This collection of sayings focuses on many aspects of life, offering practical and philosophical ways of striving for a higher purpose and maintaining the ability to smile, even laugh occasionally, when appropriate. Scott has neatly arranged hundreds of adages and aphorisms into categories presented alphabetically, beginning with “Animals.” For example, Mark Twain said, “He who grabs a cat by the tail learns a lot about cats.” In contrast, “If you want the best seat in the house, move the cat,” is attributed to an unknown source. A great many of the sayings come from the religious organization, Our Daily Bread (ODB). In “Giving,” ODB offers the statement that “Sacrifice is the true measure of our giving.” Others spring from the writings of pastor Charles R. Swindoll: “You can’t trust Satan’s ceasefires,” and “You and I become what we think about.” All, from the intellectual to the humorous, may stir the imagination and remind one of lofty concepts.

Scott is a person of faith who devotes her time to family, church, and what she calls being “substitute grandmother to the less fortunate.” Her role as a helper began early in life, though it took time for her Christian convictions to fully develop. Her family-centered outlook is plain in her choice of Caleb F. Scott to provide drawings that, scattered through the text, provide a pleasant accompaniment to the wisdom and gentle prodding of the mostly one-line maxims. She has organized her assortment thoughtfully. Not surprisingly, many quotations are drawn from the Bible, but others come from less predictable sources: Ann Landers, Fred Allen, Lily Tomlin, Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, and Albert Einstein. Readers can use Scott’s book as a perennial source for inspiration and may wish to share it in workshops or similar settings where like-minded participants focus on spiritual guidance to face life’s many challenges.

Return to USR Home