Inspirational thoughts

“There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems, 1956-1968

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

“The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the hetacombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we are ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?” St. Maximilian Kolbe

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, remember that all the people in the world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gabsy” 

“People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.” St. Augustine
    Take time each day to reflect on what the Holy Spirit is doing within your heart and mind…discover the marvels of God’s action in your soul!

“If you find a pathway with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” Amish Proverb

“Swallowing words before you say them is so much better than having to eat them afterward.” Amish Proverb

“If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.”  Leo Tolstoy

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

—Harper Lee    Several years ago, I had a conversation with a homeless man in NYC.  He started by asking me a few questions: “Reverend, have you ever been out in the street for 3 weeks in the winter when the temperature gets in the teens?  Have you ever gone 3 weeks without showering?  Have you ever had on 4 pairs of socks, but your feet are still frozen? Have you ever had anyone offer you a cold bottle of water at 1 am in the morning on a freezing night and tell you to “stay warm”?  That is hard for me, but the hardest thing is that I am  no longer treated like a human being.  Just a few years ago, I was working finance in this town, and now I feel like a piece of garbage on the street that most people want to avoid… 

“Dead people receive more flowers than the living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude.” Anne Frank