Opportunity
Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.
— Elisabeth Elliott, Passion and Purity
Pleasing Him
We are not here to wish to be somewhere or something we are not, but to do the thing that pleases Him exactly where we are, and as we are.
— Amy Carmichael, Thou Givest . . . They Gather
For Love of Him
In every giving up, whether it be of those who are daily our delight, or of our own desires, for love of Him who died for us; in every little private resolve of the heart to do the thing that pleaseth Him, whatever the cost, and to do it not with a grudging spirit but with glad abandon; in every such experience, however small, we may have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
— Amy Carmichael, Thou Givest . . . They Gather
Accepting God’s Will
To accept the will of God never leads to the miserable feeling that it is useless to strive any more. God does not ask for the dull, weak, sleepy acquiescence of indolence. He asks for something vivid and strong. He asks us to co-operate with Him, actively willing what He wills, our only aim His glory. To accept in this sense is to come with all the desire of the mind unto the place which the Lord shall choose, and to minister in the name of the Lord our God there— not otherwhere. Where the things of God are concerned, acceptance always means the happy choice of mind and heart of that which He appoints, because (for the present) it is His good and acceptable and perfect will.
— Amy Carmichael, Gold By Moonlight
Grace
I have as much grace for you as I have green for my trees.
— Amy Carmichael, Gold by Moonlight
Your Beauty and Power
The message of our wounds nearly always is, “This is because of you. This is what you deserve.” It changes things to realize that, no, it is because you are glorious that these things have happened. It is because you are a major threat to the kingdom of darkness. Because you uniquely carry the glory of God to the world.
You are hated because of your beauty and power.
— John and Stasi Eldredge, Captivating, p. 85
Everyone Benefits from True Happiness.
Happiness, by its very nature, encourages trust, spontaneity, optimism, and enthusiasm — all of which bring great gifts. In particular, when you dare to be happy, you find that people instinctively gravitate to you and like you, although they may not know why. Maybe it’s something to do with your smile. Whatever it is, your happiness is an inspiration and a gift to everyone. Everyone benefits from true happiness . . . everyone benefits from your happiness.
— Robert Holden, PhD, Happiness Now! p. 34
Making Stories
We who make stories know that we tell lies for a living. But they are good lies that say true things, and we owe it to our readers to build them as best we can. Because somewhere out there is someone who needs that story. Someone who will grow up with a different landscape, who without that story will be a different person. And who with that story may have hope, or wisdom, or kindness, or comfort.
And that is why we write.
–Neil Gaiman, Newbery Acceptance Speech, Horn Book Magazine, July/August 2009, Volume LXXXV Number 4, p. 350
Plugging Away
I am still plugging away at my writing. The road to literature is at first a very slow one, but I have made a good deal of progress since this time last year, and I mean to work patiently on until I win — as I believe I shall, sooner or later — recognition and success.
— L. M. Montgomery, before the publication of Anne of Green Gables
Gloriously Inhabit All the Ages You Are!
The opposite of old isn’t young. The opposite of old is new. As long as we continue to experience the new, we will gloriously inhabit all of the ages that we are.
~ SARK, posted on Facebook, August 4, 2009