This coming Monday we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. day. What an amazing man he was and what strength of character he had. I love that he didn’t let others dictate his own behavior. He decided what his values were and he decided the kind of man he wanted to be and then he lived that way. He never allowed other people’s actions to change his values or change his character. When people wronged him he loved them anyway. When people mistreated him he showed them respect. He showed love when others gave hate. He understood that you can disapprove of a person’s behavior without hating the person. He understood that you don’t change anything by hating or mistreating others. He understood that you change things by living with integrity and by loving others. What a great example he set for all of us.

Next week is the inauguration of the new President of the United States. Some are happy about that and some are upset about it, but regardless of how anyone may feel about it I truly hope that everyone will choose to respect the life and example set by Martin Luther King, Jr. and decide to treat each other with love and respect and kindness.

A few of my favorite quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. are:

“Darkness can’t drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate can’t drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

“We must and maintain capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

 “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’”

Good man….good example….

I hope everyone has a marvelous holiday weekend this weekend! Isn’t it fabulous to have another holiday off again so soon after New Year’s? This week has been a crazy one so I am very happy we have a long weekend ahead because maybe, just maybe, I can use it to catch up a teeny weeny bit before I blog again next Monday night (no blog Sunday night because of the holiday).  Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

~Amy Rees Anderson