An Inspiring Treat

"It's a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations. "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations" is an admirable work, and I studied it intently. The quotations when engraved upon the memory give you good thoughts. They also make you anxious to read the authors and look for more."

Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965 

This is my big splurge while away. I saw this and couldn't pass it up. I love donkeys! When Jerry saw it, he was astonished. He asked me where I was going to hang it. When I showed him, he said, "No. This is going in the living room. Every time I come in here, I will see it and laugh." Guess what? It's hanging in the living room!

I was away a few days last week visiting friends. I took one of my journals that is full of quotes I've found in various books and articles. I started writing down quotes back in 2004 when I received a journal for my 55th birthday.

I wasn't a journal writing person, but somehow the idea came to me to write down words of others that touched my heart and gave me thoughts to ponder. 

Back in my beginning stage of writing I bought my first quote book titled: "Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World." Many authors recommended it when writing articles or stories. I fell in love with quotes at that point. 

"Discovering the collected knowledge of our ancestors provided me with an education like no other

 and shined a light on my possible path in life . . . they made me laugh, they made me cry,

but mostly, they made me think. A gift like no other . . ."

Susan Branch, Distilled Genius

I've always enjoyed reading about saints of old, relishing the inspiration and encouragement I received from their life experiences. And so, I've been collecting quotes ever since.

One of my favorites.

While I was away, I reread quotes I wrote down in 2008 and 2009. I had a wonderful time reacquainting myself with the words. This post I will share some of the quotes that I enjoy. Take a moment and ponder the words.

"Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard." Anne Sarton

"The moment you notice that you are an instrument of God, the moment you become like a hollow flute, the wind will blow through you, and there will be music." Shri Dhyanvogi

"Quiet the mind and the soul will speak." MaJaya Sati Bhagavati

"I will prepare and someday my chance will come." Abraham Lincoln

"But as we pray, maybe we should ask God to touch hearts as well as circumstances." Lisa Guest

"My friends are my estate." Emily Dickinson

"The person born with a talent they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using it."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The happiest miser on earth is the man who saves up every friend he can make." Robert Emmet Sherwood

"I am officially too old to die young." Charles Lowery

"Wrong, wrong, wrong will never be right, right, right." Ann Platz

"I have come to realize, that the radiance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the fragrances of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy." Unknown

"If it is impossible to slow your world down, slow yourself down. When you can't alter the whirling pace, retire to your inner sanctuary and alter yourself." Charlie Shedd

"They come and go so quickly, Spring and Fall . . . as if they had not really come at all. Perhaps we could not take too much of beauty, breath-catching glory, ecstasy without relief; and so . . . God made them brief." Ruth Bell Graham

"Drop useless goals. You may be wearing yourself out doing things that do not matter." Charlie Shedd

"There is only one rule to practicing simplicity--keep it simple." Harriet Crosby

"Of all the commentaries on the Scriptures, good examples are the best." John Donne

"Cherish all your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for old age." Christopher Darlington Morley

"I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death. and praise Thee as long as Thou lendeth me breath; And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow. If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now." William R. Featherston, 3rd verse, My Jesus, I Love Thee

"I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed

with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself."

Marlene Dietrich

My favorite donkey, Eeyore.

By His Grace . . .