"INSPIRATION"
-



ANGEL

If an Angel is someone who's so filled with love
It's a gift that they constantly share...
If an Angel is someone who looks out for others
And gives them a nudge here or there...
If an Angel is someone who touches your life
With a heart that's both joyful and wise...
Then even though you don't have halo or wings
YOU'RE an Angel in human disguise.
Emily Matthews --- Sent in by Patricia Love --- California



"I won't be made useless, I won't be idle with despair.
I will gather myself around my faith, for light does the darkness most fear."
Jewel Kilcher --- Sent in by Rebecca Patton --- Missouri



"Wherever you go, God is already there."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Sarah S. --- Alabama



"Do not crave for recognition and respect from others;
Crave rather for winning grace from the Lord."
Bhagavan Shree Sathya Sai Baba
--- Submitted by Sunil Daswaney --- Georgetown, Guyana




"There is no love without happiness."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Leah Jeffries --- Auckland, New Zealand



LOVE IS

Love is spiritual
Greater than me or thee
Love is spiritual
More than eye can see
Love is who I am
Love is who you are
Love is us together, we can
Love is here, in between & afar
Love has always been
Always will be
Connecting so profoundly,
Serene I love me, I love thee & love all three.
Copyright © 2000 Carl E Benedum --- Submitted by Jamie Benedum --- Illinois



"Without the darkness of the tunnel,
The light at the end wouldn't seem so bright."
Copyright © 2000 J.A. Davis



"When it comes to matters of the heart, in my eyes,
There is no greater act of courage than to be the one who kisses first
And no greater fear than being the first to fall in love."
Copyright © 1999 Duffi Finnegan



"You are certain to get killed if you attempt to save your life in battles,
But you will survive if you are prepared for death."
General Lee, SoonShin --- Submitted by Jun Lee --- New York



"To live with fear is a life half lived."
From the movie "Le Boheme" --- Sent in by M. Swerdzewski



"May the mind be unjustified
And may the effort be beautified."
Copyright © 2000 Stephanie Bock



"When you fall down, get back up,
When you get back up,
Remember you may fall again.
Life is not easy;
Live one day at a time."
Copyright © 2000 Jennifer Nicholson



"When you leave the light that you know
And step into the darkness of the unknown,
You must find something solid upon which to stand
Or you must learn to fly."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Karen Cooper --- Bristol, United Kingdom



"Never Look Back
Always Look Forward
Make Today Count."
Copyright © 2000 Jill McPartland --- Pennsylvania



"Good friends must not always be together;
It is the feeling of oneness when distant
That proves a lasting friendship."
Susan P. Schultz --- Submitted by D.M. Walker --- North Carolina



"Promise yourself....to be too large for worry,
Too noble for anger, too strong for fear
And too happy to permit the presence of trouble."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Madison Lee --- New York



"To love is like playing the piano.
First, you must learn to play by the rules.
Then, you must forget the rules and play from your heart."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Serene Yang --- Malaysia



"You cannot reach your goals
Unless you first stretch your imagination."
Copyright © 1999 Brian G. Jett



"In the mist of darkness, light persists.
In the mist of untruth, truth persists.
In the mist of death, life persists."
Mahatma Gandhi --- Submitted by C.L. --- Texas



"Religion is a faith, as a faith is a belief.
What one's belief is to another is religion."
Copyright © 1999 Daniel Higgins-Ruiz



"When you love unconditionally, you remember how God loves you."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Reslian Pardede --- Jakarta, Indonesia



"Having true faith to God is a ticket to heaven.
Following Christ's works of life is the only way to make it."
Copyright © 2000 Teddy Dy --- Pangasinan, Philippines



"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
To them who are the called according to his purpose."
Paul - Romans 8:28 --- Submitted by Bridgette Smith --- New York



"Some people travel a million miles
In search of something they'll never find or doesn't exist;
And then there are those who have found love and happiness
Without having traveled a single step,
For they have found God."
Copyright © 2000 Mario Maluje --- Florida



"Trust in God,but tie your camel tight!"
Persian Proverb --- Submitted by Bobby Hogan --- New York



"Where you end up isn't the most important thing,
It's the road you take to get there.
The road you take is what you'll look back on and call your life.
Not reaching success isn't the end of the world;
Not trying is."
Tim Wiley --- Submitted by A. Black --- Maine



"Before you can believe in what you are doing,
You must first believe in yourself."
Copyright © 1996 Rich Lewis --- Montana



"I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches.
If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise,
Since everyone suffers.
To suffering must be added mourning, understanding,
Patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable."
Anne Morrow Lindbergh --- Sent in by Amy Yates --- Texas



A BALANCE

Be ambitious..but still aim for a simple life.
Be determined and yet learn to compromise.
Be thoughtful..and yet keep your peace of mind.
Be emotional..but be the master of your emotions.
Look at life, at people, but DON'T BE TEMPTED!

