Category: Wisdom (Page 1 of 13)

Robert J. Samson was born into the inner city but was later blessed to grow up in the small towns of the American Midwest. These were places where faith, hard work, and community shaped everyday life—those early years—surrounded by family stories, local history, and the quiet influence of rural values, which instilled in him a lifelong appreciation for heritage and the lessons it carries. The simplicity of that upbringing became the foundation for a career defined by curiosity, responsibility, and a desire to understand how people and ideas shape the world.

His professional life took him far beyond those early roots. Over several decades in business and technology leadership, he traveled extensively across the United States and internationally. Those travels exposed him to historic sites, cultural landmarks, and places where the past still speaks through architecture, landscapes, and preserved traditions. Whether walking the streets of colonial towns, visiting European cathedrals, the Great Wall, or standing in places where pivotal events unfolded, he developed a deep respect for the way history informs identity and purpose.

That blend of experience—humble beginnings, a global career, and a persistent interest in history—naturally led to teaching and writing. Lostpine.com grew out of his desire to make faith practical, history understandable, and wisdom accessible. Since 2001, the site has offered devotionals, educational materials, and leadership resources shaped by Scripture, historical insight, and a commitment to personal growth. His writing emphasizes clarity, relevance, and legacy, helping readers connect timeless truths to everyday life.

He is also the author of 27 Grievances Explained, a modern guide to the Declaration of Independence’s list of complaints against King George III. Drawing on years of historical study and civic engagement, he presents each grievance with clear explanations, contextual background, and practical meaning for today’s citizens. The project includes a full curriculum and teaching resources available through Lostpine.com, reflecting his belief that civic literacy is essential to preserving the principles that shaped the nation.

Across all his work—devotionals, historical studies, curriculum development, and community involvement—he encourages readers to think deeply, live purposefully, and leave a legacy rooted in faith, character, and understanding.

Personal Quotes by Robert J. Samson

All quotes below are original writings by Robert J. Samson and published on Lostpine.com.

“Wisdom grows when Scripture is not only read, but allowed to rearrange the way we live.”

— Robert J. Samson, Lostpine.com

“History is the long record of God’s patience with humanity — and His persistence in calling us back to truth.”

— Robert J. Samson, Lostpine.com

“Teach a child history, and you teach them to recognize the fingerprints of their Creator on every page of time.”

— Robert J. Samson, Lostpine.com

“History carries the footprints of God — evidence that He has walked with us all along.”

— Robert J. Samson, Lostpine.com

“Christianity is the faith born from an empty tomb — a gospel that saves because death itself could not hold its Author.”

— Robert J. Samson, Lostpine.com

Martin Niemöller was a German theologian and Lutheran pastor, born on January 14, 1892, in Lippstadt, Germany. He is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime during the late 1930s. Initially a national conservative and supporter of Adolf Hitler, Niemöller later became one of the founders of the Confessing Church, which opposed the Nazification of German Protestant churches. For his resistance, Martin Niemöller was imprisoned in two concentration camps during his time of opposition to the Nazi regime:

• Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp: Niemöller was first imprisoned here from 1938 until 1941. Sachsenhausen was located near Oranienburg, north of Berlin.
• Dachau Concentration Camp: He was later transferred to Dachau, where he remained until his liberation by U.S. troops in April 1945. Dachau was located near Munich.

Harsh conditions marked his time in these camps, but he survived and later became a vocal advocate for peace and human rights. After the war, he expressed deep regret for not having done more to stop the advance of the Nazification of Germany.

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

And then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Pythagoras, born around 570 BCE in Samos, Ionia (Greece), was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and the founder of the Pythagorean Brotherhood. Although religious, his principles influenced the thought of Plato and Aristotle and contributed to the development of mathematics and Western rational philosophy. Early in his life. Pythagoras likely went to Egypt and Babylon as a young man. He later emigrated to southern Italy around 532 BCE and established his academy at Croton (now Crotone, Italy), which focused on political morality or public ethics. He is credited with the theory of the functional significance of numbers in the objective world and music. Pythagoras is also associated with the Pythagorean theorem for right triangles. Much of what we know about Pythagoras comes from later accounts, his influence on mathematics and philosophy remains significant.

“Educate the children and it won’t be necessary to punish the men.”

“We come from God. As the tree from the root and the stream from the spring; that’s why we should always be in contact with Him, as the trunk from the root. Because the stream dries up when it is separated from the spring and the tree dies when is uprooted.”

“It is better to be silent than to dispute with the Ignorant.”

“A fool is known by his speech, and a wise man by silence.”

“Evolution is the Law of Life. Number is the Law of the Universe. Unity is the Law of God.”

“Do not go to bed until you have gone over the day three times in your mind. What wrong did I do? What good did I accomplish? What did I forget to do?”

“The oldest, shortest words – ‘yes’ and ‘no’ – are those which require the most thought.”

“Truth is so great a perfection, that if God would render himself visible to men, he would choose light for his body and truth for his soul.”

“Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.”

