“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~ Albert Schweitzer
“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.” ~ John Joseph Powell
“We shall never have friends if we expect to find them without fault.” ~ Thomas Fuller
“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.” ~ John Joseph Powell
“We shall never have friends if we expect to find them without fault.” ~ Thomas Fuller
Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8: 24, 25
When hospitality becomes an art it loses its very soul. Max Beerbohm
Hospitality should have no other nature than love. Henrietta Mears
Hospitality should have no other nature than love. Henrietta Mears
“The slower we go the more we see.” Wald Wassermann
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. Joseph Campbell
Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't. Rikki Rogers
Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't. Rikki Rogers
“Shame is a soul eating emotion.” Carl Gustav Jung
“Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimise the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.” Brené Brown
“Perfectionism sucks the air out of your uniqueness and leaves you empty, away from who you could become.” Darryl Stewart Wellness
“Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimise the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.” Brené Brown
“Perfectionism sucks the air out of your uniqueness and leaves you empty, away from who you could become.” Darryl Stewart Wellness
“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” Robert A. Heinlein
“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.
Elizabeth Gilbert
“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.
Elizabeth Gilbert
“Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.” Tom Stoppard
A word of appreciation, an act of kindness or the gift of love will open many doors.
“A very little key will open a very heavy door.” Charles Dickens
A word of appreciation, an act of kindness or the gift of love will open many doors.
“A very little key will open a very heavy door.” Charles Dickens
The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” Henri Nouwen
Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words. George Eliot
The only way to have a friend is to be one. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words. George Eliot
The only way to have a friend is to be one. Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Shame works like the zoom lens on a camera. When we are feeling shame, the camera is zoomed in tight and all we see is our flawed selves, alone and struggling. Brené Brown
“Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our children will do than what we know about parenting.” Brené Brown
“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together.” Brené Brown
“Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our children will do than what we know about parenting.” Brené Brown
“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together.” Brené Brown
“There is always another layer of awareness, understanding, and delight to be discovered through serendipitous events.” Hannelle Venucla
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” J K Rowling
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
"The power of love as a basis of a State has never been tried." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The power of love as a basis of a State has never been tried." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are as young or as old as your dreams." Walt Disney
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. " Oscar Wilde
“Those who make us believe that anything’s possible and fire our imagination over the long haul, are often the ones who have survived the bleakest of circumstances.” Paul Rogat Loeb
“They spent the first three years of school getting you to imagine stuff and then the rest of it marking you down if you did the same thing.” Margaret Atwood
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. " Oscar Wilde
“Those who make us believe that anything’s possible and fire our imagination over the long haul, are often the ones who have survived the bleakest of circumstances.” Paul Rogat Loeb
“They spent the first three years of school getting you to imagine stuff and then the rest of it marking you down if you did the same thing.” Margaret Atwood
“Patience is the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us.” Henri Nouwen
“The work that God does in us when we wait is usually more important than the thing for which we wait!” Erwin Lutzer
“There are three qualities that every individual must have to achieve success: a Monk’s patience, a Warrior’s courage, a Child’s imagination.” Shatad Vivek Sagar
“The work that God does in us when we wait is usually more important than the thing for which we wait!” Erwin Lutzer
“There are three qualities that every individual must have to achieve success: a Monk’s patience, a Warrior’s courage, a Child’s imagination.” Shatad Vivek Sagar
You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.” Roy Bennett
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.” Brene Brown
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.” Brene Brown
Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. Roald Dahl
“A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another day, another time ... so they miss out on this day.” Steve Maraboli
“Be present in the present. Walk with your eyes open. Appreciate things for what they are. Don't prejudice the moment.” Akirog Brost
“Be present in the present. Walk with your eyes open. Appreciate things for what they are. Don't prejudice the moment.” Akirog Brost
“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” CS Lewis
“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” David Richo
“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” David Richo
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23: 1-3
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23: 1-3
“It is a great loss that we awake to so many gifts on a given day, not only without opening them, but without knowing they are there for us to open. When each of us wakes, it should be with a splash-of-cold-water-in-the-face awareness that it has been given me another day to live. To me. To others that gift has been withheld. We should greet that day with an attitude of expectant reverence, as one kneeling to receive the sacrament of holy communion, for truly it is.” Ken Gire
Silence is a great healer.