Have faith in God but always give it YOUR best.
Enjoy the gentle breeze but keep balance in the storm.
Enjoy the little pleasures of nature but remain fit for the world.
Have friends but be your own BEST FRIEND.

Look to the present but plan for the future.
Enjoy in victory but be calm in defeat.
Achieve when victorious, learn when defeated.
Copyright © 1999 Devaveena Dey --- India



EVERY DAY

You have to test yourself!
If not.....It is a wasted day!
No report cards, No grades, No stats,
No extra credit, No excuses!
Just you against yourself....EVERYDAY!
It is unlike any test you have ever taken before
Because the answers lie in your heart.
Once you discover them,
You will be changed forever!
Copyright © 2000 Stephanie Algera --- Submitted by Mike W. --- Michigan



"If God cast no reflection there wouldn't be anything.
That's why we're here."
Harlan --- Submitted by Amy Spears --- Florida



"I don't want to know the name of the Saint,
I just want to pray."
Renzo Gracie --- Submitted by Manderinho C. --- California



"Perseverance is holding on when the rope is gone.
Trust is not being afraid even when you are vulnerable."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by C.Caine --- Pennsylvania



"Always try to choose to do the right thing
And eventually things will fall into place."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Ging Guzman --- California



"There Can Be Only One"
Connor Macleod of the Clan Macleod --- Sent in by D.H. --- Pennsylvania



"Just do your best,
Let God do the rest,
For that's what he calls success!"
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Roderick Stoker --- Texas



"Onward with your Ambition
Struggle without Hesitation
Take God as your Protection
And your Parents as your Inspiration."
Author Unknown --- Submitted by C. M. --- Washington



"What this power is I don't know,
All I can say is that it exists
And it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind
In which he exactly knows what he wants
And is fully determined not to quit until he finds it."
Alexander Graham Bell --- Submitted by Digant Savalia --- Gujarat, India



"He who kisses joy as it flies by,
Will live in eternity's sunrise."
William Blake --- Submitted by Jamie Milroy --- Ontario, Canada



"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do;
Not that the nature of the thing is changed,
But that our power to do is increased."
Ralph Waldo Emerson --- Submitted by Amber Wily --- Maryland



"A man is dead until he is forgiven."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by D.J. --- California



"Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives it ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair."
William Blake (1757-1827) --- Sent in by Sharon Ogden --- Kentucky



"Love
Bears all things,
Believes all things,
Hopes all things,
Endures all things."
1. Corinthians 13:7 --- Sent in by Andrej Nidens



"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you do not have,
Rather remember what you have now
Was once among the things you only hoped for."
The Vatican Sayings --- Submitted by Rachel Ganslaw --- Washington, DC



Justified

I stood alone with just one plea,
that my friend would remember me.
Guilty was the juries cry,
for you did the Son of man crucify.

Oh no, you're wrong, it wasn't I
who pierced His side and watched Him die.
But on His name I have believed,
and through His death, my life conceived.

Guilty the jury said again, and
the wages is death for all your sins.
Then as a mighty rushing wind,
I knew at once this was my friend.

The whole world bowed and hid her face.
No one could stand against His Grace.
Arise, go free, He said to me,
For in your soul, the blood I see.
I find your name is written above
in the Book of Life by the Prince of Love.
Copyright © 1972 Lynda Horton Clark



"Any thing we do, any role we play,
Even any emotion we feel or any value we respect
Is sustained in being only by our own constantly remade decision."
Jean-Paul Sartre --- Submitted by Mark Garland --- Tennessee



"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution
Is the distance between your knees and the floor.
The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Lloyd Francis



"Being loyal to others begins with being loyal to yourself,
And being loyal to yourself is this;
Realizing that God has a plan for your life
That is bigger than you can accomplish without Him."
Copyright © 2000 Leonard Crosson --- Texas



"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"
Psalm 27:1 --- Sent in by Jessica --- Ohio



"When your self-esteem is low,
Think about being made in the image of God."
Copyright © 2000 Mike Corthell



"My imperfections and my failures are as much a gift from God
As my talents and successes are.
I lay them both at His feet."
Mahatma Gandhi --- Sent in by Gaye Fullerton



And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied:
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."
Minnie Louise Haskins
--- ( Quoted by King George VI in his annual Christmas address to the British Nationin 1939, on the eve of World War II)
--- Sent in by M. Boos --- Michigan




"Every flower holds beauty, but sometimes the petals are closed."
Copyright © 2000 Steve Wharton
      United Kingdom