“The soul of man is divided into three parts, intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and passion are possessed by other animals, but reason by man alone.”

“You should make great things, not promising great things.”

“You should help a man to take up a burden, but you should not help him put it back down.”

“As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.”

“I would have to say the probability of us dying seems extremely high.”

Freeman was born on June 1, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Chicago and Mississippi in a low-income home. After his grandmother’s death, he moved with his mother, who had separated from her alcoholic husband. Freeman discovered his love for acting after being forced to participate in a school drama competition. Despite his interest in flying, he joined the U.S. Air Force but later realized his passion lay in acting. His acting career took off with a part in the Broadway production of “Hello, Dolly!” and gained national exposure on “The Electric Company.” After initially struggling, he eventually landed significant roles, earning critical acclaim and awards.

Morgan Freeman’s personal challenges, including a near-fatal car accident and the tragic murder of his step-granddaughter. He has received numerous accolades for his work and contributions to the arts, including a National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama.

“Challenge yourself. It is the only path that leads to success.”

“When you’re dead, you don’t know you’re dead. The pain is felt by others. The same thing happens when you’re stupid.”

“The highest power is the human mind. That’s where God came from. And my belief in God is my belief in myself.”

“As long as you feel like a victim, you are one.”

“If you want to see a miracle, be the miracle.”

“Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear.”

“The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit.”

Kay Lee Arthur was born November 11, 1933, in Michigan and is an American Christian author, Bible teacher, and co-founder of Precept Ministries International. She has won the ECPA Christian Book Award four times. Arthur graduated from nursing school in 1955 when she was 21 years old and married her first husband but was divorced in 1961. She became newly committed to Christianity in 1963.

Arthur moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to attend Tennessee Temple University, where she earned a Nursing diploma. There, she met Jack Arthur who had graduated from TTU with a Graduate in Theology in 1956. The couple married in 1965 and served as missionaries in Mexico. After returning to Chattanooga, Arthur began teaching teenagers about the Bible in the couple’s living room while Jack took over as manager of a local Christian radio station.

Arthur has hosted a daily radio, television, and online Bible study teaching program called Precepts for Life. She won the Gold Medallion Book Awards for her books A Marriage Without Regrets, The New Inductive Study Bible, His Imprint My Expression, and Lord, I Need Grace to Make It Today. Kay has three sons, two from her first marriage, one from her second, and nine grandchildren. Arthur’s husband, Jack, died from Alzheimer’s disease in Chattanooga, on January 9, 2017, at age 90.

“Sin will take you farther than you ever expected to go; it will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay.”

“What is courage? It is the ability to be strong in trust, in conviction, in obedience. To be courageous is to step out in faith – to trust and obey, no matter what.”

“The problem is that so often we forget that we are in warfare and that Satan’s target is our mind.”
“Faith is not faith until it is tested!”

“Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship. And as we all know, a relationship requires a high commitment to communication.”

Paine was born in Thetford, England, in 1737, to a Quaker father and an Anglican mother. Thomas Paine was an influential 18th-century writer of essays and pamphlets. Among them were “The Age of Reason,” regarding the place of religion in society; “Rights of Man,” a piece defending the French Revolution; and “Common Sense,” which was published during the American Revolution. “Common Sense,” Paine’s most influential piece, brought his ideas to a vast audience, swaying the otherwise undecided public opinion to the view that independence from the British was a necessity.

Paine received little formal education but did learn to read, write and perform arithmetic. At the age of 13, he began working with his father as a stay maker (the thick rope stays used on sailing ships) in Thetford, a shipbuilding town. To compound his professional hardships, around 1760, Paine’s wife and child both died in childbirth, and his business, that of making stay ropes, went under. In the summer of 1772, Paine published “The Case of the Officers of Excise,” a 21-page article in defense of higher pay for excise officers. It was his first political work, and he spent that winter in London, handing out the 4,000 copies of the article to members of Parliament and other citizens. In the spring of 1774, Paine was fired from the excise office and began to see his outlook as bleak. Luckily, he soon met Benjamin Franklin, who advised him to move to America and provided him with letters of introduction to the soon-to-be-formed nation.

Paine moved back and forth between England and America during his lifetime. He lobbied for the colonies to see their freedom from England. Paine died alone on June 8, 1809. Only six mourners were present at his funeral — half of them formerly enslaved. You can read his full story by clicking HERE.

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not be trusted by anybody”

“The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.”

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.”

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.”

“Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

Thomas Sowell was born in North Carolina, on June 30, 1930. Sowell is an American economist, historian, social theorist, and senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is a National Humanities Medal recipient for the innovative scholarship which incorporated history, economics, and political science. Thomas Sowell grew up in Harlem, New York. Due to financial issues and deteriorated home conditions, he dropped out of Stuyvesant High School and served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. Upon returning to the United States, Sowell enrolled at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude in 1958. He earned a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University in 1959 and earned his doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago in 1968.

