Quotes in 2012

I love good quotes. Words have so much power and meaning. I'm keeping a collection of quotes and passages I discovered this year, and fell in love with for various reasons. 


"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."
"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind."
"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."
 - C.S. Lewis

"When you have eliminated the  impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
 - Sherlock Holmes, from the novels
"I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them."
 - Sherlock Holmes, BBC series

"Fail forward! Continual improvement is better than postponed perfection."
 - International Teams, part of their motto

"So break my step / And relent / You forgave and I won't forget / Know what we've seen / And him with less / Now in some way / Shake the excess / But I will wait, I will wait for you"
 - Mumford And Sons, in the song 'I Will Wait'

"If I know the way home and am walking it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side?"
- Leo Tolstoy quote on a Brooke Fraser CD

“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.” 

“My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus' words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to Him. ”  
 - David Platt, in his book 'Radical'

"But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them who believe to the saving of the soul."
 - Hebrews 10:39


Why do I love these quotes and passages so? If it's not obvious, here is why.

Lewis: Pretty much anything he wrote or said is quote-worthy, in my opinion. These quotes of his have been reminding me of the temporal aspect of this life: there is so much more to live for than anything in this world. Except for the souls of the people walking around us, for those are the treasures we should seek to preserve for heaven. In doing some research, I discovered that there is actually some debate as to whether Lewis is the true creator of the souls quote, or whether to came from George MacDonald or someone else, and became attributed to Lewis over time. In any case, I find it to be a good reminder of what is truly of value, in ourselves and in life.

Sherlock: The first quote, from the book, is witty and true. I like the logical process of elimination, so clear and concise. The other, from the BBC dramatization, is one I like because Sherlock's character, so confident and anything but humble, admits fiercely that he is not perfect. He tries to be good, but he knows that he is fallible. He knows that he could use his intellect to pull off crimes instead of solving them, but he fights against it. He has chosen the side of good: it is a choice, not something innate. Man is inherently evil, so goodness, through God's grace, is something we must strive for.

ITeams: Life is messy and complicated, but don't let fear of mistakes stop you from stepping out and trying to do good things!

Mumford And Sons: I love good music, specifically good lyrics, as a tree loves having deep roots. This song stood out to me this year, and I found myself taking hope in the refrain of 'I will wait for you'. God is waiting for me to do all He has planned for me. I am waiting on Him to show me what that is, one step at a time. It can be difficult at times, but it is worth it. Sometimes I will fail forward, and sometimes, I will wait.

Tolstoy: I like that this quote is a question. I feel that it ties in with the Fail Forward quote: press onward on the right path, even if your gait is unsure, even if you might get tripped up, keep truth in sight and make your way towards it.

Platt: Yes yes yes. We are not called to a life of comfort. We are not called to a safe life. Just as the character Mr. Beaver said about Aslan in Lewis's 'The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe' - "Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” So let's live accordingly!

Hebrews: There are always new verses to reread and love. I chose this one because once again it reminds me of why I'm love: to share God's truth by showing radical love, because I believe in heaven and hell and should earnestly desire for everyone to taste the freedom of God's forgiveness and run towards heaven with everything we have.