Personality

"It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His Personality, that I first begin to have a personality of my own." C.S. Lewis

Following

Follow right manfully in your Master's steps, for He has traversed this rough way before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest, that false peace and everlasting torment.

Blinking

"Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks."

Introverts

“Introverts are collectors of thoughts, and solitude is where the collection is curated and rearranged to make sense of the present and future.”

Old Friends

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

It Doesn't Have to be That Complicated...

"Why can’t people just sit and read books and be nice to each other?"

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/shane_and_shane/before_the_throne_of_god_above.html ]

Lead Me to The Rock

Hear my cry O Lord, attend unto my prayer
From the end of the earth will I cry out to Thee.

For Thou hast been a shelter for me
and a strong tower, from the enemy.

When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I
That is higher than I.

Heart

“When you pray, rather let your heart be without words then your words without heart." -John Bunyan

Have Pity

Please have pity on my sword; if you don't stop shouting you'll frighten it out of its scabbard -Edmond Rostland, Cyrano de Bergerac

Apples

"Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn't going to get the job done." -- Jim Rohn

You're Here! Congratulations!

"Statistically, the probability of any one of us being here is so small that the mere fact of our existence should keep us all in a state of contented dazzlement."

— Lewis Thomas

Time

"You cannot kill time without injuring eternity." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Well, I was looking at my last few posts...

... and I realized I could sound rather depressed. Which, in fact, I am not. Merely very thoughtful. Hence, I thought I would post some funny quotes to cheer things up a bit. :D

Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.
--Hedy Lamarr

(okay, so this one's sort of an inside joke with myself and a few other people.)

How many people here have telekenetic powers? Raise my hand.
--Emo Philips

I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're dead.
--Samuel Goldwyn

I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three.
--Elayne Boosler

I washed a sock. Then I put it in the dryer. When I took it out, it was gone.
--Rod Schmidt

My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.
--Mitch Hedberg

"For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen."
-— Douglas Adams

Hmm... *tilts head to one side* Those are funny, but I still like the "somber" quotes better. Oh well. There you go. :D

Be Still My Soul

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
--Catharina von Schlegel

Mercies in Disguise

We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching(s) of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

-Laura Story

Silver

Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Proverbs 25.4

A Palace

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
~ C.S. Lewis ~

Should I or Shouldn't I?

“Should I or shouldn’t I?” is often, ultimately, a question of obedience as well as knowledge and understanding. Very often when young people say they are having problems about guidance, what they are really faced with is a problem about obedience. The issue at stake is whether we will walk along the paths of righteousness in which God will lead us. Are we willing to go through valleys of deep darkness, so long as He is with us?

Sinclair B. Ferguson

Somebody Has to Die

When the will of God crosses the will of man, somebody has to die.

Addison Leitch

(I just died recently, hence this quote.)

Trusting and Delighting

“When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds.” - Corrie Ten Boom

“A true love of God must begin with a delight in his holiness.” -Jonathan Edwards 

Turn Your Eyes...

So turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Wait

There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before him; tell him your difficulty, and plead his promise of aid. (from Daniel Osborne's status)

Prayer

"The person who takes time for prayer will find time for all the other things needing his attention."

Sunshine

"I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face."

Elizabeth Clephane

Submission

"Hear me, my God, and if my lip hath dared
To murmur 'neath Thy Hand, oh, teach me now
To feel each inmost thought before Thee bared,
And this rebellious will in faith to bow.
Though I wept wildly o'er the ruined shrine,
Where earthly idols held Thy place alone,
Now purify and make this temple Thine,
And teach me, Lord, to say,'Thy will be done!"

"What can I bring to offer that is mine?
A youth of sorrow, and a life of sin.
What can I lay upon Thy hallowed shrine,
One hope of pardon for the past to win?
While thus a suppliant at Thy feet I bow,
Still dare I lift to Thee my tearful eyes,
I plead the promise of Thy word, that Thou
A broken, contrite heart will not despise.

"What shall I bring? A bruised spirit, Lord,
Worn with the contest, pining now for rest,
And yearning for Thy peace, as some poor bird,
'Mid the wild tempest, seeks its mother's breast,
My sacrifice, the Lamb who died for me;
I plead the merits of Thy sinless Son;
I bring Thy promises; I trust in Thee;
In love Thou smitest; Lord,' Thy will be done!'"

~From "Prevailing Prayer" by D.L. Moody

Teach Me

Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear--
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

~George Croly

I wait

I wait
Dear Lord, Thy ways
Are past finding out,
Thy love too high.
O hold me still
Beneath Thy shadow.
It is enough that Thou
Lift up the light
Of Thy countenance.
I wait--
Because I am commanded
So to do. My mind
Is filled with wonderings.
My soul asks "Why?"
But then the quiet word,
"Wait thou only
Upon God."
And so, not even for the light
To show a step ahead,
But for Thee, dear Lord,
I wait.

