Worchester, MA (2008)

“We must always change,
renew, rejuvenate ourselves;
otherwise we harden.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832

“Nobody ever says, ‘I think I will lie to myself today.’
This is the double treachery of self-deception:
First we deceive ourselves, and then we convince ourselves
that we are not deceiving ourselves.”

Lewis Smedes
Author of “A Pretty Good Person”

“It is amusing to see souls who, while they are at prayer,
fancy they are willing to be despised and
publicly insulted for the love of God,
yet afterwards do all they can to hide their small defects;
if anyone unjustly accuses them of a fault,
God deliver us from their outcries!”

Teresa of Avila

Rocky Fork

“Life is just one damned thing after another.”

Elbert Hubbard, 1856-1915
Influential exponent of the Arts & Crafts movement

“To find a fault is easy;
to do better may be difficult.”

Plutarch, 46 AD – 120 AD

“Living apart and at peace with myself,
I came to realize more vividly the meaning of the doctrine of acceptance.
To refrain from giving advice, to refrain from meddling
in the affairs of others, to refrain,
even though the motives be the highest,
from tampering with another’s way of life –
so simple, yet so difficult for an active spirit. Hands off!”

Henry Miller, 1891-1980

“No trumpets sound
when the important decisions of our life are made.
Destiny is made known silently.”

Agnes de Mille, 1909-1993

“The older I get, the more I feel almost beautiful…”

Sharon Olds, b. 1942
Poet and author

Sill Branch Falls, Unicoi County

“When you really trust someone,
you have to be okay with not understanding some things.”

Gordon Atkinson

Unaka Mountain

“I am patient with stupidity
but not with those who are proud of it.”

Edith Sitwell, 1887-1964
British poet

Unaka Mountain

“If something anticipated arrives too late it finds us numb,
wrung out from waiting, and we feel — nothing at all.
The best things arrive on time.”

Dorothy Gilman, 1978

Price Lake, Grandfather Mountain

“The kind of beauty I want most
is the hard-to-get kind
that comes from within –
strength, courage, dignity.”

Ruby Dee

Today I received a book in the mail, with this letter from a wonderful family at church, where I was the children’s and youth minister for three years until 2007. What a blessing. My only regret is that I wasn’t there Sunday evening to witness Morgan’s baptism.

October 26, 2009

Lee,

Enclosed is a book and CD that we purchased seven or eight years ago. We purchased this book with the intention of some day presenting it to the person whom we felt had the most influence on Morgan on her path to Jesus thus far in her life. We planned to give this book to that person on the day she was baptized. Morgan was baptized yesterday and we would like to present the book to you. With sincere appreciation and gratitude we want to thank you for all of the work you have done with Morgan and the other youth at the church. You have been a great influence.

This book and song express what we often fail to say to those who have served the Lord in our lives. We only think to do so when it is too late…we again say thanks.

Danny & Margaret

What a wonderful reminder Danny and Margaret have given me about our purpose in life. I encourage you to love and serve the Lord and to thank those in your life who have helped you on that journey.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27).

Lee

“First things first, but not necessarily in that order.”

Doctor Who

This weekend is Homecoming at Milligan and my 15 year reunion

“It is one of the blessings of old friends
that you can afford to be stupid with them.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson