"OUR FIRST INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES"
LATE


EVERYONE NEEDS SOME INSPIRATION IN THEIR LIFE.

"To err is human, to forgive divine."
Alexander Pope --- Sent by June Smith


"May the road rise to meet you
May the wind always be at your back
May the sunshine warm upon your face
The rains falls soft upon your fields and until we meet again
May GOD hold you in the palm of his hand."
An Old Irish Blessing --- Sent in by Nora Magnus --- Singapore
--- Source of quote supplied by Kristin L. Gale



"Miracles rest not so much upon faces or voices
Or great healing powers coming to us from afar off,
But upon our perceptions being made finer so that, for a moment,
Our eyes can see and our ears can hear what there is about us always."
Willa Cather --- Sent in by Tracy Shields --- Indiana


"Discipline is the guardrail that keeps you on the path of self esteem."
Kent Nelson --- Alabama


"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.
Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you.
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 41:10 --- Sent in by Jim Hamilton --- Illinois


"In every pain there is tremendous opportunity for overwhelming gain!
Use it to your advantage!"
Brian G. Jett --- Kentucky


Dream Big

"If there were ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
it is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily-
but for something that tugs at your heart,
something that's your aspiration,
something that's your dream.

You owe it to yourself
to make your days here count.
Have fun.
Dig Deep.
Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing
seldom come easy.
There will be good days.
There will be times when you want to turn around,
pack it up,
and call it quits.
those times tell you
that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
determination,
and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect,
and your heart
guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new
brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you.
And you will pass this way only once.
Do it right."
Macintosh ad from 1991
--- Sent in by Erin Schiebel --- Iowa



"Beautiful young people are acts of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art."
Unknown --- Sent in by Kristy Smith --- Arizona


The Difference

"I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn't have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me,
And heavier came each task;
"Why doesn't God help me?"
I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me.
He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys in the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray."
Copyright © 1960 Grace L. Naessens
--- Compliments of Jennifer Lemieux --- Ontario, Canada



THIS IS A HOME WHERE CHILDREN LIVE

"You may not find things all in place,
Friend, when you enter here,
But we're a home where children live,
We hold them very dear,

And you may find small fingerprints,
And smudges on the wall,
When the kids are gone, we'll clean them up,
Right now were playing ball.

For there's one thing of which we're sure,
These children are on loan,
One day there always underfoot,
Next thing you know there gone.

That's when we'll have a well-kept house,
When they're off on their own,
Right now, this is where children live,
A loved and lived in home."
Judith Bond (1980)
--- Sent in by Debbie Lewellen



"God saw a tear, and wiped it away with a smile from a friend."
Author Unknown --- Sent to us by Faith Hennings --- Arkansas


"When someone is wronged,
He must put aside all resentment and say
My mind shall not be disturbed
No angry words shall escape my lips
I will remain kind and friendly
With loving thoughts and no secret spite."
From a Buddhist Prayer --- Sent in by Nora Magnus --- Singapore


"The rainbows of life follow the storms."
Unknown --- Submitted by Tracey Robinson


"We cannot become who we need to be,
By remaining who we are.
Invent yourself everyday."
Unknown --- Sent in by Shelley


DREAMS

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes
--- Submitted by:
--- Maegen Mac --- Michigan
--- Ashley --- North Carolina
--- Kevin L., Age 15 --- Pennsylvania



"The sky does weep, but tears of joy!"
Aishwarya Varadhan --- Virginia


"Make your own destiny,
Don't wait for it to come to you,
Life is not a rehearsal!"
Source Unknown --- Sent in by Teresa Meyer --- Perth, Western Australia


"Life is like a piano --- what you get out of it,
Depends on how you play it."
Unknown --- Sent in by Dan Henkel --- Wisconsin


A DAY TO REMEMBER

"It was like any other busy day
The crowds thronged every narrow stony street
The inns were full with travelers who came
From far and near, with weary dust-grimed feet
How could this landlord know that all mankind
Would point accusing fingers at his head
Because the only room that he could find
For God incarnate, was a manger-bed?

It was an ordinary, quiet night
The air was still, the shepherds huddled deep
Into the hollows of the fields, eyes strained
To pierce the shadows, as they watched their sheep
But it would be a night that all their days
And in the future as the years rolled on
Would be the focus of transcendent praise
Because God loved enough to send His Son

And is today an ordinary day?
Nothing to mark it out from all the rest?
Yet still the challenge comes to us, Make room!
There's someone here who wants to be your Guest?
The room is rough and dirty? Let Him clean
And make that secret closet pure and bright
Or hear again the angel's glorious theme
And find the Saviour on this special night!"
Copyright © Dorothy Bull (England) permission to reprint
--- Sent in by Rose Perry --- Australia



What Matters Most

I'd watched this old man for many months, with tattered clothes most worn
I'd seen the look on many a face, as each looked at him with scorn

He did not hold a sign up, on the corner where he stood
Begging for food or money, like others like him would

And each day that I'd see him, I'd glimpse into his eyes
He'd catch my gaze and look away, and I'd often wonder why

I began to think to myself, what life he'd lived before
A beggar not was this man I saw, was he rich or feigned be poor?