~Elizabeth Elliot

Have you ever had the queer feeling that you wrote something someone else wrote? That is how it is for me with this...

Take My Love

Take my love--my God, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.

Francis Ridley Havergal

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Rudyard Kipling

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord

Jim Rohn Quotes

“Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better.”

“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

“Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become”

“Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”

“The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get.”

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”

"It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions. "

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment. "

The Secret Place

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Psalm 91:1-2

A good motto for prayer

de l’audace, encore de l’audace, et toujours de l’audace

Books and Character

"Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as by the latter." -Paxton Hood

Though you do not see Him, you love Him. (Elsie Anne's status)

Extravagance

"He [God] doesn’t just give me what I need. He floods everything around me with extravagant beauty. He doesn’t save golden-pink evening light for special occasions. Or fireflies dancing down our long gravel drive. Or misty gray days with clouds that wrap snug round the world like a blanket. It’s there every day. A new pointless beauty that serves no end but to rescue my soul and draw me into Him." --Kristen

Quotes by Elizabeth Elliot (from Passion and Purity)

"Rainbows are made of sunlight and rain."

"Patient waiting does not come naturally to most of us, but a great deal is said about it in the Bible. It is an important discipline for anyone who wants to learn to trust.

Psalm 25:5
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

"The loneliness itself is material for sacrifice. The very longings themselves can be offered to Him who understands perfectly. The transformation into something He can use for the good of others takes place only when the offering is put into His hands. What will He do with these offerings? Never mind. He knows what to do."

"'When the will of God crosses the will of man, Addison Leitch said, 'somebody has to die.' Life requires countless 'little' deaths--occasions when we are given the chance to say no to self and yes to God... There is a big however. It is this: we are not meant to die merely in order to be dead. God could not want that for the creatures to whom he has given breath of life. We die in order to live.

A seed falls into the dark earth and dies. Out of its death comes multiplied life."

"The important thing is to receive this moment's experience with both hands. Don't waste it. 'Wherever you are, be all there,' Jim once wrote. 'Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.'"

Assorted Quotes

Putting off an easy task makes it hard, and putting off a hard one makes it impossible. --George Lorimei

It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well. --Descartes

If you're happy and you know it,
keep doing what you're doing.

If you're not happy and you know it,
do something different. --Robert Mann aka Papa

Carry On!

You MUST read this one out loud. Seriously, do it. Right now. And do it right!! :D
__________________________________________________________

It’s easy to fight when everything’s right,
And you’re mad with thrill and the glory;
It’s easy to cheer when victory’s near,
And wallow in fields that are gory.
It’s a different song when everything’s wrong,
When you’re feeling infernally mortal;
When it’s ten against one, and hope there is none,
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:

Carry on! Carry on!
There isn’t much punch in your blow.
You are glaring and staring and hitting out blind;
You are muddy and bloody, but never you mind.
Carry on! Carry on!
You haven’t the ghost of a show.
It’s looking like death, but while you’ve a breath,
Carry on, my son! Carry on!

And so in the strife of the battle of life
It’s easy to fight when you’re winning;
It’s easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there’s the man of God’s choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven’s own height
Is the man who can fight when he’s losing.

Carry on! Carry on!
Thing never were looming so black.
But show that you haven’t a cowardly streak,
And though you’re unlucky you never are weak.
Carry on! Carry on!
Brace up for another attack.
It’s looking like hell, but – you never tell.
Carry on, old man! Carry on!

There are some who drift out in the desert of doubt
And some who in brutishness wallow;
There are others, I know, who in piety go
Because of a Heaven to follow.
But to labor with zest, and to give of your best,
For the sweetness and joy of the giving;
To help folks along with a hand and a song;
Why, there’s the real sunshine of living.

Carry on! Carry on!
Fight the good fight and true;
Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer;
There’s big work to do, and that’s why you are here.
Carry on! Carry on!
Let the world be the better for you;
And at last when you die, let this be your cry!
Carry on, my soul! Carry on!

By Robert Service

Frogs

But God is good. He has his plan and it is not to make this metamorphosis easy. Just certain. There are a thousand lessons to be learned in the process. Nothing is wasted. Life is not on hold waiting for the great coming-out. That's what larvae do in the cocoon. But frogs are public all the way though the foolishness of change. --John Piper

*This* is Why.

