Time is not measured
by the years that you live
But by the deeds that you do
and the joy that you give
And each day as it comes
brings a chance to each one
To love to the fullest
leaving nothing undone
That would brighten the life
or enlighten the load
Of some weary traveler
lost on Life's Road
So what does it matter
how long we may live
If as long as we live
Spafford and his wife had four daughters and a son. In 1870, his four-year-old son died from Scarlet Fever. Just a year later, when The Great Chicago Fire happened, it left 300 people dead, 100,000 people homeless, and the entire central business district destroyed. The fire also took a huge toll on Spafford's finances since he owned a large amount of real estate in the city.
In 1873, Spafford arranged to take his wife and daughters on a vacation to Europe. He was going to visit Moody while he was there. On the day their ship was scheduled to leave, Spafford had some last-minute business to attend to. So he put his family on the ship and told them he'd catch up with them soon.
In the wee hours of November 22, 1873, the ship, the "S.S. Ville du Harve", collided with another vessel. Within two hours, their ship sank into the icy water. Among the 226 dead were Spafford's young daughters- Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie. Spafford's wife Anna managed to survive.
Horatio Spafford immediately booked passage on a ship to join his wife. As the ship passed over the spot where his four daughters had drowned, he said, "It is well; the will of God be done." Spafford then wrote the Gospel song, "It is Well with My Soul."
"When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul!"
Years, passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said.
The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It's perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. " I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last wood cutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. " All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."
Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." Her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. " This manger is beautiful." She said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She new she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
The next time you feel down because you didn't get what you wanted, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.
Read more Inspiring Stories here
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.
The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.
“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground — it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.
Read more Inspiring Stories here
As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?
Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.
More Inspiring Stories Here
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks
passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
Read More Inspiring Stories
An elderly Carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door key to the carpenter. "This is your house" he said , "my gift to you".
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house , he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none to well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at a situation we have created and find that now we are living in the house we have built. If we had realized we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter . Think about you house . Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says,"Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
Author Unknown
Read More Inspiring Stories Here!
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. Make sure to read more Inspiring Stories here.
A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She said, "Father, I do not know how I am going to make it. I just feel like giving up. I'm tired of fighting and struggling. It seems as though every time one of my problems is solved, a new one comes along. I just can't take it anymore."
Her father took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed them each on high heat. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one pot of boiling water, he placed carrots. In the second, he placed eggs, and in the last pot, he placed coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
Twenty minutes later, he turned off the burners. He strained the water from the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He lifted the eggs out and placed them in another bowl. Then he ladled the steaming coffee into a bowl. Turning to her, he asked, "What do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft and mushy. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its flavor and smelled the rich aroma. She humbly asked, "But what does it mean, Father?"
He explained that each of them had been plunged into boiling water, but each had reacted differently. The carrot went into the water strong and hard but after being subjected to the boiling water; it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its soft, liquid interior. But after sitting in the boiling water, it became hard on the inside.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, the water did not really change them. They changed the water! "Which are you?? the father gently asked his daughter.
"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you more like a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
How about you? Are you the carrot that started out strong and hard long ago, but with the pain and adversity of your life struggles, did you become soft and lose your strength?
Are you the egg that started out soft inside? Were you a fluid spirit, but after the pain of death, abuse, rejection, poor health, divorce, or a layoff, have you become hardened? Your outer shell might look the same, but have you become hard-boiled and toughened in your spirit and your heart?
Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean that was plunged into the rapidly boiling water actually changed the hot water and gave it flavor and aroma, reaching its peak flavor at 212 degrees Fahrenheit! THAT IS HOT WATER!
When people say bad things about you, do your praises to the Lord continue, or do you blame Him? When the hour is darkest and your trials are greatest, does your worship elevate to a higher level, or do you desert Him? When you feel burdened by your own troubles, do you still reach out and help others? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
The little boy then understood how powerful his words were. He looked up at his father and said “I hope you can forgive me father for the holes I put in you.”
“Of course I can,” said the father.
The next time you are tempted to say hurtful to someone just because you're angry you might want to stop and remember this short story.More Inspiring Stories
A true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona
Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.
Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there.
Now far from home on a ledge, her sight blurry, she was feeling desperate and began to get upset. She prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her
clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found.
