a sling,
Dorcas had a needle,
Rahab had some string,
Mary had some ointment,
Moses had a rod,
Have you some small talent
You'll dedicate to God?
Character:
Manners carry the world
for the moment;
character for all times.
The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.
Christ:
"What think ye of Christ?"
Pilate: "I find no
fault in him at all."
Judas: "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood."
Centurion: "Truly this was the Son of God."
John the Baptist: "The Lamb of God which taketh away...sin."
John: "He is the bright and morning star."
Peter: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God."
Thomas: "My Lord and my God."
Paul: "The excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
Angels in Heaven: "A Saviour which is Christ the Lord."
Father in Heaven: "My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
"What think ye of
Christ" is the test,
To try both your state and your mien,
You cannot be right on the rest,
Unless you think rightly of Him.
Christian:
He knows His sheep; He
counts them,
and He calleth them by name.
He goes before; they follow
as He leads through flood or flame.
He leads them out, into the pastures
green by waters still;
He leads them in; and guards them safe
within the fold from ill.
Church:
Enter expectantly,
Breath prayerfully,
Worship reverently,
Relax restfully,
Greet others cordially,
Leave thoughtfully,
Come again soon.
Comfort:
I never knew a night so
black,
Light failed to follow on its track;
I never knew a storm so gray,
It failed to have its clearing day.
I never knew such bleak despair,
That there was not a rift, somewhere;
I never knew an hour so drear,
Love could not fill it full of cheer.
Commitment:
God does not ask about our
ability
or our inability,
but about our availability.
Companionship:
You and Christ together
Down the long, long trail,
Makes no difference whether
Road be hill or dale;
Fair or cloudy weather,
He will never fail;
You and Christ...TOGETHER
Down the long, long trail.
Consistency:
Faithfully faithful to
every trust,
Honestly honest in every deed,
Righteously righteous and justly just;
This is the whole of the good man's creed.
Contentment:
He that hath never a
conflict
Has never a victor's palm;
And only the toilers know
The sweetness of rest and calm.
Conversation:
Great minds discuss ideas,
Average minds discuss events,
Small minds discuss people.
Conviction:
If a sermon pricks your
conscience,
it must have some good points.
Cooperation:
We can see that life is a cycling phenomenon which occurs in many forms within a single system. Nothing stands alone -- no individual, species, or community; no raindrop, snow crystal, cloud, or stream; no mountain and no sea -- for in a cycle each thing in one way or another is connected with everything else.
Courage:
Courage isn't a brilliant
dash,
A daring deed in a moment's flash;
It isn't an instantaneous thing
Born of despair with a sudden spring.
But it's something deep in the soul of man
That is working always to serve some plan.
Courtesy:
How sweet and gracious
even in common speech
is that sense which men call courtesy.
Courtesy is a science of
the highest importance
which ought to be on the curriculum of every Christian.
Criticism:
It is much easier to be critical than to be correct.
Worse than the sin you criticize is the sin of criticism.
Determination:
It isn't the size of the
dog in the fight,
but the size of the fight in the dog
that determines which wins.
Discipline:
No horse gets anywhere
until he is harnessed.
No steam or gas ever drives anything until it is confined.
No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled.
No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.
Drinking:
Alcohol makes a man
colorful:
it gives him
a red nose,
a white liver,
a yellow streak,
and a blue outlook.
Egotism:
An Egotist
is a person
who is always
Me-Deep
in conversation.
Eternity:
One Short Life for
watching with the Master,
Eternal Years to walk with Him in white,
One Short Life to bravely meet disaster,
Eternal Years to reign with Him in light,
One Brief Life for weary toils and trials,
Eternal Years for calm and peaceful rest,
One Brief Life for patient self-denials,
Eternal Years for life, where life is best.
Evangelism:
Lord, lay some soul upon
my heart,
and love that soul through me,
and may I nobly do my part
to win that soul for Thee.