The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Without great solitude no serious work is possible. Pablo Picasso
He who doesn't understand your silence, will probably not understand your words. Elbert Hubbard
The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Without great solitude no serious work is possible. Pablo Picasso
He who doesn't understand your silence, will probably not understand your words. Elbert Hubbard
I love those random memories that make me smile no matter what is going on in my life right now.
"Collect memories,not things". Winnie the Pooh
“Perfume is the most intense form of memory.” Jean Paul Gaultier
Sometimes you never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
"Collect memories,not things". Winnie the Pooh
“Perfume is the most intense form of memory.” Jean Paul Gaultier
Sometimes you never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up – James Belasco and Ralph Stayer
“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realise that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” Eckhart Tolle
“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realise that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” Eckhart Tolle
Hospitality is not to change people but to offer them a space where change can take place. Henri Nouwen
Hospitality is about connection, not perfection.
Hospitality should have no other nature but love. Henrietta Mears
Hospitality is about connection, not perfection.
Hospitality should have no other nature but love. Henrietta Mears
"Bold love is courageously setting aside our personal agenda to move humbly into the world of others with their well-being in view, willing to risk further pain in our souls, in order to be an aroma of life to some and an aroma of death to others." Dan Allender
“To be fully seen by somebody and be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” Elizabeth Gilbert
“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” David Richo
“To be fully seen by somebody and be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” Elizabeth Gilbert
“Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” David Richo
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.” Brene Brown
“Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.” Brene Brown
“Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.” Brene Brown
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love. Dorothy Nolte
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love. Dorothy Nolte
"I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found. Why do I keep ignoring the place of true love and persist in looking for it elsewhere? Why do I keep leaving home where I am called a child of God, the Beloved of my Father?" Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son
"The farther I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I am able to hear the voice that calls me the Beloved, and the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world.” Henri Nouwen
"I now see that the hands that forgive, console, heal, and offer a festive meal must become my own.” Henri Nouwen
"The farther I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I am able to hear the voice that calls me the Beloved, and the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world.” Henri Nouwen
"I now see that the hands that forgive, console, heal, and offer a festive meal must become my own.” Henri Nouwen
“People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation." Abraham Joshua Heschel
Life should not only be lived, but celebrated.
Life should not only be lived, but celebrated.
“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. Martin Luther King Jnr
“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“You couldn't relive your life, skipping the awful parts, without losing what made it worthwhile. You had to accept it as a whole--like the world, or the person you loved.” Stewart O'Nan
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” JK Rowling
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” JK Rowling
“Praise and worship is such a powerful device, it is able to dismantle every shackle and able to break down every wall.”
Euginia Herlihy
The ultimate goal of theology isn't knowledge, but worship. If our learning and knowledge of God do not lead to the joyful praise of God, we have failed. We learn only that we might laud, which is to say that theology without doxology is idolatry. The only theology worth studying is a theology that can be sung! Sam Storms
"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction." Harry Ironside
Euginia Herlihy
The ultimate goal of theology isn't knowledge, but worship. If our learning and knowledge of God do not lead to the joyful praise of God, we have failed. We learn only that we might laud, which is to say that theology without doxology is idolatry. The only theology worth studying is a theology that can be sung! Sam Storms
"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction." Harry Ironside
And that is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly…. God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God. C. S. Lewis
On the one hand [Mary] was just a girl, an immature and frightened girl who had the good sense to believe what an angel told her in what seemed like a dream. On the other hand, she was the mother of the Son of God, with faith enough to move mountains, to sing about the victories of her son as if he were already at the right hand of his father instead of a dollop of cells in her womb. … When we allow God to be born in us, there is no telling, no telling at all, what will come out. Barbara Brown Taylor
The Son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God. C. S. Lewis
On the one hand [Mary] was just a girl, an immature and frightened girl who had the good sense to believe what an angel told her in what seemed like a dream. On the other hand, she was the mother of the Son of God, with faith enough to move mountains, to sing about the victories of her son as if he were already at the right hand of his father instead of a dollop of cells in her womb. … When we allow God to be born in us, there is no telling, no telling at all, what will come out. Barbara Brown Taylor
We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction. Harry Ironside
Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, and praising God until we ourselves are an act of praise. Richard Rohr
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1)
Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, and praising God until we ourselves are an act of praise. Richard Rohr
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1)
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.” Brene Brown
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” John F Kennedy
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” John F Kennedy
"Grief and love are conjoined, you don't get one without the other." Jandy Nelson
“The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief – But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” Hilary Stanton Zunin
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief and unspeakable love.”
