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Mind, Character, and Personality Volume 2
the habit of mingling with the vicious lads of the town, thus obtaining
a street education
To live in the country would be very beneficial to them; an ac-
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tive, out-of-door life would develop health of both mind and body.
They should have a garden to cultivate, where they might find both
amusement and useful employment. The training of plants and flowers
tends to the improvement of taste and judgment, while an acquaintance
with God’s useful and beautiful creations has a refining and ennobling
influence upon the mind, referring it to the Maker and Master of all.—
Testimonies for the Church 4:136
(1876).
Seeking “Our Rights.”—Those we love may speak or act un-
guardedly, which may wound us deeply. It was not their intention
to do this; but Satan magnifies their words and acts before the mind,
and thus hurls a dart from his quiver to pierce us. We brace ourselves
to resist the one whom we think has injured us, and by so doing we
encourage Satan’s temptations.
Instead of praying to God for strength to resist Satan, we suffer our
happiness to be marred by trying to stand for what we term “our rights.”
Thus we allow Satan a double advantage. We act out our aggrieved
feelings, and Satan uses us as his agents to wound and distress those
who did not intend to injure us.
The requirements of the husband may sometimes seem unreason-
able to the wife, when if she should calmly, candidly take the second
view of the matter, in as favorable a light for him as possible, she
would see that to yield her own way and submit to his judgment,
even if it conflicted with her feelings, would save them both from
unhappiness and would give them great victory over the temptations
of Satan.—
Testimonies for the Church 1:308, 309
(1862).
God Removes Hindrances to Happiness—God seeks our real
happiness. If anything lies in the way of this, He sees it must first be
removed. He will thwart our purposes and disappoint our expectations
and bring us through disappointments and trials to reveal to us our-
selves as we are Sin is the cause of all our woes. If we would have
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true peace and happiness of mind, sin must be removed.—Lt 29, 1879.
(HC 81.)
Some Would Not Be Happy in Heaven—Could those whose
lives have been spent in rebellion against God be suddenly transported
to heaven and witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever