Revisiting old favorites (with purpose)

There is a phrase that goes something along the lines of "Don't dwell on the past..." but, honestly, it doesn't hurt to look back every once in awhile - it helps you remember where you've been and why you're going the way you're going.

So, this morning, I browsed over some old blog entries from the good ol' Arizona days (always good for a chuckle or even some ahas). Many of the posts included quotes that I want to re-post (with the link to my original blog posts) - and explain - here:


“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey." ~Wendell Berry

Why this quote still hits home: It's hard not to freak out or worry about where life is headed, especially when others around you seem to have their lives all in order (some of which seem to be tied up neatly with a ribbon!), but this quote reminds me that I don't necessarily have to (or need to) know which way I'm going. The quote that rests on my blog's homepage says more or less the same thing but more focused on putting trust in God: "I may not know where I am going...you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always..." (Thomas Merton) I gotta remember to trust - that's the biggie.

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"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." ~Susan B. Anthony

Why this quote still hits home: It's essential to take time to treasure the small things. I think this quote comes to light especially surrounding the death of a loved one because it reminds us that we oftentimes let these little moments pass by without acknowledging the impact something or someone has made on us...sometimes before it is too late. And yet, it is impossible to forget these moments in time - the feelings, the people, the effects on us. Life truly is all about the little things - are we responding to them in the manner God calls us to?

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"Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything." ~Pedro Arrupe

Why this quote still hits home: I could read this quote over and over without tiring of it - such powerful words and thoughts. Do what you love, love what you do. Remember, that affects everything.

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"When you leave here, don't forget why you came." ~Adlai Stevenson

Why this quote still hits home: This quote still makes me think of ACE - ACE seems to be the thread that keeps stringing me along, leading me (literally) across the United States. And it's important in any time of change to remember why we started in the first place.

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And here is just one more post - though not my own, I still love the image it conjures up whenever I re-read this reflection: "...God spreads his love like a 3-year old spreads peanut butter..."

To close, I'd like to include a BRAND NEW post (as in, one I haven't included the link to before) - I read it today on The Jesuit Post, and I thought it was pretty darn good: http://thejesuitpost.org/site/2012/07/but-what-does-it-even-mean-to-experience-god/