He didn't die so that I could go to heaven. He saw me; He chose me; from the foundation of the world He knew me. In the crazy, mixed-up love He calls grace, He pursued me from the beginning of time, knowing my fall, planning my salvation, dying so that, yes, I could go to heaven, but that is only amazing because I will spend all eternity worshiping the love that first loved me. --Bailey

Remember:

This is not our Home.

Hugs

Hugging is all natural. it's organic, naturally sweet, has no artificial ingredients, environmentally friendly, and is 100% wholesome. (From Holly Hutcheson's status)

Sacrifice

The law of sacrifice says that you cannot get something you want, without giving up something in return. In order to attain something you believe is of greater value, you must give up something you believe is of lesser value.

How to be Peaceful in Any Situation

"My advice, therefore, is this: When at any time your hearts begin to storm and fret at your condition, sit down and seriously consider Who it is that orders that condition. Let your thoughts dwell upon that, and see if it be not to your advantage for the suppressing of all undue perturbations of mind." --Thomas Jacombe

Random Quotes From Rebeka

Okay, so not all of them are from Rebeka directly, but I found these on her twitter page thingie.)

"Here is a test to find out whether your mission on earth is finished: If you are alive, it isn’t."

Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

May God grant you a dream so humanly impossible that its improbable success can only point to his glory, not your own.

"A woman should be a walking, talking human instead of a make-up counter."

"One of the biggest forms of flattery is knowing that just by being your normal, wonderful self, you make someone fall in love with you."

"To follow Jesus is to go to war." -Ralph D. Winter

I didn't fall. I attacked the floor.

Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering"

I’m not a doctor and I don’t know the technical terminology, but I do know that sunshine activates our happiness glands.

“Jogging is very beneficial. It’s good for your legs and your feet. It’s also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed."

"Oh darling, let's be adventurers."

“You see, there’s responsibility in being a person. It’s more than just taking up space where air would be."

"I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to or worse someone I can’t be silent with."

Random Author Quotes

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
-- Hunter S. Thompson

The first duty of love is to listen.
-- Paul Tillich

I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said, "I don't know."
-- Mark Twain

I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.
-- Mark Twain

... I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
-- Thomas Edison

Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.
-- Albert Einstein

If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.
-- Albert Einstein (Ah, so that's the quote evolutionists use, I bet.)

Liked

How delightful it is to be liked simply because you are you.

Little Drops of Water

Little drops of water,
little grains of sand,
make the mighty ocean
and the beauteous land.

And the little moments,
humble though they may be,
make the mighty ages
of eternity.

Little deeds of kindness,
little words of love,
make our earth an Eden,
like the heaven above.

So our little errors
lead the soul away,
from the paths of virtue
into sin to stray.

Little seeds of mercy
sown by youthful hands,
grow to bless the nations
far in heathen lands.

Glory then for ever
be to God on high,
beautiful and loving,
to eternity.--Julia Carney

Little Things

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. --John Mason

Do little things now and big things will come to you, asking to be done.--John Mason

Have confidence that if you have done a little thing well, you could do a bigger thing well. --David Storey

Despise not the day of small beginnings, because you can make all your mistakes anonymously. --Pat Robertson

Remember this on your way up: the biggest dog was once a pup. --Anonymous

No Editing in Life!

You can’t write your life story by the seat of your pants… there is no editing in life. You only get one draft.

So plan it.

And take the next step with the light of a vision in your eye. --Jay Lauser

My Only Gems

“She came tonight as I sat alone, the girl I used to be…
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye and questioned reproachfully;

Have you forgotten the many plans and hopes that I had for you?
The career, the splendid fame, and all the wonderful things to do?
Where is the mansion of stately height with all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you and the jewels in your hair?

And as she spoke, I was very sad for I wanted her please with me…
This slender girl from the shadowy past the girl that I used to be
So gently rising, I took her hand, and guided her up the stair
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay innocent, sweet, and fair.

And I told her that these are my only gems, and precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love, and the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls for the dear ones who come and go.

And as I spoke to my shadowy guest, she smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now, pleased the girl I used to be.

- Author Unknown
Quoted in Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski

"But what have buying groceries, changing diapers and peeling vegetables got to do with creativity? Aren’t those the very things that keep us from it? Isn’t it that kind of drudgery that keeps us in bondage? It’s insipid and confining, it’s what one conspicuous feminist called “a life of idiotic ritual, full of forebodings and failure.” To her I would answer ritual, yes. Idiotic, no, not to the Christian–for although we do the same things anybody else does, and we do them over and over in the same way, the ordinary transactions of everyday life are the very means of transfiguration. It is the common stuff of this world which, because of the Word’s having been “made flesh,” is shot through with meaning, with charity, with the glory of God."--Elizabeth Elliot

Pray!!

