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Classic Quotes from "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass"

“And what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?”   “If I had a world of my own, eve...

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

{Memorable Quotes from "The Magician's Nephew"}

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“As he rose to his feet he noticed that he was neither dripping nor panting for breath as anyone would expect after being under water. His clothes were perfectly dry. He was standing by the edge of a small pool—not more than ten feet from side to side in a wood. The trees grew close together and were so leafy that he could get no glimpse of the sky. All the light was green light that came through the leaves: but there must have been a very strong sun overhead, for this green daylight was bright and warm. It was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. There were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. You could almost feel the trees growing. The pool he had just got out of was not the only pool. There were dozens of others—a pool every few yards as far as his eyes could reach. You could almost feel the trees drinking the water up with their roots. This wood was very much alive.”


"Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations.”


“A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. It was hardly a tune. But it was beyond comparison, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.”


“Far overhead from beyond the veil of blue sky which hid them the stars sang again; a pure, cold, difficult music. Then there came a swift flash like fire (but it burnt nobody) either from the sky or from the Lion itself, and every drop of blood tingled in the children's bodies, and the deepest, wildest voice they had ever heard was saying: "Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters.”


 “You see, friends, he said, that before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought hither by this son of Adam.” 


“I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of the State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.” (Queen Jadis to Digory)


“Child, that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. Oh, the fruit is good, but they loath it ever after."


“But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it.”


“That's all YOU know,' said Digory. 'It's because you're a girl. Girls never want to know anything but gossip and rot about people getting engaged.”  ;)


"For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”


“Look for the valleys, the green places, and fly through them. There will always be a way through.”


“But please, please - won't you - can't you give me something that will cure Mother?'

Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.

'My son, my son,' said Aslan. 'I know. Grief is great.”


“Well, you know how it feels if you begin hoping for something that you want desperately badly; you almost fight against the hope because it is too good to be true; you've been disappointed so often before.”


“No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice.”


“He thinks great folly, child,' said Aslan. "This world is bursting with life for these few days because the song with which I called it into life still hangs in the air and rumbles in the ground. It will not be so for long. But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh, Adam's son, how cleverly you defend yourself against all that might do you good!”


 “Digory never spoke on the way back, and the others were shy of speaking to him. He was very sad and he wasn't even sure all the time that he had done the right thing; but whenever he remembered the shining tears in Aslan's eyes he became sure.”

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Sunday, May 25, 2014

"I Am": Jesus



Jesus is the  S o n  of  G o d .

God is Love.
He is humble,
gentle,
mighty, 
healer,
the Prince of peace,
the light of the world,
the perfect One
Who sacrificed Himself to die brutally in our place...
Now Jesus is risen,
victorious Lord!

We are forgiven,
in Christ, we live.

Jesus is Savior.

He is all-powerful, 
all-knowing
surrounding, 
overpowering, 
trustworthy,
true,
holy,
righteous, 
beautiful,
glorious,
actively moving, 
loving,
ever & always present,
never forsaking us,
He hears when we call.

He knows us intimately.

The Lord rules with compassion.
His throne is a throne of Grace,
and he sits on a seat of mercy.

He is self-existent.
Before Time, and forever, God lives.
He is infinite, the beginning and the end of all things.

He is I AM. 

Wow. He is amazing!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Classic Quotes from "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass"


“And what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?”  


“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” 


“'Do you know, I always thought unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!'
'Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the unicorn, 'if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you.'"


“Mad Hatter: “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”
“Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
“No, I give it up,” Alice replied: “What’s the answer?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter” 


“One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.”  


“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” 


“Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'
'I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.


 “If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” 


“Why it's simply impassible!
Alice: Why, don't you mean impossible?
Door: No, I do mean impassible. (chuckles) Nothing's impossible!”  


“Curiouser and curiouser.” 


“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.”  


“The Mad Hatter: "Would you like some wine?"
Alice: "Yes..."
The Mad Hatter: "We haven't any and you're too young.” 


“Take some more tea," the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
"I've had nothing yet," Alice replied in an offended tone, "so I can't take more."
"You mean you can't take less," said the Hatter: "it's very easy to take more than nothing."
"Nobody asked your opinion," said Alice.” 


