This is my home

Tip-toe gently down the cool stone steps
Each footprint is a whisper...
Emerging from a silent wood,
the flowers begin a slow crescendo of color...
As the deep purple tones evolve into vibrant hues,
Then fade softly into a warm white that dissolves into the sparkling honey-colored sunlight...
This is my home

Peer fearlessly down a high cliff above an ocean city,
The inviting buildings nestled in the secluded cove...
The waves dance beneath you as you stand above the world,
Red flags triumph in the midnight air,
All is hushed but the ambient crash of the waves against blackened rocks.
A hidden moon echoes a thousand stars and amplifies the dim glow of the safe haven beneath...
This is my home

The air is drowned in the altitude of blue as you rest upon the white billows,
In a painting of clouds and kites you breathe in the song of the sky...
As the birds swoop and glide among translucent mountains,
Your eyes fill with tears, and you feel inspired and effervescent...
With outstretched arms, embrace it all.
No words can express this,
This is my home

Beneath ocean waves, sit in amongst the sand and stones,
Watch the light from a world above laugh as it waltzes across the rainbow colored coral...
Fish peek shyly from behind sponge beds and seaweed,
And the dark moving shape of a great blue whale shadows across the distance...
The calming waters sing a prayer of peace and harmony,
and all around the surroundings chorus in agreement... All is well here...
This is my home

In the shelter of embrace,
A strength that is not my own, holding me up...
Reassuring me with the comfort of their gentle touch.
I am not alone
The warmth of this moment will not fade with memory, it is with me always.
Because the one who holds me up has promised never to leave me or forsake me.
This is love.

THIS is my home.

Believing isn't seeing

Faith- it's like the wind, you can't see it, but you can feel it... Seeing is believing, but faith is believing in what you do not see. A picture is worth a thousand words, but faith has no need for proof, it goes beyond any sensation or feeling, it is a knowing without the need of confirmation.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5 It's hard and confusing living a life that isn't all mapped out before you, there's unexpected turns at every corner, and it definitely doesn't always go according to our plans. Sometimes it goes completely opposite. We don't know the future, and it can be scary, like walking through the dark, without a light switch to turn on so that you can find your way exactly how you want it. But, we fail to recognize, that we don't need one, because if we let Him, we have Someone who will take our hand and guide us in the right directed. We aren't in control, so why do we pretend to be? Trust is the confident expectation of something, a hope, a belief, a faith. Although we don't have a life that always goes the way we plan, we do have a life that goes exactly in accordance to God's plan. And that plan is much greater than anything we could ever come up with. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28 It may seem confusing at times, but only because we are only looking at a mere fragment, while God has the big picture. "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." ~1 Corinthians 13:12 We don't need to have everything all figured out, because God already does. All we need is faith.

Drive my thought bubble into the waterfalls of His forgiveness

Drive my thought bubble into the waterfalls of His forgiveness
Current mood: blessed

Crawl inside my little thought bubble and imagine this: Your driving along in your little black car, and you stop at a red light. Being in a rather scary part of the city, you shiver uneasily and wait impatiently for the light to turn green. You hear shouts and almost jump out of your socks when you see a man beating another man near the street. The attacker -after horribly abusing the innocent man and stealing his wallet- leaves the innocent man and proceeds to make his escape. As he's crossing the street, a truck with failing breaks comes swerving directly towards him. To your utter astonishment and confusion, the innocent man comes bolting to push the attacker to safety while taking the other mans death. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrate his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."~Romans 5:6-8....! ok, so as you most obviously have guessed by now, this parable represents God's gift to us, the gift of Forgiveness-Salvation-Eternal Life. And the crazy part that just doesn't seem understandable is that it's not because of anything we've done to deserve this, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." ~Ephesians 2:8-9... It's not because we're awesome, it's because HE is awesome, it's not because we loved Him, it's because HE loves us. It's a gift, a token of undying love and affection, something He gives freely to all who believe! So by now, being the intelligent person you are, you must have realized that the "attacker" guy, in the story, symbolizes us. And yes, of course I don't think you go around mugging people, or abusing them like that, but stay with me I promise I have a point ;) We were dead in our sins, in bondage to them, a slave to sin-yuck! But, because God has this amazing undying love for us, far and beyond anything our little minds can imagine, He sent His only Son, to be abused, mocked, and finally killed in a most heart-wrenching, painful manner. And all so that we, who were destined for that fate, could be set free from that bondage of sin, and live eternally with Him in paradise. We are submerged in the waterfalls of His forgiveness and grace. His love is rushing over us! vwowowowowowowwwwww so yeah, being raise a Christian my whole life, I've had those Bible stories told me so many times, and sometimes I does seem a little repetitive, and even taken for granted. But thinking about it, like really digging deep and thinking about it, it's so crazy amazing! Like seriously, mind blowing.. Thank you God, for loving me unconditionally, for sending Jesus to die in my place, for forgiving me and giving me a fresh start through the death of your Son. The death that was intended for me. I am so grateful. Help me to keep this in perspective, and to strive always to live whole-heartedly for you. Amen!

