Think think think
I’m a thinker. And, I have problems. haha does that describe you?
Well, we’re in a spot of curse and blessing. Aren’t we a good pair.
There’s this quote I found. I’m not sure who quoth it, but it sounds pretty legitimate to me:
Living with God intimately is greater than finding the solution to the struggle. Hmm . . .
Just something to think about
Written by Andy Rooney.
I’ve learned…. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows.
I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day.
I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being right.
I’ve learned…. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I’ve learned…. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.
I’ve learned…. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I’ve learned…. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I’ve learned…. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I’ve learned…. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I’ve learned…. That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
I’ve learned…. That money doesn’t buy class.
I’ve learned…. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I’ve learned… That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I’ve learned…. That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I’ve learned…. That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I’ve learned…. That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I’ve learned…. That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I’ve learned…. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I’ve learned…. That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I’ve learned…. That life is tough, but I’m tougher.
I’ve learned…. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I’ve learned…. That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I’ve learned…. That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I’ve learned…. That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I’ve learned…. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I’ve learned…. That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.
I’ve learned…. That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.
I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
Your face?
Really.
haha best title ever. Okay, let me explain. I just feel like putting some quotations out there today into the world to see what happens. So, here’s my 2 cents worth today . . . I hope this makes God laugh:
“Say what you’re thinking . . . don’t write it on your face because when you do, it gets jumbled in the look you’re giving me.”
And, a few others that may have more of a substantial meaning behind them (that I did not say) haha:
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” -Pablo Picasso
“Being a strong person isn’t saying,’I can do this by myself.’ It’s understanding that you need God’s help because you can’t do it alone.” -Anonymous
“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.” -Alexander Graham Bell
“Remember, our faith is always at its greatest point when we are in the middle of the trial, and confidence in the flesh will never endure testing. Fair-weather faith is not faith at all.” —Charles H. Spurgeon
“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” -Hans Christian Anderson
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” -Anonymous
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dr. Seuss is a bonafide genius
Who else can say the things that are so true and so stunning with just the right mix of nonsense in the middle?
Yes, he is the author of one of my favorite childhood books, “Go! Dog! Go!” and some of the more solemn attitude, such as, “Oh! The Places You’ll Go.”
He is the one that uses the words that make no sense to the dictionary but make all the sense in the world to a kid’s and adult’s imagination. “My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It’s the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz. You’ll be sort of surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond ‘Z’ and start poking around!”
Here’s a few of his memorable quotes . . .
A person’s a person. No matter how small.
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.
And, my favorite: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
Bravo, Dr. Seuss. Bravo.
Easy Lives
“Do not pray for easy lives!
Pray to be stronger men and women.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.
Pray for powers equal to your tasks.
Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.”
-Phillips Brooks
:) Thanks to my friend, Ashley, for this.
Memorable quotes
“It’s like in the great stories, mister Frodo; the ones that really mattered: full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy; how could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing this shadow; even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But, I think, mister Frodo, I do understand; I know now: folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, but only they didn’t; they kept going because they were holding on to something. There is some good in this world, mister Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for!” -Samwise the brave
“At this level almost everyone has the physical tools to be the best. It comes down to a few things: how bad you want it, what you do when things get hard, and whether you are able to stay focused amid turmoil, challenge, chaos and demands. It’s all in your head and in your heart.” -Michelle Akers
“Shall I describe it to you, or do you want me to get you a box?” -Legolas
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” -Thomas Merton
“All endeavors call for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hour’s toil. The fight-to-the-finish spirit is the one characteristic we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers.” -Henry David Thoreau
“We can cure physical diesases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love. There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone’s house. That says enough. In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” -Mother Theresa
“Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” -Jack Buck
“God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.” -Anonymous
“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” -Anonymous
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” Consider calling it a challenge rather than calling it a crisis. Begin each day as if it were on purpose.” -Mary Anne Radmacher
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” -Dr. Seuss
“There is no better time than now. The time to live is now. The time to dream is now. The time to imagine and forget the past is now. The time to shine is now. The time to bleed, sweat, and determine yourself for the things you want most is now.” -Anonymous
“Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us–and those around us — more effectively. Look for the learning.” -Eric Allenbaugh
“To accomplish great things we must not only act but also dream, not only plan but also believe.” -Anatole
“Big thinking precedes great achievement. Success is focusing the full power of all you are one what you have a burning desire to achieve. See it big, and keep it simple. Great lives are ordinary lives intensified.” -Wilferd A. Peterson
“I have heard it said that the first ingredient of success–the earliest spark of dreaming youth–is this: dream a great dream.” -John A. Appleman
“What you see depends on what you’re looking for.” -Anonymous
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” -Marianne Williamson
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re 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 its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow – you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;
often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor’s cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out – the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit – it’s when things seem worst,
you must not quit.” -Edgar A. Guest
Olympic Athletes
Olympic Athletes go beyond the ultimate.
Kelly Clark, Olympic snowboarder, found Christ oneday on a snowy halfpipe, where a Christian snowboarder had fallen down. Through the tears of this young athlete, disappointment streaming down her face, the Christian snowboarder’s friend tried to make her laugh by saying, “It’s okay, God still loves you.” And, as Kelly walked by this conversation there was something about that comment that she couldn’t shake.
When she journeyed back to her room, she flipped through a Bible in the drawer, but she didn’t know how that kind of faith could be possible. The girl had fallen, and she still looked at her life as something of purpose – not putting her image in her success. So, as soon as Kelly learned that the girl was in her dorm, she sauntered down the corridor, knocked on the door, and said, “Hey, I think you’re a Christian, and I think you need to tell me about God.” And, that’s how the Olympic snowboarder got gold.
“That was a huge shifting point for me where my snowboarding became this amazing expression and fun thing, rather than this thing that I had to do. It became this thing that I was made to do and I could actually enjoy, and there was so much freedom in it because I wasn’t doing it to prove to people who I was. Through my relationship with God I learned who I was, and was comfortable in who I was. But I’ll tell you, I’ve never had more fun snowboarding, and I’ve never been more free.” – Kelly Clark
“I thank God every day for the lessons He has taught me along this journey. I went to Milwaukee with the understanding that I may fail in the eyes of the world and that pursuing this dream is a major risk. I may fall flat on my face. But I made a promise to learn. And I’ve learned that success is not defined by the outcome, but by the courage it takes to chase God-sized dreams.” – Jilleanne Rookard
To see more stories of these amazing athletes, go to Beyond the Ultimate.
© 2010 Beyond The Ultimate – Olympic, Professional & College Christian Athletes and Coaches
Do you have a favorite quote?
From Lord of the Rings – “Shall I describe it to you, or do you want me to get you a box?” Is a great one, but my favorite is definitely the long one on the sidebar over there ->
How about you?
Encouraging quote:
“Writing books is hard work. It takes time and it takes thinking…I want each and every one of you to dream big dreams, read everything you can and write up a storm.
“Great authors choose to be great authors with the lives they lead.”
Beautiful; I’m not exactly sure who said it, but they sure can turn a phrase. :)