“You used to be much more..."muchier." You've lost your muchness.”  (the Mad Hatter)


“Speak in French when you can’t think of the English for a thing--
turn your toes out when you walk---
And remember who you are!”  


“It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,' says the White Queen to Alice.” 


“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.” 


“I'd give all the wealth that years have piled,
the slow result of life's decay,
To be once more a little child
for one bright summer day.” 
 


 Alice Liddell, the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll to write "Alice in Wonderland' and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"


Saturday, May 17, 2014

{ For love is as strong as death }

My favorite quotes from "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis

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“This moment contains all moments.”  

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.” 


“You cannot love a fellow creature fully till you love God.” 


“I do not look at myself. I have given up myself. I had to, you know, after the murder....And that was how everything began." 


“No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened.” 


“Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from the love of the thing he tells, to the love of the telling till, down in Deep Hell, they cannot be interested in God at all but only in what they say about Him."


“There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him.” 


“That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, "No future bliss can make up for it" not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.” 


 “I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?" "For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment.” 


“Shame is like that. If you will accept it – if you will drink the cup to the bottom – you will find it very nourishing: but try to do anything else with it and it scalds."


“No natural feelings are high or low, holy or unholy, in themselves. They are all holy when God's hand is on the rein. They all go bad when they set up on their own and make themselves into false gods.”  


“I cannot love a lie," said the Lady. "I cannot love the thing which is not. I am in Love, and out of it I will not go.” 


“And yet all loneliness, angers, hatreds, envies, and itchings that it contains, if rolled into one single experience and put into the scale against the least moment of the joy that is felt by the least in Heaven, would have no weight that could be registered at all. Bad cannot succeed even in being bad as truly as good is good.” 


 “Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains.” 


“One gets glimpses, even in our country, of that which is ageless--heavy thought in the face of an infant, and frolic childhood in that of a very old man.” 

Friday, May 16, 2014

Bible Verses about Gentleness


What is Gentleness?

It is not severe, rough, or violent, but is instead considerate or kindly in disposition, amiable and tender. It is mild, full of humility, gentle in reproof. Gentleness is one of the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23), in which it is also called "meekness".

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"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

~  Galatians 5:22, 23

"And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."  
~ Galatians 5:24-26

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

~ James 3:17

"You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great."

~ Psalm 18:35

"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect..."

~ I Peter 3:15

"To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people."

~ Titus 3:2

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

~ Matthew 11:29

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

~ Proverbs 15:1

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

~ James 1:19-20

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful."

~  Colossians 3:12-15

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

~ John 13:34-35

“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”  
~ Psalm 12:5

"He [Jesus] will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

~ Isaiah 40:11

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth."

~ Isaiah 53:7

"When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly."

~ I Peter 2:23

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" 

~ John 14:6

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
~ John 3:16

"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." 

~ Romans 15:7



Thursday, May 15, 2014

Helen Keller Quotes



Helen Keller is one of my favorite authors. I first discovered her unique story when I watched the movie, "The Miracle Worker". Born in 1880, Helen became blind and deaf at 19 months old from unknown causes. This made her unable to learn language through sight or sound. She grew into a wild, unruly child given to erratic tantrums, unable to properly communicate or fully comprehend or perceive the world around her. Her parents were desperate. In 1887, Helen's life changed, and her miracle arrived. Anne Sullivan, a young partially blind graduate from the Perkins School for the Blind came to be her teacher. She was successful in transforming Helen by giving her the gift of language, spelled into her hand, opening the door for her to identify feelings, objects, and sensations, and to express herself verbally. She was greatly admired by Mark Twain and Alexander Graham Bell. Helen Keller has inspired me through her beautiful, strong, witty, incredible spirit. Her story is an encouragement for anyone who has disabilities, no matter how mild or severe, to not give up on their dreams.

I hope you go check out her full biography, books, and the movie, if you would like to learn more! It's worth the read/watch. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy her quotes.



“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” 


“Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.”



“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” 



“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content”



“For three things I thank God every day of my life: thanks that he has vouchsafed me knowledge of his works; deep thanks that he has set in my darkness the lamp of faith; deep, deepest thanks that I have another life to look forward to--a life joyous with light and flowers and heavenly song.” 



“Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.”



“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” 




“We can do anything we want as long as we stick to it long enough.”



“My friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges.” 



“I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind. And the same method can be applied to the other senses. Hear the music of voices, the song of a bird, the mighty strains of an orchestra, as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow. Touch each object as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail. Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if tomorrow you could never smell and taste again. make the most of every sense; glory in the beauty which the world in all the facets of pleasure reveals to you through the several means of contact which Nature provides. But of all the senses, I am sure that sight is the most delightful.”


{ You still believe it to be a beautiful place }




Friday, May 9, 2014

The L o r d is my L i g h t



"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock."
~ Psalm 27:1-14

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Bird Watching on a Spring Evening :)

swooping,
teasing,
chirruping,
I see:
b l a c k b i r d s and s t a r l i n g s 
plunder everything
emboldened
in this broad daylight--
(truly, in b r o a d  d a y l i g h t)


classic,
 industrious,
ravenous,
I see:
b l u e j a y s and r o b i n s
hopping by me
delighted
in this spring sunshine--
(amen, in s p r i n g s u n s h i n e)


regal,
lazy,
azure eyes,
I see:
 f a t. o r a n g e. t o m c a t
yawning with me
he, tamed/ I, lifted high
by this beautiful sight--
(forever, by this b e a u t i f u l s i g h t)

by Leah A. 
2014 

Friday, May 2, 2014

Madeleine L'Engle Quotes (author of A Wrinkle in Time)



“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.”

 “The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been.” 

“Some things have to be believed to be seen.” 

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” 
(A Ring of Endless Light))

“I will have nothing to do with a God who cares only occasionally. I need a God who is with us always, everywhere, in the deepest depths as well as the highest heights. It is when things go wrong, when good things do not happen, when our prayers seem to have been lost, that God is most present. We do not need the sheltering wings when things go smoothly. We are closest to God in the darkness, stumbling along blindly.” 

“We are all strangers in a strange land, longing for home, but not quite knowing what or where home is. We glimpse it sometimes in our dreams, or as we turn a corner, and suddenly there is a strange, sweet familiarity that vanishes almost as soon as it comes.” 

“We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts.” 

“I do not know everything; still many things I understand.” 

“We have to be braver than we think we can be, because God is constantly calling us to be more than we are.” 

“It might be a good idea if, like the White Queen, we practiced believing six impossible things every morning before breakfast, for we are called on to believe what to many people is impossible. Instead of rejoicing in this glorious "impossible" which gives meaning and dignity to our lives, we try to domesticate God, to make his might actions comprehensible to our finite minds.”

“In a very real sense not one of us is qualified, but it seems that God continually chooses the most unqualified to do his work, to bear his glory. If we are qualified, we tend to think that we have done the job ourselves. If we are forced to accept our evident lack of qualification, then there's no danger that we will confuse God's work with our own, or God's glory with our own.” 

“It's hard to let go anything we love. We live in a world which teaches us to clutch. But when we clutch we're left with a fistful of ashes.” 
(A Ring of Endless Light)

(check it out, it's a wonderful book!!)
:)

Thursday, May 1, 2014

more than words poem // April day out with friends



// April //

eyelashes
flutter
cool tiles
local
hair
studio
radio dominates
cotton
creased
sandals
white
ebony
glow
fade
flowy
side braid
leather
bronze
hue
linen
trimming

 let it go.

emerald
flashing
elven
ring
dazzling
petals
awakening
loam
imprinted
turf

dance with us.

war tower
sand cliff
strung bow
jangling quiver
photoshoot
enactment
sunset
sleeves
trail
skirts
whisper
ungracefully
trip
reaction

be adventurers.

ginger
morocco
sleeve slipped
waves
shimmer
shadows
lengthen
beeswax- scented
peony
absinthe
forsythia
sway

it's beautiful.

memories
skim
behind
my
eyes...

(windows
roll
down)

let's
breathe
in
newness;
bask
in
cerulean
wind

pure stillness.

so here we are
under
stars
on
the
cusp
of
night

farewell, for just a little while.