A true work of grace at work in the heart is evident to the person himself as well as it is to the people around him. To the one who has it, it brings conviction of sin, especially the defilement of his new nature and the sin of unbelief for which he would be damned, if it weren't for the mercy at God's hand by faith in Jesus Christ.

This scripture also did now most sweetly visit my soul; And him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.  Oh! the comfort that I had from this word, in no wise!  As who should say, By no means, for nothing whatever he hath done. 

What like the apprehension of free forgiveness (and that apprehension must come in through a sight of the greatness of sin, and of inability to do any thing towards satisfaction), to engage the heart of a rebel to love his prince, and to submit to his laws?

subdue it at all.° Then you saw the damsel sprinkle the room with water, after which it was pleasingly cleansed. This is to show you the way in which the gospel comes into the heart with its sweet and precious influences. You saw the damsel clear the dust from the room by sprinkling the floor with water. This shows how sin is vanquished and subdued and the soul made clean through faith and consequently fit for the King of glory to inhabit.

Remember that you are sinners as abominable as the Publican, wherefore do you, as you have him for your pattern, go to God, confess, in all simple, honest, and self- abasing, your numerous and abominable sins; and be sure that in the very next place you forget not to ask for pardon, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. And remember that none but God can help you against, nor keep you from, the damnation and misery that comes by sin.

Then I began to give place to the word which with power, did over and over make this joyful sound within my soul, 'Thou art my Love, thou art My Love, and nothing shall separate thee from My Love.  And with that my heart was filled full of comfort and hope, and now I could believe that my sins should be forgiven me;

For if God shall come to you indeed, and visit you with the forgiveness of sins, that visit removeth the guilt, but increaseth the sense of thy filth, and the sense of this that God hath forgiven a filthy sinner, will make thee both rejoice and tremble.

But verily that sudden rushing wind was, as if an angel had come upon me; but both it, and the salutation, I will leave until the day of judgment: only this I say, it commanded a great calm in my soul; it persuaded me there might be hope: it showed me, as I thought, what the sin unpardonable was, and that my soul had yet the blessed privilege to flee to Jesus Christ for mercy. 

People who blame others for their failures never overcome them. They simply move from problem to problem. To reach your potential, you must continually improve yourself, and you can't do that if you don't take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes.

And you will have greater credibility with your leader if you admit your shortcomings and refrain from making excuses.

Every time we make an excuse, we fail to learn from our mistakes.

Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly bigger man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error.