My quote-collecting hobby started with a gift over thirty years ago–a charming floral journal.
Now there are three volumes. Two binders include typed notes and quotes from many books I’ve read.*
The newest journal for quotations is an elegant shade of lavender, which, it turns out, is the perfect color for a such a collection, based on a Rudyard Kipling quote I came across recently:
He wrapped himself in quotations—
as a beggar would enfold himself in
the Purple of Emperors.
Rudyard Kipling
It’s true, many quotes do provide rich enhancement for our lives, succinctly bestowing wisdom, challenge, encouragement, or humor. Great impact can occur in a matter of moments.
For this post I’ve culled just such quotations, with the potential of changing our perspective on troublesome circumstances—quotes that might inspire us to even celebrate them.
For example:
Hurray for Difficulty!
Because: “Great things never come from comfort zones”—Ben Francia.
And . . . “The secret is Christ in me; not me in a different set of circumstances”—Elisabeth Elliot.
Hurray for Discouragement!
Because: “If you knock with a heavy heart, you shall yet sing with joy of spirit. Never be discouraged”—Charles Spurgeon.
And . . . “Do not get discouraged—it may be the last key on the ring that opens the door”—Stanisfer.
Hurray for Failure!
Because: “Failure is the fertilizer that feeds success. It stinks and is unpleasant to handle but without it, success is unattainable”—Unknown.
And . . . “When something goes wrong in your life, just yell, “Plot twist!” and move on—Author Molly Weis.
Hurray for Hiddenness!
Because: “When we know we are seen by the one who created praise itself and he is the one who gives us a word of affirmation—when he is the one who notices us pouring ourselves out in secret—we realize that this is what we craved all along . . . Being elbow deep in soapsuds and breakfast sausage grease looks and feels different when we know God sees us there”—Sara Hagerty (Unseen;51).
And . . . “How can I feel depressed by the smallness of my life when the most important Man in the universe died for me? . . . When the most important Man in the universe has always been thinking of me?”—Anne Graham Lotz (The Vision of His Glory; 13, 14).
Hurray for Inadequacy!
Because: “God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him”—Jim Cymbala (quoted by Beth Moore in Praying God’s Word; 260).
And . . . “Never mind your weakness; it is the very thing that qualifies you. Never mind your feelings of inadequacy; it is God’s work, not yours. Simply make yourself available, and let go of any need to impress others, or prove yourself worthy, or achieve ‘success.’ What matters is that God has chosen you, and that God claims you as his own”—Br. David Vryhof.
Hurray for Waiting!
Because: “If God makes you wait longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious”—Andrew Murray.
And . . . “What we are waiting for is not as important as what happens to us while we are waiting. Trust the process”—Mandy Hale (quoted by Jean Wise in Christmas Crossroads; 53).
Do you see a theme here?
“The eternal substance of a thing never lies in the thing itself [like difficulty, discouragement, or failure]. It’s in the quality of our reaction to it.
“If in hard times we are kept from resentment held in silence, and filled with inner sweetness, that is what matters. The event that distressed us will pass from memory as a wind that passes and is gone. But what we were while the wind was blowing has eternal consequences”—A. Wetherell Johnson.
I pray the wisdom and encouragement shared in these quotes will give uplift to the quality of our reactions.
*A large collection has limited value without an index, so I’ve created those too—prompted by a touch of OCD, no doubt.
Art & photo credits: http://www.pixabay.com; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.pickpic.com; http://www.wallpaperflare.com; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.canva.com.
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Thanks for a well organized collection of wise words.
You’re welcome, Robert. If you need a quote on an obscure subject, just let me know!! 😁
How I loved the collection of inspiring quotes you’ve shared here, Nancy. I think it’s amazing that you’ve been collecting them for so long! Sounds like the most worthwhile type of activity any one of us could embark upon.
And it isn’t about what happens to us or how long we wait for goodness, it’s about our secure knowledge that we are beloved by God.
Blessings!
