by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1997)<\/p>\n
(The following is from a notebook of my father when he was a student at David Lipscomb College, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1927. He was 18 years old at the time.)<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe finest thing that a man can give to this old world as he journeys through,
\nIs to live each day as he ought to live, and do the things that he ought to do.\nIt matters not when the race is run, if he won or lost in the strife for gold,
\nFor he then is judged by the good he’s done, and not by the wealth that he may hold.\nIt’s the friendly acts and the word of cheer, and the little lift along the way,
\nTo our fellow man while we linger here, that really counts in the last Great Day.\nIt’s the cheery voice for the hearts that are weak, and the pleasant smile and the glad “Hello,”
\nAnd the helpful words that we daily speak, that the world will mention when we go.\nSo the finest thing and the best estate, that a man can own when he nears the end,
\nIs not his fame or his riches great, but the very fact that he’s been a friend.\nA friend to man in his hour of need, a friend to his neighbor in his woe,
\nA man like this is a man indeed, and his name will live though his soul may go.\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1997) (The following is from a notebook of my father when he was a student at David Lipscomb College, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1927. He was 18 years old at the time.) The finest thing that a man can give to this old world as he journeys through, Is to live each…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[41],"class_list":["post-68460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-life"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":29617,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/christians-regardless\/","url_meta":{"origin":68460,"position":0},"title":"Christians Regardless","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Christians ought to see themselves as living out the story of Jesus. Since He suffered, we should be willing to suffer. As He gave Himself for others, we ought to be willing to give ourselves for others. As He submitted, so ought we to submit. As He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92990,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/its-a-new-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":68460,"position":1},"title":"It’s a New Day","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer One sobering thought is that children are coming into this world now who will live to see the 22nd century, assuming the Lord does not come first. I had grandparents who were born in the 19th century, and this connects back even further. Not only does time\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21865,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-if-a-man-dies-shall-he-live-again-a-question-or-a-statement\/","url_meta":{"origin":68460,"position":2},"title":"Is “If a man dies, shall he live again” a question or a statement?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: \"If a man dies, shall he live again ...\" Is that a question or a statement? Thanks. Answer: \"For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25918,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-love-a-non-christian\/","url_meta":{"origin":68460,"position":3},"title":"Is it wrong to love a non-Christian?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 8, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am 20 years old, and I have a boyfriend. We both really love each other. Although he is not a Christian, I can't leave him. Is it wrong to love a non-Christian? We both sometimes end up having dry sex. He says it's not a sin because we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28030,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-your-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":68460,"position":4},"title":"What Is Your Life?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Fanning Yater Tant (1908-1997), 1955 \"The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away\" (Psalm 90:10). \"What is your life? For ye are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/douglas-firs-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":90275,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/heartfelt-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":68460,"position":5},"title":"Heartfelt Religion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by A. Adams Scripture can put you on the spot when it makes it obvious that your beliefs, actions, or choices are wrong. The simple solution to such conflict is to change and only believe what comes by \"hearing...the word\" (Romans 10:17); or, said another way, stop doing what you've\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68460\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}