Washington Irving
“Grief is the price we pay for love.” Queen Elizabeth II
“The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief – But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.” Hilary Stanton Zunin
“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief and unspeakable love.”
Washington Irving
“Grief is the price we pay for love.” Queen Elizabeth II
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Kahlil Gibran
“The most precious thing I have to give is my time.” Silvia Hartmann
“Money is not the only commodity we have to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love. The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.” Steve Goodier
“The most precious thing I have to give is my time.” Silvia Hartmann
“Money is not the only commodity we have to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love. The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.” Steve Goodier
“The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it.” Henry David Thoreau
"I don’t so much fear death as I do wasting life." Oliver Sacks
“The best things are never arrived at in haste. God is in no hurry; His plans are never rushed.” Michael Phillips
"I don’t so much fear death as I do wasting life." Oliver Sacks
“The best things are never arrived at in haste. God is in no hurry; His plans are never rushed.” Michael Phillips
“Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” CS Lewis
“I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.” Jon Katz
“Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend's success.” Oscar Wilde
“I think if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.” Jon Katz
“Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend's success.” Oscar Wilde
"Sometimes the journey teaches you a lot about your destination." Drake
"Adversity is not a detour. It is part of the path. You will encounter obstacles. You will make mistakes. Be grateful for both. Your obstacles and mistakes will be your greatest teachers. And the only way to not make mistakes in this life is to do nothing, which is the biggest mistake of all." Richard Paul Evans
"Adversity is not a detour. It is part of the path. You will encounter obstacles. You will make mistakes. Be grateful for both. Your obstacles and mistakes will be your greatest teachers. And the only way to not make mistakes in this life is to do nothing, which is the biggest mistake of all." Richard Paul Evans
You cannot control the behaviour of others, but you can always choose how you respond to it.” Roy Bennett
“We are our choices.” Jean-Paul Sartre
“We are our choices.” Jean-Paul Sartre
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” Plutarch
"One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day." Albert Einstein
“The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.” Anatole France
"One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day." Albert Einstein
“The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.” Anatole France
Jesus delivered the good news in a rough, messy, hands-on package of donkeys and dusty roads, bleeding women and lepers, water from the well, and wine from the water. Holy work in the world has always been like this: messy, earthy, physical, touchable.” Catherine McNeil
True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.” Audrey Hepburn
To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent--that is to triumph over old age. Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young. Ben Franklin
To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent--that is to triumph over old age. Thomas Bailey Aldrich
Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young. Ben Franklin
"A good laugh heals a lot of hurts. " Madeleine L’Engle
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.” Charles Dickens
“My body needs laughter as much as it needs tears. Both are cleansers of stress. Mahogany SilverRain
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.” Charles Dickens
“My body needs laughter as much as it needs tears. Both are cleansers of stress. Mahogany SilverRain
"Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” Steve Maraboli
Those who judge will never understand and those who understand will never judge.
“Love is the only mirror we must use to judge ourselves and others.” Bodie Thoene
“People who judge others tell more about who they are, than who they judge.” Donald Hicks
“Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you are not having to fight.” Traci Lea LaRussa”
Those who judge will never understand and those who understand will never judge.
“Love is the only mirror we must use to judge ourselves and others.” Bodie Thoene
“People who judge others tell more about who they are, than who they judge.” Donald Hicks
“Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you are not having to fight.” Traci Lea LaRussa”
"The cost of a thing is the life required to be exchanged for it." Henry David Thoreau
"What if we stopped celebrating being as a measurement of importance? What if instead we celebrated how much time we spent listening, pondering, meditating and enjoying time with the most important people in our lives?" Greg McKeown
"Youth is a gift of nature, age is a work of art." Stanislaw Jercy Lee
"Age is the time of life when even your birthday suit needs pressing." Bob Hope
“To grow old is a blessing which many are denied."
"Age is the time of life when even your birthday suit needs pressing." Bob Hope
“To grow old is a blessing which many are denied."
Strangers are just friends, waiting to happen. Rod McKuen
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Matthew 25:35
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Matthew 25:35
Love cannot exist as long as it remains an object to be possessed. It is born only in letting go of all grasping. Belden Lane
Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we yet know how to ask. Ansel Adams
Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we yet know how to ask. Ansel Adams
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
There’s no season in all the year so beautiful, so radiant as autumn.
Unless the tree has borne blossom in spring, you look in vain for fruit on it in autumn. Sir Walter Scott
There’s no season in all the year so beautiful, so radiant as autumn.