I am weak but He is strong

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." ~Matthew 11:28-30... Insanely busy, crazy, hectic to the extreme sort of day, and I don't know about you guys, but I can really snap under pressure and become all stressed and well, I'm ashamed to admit, but a grouch >:( ..... Later on I look at my behavior, and I'm like "wow, I'm ridiculous... why on earth did I get all keyed up over that?" anyways, it always ends up with me replaying my actions in my head later on and thinking how inadequate I am to be one of God's children. Then comes all the depressing and deceitful thoughts creeping in trying to confuse me "Why on earth would God want me?" "Why does He keep forgiving me?" "Why did He even die for me?"... The truth is, I can't understand His unfathomable love for me, but I'm forever grateful for His undying love and forgiveness. A line in the chorus of a favorite song of mine goes "Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done. Not because of what I've done, but because of who you are." God loves me with this undying passion, and He has this perfect plan for my life, but I don't always choose to look towards the big picture, I get all caught up and stressed about lots of little things, when in reality God has absolute control and I have no reason to be anxious. "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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," ~Jeremiah 29:11-14, compared to God, everything else seems so small..... "I am weak but He is strong" simple verses from a Sunday school song with such a profound meaning... God doesn't want us to carry all this emotional baggage around all the time. He wants to free us, wants to take that load for us. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." ~1 Peter 5:7... Makes me think of Pilgrims Progress, when Christian reaches the cross on the hill and his heavy burden he'd been laboring with the entire journey tumbles from his back... We are free, we are forgiven, and on top of all that we are loved with a love so unfathomable. Why on earth would we stress about any of this earthly stuff, why aren't we in constant bliss of the fact that God has this perfect amazing plan for our lives and wants to lift our burdens?

Love is not love,
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
Oh, no! It’s an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests..and is never shaken.

Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No.

It is immortal as immaculate Truth,

'Tis not a blossom shed as soon as youth,

Drops from the stem of life--for it will grow,

In barren regions, where no waters flow,

Nor rays of promise cheats the pensive gloom.

Courage

Courage ~Superchick

verse 1
I told another lie today
And I got through this day
No one saw through my games
I know the right words to say
Like "I don't feel well," "I ate before I came"
Then someone tells me how good I look
And for a moment, for a moment I am happy
But when I'm alone, no one hears me cry
[chorus]
I need you to know
I'm not through the night
Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light
I need you to know
That we'll be OK
Together we can make it through another day
verse 2
I don't know the first time I felt unbeautiful
The day I chose not to eat
What I do know is how I've changed my life forever
I know I should know better
There are days when I'm OK
And for a moment, for a moment I find hope
But there are days when I'm not OK
And I need your help
So I'm letting go
[chorus]
bridge
You should know you're not on your own
These secrets are walls that keep us alone
I don't know when but I know now
Together we'll make it through somehow
(together we'll make it through somehow)
[chorus]

Ana,
I hate you. You say I am in control -but you are. You tell me I will be beautiful -but it's never enough. You tell me to be strong -but you make me weaker. You tell me I am not worth it -but God tells me I am. Why do I cling to you? Why can't I escape? Why do you always pull me back into your prison. You tell me you'll make me happy -but I've never been more depressed than when you are with me. My hate doesn't seem strong enough to break us apart. I feel like I need you, that without you I'm worthless -but with you I have potential. But then I come back to you, and I remember why I left. You are slowly killing me....and you don't care. I hate you. Why can't my hate be strong enough to rid myself of you. Perhaps it's because when I'm with you, my hate for myself is stronger. I can't fight this hate to hate alone. God's love is the only thing that can break these bonds that imprison me. With Him in control I am His beautiful daughter created in His own image, although I am weak He is strong. He tells me He loves me... He LOVES me. He tells me I am worth it, He sent His Son Jesus to die for ME, because He love me. He is the only true peace... He will never leave me, He will stay with me, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14 ...... With you Ana I am always lacking, always hungering, always discontent and selfish... With God "I shall not be in want" Psalm 23:1.... Why would I choose you Ana? What do you have to offer me? Misery? Deceit? You slither your way into my life, and I let you. God give me the strength to leave you once and for all. You were everything I wanted, and now that I have you, you are nothing I want. Leave me alone, God has a plan for my future, a beautiful amazing incredible plan... and you aren't a part of it.

God's precious daughter,

Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

What is art?

Art- the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance...

Art, a short glimpse into the very depths -the core- of the artist. A statement. A manifestation brought on by inspiration and ambition. An eagerness to proclaim and declare.

For some things there are no words....