She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."
Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?" Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!
Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
More Inspiring Stories
More Inspiring Stories
Source: selfimprovementnow.com
How do you achieve a more consistent level of self motivation? To begin with, you can use the following self motivation tips, beginning at the start of your day.
1. Wake Up Motivated
One way to start the day right and feel good about getting out of bed is to have something to look forward to and remember that as soon as you wake up. Whatever it is that you will be happy or excited to be doing that day, think about it the moment you open your eyes. This simple process can change your brain chemicals to give you energy and make you feel like getting up.
If you have a hard time thinking of the good things coming that day, write them down the night before. Then review your notes the moment you open your eyes. But what if you have nothing to get excited about? See the next tip.
2. Discover How to Motivate Yourself
You are unique, and although there are certainly principles of motivation, the specific things that work best for you will not be the same as for others. Experiment and see which techniques are most suited to the way your mind and body functions. A particular song may be very energizing for you. A few minutes of deep breathing might help. Affirmations or fresh air and exercise could do the trick. As you discover what is effective for you, write these things down so you won't forget them.
3. Continue Your Daily Motivation Exercises
People get excited by something, and then when the excitement fades they think it wasn't real, but why? Your muscles really do get stronger with exercise, even if they do get weaker once you stop exercising. Eating actually does give you what you need, even if you do have to do it every day several times. Why not see your personal "motivation management" routine in the same way? You may need to repeat what works, and do so every day. Play that favorite music regularly, do that deep breathing, take that walk or do whatever has proven itself effective - and then do it again as necessary!
4. Sleep with Good Thoughts
Have you ever noticed that when you watch terrible news, or even a scary movie before going to sleep, your dreams are affected? You might even wake up in bad mood, having gone through all sorts of terrible things in your dreams - whether or not you remember them. The obvious lesson? Watch news and negative or frightening television earlier in the evening. Limit your intake of bad thoughts before bedtime and you'll probably have better quality sleep and a better outlook in the morning.
5. Go Beyond Daily Motivation Tricks
It is useful to learn how your brain and body works and to apply that knowledge through "tricks" like those above to get the results you want. But it seems clear to those that explore more deeply that there is a natural motivation which arises in any life that is balanced and healthy. When you see clearly enough what needs to be done, the energy is there to do it.
You may doubt this at first, but with a bit of self awareness and honest inquiry into ones nature, this is what many of us have found. Tap into that natural state of action that comes from seeing the truth clearly, and eventually you may not need daily motivation tricks and techniques.
More Advice
How do you achieve a more consistent level of self motivation? To begin with, you can use the following self motivation tips, beginning at the start of your day.
1. Wake Up Motivated
One way to start the day right and feel good about getting out of bed is to have something to look forward to and remember that as soon as you wake up. Whatever it is that you will be happy or excited to be doing that day, think about it the moment you open your eyes. This simple process can change your brain chemicals to give you energy and make you feel like getting up.
If you have a hard time thinking of the good things coming that day, write them down the night before. Then review your notes the moment you open your eyes. But what if you have nothing to get excited about? See the next tip.
2. Discover How to Motivate Yourself
You are unique, and although there are certainly principles of motivation, the specific things that work best for you will not be the same as for others. Experiment and see which techniques are most suited to the way your mind and body functions. A particular song may be very energizing for you. A few minutes of deep breathing might help. Affirmations or fresh air and exercise could do the trick. As you discover what is effective for you, write these things down so you won't forget them.
3. Continue Your Daily Motivation Exercises
People get excited by something, and then when the excitement fades they think it wasn't real, but why? Your muscles really do get stronger with exercise, even if they do get weaker once you stop exercising. Eating actually does give you what you need, even if you do have to do it every day several times. Why not see your personal "motivation management" routine in the same way? You may need to repeat what works, and do so every day. Play that favorite music regularly, do that deep breathing, take that walk or do whatever has proven itself effective - and then do it again as necessary!
4. Sleep with Good Thoughts
Have you ever noticed that when you watch terrible news, or even a scary movie before going to sleep, your dreams are affected? You might even wake up in bad mood, having gone through all sorts of terrible things in your dreams - whether or not you remember them. The obvious lesson? Watch news and negative or frightening television earlier in the evening. Limit your intake of bad thoughts before bedtime and you'll probably have better quality sleep and a better outlook in the morning.
