Morning Briefings

We all have our respective paths to travel. Some of us will make it to our desired destination, whether the Promised Land, World Series, chairman of the board or parent. Some of us will come up short. But all of us have a part to play in God’s mysterious master plan and should, as Ernie Banks has taught us, make the most of our journey along the way.

– Gary Graf
And God Said, ‘Play Ball!’

Grads Work on Basics in Tough Job Market: This year’s graduates face an even tougher job market. Many big firms made their hires when the job market was better back in the fall, leaving slimmer pickings for students graduating into a weaker economy.

– Erin White
The Wall Street Journal, May 27, 2008

Texas singer seeks to understand a tragedy: ‘I think in many ways everybody is a survivor, it’s just a little bit more obvious in my case. Everybody has been knocked back, and for the most part, you know what people do? They keep going, and most people do it with grace and humor and goodwill and a spirit of generosity.’

– Naomi Koppel, AP, as reported on
Yahoo! News, May 23, 2008

People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them.

– Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist

The course of American history demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles and the great intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles. In our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideals and aspirations.

– from the address of Pope Benedict XVI on the White House Lawn, April 16, 2008 as reported by
Whispers in the Loggia

Bad News U: Colleges Reject Record Numbers. The college-admissions season set records this year–both in the number of students who applied, as well as the number of students who were rejected.

– Anjali Athavaley
The Wall Street Journal