The Voice of God

"When things are too crazy, the only voices I hear are the voices of fear and shame. I stop being able to hear the voice of God,the voice of rest, the voice of hope and healing and restoration, the voice that gives new life to dry old bones.

"The voice of God invites us to full, whole living—to rest, to abundance, to enough. To say no. To say no more. To say I'm going to choose to live wholly and completely in the present, even though this ragged, run-down person I am right now is so far from perfect."

— Shauna Niequist

Quote of the Day

Portland Japanese Garden. April 2015.
© 2016 Alison Walker

Quote of the Day

"It’s rebellious, in a way, to choose joy, to dance, to love your life. It’s much easier and much more common to be miserable. ... but I think it’s our job to live each day like it’s a special occasion, because we’ve been given a gift."

— Shauna Niequist

Quote of the Day

"You write because you have a story to tell, because you sense that you can find words for things that might matter to someone else, that might set them free, that will make them feel less alone, like they’ve made a friend, like they’re not crazy, like they’re not wrong just for being who they are. You write because you think it might matter to someone, the way other people’s words mattered to you."

~Shauna Niequist

Quote of the Day

"The real voyage of discovery
consists not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes."

~Marcel Proust

Quote of the Day

"There is always a reason to dance."

~Anne Lamott

Source: Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2012.

Quote of the Day

"I still find each day too short for
all the thoughts I want to think,
all the walks I want to take,
all the books I want to read,
and all the friends I want to see."

~John Burroughs

Quote of the Day

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

~Barack Obama in 2012,
quoting Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the Day

"Seeking happiness outside ourselves is
like waiting for sunshine in a cave facing north."

~Tibetan Saying

Quote of the Day

"You don't need more time ...
you just need to decide."

~Seth Godin

Quote of the Day

"I have found that most people
are about as happy as they make up
their minds to be."

~Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the Day

"We are repeatedly what we do.
Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit."

~Aristotle

Quote of the Day

"They must often change,
who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."

~Confucius

Quote of the Day

"Do or do not ... there is no try."

~Yoda

From Beliefnet.com:

Eliminate "I'll try" From Your Vocabulary

When we say, “I tried,” in the past tense, it means we have failed at reaching a goal. Likewise, saying “I’ll try” is a way of excusing ourselves from doing the hard work of accomplishing whatever it is we are setting out to do. When you make a commitment or promise to yourself or others, say instead, “I will do it!”

Quote of the Day

"Your definition of happiness will depend upon who you are - but do you have a sense of peace in your heart, a feeling of security about your future, and a feeling of anticipation when you wake up in the morning? If we can call this happiness, then would you say that at this moment you are happy?"

~Masaru Emoto

Quote of the Day

"A part-time effort, a sorta-kinda commitment, an untested promise, won't suffice. You must know that you mean business, that you're going to jump into it up to your eye sockets and not turn back at the last minute."

~Gregg Levoy

Quote of the Day

"Storybook happiness involves every form of pleasant thumb-twiddling; true happiness involves the full use of one's powers and talents."

~John W. Gardner