Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Agnes Macphail
Do not rely compltely on any other human being, however dear. We meet all life's greatest tests alone.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Mary Ann Radmacher
Courage doesnt always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow'"
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Under the Overpass
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Sacrifice promotes believability" - Francis Chan
"We should be terrified if we have mastered the art of becoming convicted & doing nothing in response" - Francis Chan
Psalm 34:18 says "the Lord is close to the broken hearted"... I wonder if pretending you're not broken keeps God at a distance.
On youth groups coming to serve the homeless:
"Something critical is missing in places that care for the broken & needy, if the only people there are also broken & needy"
On preachers preaching nothing but Fire & Brimstone in shelters:
"Jesus did thunder warnings of suffering & condemnation, but primarily to those who were convinced they were healthy & in no need of Him. To the weak, diseased, hungry & sin-bound, He had another message. Come to me, all you who are weary & burdened..."
On the same issue:
"You will never scare anyone into Heaven".... I began to see the truth in that statement at the Denver Rescue mission. Telling someone who is suffering deeply that he's going to suffer more is probably a waste of breath. Its like warning someone who is already starving that they're about to get really hungry. But tell him of a restaurant that serves heaping meals to all who come no matter where they're from or what they look like, & he's more likely to listen.... weren't these well-intentioned speakers condeming the broken for being broken?"
"Jesus promises a life in which we increasinly have to stretch out our hands & be lead into places where we would rather not go" -Henri Nouwen
*Sam learned to see that all God's children are beggars at the foot of the cross, broken people in need of mending.
*A church is just a building if there's no one in it.
*Begging is hard - its something you expect hungry dogs to do - but not men & women made in God's image.
On children noticing the homeless while adults ignore:
"While kids might pretend people dont exist do, its the parents who pretend that unwanted people who do exist dont."
*A hungry man can be a fast learner. When you come to a table with nothing but need, you are grateful for things you might have pushed aside before. And when you kneel, hungry & broken at His table, you receive a grace from Him you might, at some other times, have comletely missed.
*Why do we kick drug users out of the church while quietly over looking those who are ignoring their own different but equally destructive sins? Why do we reject the loving, self-sacrificing, giving, encouraging, Jesus-pursuing drug addict but recruit the clean, self-interested, gossiping, loveless church goer?
*Why do we so often overlook obvious ways to show the love of God we so loudly proclaim?
On a man who the homeless called "The Jesus guy" because he brings pizza & conversation... he said he never once "preached" the message of Jesus:
"Isnt it amazing that when we live as we're called & do what we're commanded, the gospel still gets preached"
On a church that ignored Sam & Mike - but had a sermon that was very precise & scheduled:
"What says more about who you are in Christ - how loudly you say AMEN! in the service or how well you treat strangers in the foyer?"
"Heavenly expectation begins precisely at the moment when earthly expectation sinks down in weakness & despair"
*Again & again it seems that the culture we had returned to knew how to enjoy God's material blessings, but had forgotten - or didnt are to know - how to use those blessings to help others in Jesus' name.
On whether or not to give money/help the homeless (use for drugs/alchol):
*We're responsible to hellp others towards hope in Jesus' name... but we're not responsible for their choices.
"Sacrifice promotes believability" - Francis Chan
"We should be terrified if we have mastered the art of becoming convicted & doing nothing in response" - Francis Chan
Psalm 34:18 says "the Lord is close to the broken hearted"... I wonder if pretending you're not broken keeps God at a distance.
On youth groups coming to serve the homeless:
"Something critical is missing in places that care for the broken & needy, if the only people there are also broken & needy"
On preachers preaching nothing but Fire & Brimstone in shelters:
"Jesus did thunder warnings of suffering & condemnation, but primarily to those who were convinced they were healthy & in no need of Him. To the weak, diseased, hungry & sin-bound, He had another message. Come to me, all you who are weary & burdened..."
On the same issue:
"You will never scare anyone into Heaven".... I began to see the truth in that statement at the Denver Rescue mission. Telling someone who is suffering deeply that he's going to suffer more is probably a waste of breath. Its like warning someone who is already starving that they're about to get really hungry. But tell him of a restaurant that serves heaping meals to all who come no matter where they're from or what they look like, & he's more likely to listen.... weren't these well-intentioned speakers condeming the broken for being broken?"
"Jesus promises a life in which we increasinly have to stretch out our hands & be lead into places where we would rather not go" -Henri Nouwen
*Sam learned to see that all God's children are beggars at the foot of the cross, broken people in need of mending.
*A church is just a building if there's no one in it.
*Begging is hard - its something you expect hungry dogs to do - but not men & women made in God's image.