5. Go Beyond Daily Motivation Tricks
It is useful to learn how your brain and body works and to apply that knowledge through "tricks" like those above to get the results you want. But it seems clear to those that explore more deeply that there is a natural motivation which arises in any life that is balanced and healthy. When you see clearly enough what needs to be done, the energy is there to do it.
You may doubt this at first, but with a bit of self awareness and honest inquiry into ones nature, this is what many of us have found. Tap into that natural state of action that comes from seeing the truth clearly, and eventually you may not need daily motivation tricks and techniques.
More Advice
Bob Proctor – one of the key figures in “The Secret”- believes that the Law of Attraction is incomplete, and for the first time reveals the 11 Forgotten Laws that will finally uncover the Law’s true potential.
My Dear Friend:
Let’s face it: The current global recession does not seem to be recovering very fast.
Yet, didn’t the movie The Secret offer such hope three years ago? It seemed like a bright future that with millions of new converts to the Law of Attraction, a new era of prosperity and abundance will be ushered in.
Perhaps you are one of them.
You faithfully followed each and every one of the 3 steps. Yet the results you “attracted” were dismal at best. If you have any doubt about that…
Just look at the wreckage around you
The financial system has collapsed. More and more major banks are dropping like flies. The feds seem to be running around like headless chickens.
And to make things worse…
You’re the one who’s paying the price
CNN published an article October 7th reporting that 8/10 Americans are stressed out by all these happenings. This year alone, 760,000 jobs will be lost. And that’s just the pre-bailout statistics.
Furthermore, even if you’re prudently saving, your 401K plan is going up in smoke. On top of that, inflation rates are soaring.
The question you could be having in your mind is:
“Is the Law of Attraction Hype?”
But before I answer that, let me quickly introduce myself.My name is Bob Proctor.
Perhaps a quote from Doug Wead, former special assistant to the President of the United States, best describes me:
“Zig Ziglar may be the master motivator, Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul, the master story tellers; Anthony Robbins may be the guru of personal development, but Bob Proctor is the master thinker. When it comes to systemizing life, no one can touch him.”
When things go wrong,
as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging
Seems all uphill,
When the funds are low
And the debts are High ,
And you want to smile,
but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with it's twists an turns,
As everyone of us must sometimes learn,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it our,
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you cannot quit.
Unknown Author
Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve.
As you read, you’ll come to understand how your relationships, health issues, finances, career concerns, and more are influenced by the Universal laws that govern your time/space reality—and you’ll discover powerful processes that will help you go with the positive flow of life. It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good—and this book will show you how to make it so in every way!
There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies & a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.
When he had gone a few blocks from home, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park near the water just staring at some birds . The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer, when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.The old man gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so incredible that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Once again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was, and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps; he turned around, and ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug.The old man gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked her son: "What did you do today that made you so happy?" The child replied: "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added: "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!
Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and asked: "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied: "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before his son responded, he added: "You know, He's much younger than I expected.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring. All of which have the potential to make someone's day a very special one, or even turn someone's life around.
More Inspiring Stories
More Inspiring Stories
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich. ~Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis," M*A*S*H
Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein
It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. ~Johann Schiller
The family is a haven in a heartless world. ~Attributed to Christopher Lasch
Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we've put it in an impossible situation. ~Margaret Mead
Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown
The thing about family disasters is that you never have to wait long before the next one puts the previous one into perspective. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion. ~Ashleigh Brilliant
We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott
Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. ~Evan Esar
A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. ~Ogden Nash
The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck
When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers
In some families, please is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was sorry. ~Margaret Laurence
Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu
An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship. ~Spanish Proverb
Blood's thicker than water, and when one's in trouble
Best to seek out a relative's open arms.