"Et lux in tenebris lucet - ( And the light shineth in the darkness )"
Original Author Unknown
--- Source: Viktor E. Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning"
--- Sent in by Kevin Michael Thomas --- Indiana




Rainbow

I'm emptying out the contents
Of my soul
Throwing out the anger and frustration
Tossing away the hopelessness and confusion
Refilling it back up
With love and confidence
Faith and joy
I'm recycling the memories
For the rainy days
So that I won't forget
Life has it's rainbows
As long as I'm not looking down.
Copyright © 2000 Jenelle Jack



"I praise you for I am wonderfully and fearfully made:
Wonderful are your works Lord!"
Psalm 139 --- Sent in by Katie Z., --- Illinois



What We Share

When we share laughter, there's twice the fun;
When we share success, we've surpassed what we've done.
When we share problems, there's half the pain;
When we share tears, a rainbow follows rain.
When we share dreams, they become more real;
When we share secrets, it's our hearts we reveal.
If we share a smile, that's when our love shows;
If we share a hug, that's when our love grows.
If we share with someone on whom we depend,
that person is always family or friend.
And what draws us closer and makes us all care,
Is not what we have, but the things we share.
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Andrew Ho --- Malaysia



"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."
Fr. James Keller (founder of The Christophers)
--- Submitted by Chris Deines --- Florida




"Trouble is a part of your life
And if you don't share it,
You don't give the person
Who loves you a chance
To love you enough."
Dinah Shore --- Sent in by Julie R., Age 19 --- Indiana



"No matter how far the distance, or how strong thepain, we are one body in Christ. It is He who givesus the strength to go on, even in the most unlikelycircumstances, when we would rather fall to the groundand give up."
Amanda W. --- Colorado



"Is it cynical to say all that glitters isn't gold...
Or that when you let down the walls and start to care about people,
That's when you get hurt the most?

Fine then ...call me cynical...
Or better yet call me EDUCATED by life experience.

But you know what, that still doesn't keep me from caring...
I just keep telling myself, one of these days, I'll get it right."
Copyright © 1999 Stacey Charter --- Pennsylvania



"Love those who are filled with hate;
Only one will forever and always win!
Love is contagious and he who hates
Will love you for it --- eventually!"
Copyright © 2000 Brian G. Jett--- Kentucky



"Live all you can; it's a mistake not to.
It doesn't matter so much what you do in particular,
So long as you have your life.
If you haven't had that, what have you had?"
Henry James --- Sent in by B. E. Lee --- Ontario, Canada



Fearless

more afraid of not flying
than of falling

more afraid to hide away my feelings
than of bawling

more afraid to sit in silence
than to speak up for myself

more afraid to sit back and watch
than to stick up for someone else

more afraid to close my mind
than to open my eyes and see

more afraid to close my heart
than to let in diversity

more afraid of not trying
than of failing

more afraid of not thinking
than of letting my imagination go sailing

more afraid to settle for less
than to keep striving

more afraid of not living
than of dying
Anonymous --- Sent in by Jenn



"Assumption is the mother of all the under achievers."
Osama Malik --- Michigan



"When I dare to be powerful
      
To use my strength in the service of my vision
      
It becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
Audre Lord --- Sent in by Jennifer Yontz --- Florida



Any Day

Every day is a new chance
A new chance to find God
Every day is a new chance
To enter His light and joy
Every day is a new chance
To be fulfilled with love.
Copyright © 2000 Matthias Evenboer



"Sometimes even the kindest and sincerest heart gets broken and its actionsare oftentimes misinterpreted as meddling. But if one believes, he continuessince 'love never gives up' nor does it seek its own way."
Col. Richard H. Jett (Retired - U.S. Air Force)
--- Sent in by Brian G. Jett --- Kentucky




"Woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young,
To love, to hope, to put its trust in life."
(From the novel Victory, by Joseph Conrad)
--- Sent in by Mark Weeks --- New Jersey




"No sky is too high, no fall is too tall."
Mahesh Gupta --- New York



"We should have much peace, if we would not busy ourselves
With the sayings and doings of others."
Thomas A. Kempis --- Sent in by Concitta Cavin --- Illinois



"I asked the Lord to bless you,
As I prayed for you today,
To guide you and protect you,
As you go along your way...
His love is always with you,
His promises are true,
And when we give him all our cares,
You know He will see us through
So when the road you're traveling on,
Seems difficult at best
Just remember I'm here praying,
And God will do the rest."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Anne Burke --- Ohio



"A man's true wealth is the good he does in the world.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
But you are eternity and you are the mirror."
Kahlil Gibran --- Sent in by Sharon Ogden --- Kentucky



Power To Smile

It's treasured times
And mountains we climb.
That gives to us power
To make it through each hour.
It's feelings of love
And god up above,
That we always find a way
To smile each day.
Copyright © 1985 Paula Virginia Duncan



"Until I learned to trust, I never learned to pray;
And I did not learn to fully trust 'til sorrows came my way.

