Quotations

I believe that life is given us so we may grow in love, and I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower; the Light in my darkness, the Voice in my silence. Helen Keller (1880-1968) Deaf and blind American lecturer, writer and scholar

I thank God for my handicaps; for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God. Helen Keller (1880-1968) Deaf and blind American lecturer, writer and scholar

It gives me a deep, comforting sense that things seen are temporal and things unseen are eternal. Helen Keller (1880-1968) Deaf and blind American lecturer, writer and scholar

They took away what should have been my eyes, (But I remembered Milton's Paradise) They took away what should have been my ears, (Beethoven came and wiped away my tears) They took away what should have been my tongue, (But I had talked with God when I was young) He would not let them take away my soul, Possessing that, I still possess the whole. Helen Keller (1880-1968) Deaf and blind American lecturer, writer and scholar

Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the sense shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment of awkwardness. Helen Keller (1880-1966) Deaf and blind American lecturer, writer and scholar

Never bend your head, always hold it high. Look the world in the face. Helen Keller (1880-1966) Deaf and blind American lecturer, writer and scholar

The artist is a solitary figure... In pursuing his perception of reality he must often sail against the currents of his time. This is not a popular role. John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th President of the United States

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope … and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring those ripples ; build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resiistance. Robert F.Kennedy (1925-1968) American lawyer and politician

There's not a pair of legs so thin, there's not a head so thick, There's not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick, But it can find some needful job that's crying to be done For the glory of the Garden glorifieth every one. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) English poet

Unearned suffering is redemptive. Martin Luther King,Jr. (1929-1968) American black Baptist minister who was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace

In the midst of outer dangers I have felt an inner calm and known resources of strength that only God could give. In many instances I have felt the power of God transforming the fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope. I am convinced that the universe is under the control of a loving purpose and that in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship. Behind the harsh appearances of the world there is a benign power. Martin Luther King (1929-1968) American black Baptist minister who was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize for Peace

Science is the search for the principles of law and order in the universe, and as such an essentially religious endeavor. Arthur Koestler (1905-1983)Hungarian born British journalist, novelist and critic

An angel is a spiritual creature created by God without a body for the service of Christendom and of the church. Martin Luther (1483-1546) German biblical scholar and linguist

Anxiety is not only a pain which we must ask God to assuage but also a weakness we must ask him to pardon for he's told us to take no care for the morrow. C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) British classical scholar and novelist

There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal.... But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit; immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. C. S. Lewis(1898-1963) British classical scholar and novelist

Hope is the last thing that dies in man, and although it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use to us, that while we are traveling through life it conducts us in an easier and more pleasant way to our journey's end. Francois, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French classical author and leading exponent of the maxime, a form of literary epigram.

How deceitful hope may be, yet she carries us on pleasantly to the end of life. Francois, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French classical author and leading exponent of the maxime, a form of literary epigram.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American poet

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. John Locke (1632-1704) English political and educational philosopher

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American poet

Nor deem the irrevocable past As wholly wasted, wholly vain If, rising on its wrecks, at last To something nobler we attain. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American poet

Yes, music is the prophet's art; Among the gifts that God hath sent, One of the most magnificent! It calms the agitated heart; Temptations, evil thoughts, and all The passions that disturb the soul, Are quelled by its divine control, As the evil spirit fled from Saul, And his distemper was allayed, When David took his harp and played. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) American poet

Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds more than happiness ever can, and common suffering is a far stronger link than common joy. Alphonse-Marie-Louis De Prat De Lamartine (1790-1869) French poet and statesman

I'm a slow walker, but I never walk back. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman and President

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman and President

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman and President

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman and President

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American statesman and President

Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so inaction saps the vigor of the mind. Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian artist, painter, draftsman, architect, sculptor and engineer

Of a good leader, who talks little, When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, They will say; We did this ourselves. Lao-Tse (C. 604-C. 531 B.C.) Chinese philosopher

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step Lao-Tze (c.604 BC) Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism

Who is there that can make muddy water clear? But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become clear of itself. Be sparing of speech, and things will come right of themselves Lao-Tze (c.604 BC) Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism

For books are more than books, they are the life. The very heart and core of ages past, The reason why men lived and worked and died, The essence and quintessence of their lives. Amy Lowell (1874-1925) American poet and writer

We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become. Ursula LeGuin (b. 1929) American science fiction writer

Shall I tell you what supported me through all these years of exile, among a people whose language I could not understand and whose attitude toward me was always uncertain and often hostile? It was this: 'Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.' David Livingstone (1813-1873) Scottish missionary and explorer

To know the reasons which have moved God to choose this order of the universe, to permit sin, to dispense his salutary grace in a certain manner this passes the capacity of a finite mind, above all when such a mind has not come into the joy of the vision of God. Baron Gottfried Wllhelm Von Leibniz (1646-1716) German philosopher

We shrink from change; yet is there anything that can come into being without it. What does Nature hold dearer, or more proper to herself. Could you have a hot bath unless the firewood underwent some change. Is it possible for any useful thing to be achieved without change? Do you not see, then, that change in yourself is of the same order, and no less necessary to Nature? Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) Roman Emperor and philosopher

When l am completely myself, entirely alone or during the night when I cannot sleep, it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how these come I know not nor can I force them. Nor do l hear in my imagination the parts successively, but I hear them at the same time all together. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) German composer