Example:
A careful man I ought to
be,
A little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray,
For fear he'll go the selfsame way.
Not once can I escape his eyes;
Whate'er he sees me do he tries.
Like me he says he's going to be,
That little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go
Through summer sun and winter snow,
I'm molding for the years to be--
That little chap who follows me.
Faith:
Doubt sees the obstacles;
Faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night;
Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step;
Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions, "Who believes?"
Faith answers, "I."
Faithfulness:
The gold that came from
Thee, Lord,
To Thee belongeth still;
Oh, may I always faithfully
My stewardship fulfill.
Fools:
He who will not learn
except of himself
has a fool
for a teacher.
Forgiveness:
"Let us take Time"
To give God worship, service, and communion. To live with our friends while we have them. A coffin is a poor place for the warm handclasp and the cheery greeting. To forgive our enemies. Jesus found time to do it between the blows of the hammer. To go slower up hill when we are young, and down hill when we are old.
Friendliness:
True friends are like
Diamonds,
precious but rare.
False friends are like Autumn Leaves,
found everywhere.
Giving:
Give as you would to the
Master
If you met His searching look;
Give as you would of your substance
If His hand the offering took.
God:
Got any rivers you think
are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
And He can do what no other can do.
God is Before me, He will
be my guide;
God is Behind me, no ill can betide;
God is Beside me, to comfort and cheer;
God is Around me, so why should I fear?
Gossip:
Gossip is anything that
goes in one ear
and over the back fence.
The gossip's stock is
largely hearsay-
and what they don't hear, they say anyway.
Greatness:
The heights by great men
reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, when their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.
Habits:
Habit is either the worst
of masters
or the best of servants.
Be the master of your
habits
or they will master you.
Happiness:
The year's at the spring
The day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven:
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God is in His heaven--
All's right with the world.
Heaven:
Soon where earthly beauty
blinds not, no excess of brilliance palls,
Salem, city of the holy, we shall be within thy walls!
There, beside yon crystal river, there, beneath life's wondrous tree,
There, with naught to cloud or sever--ever with the Lamb to be.
Hell:
The man who tries to prove
there is no hell,
generally has a personal reason for doing so.
Hereafter:
The lights are all out
In the mansion of clay;
The curtains are drawn,
For the dweller's away;
She silently slipped
O'er the threshold by night,
To make her abode
In the City of Light.
Home:
A House is built of logs
and stones,
Of tiles and posts and tiers;
A Home is built of loving deeds
That stand a thousand years.
Honesty:
Then, again, perhaps
honesty is the best policy
because it has so little competition.
An honest man is the noblest work of God.
Humility:
You should ask God for
Humility,
but never thank Him that
you've attained it.
Inconsistency:
Why is it that most people
want
The Front seat in the bus,
The Back seat in church and
The Middle of the road?
Kindness:
Kind Hearts are the
Gardens,
Kind Thoughts are the Roots,
Kind Words are the Flowers,
Kind Deeds are the Fruits.
Knowledge:
Knowledge
humbleth a great man,
astonisheth a common man,
puffs up a little man.
Lighter Vein:
It's the Little Things
that bother us,
And keep us on the rack;
We can sit upon a Mountain,
But not upon a Tack.
Living:
"The Fruit of the Spirit--Love"
Joy is love exulting.
Peace is love in repose.
Longsuffering is love on trial.
Gentleness is love in society.
Goodness is love in action.
Faith is love in endurance.
Meekness is love at school.
Temperance is love in discipline.
Man:
Man is the creation in
whom God has decreed
He shall be represented and glorified.
Marriage:
Let every husband stay a
true lover,
and every wife remain a sweetheart, too.
A little house well fill'd,
a little field well till'd,
and a little wife well will'd,
are great riches.
Obedience:
To know God's will
is life's greatest treasure.
To do God's will
is life's greatest pleasure.
