“Promise me this. When you find yourself in need of inspiration, bypass the roses that will clamor aimlessly for attention. And focus on the souls who have actually ‘lived’ among the thorns.”

“To live, you must desire life.”

“You inspire, you put a smile on someone’s face, you make someone laugh or deeply touch a person’s heart. We all have that in ourselves no matter how tough our journeys are.”

“Awaken me, O my soul, to life’s greatest JOYS…that I may share them…in some small way—so that others may find them and share them also; for TRUE JOY and REAL PEACE go hand-in-hand…Awaken me, O my soul.”

“What if we lean in to life even with the messes and the mysteries to find the magic in it all?”

“What had happened was this. When still young, I had gotten the idea from somewhere that I might be able to write… Maybe the deadly notion came from liking to read so much. Maybe I was in love with the image of being a writer. Whatever. It had been a really bad idea. Because I couldn’t write, at least not by the bluntly and frequently expressed standards of anyone in a position to offer any encouragement and feedback.”

“Winning is not life, fighting for third place is.”

“Today if anything is trying to hold you back, give no attention to it. Get your hopes up, get your faith up, look up, and get ready to rise up.”

“The sweet pleasure of prayer, the grace of the soul.”

“The greatest power is the power of pray.”

“God is love, as we love we become like God”

“When we grow in faith, the doubt shall ceased.”

“Fear is a faint heart.”