Keep in mind in how many things you yourself have already seen change. The universe is change. Life is understanding. Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) Roman Emperor and philosopher

Art is the gift of God and must be used for his glory. That in art is highest which aims at this. Michelangelo (1475-1564) Italian sculptor, painter, artist and poet

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American anthropologist and writer

The soul is created in a place between Time and Eternity: with its highest powers it touches Eternity, with its lower Time. Meister Eckhart (Johannes Eckehart c.1260-1328) German Dominican Mystic

Consider then thyself, O noble soul, and the nobility within thee, for thou art honored above all creatures in that thou art an image of God;.. . thou art destined to greatness! Meister Eckhart (C. 1260-C. 1327) German Dominican monk and mystic

To the quiet mind all things are possible. What is the quiet mind? A quiet mind is one that nothing weighs on, nothing worries, which, free from ties and from all self-seeking, is wholly merged into the will of God and dead to its own. Meister Eckhart (C. 1260-C. 1327) German Dominican monk and mystic

Do the truth you know, and you shall learn the truth you need to know. George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish poet and writer of Christian allegories

The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr. Mohammed (570-632) Founder of Islam

God hides nothing. His very work from the beginning is revelation a casting aside of veil after veil, a showing to men of truth after truth. On and on from fact divine he advances, until at length in his Son, Jesus, he unveils his very face. George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish poet and writer of Christian allegories

No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourself so. If you find yourself so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God's. He begs you to leave the future to him, and mind the present. George MacDonald (1824-1905) Scottish poet and writer of Christian allegories

Good, the more communicated, more abundant grows. John Milton (1608-1674) English poet

They also serve who only stand and wait. John Milton (1608-1674) English poet

It is not miserable to be blind; it is miserable to be incapable of enduring blindness. John Milton (1608-1674) English poet

The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. John Milton (1606-1664) English poet

Millions of spiritual creatures walk this earth. Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep: All these with ceaseless praise his works behold Both day and night John Milton (1608-1674) English poet

A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and measured up on purpose to a life beyond life. John Milton (1606-1664) English poet

I saw the lightning's gleaming rod Reach forth and write upon the sky The awful autograph of God. Joaquin Miller (1837-1913) American poet and journalist

The coming of Jesus into the world is the most stupendous event in human history. Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990) English writer and sceptic

Pythagoras used to say life resembles the Olympic Games; a few men strain their muscles to carry off a prize; others bring trinkets to sell to the crowd for a profit; and some there are who seek no further advantage than to look at the show and see how and why everything is done. Michel Eyquem De Montaigne (1533-1592) French writer

Words seem to be so ambiguous, so vague, so easily misunderstandable in comparison with genuine music, which fills the soul with things a thousand times better than words. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) German composer, pianist and conductor

Nothing on earth consumes a man more quickly than resentment. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) German philosopher

If I have seen farther, it is by standing upon the shoulder of giants Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) English physicist and mathematician

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. Ovid (43 B.C.-A.D. 17) Roman poet whose full name was Publius Ovidius Naso. He was banished to Tomi on the Black Sea by Augustus

Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is great if given with affection. Pindar (C. 522-438 B.C.) Greek lyric poet

Luck favours the mind that is prepared. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) French Bacteriologist

The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the Creator. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) French Bacteriologist

All men are by nature equal, made of the same earth by the same Creator, and however we deceive ourselves, as dear to God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

And yet, my friend, I would rather that the whole world should be at odds with me, and oppose me, than that I myself should be at odds with myself and contradict myself. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Philosophy is a longing after heavenly wisdom. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

The conquest of self is the greatest of victories. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Few men are so obstinate in their atheism that a pressing danger will not compel them to the acknowledgment of a divine power. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

The world is God's epistle to mankind; his thoughts are flashing upon us from every direction. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Until philosophers are kings cities will never cease from ill nor the human race. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself. Plato (429-347 B.C) Greek philosopher

The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Between knowledge of what really exists and ignorance of what does not exist lies the domain of opinion. It is more obscure than knowledge, but clearer than ignorance. Plato (429-347 B.C) Greek philosopher

Do not that to thy neighbor that thou wouldst not suffer from him. Pittacus Of Lesbos (C. 650-C. 570 B.C.) Greek statesman and philosopher

The measure of man is what he does with power. Pittacus Of Lesbos (C. 650-C. 570 B.C.) Greek statesman and philosopher

Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please. Pythagoras (C. 580-C. 500 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Grief, like a tree, has tears for its fruit Philemon (C. 363-C. 264 B.C.) Greek philosopher

Man is the measure of all things Protagoras (c. 485 B.C) Greek sophist

Man is obviously made for thinking. Therein lies all his dignity and his merit. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) French philosopher and mathematician

What reason have atheists for saying that we cannot rise again? What is the more difficult, to be born, or to rise again? That what has never been should be, or that what has been should be again? Is it more difficult to come into being than to return to it? Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) French philosopher and mathematician

Music the fiercest grief can charm, And fate's severest rage disarm, Music can soften pain to ease, And make despair and madness please; Our joys below it can improve, And antedate the bliss above. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English poet and satirist

All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the soul. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English poet and satirist

The time will come when every change shall cease, The quick revolving wheel shall rest in peace: No summer then shall glow, nor winter freeze; Nothing shall be to come, and nothing past, But an eternal now shall ever last, Petrarch (1304-1374) Italian poet