Speeches, we dread listening to boring ones; we are inspired by good ones; we even take action by persuasive ones. For those of you who fear standing before an audience, perhaps you should consider the importance of speeches in determining or at least depicting the course of history. Most of [...]
The Gospel of John, chapter 20 reveals how the disciples reacted to Jesus' resurrection. Not surprisingly, they were skeptical when the news began to trickle down to them. We read how they became witnesses to the most remarkable event in history. The First Eyewitnesses I believe John reveals how the [...]
Several writing classes I've taught required the students to compose an argument paper. I made them choose from a list of famous quotes and defend or deny one of them. I always introduced the project by lecturing on the difference between an assertion and an argument. Too many students don't [...]
Death is an inevitable fact of life. Some deaths seem more tragic than others and are often accompanied by unanswerable questions. I read in a detective novel where a young detective got a hostage accidentally killed in her attempt to resolve the situation. Her later questions beginning with “what if?” [...]
I am indebted to my friend Ron Deffenbaugh for sharing this information with me. Recently Ron taught some of us about Stephen Covey's 30 Methods of Influence (30 Methods of Influence By Stephen Covey (lifeisinlife1.blogspot.com). Because these ideas reflect some Aristotelian ideas, they fit in with my fourth week post [...]
Well, actually a lot can go wrong. Every day at work or even at home, unexpected mistakes, accidents, and slip-ups happen. Things that we don't plan for occur and things that should have gone right don't. People with resilience know how to adjust. People without resilience get angry at the [...]
It's quote week on Words Done Right LLC blog. My wife loves quotes. She keeps a book to record inspirational ones and displays them on her artwork (see her web address and email at the bottom of this page). Don't you love Taylor Swift's quote? Like this one, quotes are [...]
John's Gospel is the only one who tells us about this prayer. John's five-chapter discussion about the last supper and the journey to the garden where Jesus will be arrested comes to a conclusion with Jesus praying for the disciples who have followed him as well as the disciples who [...]
Mark Twain understood the importance of words. He said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” The nuances between some words makes this particularly significant. Understanding words facilitates meaning. Funny Words Think about the words for [...]
In John 16:1, Jesus said, “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.” A discussion about stumbling assumes the presence of obstacles. Jesus' concluding words of this chapter tie together his concern over obstacles by reminding the disciples that they will suffer in this world but that [...]
