"If you believe that God is everywhere, then you will find Him as easily in a church as in a garden, but if you wonder if God is anywhere, then you might want to look in the garden first."
"To be certain of God is to be just one doubt away from denying Him. Better to have accepted Him on a prayerful faith."
"I respect more the person who struggles with his faith than the person who is confident in his skepticism."
"Arriving at church for services, we leave our toddlers in the basement child care center and proceed upstairs -- as if God were likely to be upstairs."
"Be it God or the Big Bang, most of us will accept an unexplainable thing if it explains everything else."
"What we see as truth has principally to do with who taught it to us."
"As you reach for understanding, you find that your ladder of facts isn't long enough, and you try to extend it by adding a rung of faith. Eventually you see that the task is hopeless, and you put away your ladder of facts and go get a ladder of faith."
"When you have tried all your life to solve a mystery, and have never solved it, you must consider the possibility that it is not a mystery."
"I've concluded, after many years, that my mind works by process of elimination. Problem is, it hasn't eliminated anything yet."
A Miscellaneous Mix of Old and New
"For every person who succeeds by stubbornly holding course, ten succeed by daring to change course -- and vice-versa."
"Yes, I accept reality. I accept it as one possibility."
"Life is such a clever distraction that you can't help wondering from what."
"The odds against you don't mean a thing, unless you bet on them."
"When you are one of the pieces, it doesn't seem like a game."
"If you hand over your integrity on a silver platter, they will want it on gold."
"I try to forgive and forget, but I keep forgetting I forgave."
"If you allow people to treat you like a doormat, they will expect you to say WELCOME."
"There is many a relationship that would be improved by one more degree of separation."
~~ Robert Brault
25 comments:
I always find something wonderful here, Robert! Be it inspiration, a laugh, a comforting thought, something to ponder,things that make you go "hmmmmm"...I'm so very glad I found your blog!
I have been busy (back to school stuff) and haven't been here for a couple of weeks, so I log on today to find that we have both changed our blog templates and we CHOSE THE SAME ONE! How freaky is that! Great minds and all... :)
As a Sunday School director for a children's program, I always tell the kids that if Jesus came back he would ask to see them first. So naturally I loved this one:
"Arriving at church for services, we leave our toddlers in the basement child care center and proceed upstairs -- as if God were likely to be upstairs." Good thing I'll be hanging out with the kids. :)
Two more favorites:
"If you hand over your integrity on a silver platter, they will want it on gold."
"If you allow people to treat you like a doormat, they will expect you to say WELCOME."
Those two should be required memorization in every high school.
"I respect more the person who struggles with his faith than the person who is confident in his skepticism."
"The odds against you don't mean a thing, unless you bet on them."
All your quotes were excellent today, but these two stood out for me.
=)
I'm with Randi - -loved the thought about God and the children. I too spend a lot of time with little ones, both at home and at church (and in my former life as an elementary music teacher - -at school too). I have told our church children the same thing as Randi -- if Jesus came back today, he'd come to see them first.
Jan: That picture you posted on your blog for June 1 by Greg Olsen goes perfectly with that quote!
Arriving at church for services, we leave our toddlers in the basement child care center and proceed upstairs -- as if God were likely to be upstairs.
Loved this one. Children have the most lovely and sincere faith in God and all things spiritual - possibly because they were so recently there. They seem to be able to cut to the chase, and make their faith so simple and sweet. They haven't muddled their brains with grownup "wisdom" and are able to see truth in it's purest form.
Thanks, Robert
Such a lot to choose from, but solving mysteries, accepting reality as a possibility, forgiving and forgetting, the degree of separation and God in the garden...or the basement are particularly fine.
Hope you had a great holiday.
Linda,
Thank you. Always hoping that something wonderful turns up in the mix.
Randi,
Yeah, I was scouting around, hit some button inadvertently, and my template changed. Decided it didn't look too bad. Yours looks better than mine. Now if I could only find the button that would post some really good sayings. (smile)
Sue,
That's twice you've liked an "odds against you" quote. I think about the concept a lot. Here's one just for you: "Before you worry about the odds against you, consider the accuracy of a mathematical concept that assumes you're a known quantity."
Jan,
I always throw in one for good ol' Jan. (smile)
karen,
Yes, if you want to know the truth of something, explain it to a child, then listen as the child explains it to another child.
Ken,
Thanks. After two weeks of rest and relaxation, Joan and I are almost fully recovered from our vacation.
smiles all,
rb
You touched a sensitive cord inside of me today, as I am indeed one doubt away, while constantly struggling with some faith.
I believe that there are many things beyond my comprehension. And I am constantly amazed by the new and wise things you make me comprehend with every new posting, just through some short lines.
And the most beautiful things about your phrases is that they are constantly suprising - I never guess where your next one will take me. You always gently force my mind to travel so far, on apparently so simple subjects!
