Our attitude
Letting go, yesterday’s past
Enjoying each daily quest
Freshly written page to last
Our individuality
Allowing self to shine through
Hanging on to every strength
Life now ready to renew
Our character
Practicing Lord’s “Golden Rule”
Sharing kindness with others
Day’s always shining jewel
Our relationships
Searching every precious heart
Reflecting love through actions
Another day’s blessed start
New beginning
Pioneering novel ways
Tasting delicious goodness
Tomorrow ready to blaze
We are raising our standard of living at the expense of our standard of character.
A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.
Ida Tarbell (1857-1944) was an American writer and investigative journalist. She was one of the leading muckrakers during the progressive era during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Guiding principle
Building lasting foundation—
Honesty always
Righteous citizens
Preserving lasting good name—
Sharing goodwill
Each generation
Integrity’s highest road
Inheriting trust
Everything we do, then, as teachers, has moral overtones.
It still amazes me that we insist on teaching algebra to all students when only about 20 percent will ever us it and fail to teach anything about parenting when the vast majority of our students will become parents.
Nel Noddings (1929-2022) was an American educator and philosopher. Her teaching career included 17 years as an elementary and high school teacher along with serving in administrative positions. Before retiring in 1998, her career moved into teaching and administrative positions at Stanford, Columbia, and Colgate universities.
The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood.
Our children must never lose their zeal for building a better world.
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, and civil rights activist. A daughter of former slaves, she made a significant impact in the lives of many.
Witnessing
New day
On eagle’s wings
Soaring to Father’s refuge
Grace
Substituting
Bitter tongue
Walking with Jesus
Righteousness fills each word
Kindness
Receiving
God’s mercy
Filling our spirit
Overflowing with His goodness
Forgiveness
This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
Permanent header
Each social media page—
“Please respect others!”
Stacking up higher
One lie follows another—
Is anyone counting?
Stepping with courage
Into challenges light, but—
Shard of darkness breathes
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
From Romans 5:3-5: “And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
If you would test the character of anything, you only need to enquire whether that that thing leads you to God or away from God.
From James 1:2-4: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.”
Watchman Nee (1903-1972) was a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher. He authored a collection of Christian books, and he endured persecution for his beliefs. Ultimately, he died while being imprisoned for the final twenty years of his life.
Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.
Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk.
Margaret Chase Smith (1897-1995) served in the United States House of Representatives (1940-1949) and the United States Senate (1949-1973). She was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress. In her 1950 speech, “Declaration of Conscience,” she challenged and condemned the tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist witch hunt.
Big Sky Buckeye 