The Worth of all People

C.S. Lewis is one of the most quoted Christian authors. An interesting fact about him is that he was actually introduced to Christianity by another well known author J.R.R. Tolkien. For those of you who have read the Chronicles of Narnia and also The Lord of the Rings you will see a parallel of Christian beliefs mixed into the stories.

I love to read great authors and especially finding the inspiring quotes that really make me think. I have recently found this jewel of a quote by C.S. Lewis:

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals who we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. this does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of the kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption."

People are not ordinary. None of us are. We are all immortal beings with immortal plans for our lives. We are all here for a purpose and we must all learn to respect our fellow immortals. Though we live in a mortal world we must remember that we are more and those around us are more. Never think less of yourself or of others around you. But remember to be happy to take joy in the fact that you are more then a mere mortal, because that my friend is why we are here. To learn, to grow, but also to be happy.

My Favorite Quotes

It is our responsibilities, not ourselves, that we should take seriously. - Peter Ustinov

I love this quote. Through my experiences I have learned that the only real way to enjoy our lives, is to laugh. Most importantly laugh at yourself. When you do something dumb, don't turn bright red and try to hide, just laugh! Laughter relieves your own embarrassment. Plus all those people who are secretly hiding their laughter won't feel quite so bad about laughing too! (It's okay they still love you even when you are a klutz!)

No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately. - Michel de Montaigne

I constantly say something dumb. For example I was trying to explain to my roommate once how I often say stupid words that don't make any sense. I followed that by my sarcastic, "Yeah I'm real spart." I meant to say 'smart' only further proving my point that I can't speak.

There are only two ways that you can live. One is as if nothing is a miracle the other is as if everything is a miracle. I believe in the latter. -Albert Einstein

This quote sums up my view of life. I don't believe anything happens without a purpose or just randomly. If I didn't believe this I would have no point in going forward in life.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. - Henry David Thoreau

I like this quote because I often feel that I have never truly fit in with the other people my age. I always felt like I was different then them. Not in a good or bad way, just different. As if my life would always be different then theirs, because I saw things with a different perspective then they did.

Dear Lord,
So far today, I am doing all right.
I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, complained, cursed, or eaten any chocolate. I have charged nothing on my credit card.
But I will be getting out of bed in a minute, and I think that I will really need your help then.
- Anonymous

Why do I like this quote? Because it makes me laugh! And laughter is truly the best medicine!

The Things You Never Imagined

Have you ever woken up one morning and realized how different your life is compared to what you always pictured your life would be like? When you are young you have a vision of "your life" and somehow you can't imagine how it would ever be different.

I remember when I was younger I would watch all the twenty-year-olds and I would think they were so old and wise. They were married women with husbands, jobs, babies on the way, and people I could not relate to. I assumed when I was that age I would be the same as them. But that would be so far into the future it seemed impossible.

So here I am at twenty, and my life is nothing how I pictured. I am not married, no babies on the way, and I have recently switched majors. I don't even feel any older than I did when I was little. I still day-dream about my prince on his white horse. I still sometimes get afraid of the dark. I still imagine I'm a fairytale princess in a palace.

Sometimes it makes me laugh when I realize that I thought getting older would make me more of a wise grown-up. I feel just as confused about the world now as I did then. Actually I am more confused now, because I know more! I once heard a quote that said something about "the more you know, the more you realize you don't know".

Sometimes it makes me cry that my life isn't how I pictured it. It's much harder then I ever imagined. As a child you long to be older, as an adult you long to be like a child again. Innocent, naive, and life is simple.

But that's the point. Life was not made to be simple. If we knew how life was supposed to be, we wouldn't try, we wouldn't learn, and then what would are purpose be? Life is a challenge, a struggle, and constantly changing in ways we can't understand.

Yet even though it's hard, it's beautiful. When you step back to look at all you have accomplished, all you have learned, and all the beauty around you it makes it all worth it. Though you may cry yourself to sleep in the dark, a new and bright morning will always find you bringing hope.

Here Comes the Sun!

After a long season of snow and cold accompanied by long dark nights isn't it wonderful to see the first glimpses of Spring! The sun sending warm rays to melt the snow and breathe life back to the sleeping Earth. I love the first spring flowers poking up from the snow. I love the baby deer with the spots on their backs and the birds that resume their usual perches. I love how the daylight begins to last longer. Spring proves that no matter how dark and cold things can become in life a Spring will always be right around the corner ready to bring forth new life!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

One of my favorite songs at Christmas time is the classic song White Christmas. The best version is the original by Bing Crosby. When I hear his timeless rendition of the song it sums up the perfect Christmas.