On children noticing the homeless while adults ignore:
"While kids might pretend people dont exist do, its the parents who pretend that unwanted people who do exist dont."
*A hungry man can be a fast learner. When you come to a table with nothing but need, you are grateful for things you might have pushed aside before. And when you kneel, hungry & broken at His table, you receive a grace from Him you might, at some other times, have comletely missed.
*Why do we kick drug users out of the church while quietly over looking those who are ignoring their own different but equally destructive sins? Why do we reject the loving, self-sacrificing, giving, encouraging, Jesus-pursuing drug addict but recruit the clean, self-interested, gossiping, loveless church goer?
*Why do we so often overlook obvious ways to show the love of God we so loudly proclaim?
On a man who the homeless called "The Jesus guy" because he brings pizza & conversation... he said he never once "preached" the message of Jesus:
"Isnt it amazing that when we live as we're called & do what we're commanded, the gospel still gets preached"
On a church that ignored Sam & Mike - but had a sermon that was very precise & scheduled:
"What says more about who you are in Christ - how loudly you say AMEN! in the service or how well you treat strangers in the foyer?"
"Heavenly expectation begins precisely at the moment when earthly expectation sinks down in weakness & despair"
*Again & again it seems that the culture we had returned to knew how to enjoy God's material blessings, but had forgotten - or didnt are to know - how to use those blessings to help others in Jesus' name.
On whether or not to give money/help the homeless (use for drugs/alchol):
*We're responsible to hellp others towards hope in Jesus' name... but we're not responsible for their choices.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Courtney Parsons
When people ask me why I run, I tell them, there's not really a reason, its just the adrenalin when you start, & the feeling when you cross that finish line, & know that you are a winner no matter what place you got.
Monday, November 22, 2010
T. Alan Armstrong
Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months & years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.
Dr. Goerge Sheehan
Its very hard to understand in the beginning that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Unknown
I think a photography class should be a requirement in all eduational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it.
Anso Coetzer
Decisions become easier when your will to please God outweighs your will to please the world.
Friday, October 8, 2010
George Sheehan
Success means having the courage, the determination, & the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
I believe...
...That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in awhile
and you must forgive them for that.
...that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
...that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
...that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
...that you can keep going long after you think you cant.
...that either you control your attitude or it controls you
...that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
...that sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesnt give me the right to be cruel.
...that it isnt always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
...that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesnt stop for your grief.
...that our background & circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
...that you shouldnt be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
...that two people can look at the exact same thing & see something totally different.
...that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who dont even know you.
...that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being
...that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon
...the happiest of people dont necessarily have the best of everything - they just make the most of everything they have.
and you must forgive them for that.
...that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
...that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
...that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
...that you can keep going long after you think you cant.
...that either you control your attitude or it controls you
...that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
...that sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesnt give me the right to be cruel.
...that it isnt always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
...that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesnt stop for your grief.
...that our background & circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
...that you shouldnt be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
...that two people can look at the exact same thing & see something totally different.
...that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who dont even know you.
...that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being
...that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon
...the happiest of people dont necessarily have the best of everything - they just make the most of everything they have.
Unknown
No sound in this world can be louder than silence & if someone cant understand your silence, he can never understand your words.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not & often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.
Conor Oberst
I've cried, & you think I'd be better for it, but the sadness just sleeps, & it stays in my spine the rest of my life.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted
*Interruptions only become positive when we consider the person or the circumstance interrupting to be more signficant than that which currently occupies our attention.
*If you find yourself balking at God's instructions in your life, it is an indication of the importance you place on God & His will.
*If you find yourself balking at God's instructions in your life, it is an indication of the importance you place on God & His will.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Bereaved Mother
Do not judge the bereaved mother. She comes in many forms.
She is breathing, but she is dying.
She may look young, but inside she has become ancient.
She smiles, but her heart sobs.
She walks, talks, she cooks, she cleans, she works.
She IS but she IS NOT, all at once.
She is here, but part of her is elsewhere for eternity.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
After River
*Sometimes she thought it would be a blessing to be like Gus, to never have read a novel in her life, to be unaware of what she was missing, to be ignorant of the possibilities. -Nettie (Page 184)
*Keeping secrets is a lonely business. The longer you hold them, the harder it is to let them go. -Natalie (Pg 267)
*Guilt is a stern taskmaster. It requires you to be on guard, always watch what you say. -Natalie
*Keeping secrets is a lonely business. The longer you hold them, the harder it is to let them go. -Natalie (Pg 267)
*Guilt is a stern taskmaster. It requires you to be on guard, always watch what you say. -Natalie
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Women of the Bible
*Victory is not overcoming sin, or the devil, or the world. True, lasting victory is only found when Jesus overcomes me.
