Negotiation Skills The art of negotiating is something you learn at an early age. You’d be amazed how many teenagers get their first car by asking for a motorcycle. Strategy for Interpersonal Convincing Never try to prove to the other person that you are right. It is human nature to object to anyone who insists…
Author: Alan Holden
Perfection
A Perfectionist A perfectionist is someone who take infinite pains—and give them to others. Punctual People People who are too punctual lead lonely lives. –Gerald Rothstein The Perfect Husband While vacationing recently in Palm Desert, California, I heard Pastor Dean Miller share this story about perfection: It seems the pastor was saying to the people…
Peace
Peace, Peace A true story: A retired coupled was alarmed by the threat of nuclear war so they undertook a serious study of all the inhabited placed on the globe. Their goal was to determine where in the world would be the place to be least likely affected by nuclear war. A place of ultimate…
Patriotism
Long and Steady I venture to say that patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. A One-sided View In the annuls of sheep, the wolves are always defeated and disgraced. Dedication to Country Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept…
Patience
Coping with Irritation A pearl is a garment of patience that enclosed an annoyance. Let’s Help Each Other A man’s car stalled in the heavy traffic as the light turned green. All his efforts to start the engine failed, and a chorus of honking behind him made matters worse. He finally got out of his…
Parents
Ten Good Things Parenting—Ten Things for Which You as a Parent Will Never Be Sorry Turtle Parenting Good parents are like turtles—hard on the outside and soft on the inside. <<Back<<
Optimism
When in Doubt, Stall The sorcerer had fallen out of favor of the court, and the king sentenced him to death. On the day of the planned execution, the sorcerer told the king that if he would allow him to live for one year, the king could become famous around the world—because the sorcerer would…
Opportunity
The Long Ride A fellow comes up to a cab driver in New York and says, “Take me to London.” The cab driver tells him there is no possible way for him to drive the cab across the Atlantic. The customer insists there is. “You’ll drive me down to the pier and we’ll put the…
Nature
Spring Defined Spring is God thinking in gold, laughing in blue, and speaking in green. Autumn I like autumn best of all, because its leaves are a little yellow, its tone mellower, its colors richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, not of…
Motivation
Unspoiled Motivation My wife, Avis, taught a second-grade Sunday school class that was emphasizing the memorization of Scripture. One little seven-year-old, Christian, was beginning to get into the program and was working on his memory work at home. His dad was inquiring into the whole procedure and asked Christian, “Well, what do you get if…