March 9

Yet nerve thy spirit to the Proof, and blanch not at thy chosen lot;
The timid good may stand aloof, the sage may frown—yet faint thou not;
Nor heed the shaft too surely cast, the foul and hissing bolt of scorn;
For with thy Side shall dwell, at last, the victory of endurance born.
—William C. Bryant.

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one.
—James Anthony Froude.

Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?
—Ezekiel 22.14.

Loving Father, search me, and if there be any evil ways in me, correct them, and lead me into the ways everlasting. I pray that I may not be deformed from selfishness, but with a lowly and expectant heart run with patience and triumph the race that is set before me. Amen.