J. Grant Howard Quotes

Just as we can play beautiful music only when the strings on the violin are in proper tension, so we can grow only when we are stretched from what we are to what we can be. There is no growth without tension.

Loving ourselves is not some frothy sentiment. Nor is it an egotistical self-centerdness. It is obedience, obedience to the commandments of God that have to do with self.

It is our responsibility to discover our talents, to accept them as from God, to develop them through education and training, and to use them for His glory.

Our differences will also show up from time to time, underscoring the uniqueness of our personal endowments, the variety of our experiences, and the creativity of our sovereign God.

Find out what faith is and how you can put it into practice.
Learn how to pray, and do it.
Discover what pride is, and get rid of it.
Develop a self-concept that is adequate and accurate.
Clarify your values.
Identify your talents.
Probe the fact, meaning, and use of your sexuality.
Face the fact that you engage in self-deception.
Reflect on truth that you are made in the image of God.
Use your spiritual gift.
Clear your conscience.
Feel deeply.
Enjoy life.
Face death.
Treat your body right.
Conquer the flesh.
Depend on the Holy Spirit.
Be humble.

It is important that you know who you are, where you stand, where you came from, what you have, what you can do, and who is with you.

Growth ought to simplify life. Right? Wrong. The more truth I assimilate, the more I am aware of what I should be and do. You know what this produces? Tension. God-imposed tension! The growing, obedient Christian will always live with this kind of pressure.

All the words that appear in the inner circle are attributes of God. To develop a relationship with Him we must know the implications of each for our lives. We need truth. His Word contains it. We need the ability to understand the truth. His Spirit will teach us. We need strength to cope with inner turmoil. His is omnipotent. We need a model to follow. Christ is God in human form. We need standards. He is righteous. We need acceptance. He is love. We need to know who is in charge. He is.

I feel compelled to clarify, simplify, and personalize truth.

Our part in life may seem small, but it should bulk large in our thought when we remember that it is helping to complete the plan of the Divine Architect.

We may get so fixed on one area that we neglect everything else. Life becomes like a tire with a bald spot that is ballooning and ready to blow out. That makes the going rough. For everybody. Long before the blow out.

Too much of a good thing can be bad. After all, you can drown even in clear, clean, pure water.

Yes, yes, yes we say,
without a thought for the day.
Running and fretting to make ends meet
rushing from Susie to Joe and to Pete.
Our lives, in upheaval, have turned to a tizzy,
never completing, because we're too busy.
All we must do for a tranquil soul
is employ a word, just one, called NO.

The world is a treadmill, and we are being pulled backward on it if we aren't consciously walking forward.