Thank you fot this!
Georgina,
I especially appreciate your comments, because I know from our email correspondence what a keen observer and reflective thinker you are. A "wise" saying is only an invitation to reflect, and I am always pleased when the invitation is accepted by people who delight in doing just that.
smiles,
rb
"If you believe that God is everywhere, then you will find Him as easily in a church as in a garden, but if you wonder if God is anywhere, then you might want to look in the garden first."
I remember as a child asking my Grandmother why I had to go to church to "know God" if He was all around me like everyone said....wouldn't it suffice to just go outside, take a deep breath and feel Him? Seems the answer was "no"...but then I wouldn't expect Grandma to say anything different!
I tried, as a young mother, to introduce God to my 3 boys in every situation...in the yard, walking in the woods, skipping stones across the lake, even in the grocery store. But, they were still expected to sit in church every Sunday! I remember my middle son telling me on the way home from church once "I like your God better Mom, He's not as scary as the guy Fr. Colby talks about".....I rest my case!
~Melana
"Sometimes we have to fall from the mountain to realize what we are climbing for. Obstacles are placed in our way to see if what we want is really worth fighting for. From every wound there is a scar and every scar tells a story. A story that says: "I was deeply wounded but I survived because of our savior and I TRUST in HIM." Thank you Bob for sharing this thought on Godseeker. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless!
ByNanasHand (Melana)
I will never believe that formal religion is the only way to God. But it is the way for some, and I respect that. I know that my relationship with God will always be a private thing. For many, there can be no relationship with God outside of community worship and, indeed, outside of the auspices of his Church. As I've said before, I will seek God in my own way, and my fate will be a test of His mercy.
The Tooth Fairy,
As one familiar with your story and the obstacles you have overcome, I am grateful for your comment. You have written more eloquently on this subject than I have.
smiles both,
rb
All I can say is....loved every one of them. I feel rather lame that I can't come up with better compliments, but when you constantly post brilliant quotes....what's a gal to do?
Becky,
Believe it or not, I take no offense at the phrase "loved every one of them." (smile)
Laurie,
I deleted your post, and I suppose I must sacrifice you as a friend and follower. I have readers all over the world, of many beliefs and disbeliefs, including many Hindus and Muslims, and I prefer that my blog not become a pulpit for preaching the tenets of any one religion.
smiles,
rb
Hi Robert!
Smiling / no, laughing at this one: "Arriving at church for services, we leave our toddlers in the basement child care center and proceed upstairs -- as if God were likely to be upstairs."
Now, I'm thinking about all your other words and the comments left for you. It was all great reading! Thank you for so much inspiration, always!
~Maria
ps. Hurricane rains arriving right on time ~ almost midnight here ~
Stay well!
Maria
Maria,
Thanks as always for kind comment. Irene expected to pass right over my house at midday Sunday, which should put most of the rain up your way and most of the wind to the east.
smiles,
rb
Robert, this is really good stuff! That's a word I use when I dont' know what else to say. You always give me cause to pause and ponder, even when it might be a bit uncomfortable. Further, I enjoy your readers and often check their sites. Georgiana, Devine, et.al. strike me as being very intelligent, talented and sensitive. Thank you for becoming an avenue through which I could have access to their work as well as your own.
donkirey@gmail.com, www.Scripturestudent.com. (I still don't know how to clear the hurdles to the comment site). ~don
Don/Anon,
Have you tried signing on under Name/URL? That is what I do, since I just go into a loop when I try to sign on via my Google account. Google is apparently never going to fix this problem.
smiles,
rb
Delicious, inspiring & comforting as always Robert,It is certainly “Better to have accepted Him on a prayerful faith." ... rather than ..”proceed upstairs -- as if God were likely to be upstairs." Grateful
Raj,
Thanks, as always, for thoughtful comment.
smiles,
rb
No problem, Robert -- but ironic that in the name of tolerance and all-inclusiveness, your deleting my post seems, in my opinion, to be intolerant of my beliefs and exclusionary. I would be interested in knowing the thoughts of your Hindu and Muslim followers, but I guess, to be consistent, you would delete those too. I'll keep you in my prayers.
Laurie,
Thanks for your thoughtful and civil response. I will grant you the last word.
smiles,
rb
Hi there Rob. I enjoy reading your little quips. You have a unique perspective and a creative way of thinking about the world that I find refreshing.
On a somewhat unrelated note, what are your views on atheism? If you'd rather avoid such discussions on your blog, that's perfectly reasonable. I just find myself curious.
zamiel23
Well, "little quips" is better than "squibs," as my dad used to call them. As for atheism, I'm put off by intellectual certainty wherever I find it. I once said, "The trouble with atheism is that atheists don't seem to struggle with it enough."
smiles,
rb
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