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Vision Logo Circle
The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

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‘…Daniel distinguished himself…because an excellent spirit was in him…’ Daniel 6:3 NKJV
Daniel is remembered for three things: (1) Standing by divine principles even when it lands you in the lions’ den (2) Hearing God’s Word and recording it (3) Having an attitude that strives for excellence in all things. John Gardiner said, ‘The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity, will neither have good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.’ Horace Mann was one of America’s greatest educators. A lawyer, not a teacher, he entered politics in 1837 and became president of the Massachusetts State Senate. As a visionary he saw great possibilities for developing a public education system for the nation. His efforts resulted in Massachusetts creating the nation’s first Board of Education as ‘an experiment’. When the Board’s leadership position was offered to him, his friends, who believed his political career might culminate in the US Presidency, urged him to decline. But Mann took the job. He told his disappointed friends, ‘If the title is not sufficiently honourable, then clearly it is left to me to elevate it!’ Not only did the job have little prestige, the $1,500 annual salary was only a fraction of what he’d have earned as a lawyer. Concerning this he said, ‘Only this is certain; if I live and have good health, I’ll do more than $1,500 worth of good.’ He did. From his position, he gave Massachusetts a public school system that other states adopted, enriching the lives of millions of children for years to come. So, strive for excellence!

SoulFood: Acts 14-15, Luke 8:1-15, Ps 133, Pr 16:2

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