Until I felt my weakness, His strength I never knew;
Nor dreamed 'til I was stricken that He could see me through.

Who deepest drinks of sorrow, drinks deepest, too, of grace;
He sends the storm so He Himself can be our hiding place.

His heart, that seeks our highest good, knows well when things annoy;
We would not long for heaven if earth held only joy."
William G. Coltman --- Submitted by Charity --- Singapore



"I have held many things in my hands,
And have lost them all;
But whatever I have placed in God's hands,
That I still possess."
Martin Luther --- Sent in by Chen Fawn Meng --- Malaysia



"If you thought of it........it is possible."
Eclectic Lady



"It matters not the size of my steps,
As long as I am facing the right direction."
Dedicated to fellow abuse survivors
--- Sent in and written by Caroline ( last name withheld )




"There will always be a tomorrow, but there is only one today."
Copyright © 1999 Joel Laing --- Saskatchewan, Canada



"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by whichyou really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself,I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along."
Eleanor Roosevelt --- Sent in by Angie Todd --- Indiana



"Our first path is Birth.
Our final path is Eternal Rest.
Life is in the middle.
A funny thing about Life;
It goes up and down, sideways, in and out,
Back and forth, around and around.
A regular roller coaster ride!
But remember one thing,
You are not alone on the Roller Coaster called Life.
There's a bunch of other nuts screamin', laughin',
And throwin' up all over the place!!"
Copyright © 2000 Swanwalker --- Sent in by Gean Walker --- New York



"You only live once.
If you do it right the first time, once is enough."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Andrea Ansted --- Ohio



"THIS YEAR:

seek after the truth for it shall set you free

seek after health for what a great investment

invest in people's dreams, for through that your dreams will come true

do something you have never done before, and you will get what you never had before

seek the Lord with all your might and be surprised at what you will get -

something everybody is looking for, but so many never find

for they are looking in the wrong places."
Copyright © 2000 Jannie & Tertia Putter --- South Africa



"God could not make himself available everywhere;
That's why he made Mothers."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Durgesh Narania --- Hyderabad, India



"Excellence - We have the capacity in every role we have in our ownlives, whether father, mother, business owner or employee, to do ourabsolute very best, always improving and doing better at what we areresponsible for and have been entrusted with. Trying to be the bestmother or the best worker for example, is far better appreciated thenwasting time being mediocre. In striving for excellence, you andeveryone else, experience a positive benefit for the effort from doingyour best and being the best that lasts for all time!"
Copyright © 1999 RosaLei Castaneda



"Tentative efforts lead to tentative outcomes;
Therefore give yourself fully to your endeavors.
Decide to construct your character through excellent actions
And determine to pay the price of a worthy goal.
The trials you encounter will introduce you to your strengths.
Remain steadfast,and one day you will build something that endures;
Something worthy of your potential."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Bobbiette Wachuku --- Iowa



"Change your beliefs,
Change the rules,
Change the rules,
Change your actions,
Change your actions,
Change the results,
Change the results,
Change your life."
Author Unknown --- Sent in by Sean Sullivan



"Our greatest glory is not in never falling,
But in rising every time we fall."
Ralph Waldo Emerson --- Sent in by Durgesh Narania --- India
--- Author's name provided by Michelle --- Illinois --- 6/14/00




"Through work and savings I found wealth
Through my valleys I found surrender
Through acceptance I found strength
Through patience I found power
Through integrity I found truth
Through sincerity I found love
Through gratitude I found blessings
Through my willingness I found my purpose
Through perseverance I found success
Through forgiveness I found peace
Through darkness I found the Light
Through responsibility I found freedom
Through courage I found self-esteem
Through solitude I found myself
Through faith I found God"
Copyright © 1999 Jewel Diamond Taylor --- California



"Happiness is never right around the corner.
Instead, it always exists in the present moment.
The key to perpetual happiness
Is learning to recognize and enjoy that moment."
Copyright © 1999 Tim Barchie --- Georgia



"We must be true inside, true to ourselves,
Before we can know a truth that is outside of us."
Thomas Merton --- Sent in by Concitta Cavin --- Illinois



"We should live our lives with a priceless appreciation for everything."
Copyright © 1999 Joe Perez ---Texas



"When souls talk, no words are needed.
The magic of the heart is always better felt than heard!"
Copyright © 1999 Nirvikar Dahiya --- India