Unless the tree has borne blossom in spring, you look in vain for fruit on it in autumn. Sir Walter Scott
The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7b
Our human relationships are mirrors of our relationship with God. Roberta Bondi
1 Samuel 16:7b
Our human relationships are mirrors of our relationship with God. Roberta Bondi
Acceptance
“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing.” Mark Danielewski
“Let go of certainty. The opposite isn't uncertainty. It's openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.” Tony Schwartz
“You couldn't relive your life, skipping the awful parts, without losing what made it worthwhile. You have to accept it as a whole.” Stewart O’Nan
“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing.” Mark Danielewski
“Let go of certainty. The opposite isn't uncertainty. It's openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.” Tony Schwartz
“You couldn't relive your life, skipping the awful parts, without losing what made it worthwhile. You have to accept it as a whole.” Stewart O’Nan
My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it. Clarence Kelland
A child will always follow their father’s example not his advice
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6: 4
The greatest gift a father can give his child is to believe in them.
A child will always follow their father’s example not his advice
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6: 4
The greatest gift a father can give his child is to believe in them.
The Art of Life
Making visible, what without you, might never have been seen. Robert Bresson
Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. Erich Fromm
Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world. Brene Brown
Making visible, what without you, might never have been seen. Robert Bresson
Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties. Erich Fromm
Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world. Brene Brown
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep." Romans 12:15
Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God,"
“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” Mercedes Lackey
"I can't take back the things I never did.” Jonathan Safran Foer
“My dad used to say that living with regrets was like driving a car that only moved in reverse.” Jodi Picoult
"If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones". Nadine Stair
"I can't take back the things I never did.” Jonathan Safran Foer
“My dad used to say that living with regrets was like driving a car that only moved in reverse.” Jodi Picoult
"If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones". Nadine Stair
Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand. Henry David Thoreau
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
Expect nothing. Appreciate everything.
Love without conditions, give without reason and care without expectations.
Avoid comparisons and expectations. Peace begins when expectations end. Sri Chinmoy
Trade your expectations for appreciation and the world changes instantly. Tony Robbins
When you release expectations you are free to enjoy things for what they are instead of what you think they should be.
Love without conditions, give without reason and care without expectations.
Avoid comparisons and expectations. Peace begins when expectations end. Sri Chinmoy
Trade your expectations for appreciation and the world changes instantly. Tony Robbins
When you release expectations you are free to enjoy things for what they are instead of what you think they should be.
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” C S Lewis
"The extent to which someone truly loves will be positively correlated to the degree the person is stunned and silenced by the wonder that his huge debt has been cancelled … If this is true, why do so many love so poorly? Part of the answer is that few are that silent or that grateful to God for the work of the cross.” Dan Allender, Bold Love
“Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 The Message
"If your only goal is love, there is no such thing as failure." Richard Rohr
"I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
"Most people presume the desire to love is a natural human sentiment, but love is actually the exception, the extraordinary, and the life-giving surprise." Dan Allender, Bold Love
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we love, we are open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others.” John Lennnon
"The extent to which someone truly loves will be positively correlated to the degree the person is stunned and silenced by the wonder that his huge debt has been cancelled … If this is true, why do so many love so poorly? Part of the answer is that few are that silent or that grateful to God for the work of the cross.” Dan Allender, Bold Love
“Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 The Message
"If your only goal is love, there is no such thing as failure." Richard Rohr
"I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
"Most people presume the desire to love is a natural human sentiment, but love is actually the exception, the extraordinary, and the life-giving surprise." Dan Allender, Bold Love
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we love, we are open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others.” John Lennnon
To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest cities is the madness of genius. Alexander Herzen
I will never forget experiencing Venice for the first time. It feels like you are transported to another time - the art, music, food and pure romance in the air is like no other place. Elizabeth Berkley
Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. Truman Capote
If I were not King of France, I would choose to be a citizen of Venice. King Henry III
I will never forget experiencing Venice for the first time. It feels like you are transported to another time - the art, music, food and pure romance in the air is like no other place. Elizabeth Berkley
Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. Truman Capote
If I were not King of France, I would choose to be a citizen of Venice. King Henry III
What you leave behind is not engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.
Pericles
Your legacy is what you inspire in others.
Pericles
Your legacy is what you inspire in others.
Our society sees ageing as decline, disability and loss, but ageing is a gift, a gift to be celebrated.
Unknown
There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
Sophia Loren
Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
Job 12:12
Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.