*The failures of those we follow can easily become our own failures if we are not careful
*God holds Adam more accountable than Eve even though she was first to eat of the forbidden fruit. Failing to lead rightly is sin.
*Be careful what you say about the faults & mistakes of others - they may hae already been to the cross about them.
*Often, even our CORRECT criticisms of other people are motivated by an INCORRECT attitude of the heart.
*Israel was in deep trouble! They had nowhere to look except up. Often it is that way in our lives as well. As long as we can figure our way out of our problems, we dont look to God. I wonder how many times difficulties have come into our lives because the Lord has delivered us into the hands of trials to get us to the place where we will cry out to Him.
*The failures of those we follow can easily become our own failures if we are not careful
*God holds Adam more accountable than Eve even though she was first to eat of the forbidden fruit. Failing to lead rightly is sin.
*Be careful what you say about the faults & mistakes of others - they may hae already been to the cross about them.
*Often, even our CORRECT criticisms of other people are motivated by an INCORRECT attitude of the heart.
*Israel was in deep trouble! They had nowhere to look except up. Often it is that way in our lives as well. As long as we can figure our way out of our problems, we dont look to God. I wonder how many times difficulties have come into our lives because the Lord has delivered us into the hands of trials to get us to the place where we will cry out to Him.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The boy who came back from Heaven
Self-pit imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem & the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are & the larger the problem seems to grow. Awareness of others is a healthy antidote to this self-focus.
We're not the only ones with issues, & usually our own struggles are far from the worst we know about. There is never a moment in life when it's impossible to have a heart filled with gratitiude - no matter what happens.
We're not the only ones with issues, & usually our own struggles are far from the worst we know about. There is never a moment in life when it's impossible to have a heart filled with gratitiude - no matter what happens.
******
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the lat of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose's one's own way.
-Victor Frankl - survivor of a Nazi Prison camp
*******
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the lat of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose's one's own way.
-Victor Frankl - survivor of a Nazi Prison camp
*******
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Wedding Machine
It didnt hit her until recently that she has no linkage. No next generation. No mark on the world. Nothing to outlive her. -SIS
Friendship for Grown Ups
I've lived enough life to know that my best intentions are no match for the enemy's brilliant use of the weapons of deceit, moments of weakness & things hidden. -Lisa Whelchel
Eclipse
"Look after my heart.... I've left it with you" -Edward to Bella
"Until your heart stops beating Bella, I'll be here fighting" -Jacob to Bella (page 330)
"Until your heart stops beating Bella, I'll be here fighting" -Jacob to Bella (page 330)
Jacob M. Braude
Consider how hard it is to change yourself & you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ruth: Love, Loss & Legacy
***It is our wisdom to make the best of that which is, for it is seldom that changing our place is mending it. -Matthew Henry
***God's ways are not always the most practical, popular, or unopposed, but they are the most blessed.
***How sad it is when people only HEAR about God's blessing, but never experience it, because they are not in the place where God can bless them. -Warren Wiersbe
***Obedience to God is often wrought with a slew of obstacles that persuade us to change our minds.
***Lack of honest communication has to be one of the ultimate destroyers of relationships, while learning the
quality of gracious but bold speech can be a balm in bitter & complicated situations.
***When God is at work, bitter hopelessness can be the beginning of some surprising good -Hubbard
***May the gospel's truth silence every accusing voice & erase every guilty thought.
***Just as the hollow of winter mysteriously gives rise to the bounty of spring, so times of humbling & hardship prepare us for a wealth of blessing we would have otherwise been unable to handle.
***Its possible that God is more inclined to tend to our outbursts than our detached silence.
***This may be one of the most tragic ways for a Christian to spend her life: In the right place with all the right resources but without a willing heart. ........I so desperately do not want to get to the end of my life to find I've missed having an eternal impact because I made all of life's decisions based solely on what made sense for me & what was for my benefit - unwilling to yield myself to the Lord.
***All I know is that laying down our lives for others, for the sake of Jesus, is never wasted. No matter how quiet, how humble, how thankless, God is making a name for you - one that will last an eternity.
***God's ways are not always the most practical, popular, or unopposed, but they are the most blessed.
***How sad it is when people only HEAR about God's blessing, but never experience it, because they are not in the place where God can bless them. -Warren Wiersbe
***Obedience to God is often wrought with a slew of obstacles that persuade us to change our minds.
***Lack of honest communication has to be one of the ultimate destroyers of relationships, while learning the
quality of gracious but bold speech can be a balm in bitter & complicated situations.