Amen, my friend! I have thoroughly enjoyed collecting quotes. And it’s a no-cost hobby (except for the journals and pens)! / You make a good point that, as long as we’re secure in God’s love, all else is of little consequence. As the old spiritual said: “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through.” (Lord, keep me mindful of this truth!)
I love David Vryhof’s quote about weakness. And the “failure quote by Unknown has always been one of my favorites. It goes without saying that the Bible verses you selected are awesome. Thanks, Nancy, for uplifting the spirits of your readers! I see we’re mirror-image doppelgangers: you collect inspiring quotes and I collect uninspiring yogurt containers! 🙂
So glad you found a keeper among this collection, Nancy. Do tell: how did you get started collecting yogurt containers?! And what do you do with them? You’ve got me curious!
The yogurt containers I collect are from one brand “Kite Hill.” I save them for utilitarian purposes because they seal air tight. They’re great for freezing foods, packing lunches, sand toys, paint, giving food away, storing items, etc.-and I don’t care if they’re returned or ruined! 🙂
That’s a great idea, Nancy! You’re a poster child for reuse, repurpose, and recycle!
This is precious Nancy. Thank you. I will be sharing it piecemeal with a brother who was recently imprisoned to encourage him . . . piecemeal . . . because thankfully Jeff is permitted to send and receive 160 character per text messages via his I-pad, and we communicate regularly.
Please pray for Jeff who is faithfully using his time of incarceration to study the Word, draw closer to His Savior, and witness to other inmates.
Should you or others feel led to also minister in this fashion, you can text with Jeff at 5022552427. I know he would be blessed to communicate via text with other Christians. Just tell him ole ragamuffin Fred felt prompted by the Spirit to share this cyber-communication exchange that blesses me, and brought to mind a quote that forever sparks my gratitude . . . “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
Be Blessed Sister!
Thank you, Fred. How wonderful that Jeff is using his time in prison to grow in his relationship with God. I’m delighted you found these quotes meaningful and of possible encouragement to him.
These are all frame-worthy quotes! I can’t even pick a favorite because they were all so good. The theme of them all is a great reminder. Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome, dear Mary. I’m delighted you found them all frame-worthy!
Love. Love. Love this, fellow quote collector!!!
I thought of you, dear sister-quote-collector, as I put this post together, wondering how many of these are already part of your collection! 😊
Such an encouraging list of quotes. It’s wonderful how you keep these wise words organized and on hand for occasions when you need insight. I liked them all, but I especially liked the Sara Hagerty quote. And I still have that book on my TBR list after you recommended it to me a few months ago. Hopefully I will get to it sooner rather than later. Thank you, Nancy!
You’re welcome, Bridget. Perhaps the right time for Sara’s book is yet to come. Like King Solomon said: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I suppose that could apply to when we read certain books!
PLOT TWIST! LOL!
Isn’t that a great quote, Ruth? Nothing like a positive attitude AND humor to help deal with failure!
I do love it and I’m sure I will use it.
I love these quotes! The plot twist is priceless, but the encouragement from people who’ve experienced the challenges of life with a God-honoring perspective is wonderful. Thanks for all the work, Nancy.
You’re welcome, Dayle. I enjoyed looking for the best of the best quotes to share here. You’re so right: sometimes it’s the people responsible for the quotes that make them especially meaningful. For example, to know that Elisabeth Elliot’s first husband was a martyred missionary, or A. Wetherell Johnson (also a missionary) founded Bible Study Fellowship, gives more import to their words.
And . . . “The secret is Christ in me; not me in a different set of circumstances”—Elisabeth Elliot. Amen and Amen! Great quotes you have selected to share and encourage us, Nancy. Thirty years of collecting is amazing. I have only been collecting for a few years, but I love to find a gem! Happy Friday!!
That Elisabeth Elliot quote is one of my favorites too, Pam, especially in consideration of her own life circumstances. / Welcome to the quote-collecting club, Pam! It IS a delight to discover gems of wisdom and encouragement.