Betty Friedan 1921-2006
Two things never age – love and a childlike heart.
Glenyss Barnham
Unknown
There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
Sophia Loren
Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?
Job 12:12
Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.
Betty Friedan 1921-2006
Two things never age – love and a childlike heart.
Glenyss Barnham
Gratitude is the foundation of contentment.
Gratitude turns whatever we have into enough. Melody Beatie
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12 - 13
Comparison is the thief of joy – Theodore Roosevelt
Contentment is a state of the heart, unaffected by external circumstances – Crystal Paine
I long to live each day to the full - to squeeze from each moment every drop of joy, gladness, beauty, wonder, bewilderment, learning, even suffering if that is what the moment holds, but I can never live to the hilt without learning to be content with the now. Carol Mayhall
Gratitude turns whatever we have into enough. Melody Beatie
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12 - 13
Comparison is the thief of joy – Theodore Roosevelt
Contentment is a state of the heart, unaffected by external circumstances – Crystal Paine
I long to live each day to the full - to squeeze from each moment every drop of joy, gladness, beauty, wonder, bewilderment, learning, even suffering if that is what the moment holds, but I can never live to the hilt without learning to be content with the now. Carol Mayhall
In the end, Job learns his lesson; he learns that sometimes simply knowing that God is there is enough. Cameron Conant
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Romans 11:33
The Incarnation is in itself an unfathomable mystery, but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains.
JI Packer
When I look at Jesus’ warm and intimate friendships, my heart fills with praise that Jesus was…a man. A man of flesh-and-blood reality. His heart felt the sting of sympathy. His eyes glowed with tenderness. His arms embraced. His lips smiled. His hands touched. Jesus was male! Jesus invites us to relate to him as the Son of Man. And because he is fully man, we can relate to Jesus with affection and love. Joni Erikson Tada
It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. Charles Dickens
A scientist said, making a plea for exchange scholarships between nations, “The very best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in a person.” That was what happened at Christmas. The idea of divine love was wrapped up in a Person. Halford E Luccock
The Son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God. C. S. Lewis
JI Packer
When I look at Jesus’ warm and intimate friendships, my heart fills with praise that Jesus was…a man. A man of flesh-and-blood reality. His heart felt the sting of sympathy. His eyes glowed with tenderness. His arms embraced. His lips smiled. His hands touched. Jesus was male! Jesus invites us to relate to him as the Son of Man. And because he is fully man, we can relate to Jesus with affection and love. Joni Erikson Tada
It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself. Charles Dickens
A scientist said, making a plea for exchange scholarships between nations, “The very best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in a person.” That was what happened at Christmas. The idea of divine love was wrapped up in a Person. Halford E Luccock
The Son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God. C. S. Lewis
A little rain can straighten a flower stem, a little love can change a life. Max Lucardo
Rain is one thing British do better than anyone else. Marilyn French
God made rainy days so gardeners could get their housework done.
Raindrops are the perfect lullaby.
Rain is one thing British do better than anyone else. Marilyn French
God made rainy days so gardeners could get their housework done.
Raindrops are the perfect lullaby.
Give without expectation and receive with reckless abandon. Colleen Marlotti
Until we can receive with an open heart, we're never really giving with an open heart. Brene Brown
Gracious acceptance is an art - an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving.... Accepting another person's gift is allowing him to express his feelings for you. Alexander McCall Smith
It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. Mother Teresa
Until we can receive with an open heart, we're never really giving with an open heart. Brene Brown
Gracious acceptance is an art - an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving.... Accepting another person's gift is allowing him to express his feelings for you. Alexander McCall Smith
It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. Mother Teresa
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. Martin Luther
Let your conversation be always full of grace. Colossians 4:6
The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: 'grace.'
Max Lucado
I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott
Let your conversation be always full of grace. Colossians 4:6
The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: 'grace.'
Max Lucado
I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott
The important thing is not what part I play but that I play it to the best of my ability.
One of those moments when right out of the blue something, a word, a gesture, fits like a key into the clamp on your soul, unlocks it and throws it wide open, letting who we are come spilling out at last. Robert Dessaix Arabesques
But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. 1 Corinthians 12:9 The Message
One of those moments when right out of the blue something, a word, a gesture, fits like a key into the clamp on your soul, unlocks it and throws it wide open, letting who we are come spilling out at last. Robert Dessaix Arabesques
But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. 1 Corinthians 12:9 The Message
Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. Joyce Meyer
Patience is not passive waiting but an active acceptance of the process of growth.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7
I’ve learnt that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas lights. Maya Angelo
Waiting brings out the best and worst in people.