Art


"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God."
Ecclesiastes 5:7

Lanterns and Blindfolds

A path winds through a forest so pitch black you could drown in it. Someone stands at the entrance frozen, afraid to move forward, but unable to turn back. In front of them lies a lantern and a blindfold. To your utter astonishment, the person foolishly takes the blindfold and binds it around their eyes. They begin to stumble about in the sinister and suffocating darkness, oblivious to their surroundings. You rush over to them saying "What are you doing? Why didn't you take the lantern?", but the person answers you "I don't need the lantern! I know what I'm doing! And I don't need you to tell me what to do!". So you stand there and watch as they stumble about some more, making no progress what so ever. They trip and fall over hidden objects. Puzzled you wonder why they didn't choose the lantern. You walk over and pick it up. On the underside is written in plain bold writing "Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in the darkness, the Lord will be my light." You pick up the lantern and look around you. Nailed to a tree is a small piece of paper, you go over and examine it. The paper is old and dirty, and looks as if it's been sitting unread for a very very long time. You brush off some of the dust, and manage to read "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." You hold up the lantern and look about you once more, you see the blindfolded person still stumbling about foolishly unable to understand why on earth they wouldn't want the help being offered them. There is no chance what so ever that they could succeed on their own without the lantern, but in their blindness, they fail to recognize that. Finally you decide you've had enough of this. You march over to the person and tear the blindfold from their face, and in your astonishment and horror, you realize...the face behind the blindfold is your own........ Why do we have so much trouble trusting God to be our light, to lead and guide us? Why do we choose to stumble about blindly, instead of submitting to Him and admitting that we DO need His help, and we DO need His guidance? Why do we stubbornly refuse the Light Of The World in exchange for darkness? We need to remove our blindfold and pick up our lantern, let Him be the Lamp unto your feet and the Light unto your path :)

Today.... kinda hard... kinda stressful..... kinda depressed...... it was after a long rehearsal, I was sore, disgustingly sweaty and completely exhausted... I was heading back to my dorm for quiet time (which usually means a nap), when I felt the urge to read my bible. Ever have that feeling that God is nudging you to do something? Well that's how it was... I was like "ohhh come on! I'm so tired! Whyyy do I have to read my bible now??? Why can't I just pick it up later????" I was getting kinda frustrated, but I finally gave in and picked up my bible study booklet to prepare for the lesson I have to lead Monday... I started reading, and God sent waves of peace and refreshment over me. Not only was I well rested at the end of quiet time, I was filled with an unexplainable joy! It was incredible! And I really couldn't wait to get back to my bible study. I was excited about God, and I was excited to be excited about God:) Pretty awesome.....

What a wonderful day for a picnic
What a picnical day for a lark
We shall frolic all day in the happiest way
And we won't get back home until dark!

Good times:) It's an absolutely glorious day out. The sun is smiling, the grass is green and friendly, and the air is filled with the sounds of chirping birds and the annoying and yet comfortably familiar buzz of lawnmowers proclaiming the coming of summer. *sigh* I wish I could freeze with moment in my mind wrap it up and carry it with me for always. It's the perfect sort of day where you could enjoy a splendid walk, kick back and be lazy and simply soak in the cheerful vibes of the atmosphere. *smile*

I AM NOT AN IDIOT! I am not ugly or stupid or worthless or any of the others that I'm daily reminded of. There is no way to become "immune" to hurt. You can pretend to be. Locking it all away into the darkest, smallest, more obscure closet in your heart. But it's there nonetheless. Poking at you and pricking you with daily reminders. They want me to fail, they want me to be hurt, and they want me to give up, surrender. I can't live like this. I am breaking. I'm hurting. And I'm sick and tired. I will not give up, I will stand strong, I will not give up, I will not give up, I will not give up...I'm groping on the edge of a canyon, the rocks are biting into my fingers as I struggle to get my feet back on steady ground. I am praying for a miracle, a superior strength to rescue me. IDIOT! You're worthless... you mean nothing... you're stupid, you're ugly, no one cares, just give up, you are nothing........HELP!!! God give me the strength! I can't do this alone! Please rescue me from this! I need you... please......... Don't give up my precious daughter, I love you more than you can ask or imagine. You are my jewel, my most precious treasure, and I love you with an undying love that you cannot fathom. You were created in My own image, and you are beautiful. You are mine. I am on your side and with Me you can never fail..................................
...... No one cares about you, no one loves you, you're stupid, worthless, idiot...why don't you accept it.... everyone knows it's true... even you... NO! NO! It's not true! God give me strength! I'm struggling under this burden!!!...... I am here, and I love you soooooo much... Let me bandage your wounds for you, let me pick you up and carry you, let me take you to a higher ground, a resting place, everything is alright now. I'm here my daughter, I love you...You don't need to worry, I'm here...for always and forever :)

Art in Motion

Dancing is art in motion... a stage is a blank canvas that a choreographer used to create a masterpiece..... we are the dancers -the paint to the canvas- each one a bringing a different color to the picture...