~Author Unknown
The happiness of the domestic fireside is the first boon of Heaven; and it is well it is so, since it is that which is the lot of the mass of mankind. ~Thomas Jefferson, 1813
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. ~Barbara Bush
When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them. ~George Bernard Shaw
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
More Inspiring Quotes
Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein
It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. ~Johann Schiller
The family is a haven in a heartless world. ~Attributed to Christopher Lasch
Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we've put it in an impossible situation. ~Margaret Mead
Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown
The thing about family disasters is that you never have to wait long before the next one puts the previous one into perspective. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to a family reunion. ~Ashleigh Brilliant
We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott
Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. ~Evan Esar
A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. ~Ogden Nash
The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck
When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers
In some families, please is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was sorry. ~Margaret Laurence
Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu
An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship. ~Spanish Proverb
Blood's thicker than water, and when one's in trouble
Best to seek out a relative's open arms.
~Author Unknown
The happiness of the domestic fireside is the first boon of Heaven; and it is well it is so, since it is that which is the lot of the mass of mankind. ~Thomas Jefferson, 1813
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. ~Barbara Bush
When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them. ~George Bernard Shaw
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
More Inspiring Quotes
There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play without in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grand! ma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally just smiled and said," Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?"
So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."
Thought for the day and every day thereafter: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done -- and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, debt, fear, hatred , anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc.) whatever it is, you need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing, He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.
The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets -
It is by God's Grace and Mercy that we are saved.
Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today.
Share this with a friend and always remember ...
This short film illustrates the power of words to radically change your message and your effect upon the world.
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The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread. ~Mother Teresa
Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein
There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder. ~Charles Morgan
You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum"
Ah me! love can not be cured by herbs. ~Ovid
Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. ~Eric Fromm
Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. ~Kahlil Gibran
Infatuation is when you think he's as sexy as Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger, as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody Allen, and as athletic as Jimmy Conners. Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford - but you'll take him anyway. ~Judith Viorst,Redbook, 1975
Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species. ~W. Somerset Maugham, A Writer's Notebook, 1949
Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars, 1939, translated from French by Lewis Galantière
When love is not madness, it is not love. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Let your love be like the misty rains, coming softly, but flooding the river. ~Malagasy Proverb
Do I love you because you're beautiful,
Or are you beautiful because I love you?
~Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella
For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard
Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! ~Sandra J. Dykes
Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense. ~Mark Overby
Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. ~Author Unknown
Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown
Love is a sweet tyranny, because the lover endureth his torments willingly. ~Proverb
The lover is a monotheist who knows that other people worship different gods but cannot himself imagine that there could be other gods. ~Theodor Reik, Of Love and Lust, 1957
Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov
Hate leaves ugly scars, love leaves beautiful ones. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
~William Shakespeare, Mid-Summer Night's Dream, 1595
The art of love... is largely the art of persistence. ~Albert Ellis
Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig
Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law. ~Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, A.D. 524
Who, being loved, is poor? ~Oscar Wilde
Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame. ~Henry David Thoreau
To find someone who will love you for no reason, and to shower that person with reasons, that is the ultimate happiness. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents! Eighty-nine cents worth of chemicals walking around lonely. ~Laurence Marks, M*A*S*H, "Love Story," original air date 7 January 1973, spoken by the character Hawkeye
A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark
Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. ~Robert Heinlein
The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough. ~George Moore
We loved with a love that was more than love. ~Edgar Allan Poe
If I love you, what business is it of yours? ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The hardest-learned lesson: that people have only their kind of love to give, not our kind. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
My debt to you, Belovèd,
Is one I cannot pay
In any coin of any realm
On any reckoning day.
~Jessie B. Rittenhouse
We choose those we like; with those we love, we have no say in the matter. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree but to hold hands. ~Quoted by Alexandra Penney in Self
Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh
When a man is in love or in debt, someone else has the advantage. ~Bill Balance
Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. ~Rose Franken
Love is the magician that pulls man out of his own hat. ~Ben Hecht
A bell is no bell 'til you ring it,
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay -
Love isn’t love
'Til you give it away.
~Oscar Hammerstein, Sound of Music, "You Are Sixteen (Reprise)"
(Thanks, Krystel)
Love is like dew that falls on both nettles and lilies. ~Swedish Proverb
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. ~Henry Van Dyke
Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over Philadelphia. ~Judith Viorst, Redbook, 1975
Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. ~Ice T, The Ice Opinion, quoted in Reader's Digest, "Quotable Quotes," February 2002
Love is no respecter of age or practicality
Neither morality: unabashed
She enters where she will
Unheeding that her immortal fires
Burn up human hearts...
