| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: replied, still working his short arms. At length he started off on
the run. So quick and small were his steps that he seemed to be
kicking the ground only. Then the leap! But Patkasa tripped upon
a stick and fell hard against the side of the deer.
"He-he-he!" exclaimed Iktomi, pretending disappointment that
his friend had fallen.
Lifting him to his feet, he said: "Now it is my turn to try
the high jump!" Hardly was the last word spoken than Iktomi gave
a leap high above the deer.
"The game is mine!" laughed he, patting the sullen Patkasa on
the back. "My friend, watch the deer while I go to bring my
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: hardly know what to say. The way for a young man to rise is to
improve himself every way he can, never suspecting that anybody
wishes to hinder him. Allow me to assure you that suspicion and
jealousy never did help any man in any situation. There may
sometimes be ungenerous attempts to keep a young man down; and
they will succeed, too, if he allows his mind to be diverted from
its true channel to brood over the attempted injury. Cast about
and see if this feeling has not injured every person you have
ever known to fall into it."
He was about forty years old when he wrote this letter. By some
people that is not considered a very great age; but he doubtless
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from An Open Letter on Translating by Dr. Martin Luther: faith alone makes one righteous. There was Ambrose, Augustine and
many others who said it before me. And if one is to read and
understand St. Paul, the same thing must be said and not anything
else. His words, as well, are blunt - "no works" - none at all!
If it is not works, it must be faith alone. Oh what a marvelous,
constructive and inoffensive teaching that would be, to be taught
that one can be saved by works as well as by faith. That would be
like saying that it is not Christ's death alone that takes away
our sin but that our works have something to do with it. Now that
would be a fine way of honoring Christ's death, saying that it is
helped by our works, and that whatever it does our works can also
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