Thank you for sharing these quotes and these verses from scripture. You do have an art for pulling things together so beautifully in your writing. This post is very inspiring!!! Thank you! Wishing you God’s blessings!!!
Thank you, Linda, for your gracious comments. Praise God you found beauty and inspiration here!
Nancy, you had me at your opening quote “Great things never come from comfort zones”—Ben Francia. That said, I did message my daughter Molly Weis’ quote. My college tennis coach loved quotes. Before every match he would either read us some quotes or give us a sheet of quotes to inspire us. I still have all those quotes in a binder. May you enjoy every moment of filling your Lavender journal with newly discovered quotes.
I love the way your tennis coach made good use of his collection! No doubt he’d be delighted to know you’ve kept the ones he shared. / Thank you for the blessing over the filling of the lavender journal! 🥰
My husband loved this! He has collected quotes over the years. As a pastor he often used many in his sermons always giving credit to whoever he quoted.
I wonder how many “matches” we’d find in our collections, Barb?!
Love this post. I’ve long collected quotes also. Words have the power to inspire, motivate, and even transform. My collection is not nearly as organized as yours however. What a great idea.
So glad you liked the post, Candyce. You’re so right: words ARE powerful! And I’m honored you think organizing a quote-collection is a good idea. You’ve just made me feel better about my OCD tendencies–at least in this regard! 😊
I like those hurray’s a lot
I’m so glad, Gary. Praise God for the inspiration!
I love this post, Nancy! I was actually just thanking God recently for something difficult that I am walking through. Although it’s difficult, I can sense He is guiding me through it and growing me in the process.
Well done, Dawn! You are mature, complete, and not lacking anything (James 1:2-4)!
[…] Seven Surprising Things to Celebrate […]
Thank you, Dawn, for the reblog–I am honored!
I love quotes, as well, Nancy! Kiplings picture of the beggar wrapped in his quotes of purple fits me to a T. There is so much wisdom to be gleaned from those who’ve lived a little longer, experienced more things, and walked farther with God. Thank you for this excellent post! God Bless!
Thank you, fellow quote-lover! I agree with you there is much wisdom to be gleaned from those who’ve lived a little longer. For example, when people like Elisabeth Elliot talk about the secret of contentment, I sit up and listen. She had every reason to blame God for his lack of intervention on a number of occasions, but to my knowledge, never wavered in her strong faith. Elisabeth asked questions, but didn’t let the lack of answers turn her away from her Heavenly Father. She clung to him all the more.
I could write a very long comment here, quoting many of the quotes you just quoted that meant SO much to me, but let me just say thank you. What a blessing this was!
I’m so glad you found a number of these meaningful, Patty! You are very welcome!
Thank you. All was needed.
Praise God for his inspiration, leading me to those that would be especially meaningful to you, Laura.
Thank for sharing this Nancy.
You’re welcome, dear friend!
My soul needed this, Nancy. I feel much encouraged.
Praise God he brought you encouragement through this post, Cheri. That in turn encourages me!
You couldn’t have a more worthwhile hobby, Nancy.
Thank you, Mitch. It certainly has been a blessing to me–over and over again.
P.S. FYI, #hood, the person who replied “you know psalms 103:11-13 hide the word” to your comment on one of my older posts, is a young autistic man. He’s obsessed with numbers and snatches of words from the Bible, so he tends to assemble them in made-up passages that only make sense to him.
Thanks, Mitch!
Wow good stuff and not what I expected! My husband has been reminding me of the blessing that ‘sometimes we have the bad to really see and appreciate the goodness of the good!’
I totally agree with your husband, Alicia!
❤️🙂
Nancy, I loved this peek into your journals and notebooks yet again. And appreciate your final line about ‘the quality of our reactions.’
Thank you, Linda. So glad you found the post enjoyable and even meaningful! Concerning reactions: As challenging as it can be to choose the right actions, choosing the right REactions can be even more difficult. ‘Still working on mine!
Great morning encouragement! “Plot twist”. I love it!
Isn’t that a great quote? I loved it too! So glad you found encouragement here, Beth. Praise God for his inspiration!