"O brother, pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper--and sleep too--than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgins slumber."-- Andrew Bonar

"...remember, God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think. When we pray things that are on our King's heart, no matter how outlandishly audacious your prayers might seem to your own ears, they are nothing in light of God's willingness and ability to answer them." --Eric and Leslie Ludy, in Wrestling Prayer

"The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire; it hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed the anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. Prayer is an all-sufficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother, of a thousand blessings." --Chrysostom

His grace IS sufficient for me.

-[Hopefully] Every Christian that ever lived.

Be-Bumpy!

"Frequently we pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy, in which we can do without his constant upholding." -Spurgeon

Family Life

If you spend your day striving for a home that looks devoid of family life, you will quickly find yourself devoid of family life.

Um, sure... Whatever You Say....

"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous

Henry Ford quotes

I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?

I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done.
Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.

Don't find fault, find a remedy.

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.
Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.

Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do.

The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life.

Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a by-product of providing a useful service.

Whatever you have, you must either use or lose.

Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.

Faith

"I have learned that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse." - Philip Yancey

Soon...

♫ Soon shall close thy earthly mission, Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days, Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Why Not??

“Why not? … Why not follow God’s lead in my life? Why not question how things have been done? Why not risk everything and look a little cuckoo for the Gospel?” --Francis Chan

Sundry Quotes I Like

"Strengthen the feeble hands, and steady the knees that give way.  Say to those with fearful hearts, be strong and not afraid.. for your God will come."

"The person who takes time for prayer will find time for all the other things needing his attention."

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away".

Calm Down!

"Your God never sleeps or slumbers. Do not fret or be anxious. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. He is at work for you right now. Trust him. Steady your pace. For 'he who believes shall not be in haste.'"  John Piper

Mothering

"We should be teaching them to do it for the Lord, not because it makes us look like successes. Mothering is not about glorifying ourselves with our wonderful children. It’s about glorifying the Lord by how we respond when our children aren’t so wonderful. Motherhood is about loving the weak, the out of control, the sinful, and bit by bit, day after day, seeking to change their hearts so they can learn to be strong, self-controlled, and righteous. It’s slow, and messy, and humbling. And the ultimate goal isn’t looking good, it’s being like Christ."

I am posting this to remind myself with someday, 'cause I am sure I am going to need it. I already sometimes want my siblings to behave well to reflect well on me when I am out with them. :P 

Learning in the Rain

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.

- author unknown

I don't love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.

- Natalie Portman

Life and Knowledge

"Don't take for granted that life will continue its status quo, for life will surprise you. It is your responsibility to be ready. Knowledge is worth more than anything when bad times hit. Almost all families have bad times of some kind. A little information can guide you through bad times with far less pain, so it is part of preparing to be a helpmeet." -Debi Pearl, Preparing to be a Help Meet

Yep, we're crazy.

The Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?

Alice: I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are. 

I am so going to say that to someone someday... :D

Quotes About Womanhood

"Oh, Mothers of young children, I bow before you in reverence. Your work is most holy. You are fashioning the destinies of immortal souls. The powers folded up in the little ones that you hushed to sleep in your bosoms last night, are powers that shall exist forever. You are preparing them for their immortal destiny and influence. Be faithful. Take up your sacred burden reverently. Be sure that your life is sweet and clean."~JR Miller


"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow."
~Martin Luther


"A gentle and quiet spirit is not only imperishable; it is precious in the sight of God. It's also one of the hardest qualities to cultivate. Far from a sign of weakness, a gentle and quiet spirit is the sign of a woman who is strong in faith, mind and character." --Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin


"I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England."~John Wesley


"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse into the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into it's soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,-she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her."~JR Miller


"There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage."~Martin Luther


"A true wife makes a man's life nobler, stronger, grander, by the omnipotence of her love 'turning all the forces of manhood upward and heavenward.' While she clings to him in holy confidence and loving dependence she brings out in him whatever is noblest and richest in his being. She inspires him with her courage and earnestness. She beautifies his life. She softens whatever is rude and harsh in his habits or his spirit. She clothes him with the gentler graces of refined and cultured manhood. While she yields to him and never disregards his lightest wish, she is really his queen, ruling his whole life and leading him onward and upward in every proper path."~JR Miller


"The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies. A true mother is one of the holiest secrets of home happiness. God sends many beautiful things to this world, many noble gifts; but no blessing is richer than that which He bestows in a mother who has learned love's lessons well, and has realized something of the meaning of her sacred calling."~JR Miller


"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."~C.S. Lewis

Source: A Virtuous Heart

Quotes From My Friend's Statuses...

♫ "When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything you gave me." -Erma Bombeck

♫ "If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: 'He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned.'"