Optimism:
The world looks brighter from behind a smile.
Optimism is the
determination
to see more in something
than there is.
Parents:
I cannot promise he will
stay,
Since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught down there,
I want this child to learn.
...from "To All Parents"
Patience:
Patience is accepting a
difficult situation
without giving God a deadline to remove it.
Plain Truth:
When a man begins to amass
wealth,
it is a question whether God is going
to gain a fortune or lose a man.
Praise:
Praising God for blessings
extends them.
Praising God for troubles
ends them.
Prayer:
Pray on! Pray on! Cease
not to pray,
And should the answer tarry, Wait!
Thy God will come, will surely come,
And He can never come too late.
Preaching:
The preacher does better
When you are there;
'Tis hard to preach
to an empty chair.
Procrastination:
Tomorrow cannot be found
on God's calendar.
Tomorrow sounds so innocent, but it's life's most dangerous word.
Tomorrow is the road that leads to the town called never.
Tomorrow is the barred and bolted door that shuts people out of heaven.
Tomorrow is the nursemaid of hell.
Tomorrow is Satan's word. Those who expect to repent tomorrow usually die today.
Don't count on tomorrow!
Providence:
The dark threads are as
needful
in the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
in the pattern He has planned.
Regret:
"Seven Things You Will Never Regret"
Showing kindness to an
aged person.
Destroying a letter written in anger.
Offering the apology that saves a friendship.
Stopping a scandal that was wrecking a reputation.
Helping a boy find himself.
Taking time to show your mother consideration.
Accepting the judgement of God on any question.
Religion:
The religion of some
people
is well developed at the mouth,
but lame at the hands and feet.
Repentance:
Repentance is to leave
The sins we loved before,
And show that we in earnest grieve
By doing them no more.
Rewards:
The tissues of the life to
be
We weave with colors all our own;
And in the field of destiny
We reap as we have sown.
Salvation:
The empty cross
and the empty tomb
speak of a
full salvation.
Satan:
Satan is to be dreaded as
a lion;
More to be dreaded as a serpent;
and most to be dreaded as an angel.
Service:
Hard work, cheerfully
done,
is easy work.
Light work, unwillingly done,
is mere drudgery.
Sin:
If you do not want the
fruits of sin,
stay out of sin's orchard.
Few love to hear of the sins they love to act.
Speech:
A lot of things are opened
by mistake,
but none so often as the mouth.
A lot of trouble in this
world is caused by
combining a narrow mind with a wide mouth.
Training:
"School Days"
This life is a school of
Education;
Each day brings forth a Recitation.
Death ends the term without Vacation,
And then comes the final Examination.
Thanksgiving:
"Time to Move"
Too many a discontented
mourner
Is spending his days on Grumble Corner--
Sour and sad--whom I long to entreat
To get a house on Thanksgiving Street.
Trials:
No branch escapes the
pruning knife;
No jewel the polishing wheel;
No child the correction rod;
No chosen vessel the thorn.
Trust:
Ask not How, but trust Him
still;
Ask not When, but wait His will;
Simply On His Word Rely,
God Shall all your need supply.
Truth:
Truth is not always
popular,
but it is always right.
The truth is no less truth
because it cannot be explained.
Warning:
I have only just a minute,
just sixty seconds in it;
forced upon me--can't refuse it,
didn't seek it, didn't choose it,
I must suffer if I lose it;
give account if I abuse it;
just a tiny little minute
but eternity is in it.
Wealth:
There are two ways of
being rich.
The one is to have all you want.
The other is to be satisfied with what you have.
Wisdom:
A wise old owl lived in an
oak,
The more he saw, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Why can't we be like that old bird?
Worldliness:
The wise men of Jesus' day
presented frankincense.
The worldly wise of our day present rank nonsense.
The more of heaven there
is in our lives,
the less of earth we shall covet.
Worry:
If your all is in the hand
of the Lord,
why worry about what "they say"?