One day I noticed he wasn't there, that corner, his familiar place
And I vowed that if I saw him again, I'd speak to him face to face

As days went by I forgot this man, this man who'd seen much hate
He must have been just another bum, another corner would be his fate

One day I walked past his spot, on my way to meet a friend
And saw him right in front of me, my vow this day I'd spend

"Sir, I vowed I'd talk to you, if ever I saw you here.
And ask you what your life had been, throughout your many years."

"Son", he said, "I know you, I've seen your face before
I'm not a bum as you probably think, I'm rich and not poor."

"If rich why do you dress this way, can you explain this to me?
The rich own cars and have big homes, they stand not on the street."

He reached into his pocket, and showed me a picture of
His wife who'd died one year ago, the one he dearly loved

"It matters not how big the home, I have everything I need
What matters most in life my son, is that which we can't see."
Copyright © 1998 Brian Jett --- Kentucky


"I would rather live my life as if there is a God
And die to find out there isn't,
Than live my life as if there isn't
And die to find out there is."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Jim Trayser --- Colorado


"I may have the gift of inspired preaching.
I may have all the knowledge and understand all secrets.
I may have all the faith needed to move mountains
But if I have not love I am nothing.
I may give away everything I own and even give up my body to be burned
But if I have no love, this does me no good.
Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;
Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable;
Love does not keep a record of wrongs;
Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up; and its faith hope and patience never fail."
1 Cor 13 --- Sent to us from Silvia Sherrod --- Bavaria


"What is life?
Life is a gift...accept it
Life is an adventure...dare it
Life is a mystery...unfold it
Life is a game...play it
Life is a struggle...face it
Life is beauty...praise it
Life is a puzzle...solve it
Life is opportunity...take it
Life is sorrowful...experience it
Life is a song...sing it
Life is a goal...achieve it
Life is a mission...fulfill it"
David McNally --- Submitted by Lisa Antonishek
--- Taken from Even Eagles Need a Push



"Treat today as if, you won't exist tomorrow."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Shannnon Siroin --- Wisconsin


"When I was crossing into Gaza,
I was asked at the checkpost whether I was carrying any weapons.
I replied: Oh yes, my prayer books."
Mother Teresa of Calcutta --- Sent in by Kenneth Woolard --- Kentucky


"How do you get your sword?
The sword of the intellect is wisdom,
Through the intellect, through reasoning you will get your sword.
Invite them all to the ways of the Lord
With wisdom and with beautiful preaching.
Reason with them in the ways that are best and most gracious."
Silvia Sherrod, Bavaria --- Germany


"Dreams are not realized without effort.
Ambition. Drive.
And we must transform these words into action.
Roll up your sleeves. Be prepared to sweat.
I am, and have been sweating for quite some time.
It's not the physical kind of sweat, but it's more of a mental kind.
You see, I am still continuing my education.
And it's challenging for me.
And I enjoy the challenge.
So that would be your next step on this journey:
You must accept the challenge to realize that dream of yours.
And be willing to work hard to reach it."
Copyright © Paul Stuart Wichansky --- New Jersey


"This is the true joy in life - being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die - for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."
George Bernard Shaw's introduction to Man and Superman
--- Sent in by Lesley Ng --- Philippines
--- Complete version provided by Shana Bellin --- Australia --- 10-16-01



"The patient in spirit is better that the proud in spirit."
Ecclesiastes (B.C. 300?)
--- Sent in by Ray Leduc --- Ontario, Canada



"For when the great scorer comes to write against your name,
He writes not that you won or lost,
But how you played the game."
From the poem 'Alumnus Football' by Grantland Rice
--- Sent in by Teresa Meyer --- Perth, Western Australia
--- Author's name supplied by Carolyn L., Age 16 --- California



"Take care of those who take care of you."
Tony Niccoli --- Missouri


"Squeeze every bit of love you can out of life,
And life will HUG you back like never before!"
Brian G. Jett --- Kentucky


"Don't step in front of God,
You might step on your own blessing."
Gary Lee --- Maryland


"It is better to Believe than to Disbelieve,
In so doing you bring everything to the realm of possibility."
Albert Einstein --- Sent in by Dalton Marshall --- Calgary, Alberta


"When the odds are against me I prove them wrong,
When all else fails I succeed,
When all else ceases to live I breathe,
When all turns to ashes from it I rise,
So it doesn't matter what you throw at me or what you do,
I am, I do, that's all that matters."
Heather Griggs


"Dreams are renewable.
No matter what our age or condition,
There are still untapped possibilities within us
And new beauty waiting to be born."
Dr. Dale Turner --- Sent in by Lesley Ng --- Philippines