Patience is not passive waiting but an active acceptance of the process of growth.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7
I’ve learnt that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas lights. Maya Angelo
Waiting brings out the best and worst in people.
Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
A word of encouragement can change a life.
If you aren’t living on the very extremity then your life will never cause anyone to wonder – Dan Allender – To be Told
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
A word of encouragement can change a life.
If you aren’t living on the very extremity then your life will never cause anyone to wonder – Dan Allender – To be Told
Broken shells
We are all broken ... that's how the light gets in. Hemingway
I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect – they are much more interesting. Marc Jacobs
We are all broken ... that's how the light gets in. Hemingway
I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect – they are much more interesting. Marc Jacobs
A few of my favourite life quotes
Silence isn't empty, it's full of answers.
Make now the primary focus of your life. Eckhart Tolle
In the midst of affliction, we become either our truest or our most false self. Dan Allender - To be Told
A good but unexamined life will be high on duty and not likely to celebrate the odd paradoxes, the ironic coincidences and the humour of being dirt. Dan Allender - To be Told
As far as we know, Mary never prophesied, never preached a sermon or wrote a book ... never worked a miracle, never healed anyone who was sick and never cast out a demon. All she did was love the Saviour. It was the way she loved him that made all the difference. Ken Gire - Windows of the Soul
His whole life lay before him like the blank pages of a writer's journal. Ken Gire - Divine Embrace
Memories
Create memories that are worth remembering
Health-giving memories are precious gifts we give each other
Some memories are easy to relive. Others, even with the passage of time, when recalled again, throb like a re-injured wound. Ravi Zacharias
Create memories that are worth remembering
Health-giving memories are precious gifts we give each other
Some memories are easy to relive. Others, even with the passage of time, when recalled again, throb like a re-injured wound. Ravi Zacharias
Close Focus
Take time to discover beauty in simple things.
The poetry of earth is never dead. John Keats
A camera always looks both ways. My images are as much a documentation and interpretation of myself as of the subject matter I choose. Freeman Patterson
Take time to discover beauty in simple things.
The poetry of earth is never dead. John Keats
A camera always looks both ways. My images are as much a documentation and interpretation of myself as of the subject matter I choose. Freeman Patterson
Gratitude
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I chose gratitude. Nick Vujicic
I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude. Brene Brown
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NIV
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I chose gratitude. Nick Vujicic
I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude. Brene Brown
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NIV
Cinderella Story
Beauty is often found in the most unlikely places ... people and situations. Be open to looking beyond appearances.
"Don't judge a book by its cover" is a metaphorical phrase meaning that you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone.
Beauty is often found in the most unlikely places ... people and situations. Be open to looking beyond appearances.
"Don't judge a book by its cover" is a metaphorical phrase meaning that you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone.
Listening
Listening is often all someone needs - not advice, not your opinion or your wisdom, just a listening ear.
Wisdom is what you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk. Doug Lason
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what others have to say. Bryant McGill
Listening is often all someone needs - not advice, not your opinion or your wisdom, just a listening ear.
Wisdom is what you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk. Doug Lason
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what others have to say. Bryant McGill
Chocolate
Put "eat chocolate' at the top of your to-do-list today and at least you'll get one thing done.
A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.
Put "eat chocolate' at the top of your to-do-list today and at least you'll get one thing done.
A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.
Beauty
"If you truly love nature you will find beauty everywhere." Vincent van Gogh
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." Confucius
"The poetry of earth is never dead." John Keats
"If you truly love nature you will find beauty everywhere." Vincent van Gogh
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." Confucius
"The poetry of earth is never dead." John Keats
Vincent van Gough
"I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." Vincent van Gogh
"Vincent was a giant. Not a day passes that I do not look at his pictures. I always find something new, something different each day … I think again of the painter and I find him a colossus."
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger - Vincent's sister-in-law.
Of Vincent's childhood ...
"Theo remembered only that Vincent could invent such delightful games that once the children gave him a present of the most beautiful rosebush in their garden to show their gratitude."
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger.
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger - Vincent's sister-in-law.
Of Vincent's childhood ...
"Theo remembered only that Vincent could invent such delightful games that once the children gave him a present of the most beautiful rosebush in their garden to show their gratitude."
Johanna van Gogh-Bonger.