***When God is at work, bitter hopelessness can be the beginning of some surprising good -Hubbard
***May the gospel's truth silence every accusing voice & erase every guilty thought.
***Just as the hollow of winter mysteriously gives rise to the bounty of spring, so times of humbling & hardship prepare us for a wealth of blessing we would have otherwise been unable to handle.
***Its possible that God is more inclined to tend to our outbursts than our detached silence.
***This may be one of the most tragic ways for a Christian to spend her life: In the right place with all the right resources but without a willing heart. ........I so desperately do not want to get to the end of my life to find I've missed having an eternal impact because I made all of life's decisions based solely on what made sense for me & what was for my benefit - unwilling to yield myself to the Lord.
***All I know is that laying down our lives for others, for the sake of Jesus, is never wasted. No matter how quiet, how humble, how thankless, God is making a name for you - one that will last an eternity.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Shades of Morning
- Sin was sin - no matter how acceptable in the world...
- "Sin was sin for a reason. Sin would tear you apart, leave you bleeding, snatch your future & drain away the life. It would make you alone when you could have had a family at your side." -Taylor
- She'd hung on to her regrets instead of her joys....
CS Lewis
When I was 10, I read fairy tales in secret & would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am 50, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things - including the fear of childishness & the desire to be very grown up.
G.K. Chesterton
Fairy Tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist! Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Michael Pritchard
You dont stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Roy Hession
Be careful what you say about the faults & mistakes of others.... they may have already been to the cross about them.
Blaise Pascal
In faith, there is enough light for those who want to believe & enough shadows to blind those who dont.
Monday, April 26, 2010
General George S. Patton
Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon & night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.
Monday, April 5, 2010
"An Absense so Great"
- How could I ever prepare for an absence the size of you?
- Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great. -Comte De Bussy-Rabutin
- How little it takes to appease us when we trust those around us to keep us safe.
- Suzanne was bound by the desire all have when faced with grave emptiness; the yearning to keep the old routines, hoping they might wash away despair. And yet, they couldnt because something - everything - had changed.
- I remember that the pastor has said the word "Talent" came from a Roman coin & was a currency. If I could just learn how to spend it wisely.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Michael Pastore
It is better to follow the voice inside & be at war with the whole world then to follow the ways of the world & be at war with your deepest self.
Haddon Robinson
A young musicians concert was poorly received by the critics. The famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius consoled him by patting him on the shoulder & saying "Remember son, there is no city in the world where they have a statue to a critic"
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Travelers Gift
*In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question, "Why me?", I will immediately counter with the answer, "Why not me?". Challenges are gifts, opportunities to learn" - Harry Truman
*Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept this preparation. Why me? Why not me? I will be prepared for something great. -H. Truman
*Jehovah moves mountains to create the opportunity of His choosing. It is up to you to be ready to move yourself" -King Solomon
"...we are always & forever influenced by those with whom we associate"
"Guard your associations carefully. Anytime you tolerate mediocrity in your choice of companions, you become more comfortable with mediocrity in your own life. If a lazy man isnt an irritation to you, it is a sign that you have accepted slothfulness as a way of life" -King Solomon
"My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today"
"When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting on God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting on me!!!"
"Failure exists only for the person who quits. I DO NOT QUIT"
"Poor is the man whose future depends on the opinion & permission of others. Remember this, if you are afraid of criticism, you will die doing nothing!" -Christopher Columbus
"Success requires the emotional balance of a committed heart. When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape" -C Columbus
"Our very lives are fashioned by choice. First, we make choices... then our choices make us" -Anne Frank
"My smile is the most potent weapon I possess. It has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, & calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return"
"A person who is depressed is spending too much time thinking about the way things are now & not enough time thinking about how he wants things to be" -Gabriel
"Times of calamtiy & distress have always been producers of the greatest men. The hardest steel if produced from the hottest fire. The brightest star shreds the darkest night" -Gabriel
"For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. Every mistake, every miscalcuation, every stumble I made has been replayed again & again in my mind. Every broken promise, every day wasted, every goal not reached has compounded the disgust I feel for the lack of achievement in my life. My dismay has developed a paralyzing grip. When I disappoint myself, I respond with inaction & become more disappointed. I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears, & frustrations that have kept my past in the present. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun"
"I know the outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit. I will persist without exception. I will continue DESPITE exhaustion.
I acknowledge that most people quit when exhaustion sets in. I am not "most people". I am stronger than most people. Average people accept exhaustion as a matter of course. I DO NOT! Average people compare themselves with other people. That is why they are average. I compare myself to my potential. I am NOT average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory!"
Friday, January 1, 2010
CS Lewis
Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another "What? You too? I thought I was the only one!"
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