"Fear knocked at the door; Faith answered;
No one was there!"
Carrie P. Boston --- Ohio


"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream.
Not only plan, but also believe."
Anatole France --- Sent in by Laura A. Hoof --- Wisconsin
--- Author's name provided by D.C. --- 10/09/00



EVERYDAY THANKSGIVING

"Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
When the alarm rings each morning,
Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed
Against the morning light as long as possible,
Thank you, Lord, that I can see.
There are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed
And put off the effort of rising,
Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
When socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers short,
Thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like
The pictures in the magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
Thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
And wish my circumstances were not so modest,
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Jan Schumacher --- Pennsylvania


"Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Kelly Losinski & Aime Meuschke --- Indiana


"No matter what a man's past may have been, his future is spotless."
John R. Rice
--- Submitted by Jessica K., Age 16 --- Florida
--- Submitted by Jamie P., Age 13 --- California



"Far better it is to dare mighty things
To win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure,
Than to take rank with those poor spirits
Who neither enjoy much nor suffer much
Because they live in the gray twilight
That knows neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
--- Submitted by M. Russell --- Iowa
--- Submitted by Lexie Krohn
--- Submitted by Sean Swisshelm



"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."
Confucius --- Contributed by Lori Hard --- California


"To give away Pride and HATE
Is to say that you will change for the GOOD of the WORLD."
Stephan King (The Stand) --- Sent in by Chocosmiley --- New Jersey


"As November is a month where we celebrate Thanksgiving,
We should be grateful at all times.
You cannot be hateful, when you are grateful.
Let us all have an attitude of gratitude."
Pat Paradowski --- New Jersey


"Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory."
Albert Schweitzer --- Sent in by Martha Varzaly --- Pennsylvania


"All God's testing has a purpose,
Someday you will see the light.
All he asks is that you trust him,
Walk by faith and not by sight."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Barbara


"Every one wants to do well,
But everyone needs to be given the proper focus."
By Eddie Peterson --- Maryland


"Live as if to die tomorrow.
Learn as if to live forever."
Gandhi --- Sent in by Jason Abegglen --- Idaho


"If you think positive, you can move a mountain in no time."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Bruce H. Liu --- California


"A person's face may change over a lifetime,
But their heart can stay true forever."
Author unknown --- Sent in by Marcia Klue --- New York


"Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."
Les Brown --- Submitted by Luis Ibarra --- Texas


SEE CLEARLY

"Focusing on the positive does not mean ignoring the negative. It is unrealistic and detrimental to deny that negative things exist.

Positive focus is determined more by how you respond than by how you perceive. There is no positive value in refusing to see or acknowledge your problems. In fact, that could be very harmful.

A positive attitude is not achieved by turning a blind eye to the negative, but rather by responding to every situation in the most positive way possible.

See negative things for what they are, and then respond with positive action. Acknowledge and accept the problems, the difficulties, the shortcomings, the abuses, and then do something positive about them. Denial and evasion will do nothing to address your problems. Positive action will."
Major Michael Q. Wade --- Sent in by Brian Jett --- Kentucky


"It is only with the Heart that one can see rightly;
What is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery --- Sent in by Becky Volpe --- California


"Dear Lord, I pray
At the end of this day
I'll look back at the choices I've made:
The time that I've spent,
The places I went,
The things that I've chosen to say,
The thoughts that I had
(The good and the bad)
The number of times that I prayed,
And that I'll decide
I really HAVE tried,
And I'd live it again the same way."
Mary Beth McEachron --- Texas


"Wherever life may take you
Whatever goals you seek,
Remember that you're special
And your talents are unique.

Remember what is in your heart
Should always be your guide,
And that each day you're thought about
With so much love and pride."
From a Hallmark card ---Sent in by Jonathan Chapman --- England


"It is easy to bring others down to your level,
Instead of bringing yourself up to their level,
But it is never ever right."
Chen Fawn Meng --- Malaysia


"Life is too long not to be happy."
Thom Barber, in his existential vacuum speech
--- Submitted by Michael Logan --- Louisiana



At Day's End

"Is anybody happier because you passed his way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
The day is almost over, and its toiling time is through;
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?
Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that's slipping fast,
That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said;
Does the man whose hopes were fading,
Now with courage look ahead?
Did you waste the day, or lose it? Was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say,
You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?"
John Hall --- Contributed by:
--- Amy Yates --- Texas
--- Kristie Ames --- Louisiana
--- Chris Pyle



"When you hug someone, never be the first to let go."
H. Jackson Brown, Jr
--- Sent in by Jennifer Townsend --- Massachusetts
--- Author's name supplied by Tom Lawrence



"Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't", but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing,
That couldn't be done and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it"
But he took off his coat and he took of his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin
Just take off your coat and go to it.
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it."
Edgar A. Guest
--- Contributed by Robin Smith --- Ontario Canada