Illustrations Archives

• Illustration: Communication  (November 7, 2011)
  It has been reported that in 18th century New England there were strict rules about dating and courting. Couples had no privacy and would sit in a room approximately six feet apart with other family members in the room.
• Illustration: Giving, Stewardship  (November 7, 2011)
  What do you do with your money? Are you generous? Do you help family members who have no recourse? What's your response to the church's stewardship committee?
• Illustration: Value of Teamwork  (November 7, 2011)
  There's no I in team, not even a team of horses.
• Illustration: Christmas  (November 6, 2011)
  In a Garfield comic, we see Garfield looking at a December calendar. He says, "It's the holiday season. I just love this time of year. It makes me feel greedy all over."
• Illustration: Christmas  (November 5, 2011)
  Carolina County magazine once asked readers to send in stories of memorable Christmases. Revonda Starnes told one of the most memorable stories. Revonda was raised by her great-grandmother in severe poverty. She grew up being confused as to why Santa visited everyone else, but not her.
• Illustration: Future, Predictions  (November 1, 2011)
  Teachers of small children here it all...and sometimes their encouragement backfires, unless they have a sense of humor and can laugh off what can pop into children's minds.
• Illustration: Encouragement  (November 1, 2011)
  What can encouragement and affirmation do? If you want to see someone's work or attitude improve, read more here.
• Illustration: Humility  (October 24, 2011)
  At the state funeral of Ronald Reagan, the story was told of the time Reagan was in the hospital, recovering from the attempt on his life. An aide entering the room was alarmed to find him on hands and knees, wiping up some water he had spilled from the sink. "Mr. President!" exclaimed the aide, "We have people for this." Reagan simply replied that he didn't want the nurses getting into trouble because of water on the bathroom floor.
• Illustration: Conflict, Marriage  (October 24, 2011)
  Bob was telling his friend that he and his wife had a serious argument the night before. "But it ended," Bob said, "when she came crawling to me on her hands and knees."
• Illustration: Ego, Arrogance, Humility  (October 24, 2011)
  The famous actor Gregory Peck once was standing in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles restaurant. They had been waiting for some time; the diners seemed to be taking their time eating, and new tables weren't opening up very fast.
• Illustration: Truth, Lawyers  (October 17, 2011)
  Stanford Research Institute was studying the differences in vocational perceptions. They devised a short but succinct test. The first to be tested was an engineer. The researchers asked him: ?What does two plus two make?? The engineer simply said, ?In absolute terms: four.?
• Illustration: Valleys  (October 17, 2011)
  Besides the Bible's Valley of Megiddo, the most famous valley in literature is surely Alfred, Lord Tennyson's valley of death in his poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade," written to commemorate the suicidal charge by British forces in the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War (1854-1856): "Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them, volley'd and thunder'd."
• Illustration: Mothers and Sons  (October 10, 2011)
  Three mothers were sitting on a park bench talking about how much their sons love them. Sadie said, "You know the Chagall painting hanging in my living room? My son, Arnold, bought that for me for my 75th birthday. What a good boy he is and how much he loves his mother."
• Illustration: Prayer  (October 10, 2011)
  As a group of amateur climbers scaled part of the Matterhorn near Zermatt, Switzerland, a vicious gust of wind came along at a narrow ledge.
• Illustration: Challenges, Empathy  (October 4, 2011)
  A college professor met his new class on the first day of school. He stood before the studentsand gave a nice introduction to the class and about himself.
• Illustration: Marriage  (October 4, 2011)
  Forty-four percent of Americans ages 20 to 69 believe marriage is not necessary in order to have a committed, fulfilling, life-long relationship, reports a Zogby/AOL poll. Marriage Savers? president Mike McManus finds the number shocking. He says, ?People who are married live longer, they?re healthier, they?re happier; they?re wealthier. A man who?s single, for whatever reason, will live 10 years less than a married man; a woman, about four years less.?
• Illustration: Doubt  (September 26, 2011)
  A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense's closing statement, the lawyer, knowing his client probably would be convicted, resorted to a trick.
• Illustration: Availability  (September 26, 2011)
  A man applied for a job as a handyman. The prospective employer asked, "Can you do carpentry?" The man answered in the negative. "How about bricklaying?" Again the man answered, "No." The employer asked, "Well, what about electrical work?" The man said, "No, I don't know anything about that either."
• Illustration: Complaints  (September 19, 2011)
  An aspiring Yogi wanted to find a Guru. He went to an Ashram and his preceptor told him, "You can stay here but we have one important rule: all students observe a vow of silence. You will be allowed to speak in 12 years."
• Illustration: Sin  (September 19, 2011)
  In the devotional book My Heart -- Christ?s Home Through the Year, Rick Ezell wrote this: ?In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes: ?There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. But then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully.?"