I already know change lies ahead, in all walks of my life. Sigh - I experienced a lot of change these past couple of years. I hoped 2013 would be a year of calm. Ha! All signs indicate this will not be the case. Oh well.
I truly wish I had profound words to write. They might make me feel better or make me feel super prepared for what lies ahead. :o) Instead, I'll share some quotes which I've been pondering of late. Some make sense to me already. Others I still feel I'm uncovering their meanings. I hope they bring encouragement to your heart.
“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.” (Mary Anne Radmacher)
Winston Churchill is credited with saying "Never, Never, Never Quit." His speech from Harrow School actually contained these lines, "never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'". (GOD via Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections." (Thomas Paine)
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Deuteronomy 31:6)
"Whatever your sex or position, life is a battle in which you are to show your pluck, and woe be to the coward. Whether passed on a bed of sickness or a tented field, it is ever the same fair play and admits no foolish distinction. Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat. Men were born to succeed, not to fail." (Henry David Thoreau)
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." (Joshua 1:9)
"Courage is not limited to the battlefield or the Indianapolis 500 or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood." (Charles Swindoll)
"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14)
"Courage is being scared to death—but saddling up anyway." (John Wayne)