~Phillip Pulfrey, from Beyond Me, www.originals.net
Love is an ocean of emotions entirely surrounded by expenses. ~Lord Dewar
When you're in love you never really know whether your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love, or if it attributes them to her; whether the light which surrounds her like a halo comes from you, from her, or from the meeting of your sparks. ~Natalie Clifford Barney
Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict. ~Rabindranath Tagore
It is astonishing how little one feels alone when one loves. ~John Bulwer
More Inspiring Quotes
Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. ~Albert Einstein
There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder. ~Charles Morgan
You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum"
Ah me! love can not be cured by herbs. ~Ovid
Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. ~Eric Fromm
Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. ~Kahlil Gibran
Infatuation is when you think he's as sexy as Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger, as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody Allen, and as athletic as Jimmy Conners. Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford - but you'll take him anyway. ~Judith Viorst,Redbook, 1975
Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species. ~W. Somerset Maugham, A Writer's Notebook, 1949
Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars, 1939, translated from French by Lewis Galantière
When love is not madness, it is not love. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Let your love be like the misty rains, coming softly, but flooding the river. ~Malagasy Proverb
Do I love you because you're beautiful,
Or are you beautiful because I love you?
~Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella
For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard
Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! ~Sandra J. Dykes
Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense. ~Mark Overby
Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. ~Author Unknown
Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown
Love is a sweet tyranny, because the lover endureth his torments willingly. ~Proverb
The lover is a monotheist who knows that other people worship different gods but cannot himself imagine that there could be other gods. ~Theodor Reik, Of Love and Lust, 1957
Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov
Hate leaves ugly scars, love leaves beautiful ones. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
~William Shakespeare, Mid-Summer Night's Dream, 1595
The art of love... is largely the art of persistence. ~Albert Ellis
Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig
Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law. ~Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, A.D. 524
Who, being loved, is poor? ~Oscar Wilde
Love must be as much a light, as it is a flame. ~Henry David Thoreau
To find someone who will love you for no reason, and to shower that person with reasons, that is the ultimate happiness. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents! Eighty-nine cents worth of chemicals walking around lonely. ~Laurence Marks, M*A*S*H, "Love Story," original air date 7 January 1973, spoken by the character Hawkeye
A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark
Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. ~Robert Heinlein
The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel that I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough. ~George Moore
We loved with a love that was more than love. ~Edgar Allan Poe
If I love you, what business is it of yours? ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The hardest-learned lesson: that people have only their kind of love to give, not our kind. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
My debt to you, Belovèd,
Is one I cannot pay
In any coin of any realm
On any reckoning day.
~Jessie B. Rittenhouse
We choose those we like; with those we love, we have no say in the matter. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
The ultimate test of a relationship is to disagree but to hold hands. ~Quoted by Alexandra Penney in Self
Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh
When a man is in love or in debt, someone else has the advantage. ~Bill Balance
Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. ~Rose Franken
Love is the magician that pulls man out of his own hat. ~Ben Hecht
A bell is no bell 'til you ring it,
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay -
Love isn’t love
'Til you give it away.
~Oscar Hammerstein, Sound of Music, "You Are Sixteen (Reprise)"
(Thanks, Krystel)
Love is like dew that falls on both nettles and lilies. ~Swedish Proverb
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. ~Henry Van Dyke
Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over Philadelphia. ~Judith Viorst, Redbook, 1975
Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. ~Ice T, The Ice Opinion, quoted in Reader's Digest, "Quotable Quotes," February 2002
Love is no respecter of age or practicality
Neither morality: unabashed
She enters where she will
Unheeding that her immortal fires
Burn up human hearts...
~Phillip Pulfrey, from Beyond Me, www.originals.net
Love is an ocean of emotions entirely surrounded by expenses. ~Lord Dewar
When you're in love you never really know whether your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love, or if it attributes them to her; whether the light which surrounds her like a halo comes from you, from her, or from the meeting of your sparks. ~Natalie Clifford Barney
Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict. ~Rabindranath Tagore
It is astonishing how little one feels alone when one loves. ~John Bulwer
More Inspiring Quotes