What is more Christmasy then waking up on Christmas morning to see the Earth covered in a thick blanket of white. The shimmering crystals of ice glistening in the winter sun. It's fun to dress in your warmest coat and wrap a thick scarf around your neck to keep out the cold while you roll balls of snow into a tall snowman.

Even though the song was written several decades ago, it still is one of the most popular Christmas songs. Why is that? It's because in our ever changing world, Christmas is the one time of year where people revert back to their childhood ways. Magic still exists. We still believe that there is a big jolly man that brings gifts to us at night. We imagine that reindeer can fly. When our everyday world is covered with the magic like blanket of crystals it takes on an ethereal look. It's easy to believe anything is possible.

The beautiful Christmas world brings everyone together. Suddenly strangers will smile at one another, they tip their hats and wish each other Merry Christmas. The poor and homeless are remembered and people donate generously.

Each year as Christmas draws near I look out the window hoping to glance at the first sign of the magic white snow signaling that special time of year has arrived. When that first snow falls I smile as I turn on Bing Crosby's classic song and I pour myself a mug of hot chocolate.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know,
Where the treetops glisten and children listen to here sleigh bells in the snow.

The Complexity of Growing Up

When we are younger we have very few choices we have to make. Usually they consist of do we want to wear green or red today? Do we want juice or milk for breakfast? Which friend should I play with today? Simple choices. Most of our decisions had very little affect on us and a very small future outcome.

As we get older though our decisions become much more complex. The consequences of them become far more impactful on our futures. No longer is there a black and white choice. Some choices will never be good. Someone will get hurt, and something will be lost.

Some mornings I wake up and I can't help but think, "Why did I have to grow up?" I would have been perfectly happy staying a child forever. But wishing never seems to help. Each day I wake up I am a day older, faced with another difficult choice, and hopefully be the end of the day, a day wiser.

We all know the story written by Sir James Mathew Barrie, about the boy who never grew up. He lived on a faraway island fighting pirates, rescuing indian princesses, and telling stories to mermaids. His little fairy friend was his loyal companion and he lived with a bunch of lost boys. Sometimes I wish that there was such a place as Neverland. I wish I could go there and never return. Live in a fariytale world where the difficult choices in my life were never a problem.

Perhaps that is why people such as Sir James Mathew Barrie write of such places. When we as people don't like our current situation in life we long to be somewhere else where our troubles are no longer troubles.

Sadly though there is no Neverland. We must grow up and we do have to make tough choices. Life never turns out how we planned and things will always stop us in our path. That is why we must make the most of what we do have. We must always find something to be glad about each day. We must remember the small things we used to notice as children. The ladybug on the leaf, the rose on the bush, and the bright blue of the sky. Life will never be as easy as childhood, but we don't have to loose all our childhood wonder.

The Tapestry of Life

Saying goodbye is one of the hardest tasks we must do in life. Leaving memories and moments in time that changed us or affected us to some degree.

We leave a part of ourselves every time we say goodbye. Part of our hearts stay even though we must move on.

Change is inevitable. We can’t stop it so we must accept it. People move on, places change, events happen, nothing remains constant.

Every time we wave goodbye to another era of our life a new thread is added to the tapestry of life. Some threads are bold colors that remind us of a happy era, others are gray and dull. Those threads remind us of tears. But each thread adds to the unique pattern of life. No one’s tapestry looks the same, but each one is a unique expression of who they truly are. Each one a beautiful masterpiece.

Letting go of some threads are difficult. When your life is filled with the bright colors of joy and contentment you often feel bitter towards the new thread you must now accept. But whose to say the next thread won’t be better? How will you ever know if you don’t try?

Even the dull threads full of sorrow are important to your tapestry. Without the dull threads how will the bright ones ever stand out?

The trick is to accept each thread of your life as it comes. Don’t mourn after the ones gone by, don’t worry about the ones to come. Accept each thread with hope and understanding that this is the right thread for your unique tapestry. The Master Weaver never makes a mistake. He knows exactly what thread to give you at each era of your life. Trust Him with your tapestry for you will never understand his design until it’s through. Then you will finally be able to see your unique exquisite pattern and you will marvel at the Master Weaver’s perfect touch.