Sowell has served on the faculties of Cornell University, Amherst College, University of California, Los Angeles, and, currently, Stanford University. His libertarian-leaning philosophy made him particularly influential to the new conservative movement during the Reagan Era. Sowell is the author of more than 45 books.

”Many of the great disasters of our time have been committed by experts”

“It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.”

“I have never understood why it is ‘greed’ to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else’s money.”

“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.”

“The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”

“Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.”

“Some of the biggest cases of mistaken identity are among intellectuals who have trouble remembering that they are not God.”

“Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”

“Despite a voluminous and often fervent literature on “income distribution,” the cold fact is that most income is not distributed: It is earned.”

“Since this is an era when many people are concerned about ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice,’ what is your ‘fair share’ of what someone else has worked for?”

“Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric.”

“One of the consequences of such notions as ‘entitlements’ is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.”

“Rhetoric is no substitute for reality.”

 

Francis of Assisi (Italian: San Francesco d’Assisi; Latin: Sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis), born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182 – 3 October 1226), was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, philosopher, mystic and preacher. He founded the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity. Indulged by his parents, Francis lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. As a youth, Francesco became a devotee of troubadours and was fascinated with all things Transalpine. He was handsome, witty, gallant, and delighted in fine clothes. He spent money lavishly. Although many hagiographers remark about his bright clothing, rich friends, and love of pleasures, his displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life.

Around 1202, he joined a military expedition against Perugia and was taken as a prisoner at Collestrada, spending a year as a captive. An illness caused him to re-evaluate his life. It is possible that his spiritual conversion was a gradual process rooted in this experience. One morning in February 1208, Francis was hearing Mass in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, near which he had then built himself a hut. The Gospel of the day was the “Commissioning of the Twelve” from the Book of Matthew. The disciples are to go and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty. Having obtained a coarse woolen tunic, the dress then worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants, he tied it around him with a knotted rope and went forth at once exhorting the people of the country-side to penance, brotherly love, and peace. Francis’ preaching to ordinary people was unusual since he had no license to do so.

His example drew others to him. Within a year Francis had eleven followers. In 1209 he composed a simple rule for his followers (“friars”), the Regula primitiva or “Primitive Rule”, which came from verses in the Bible. The rule was “To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps”.  Francis set out to imitate Christ and literally carry out his work. This is important in understanding Francis’ character, his affinity for the Eucharist and respect for the priests who carried out the sacrament. He preached: “Your God is of your flesh, He lives in your nearest neighbor, in every man.”

Hands of a laborer, hands of a craftsman, hands of an artist

He and his followers celebrated and even venerated poverty, which was so central to his character that in his last written work, the Testament, he said that absolute personal and corporate poverty was the essential lifestyle for the members of his order. He believed that nature itself was the mirror of God. He called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters”, and even preached to the birds and supposedly persuaded a wolf in Gubbio to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the wolf. Saint Francis is the saint of wildlife.

“He who works with his hands is a laborer.  He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received – only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.”

“Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily. To lean upon Thy great strength, trustfully, restfully. To wait for the unfolding of Thy will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously.”

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

“Do all you can to preach the gospel and if necessary use words!”

“God requires that we assist the animals, when they need our help. Each being (human or creature) has the same right of protection.”

“Ask the beasts and they will teach you the beauty of this earth.”

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

“If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”

“The only thing ever achieved in life without effort is failure.”

“What do you have to fear? Nothing. Whom do you have to fear? No one. Why? Because whoever has joined forces with God obtains three great privileges: omnipotence without power, intoxication without wine, and life without death.”

“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission – to be of service to them whenever they require it.”

Dedicated to the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission

Joe Bastardi was born July 18, 1955, is a professional meteorologist and weather forecaster. He is a frequent guest on TV news shows. Bastardi is an outspoken denier of human-induced global warming who is at odds with the scientific consensus.

Bastardi was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He spent his childhood moving frequently, first to Texas in 1960, then to Somers Point, New Jersey in 1965. He enrolled at Penn State University, where he was a member of the varsity wrestling team. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology in 1978. In his free time, Bastardi enjoys bodybuilding, and has won the NABBA American Bodybuilding Championships.
Bastardi worked for AccuWeather from 1978 until February 2011. Afterwards, he joined WeatherBell Analytics LLC as Chief Forecaster in March 2011.

Bastardi prefers to make definitive, rather than probabilistic, predictions. He has been critical of National Weather Service forecasts.

“Ignorance of the past leads to arrogance of the future.”

“The weather [is] an opponent that never quits, and the best you really can get is a tie with it.”

Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, was born in Genoa in about 1451. When he was still a teenager, he got a job on a merchant ship. He remained at sea until 1470, when French privateers attacked his ship as it sailed north along the Portuguese coast. The boat sank, but the young Columbus floated to shore on a scrap of wood and made his way to Lisbon, where he studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation. He also began to hatch the plan that would change the world forever.

“By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. ”

“No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. ”

“Riches don’t make a man rich, they only make him busier.”

“I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvellous Presence. “