Rainbow Veins

High rise, veins of the avenue
Bright eyes and subtle variations of blue
Everywhere is balanced there like a rainbow above you
Street lights glisten on the boulevard
And cold nights make staying alert so hard
For heaven's sake, keep me awake so I won't be caught off guard
Clearly I am a passerby but I'll find a place to stay
Dear pacific day, won't you take me away?
Small town hearts of the New Year
Brought down by gravity, crystal clear
City fog and brave dialogue converge on the frontier
Make haste, I feel your heartbeat
With new taste for speed, out on the street
Find a road to a humble abode where both of our routes meet
The silver sound is all around and the colors fall like snow
The feeling of letting go, I guess we'll never know

Cheer up and dry your damp eyes and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins
Cuz your heart has a lack of color and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later cuz we wasted all our free time alone

Your nerves gather with the altitude
Exhale the stress so you don't come unglued
Somewhere there is a happy affair, a ghost of a good mood
Wide eyed, panic on the getaway
The high tide could take me so far away
VCR's and motorcars unite on the Seventh Day
A popular gauge will measure the rage of the new Post-Modern Age
Cuz somewhere along the line all the decades align

We were the crashing whitecaps
On the ocean
And what lovely seaside holiday, away
A palm tree in Christmas lights
My emotion
Struck a sparkling tone like a xylophone
As we spent the day alone

Freedom from the Bondage of Pain

Pain inside your heart as if something was trying to get in, but you can't let it. Piercing and stabbing you, but you can't do anything about it. The constant lump in your throat, suffocating your joy. Forgetting the past and moving forward is your supposed goal, but right now you can't seem to help but dwell on it. No one knows the prison of hurt you are trapped in, behind you mask of smiles. The constant raincloud following you around as a constant reminder of the unforgotten. Am I even seeking happiness at present? Or do I want to wallow in my own misery? The confusion of it all rings in your ears. My misery does not like company. It thrives on solitude, eating me out from the inside. There's no changing the clocks -going back and undoing. It's happened. It's over. It's too late. Old wounds never seem to heal completely. They find ways to break open once again, bringing back the familiar hurt and bondage. Is it the bondage to hurt that we fear? Or is it simply that we know nothing else. I am afraid of my hurt. Afraid to face it. Afraid to address it. Afraid to let go of it completely. Almost as if out of terror of new found pain, we stick to the old, the familiar. . . LET GO! We are bearing these burdens that we don't need to carry. God gives us a hope and a peace that passes ALL understanding. When we run to Him, He will lift these burdens from us and set us FREE! He gives us a love that surpasses all, and a future of hope and forgiveness. He can heal any wound, and fill our emptiness with His great love. We need not wallow in self-pity... we have hope!

life is easier in black and white

anything but lukewarm PLEASE!....... I want to feel things with a passion -not an inclination, I want to see things in eye-popping contrast -not gray, I want to be understood -but not predictable, I want to make a difference by being different, I want to do things others have only dreamed about, I want yes! or no! -not maybe... I don't want to blend in to everything else, I want to be RED in a sea of gray, I'm sick of the word "boring", I want to be anything but that. I want to find away to express things without numbing the meaning of my thoughts, I want there to be a way to share this with people, I want to SCREAM REALLY LOUD! or be -completely silent- I hate boring...

a small broken book

Imagine your life as a book. Everything you've ever done put into writing and bound with a leather cover. Now imagine yourself in a little room with a table. On the table is a small book only big enough to hold 17 chapters. The book is bound in brown cracked leather, and on the front in tiny gold letters are the words "the book of Lindsey". As you have well guessed, it is the story of my life, each chapter representing every year I have lived so far. Some of the pages are illustrated with bright colors, and others are more worn, showing smudges where tears fell. Five pages near the end are dog-eared and almost unintelligible anymore due to the smudges and tears. Looking carefully you notice that the pages have been hastily torn from the book and then later someone came and carefully taped them back together. In the corner of the pages there are what appear to have been little smileys and hearts, happy things that were lovingly drawn there with care and then later became icons of sadness, unable to enjoy them any longer it was ripped apart from the other pages, and attempted to be forgotten. But broken as they may be, those pages represent a part of my life, and therefore remain in my book. Although I may wish to forget them, to wish they I could go back and erase everything, they stay in my book as a painful reminder of those days. Sadly you turn to the next page, on it you see written in a small rather shaky print are the words "How priceless is your unfailing love, oh God! People take refuge in the shadow or your wings." Psalm 36:7 Although sometimes there are parts of the book that are broken and painful to look at or read, you begin to notice how someone has gone through the book, wiped away any of the stains, and written in the most perfectly perfect way "I love you more than anything you could ever ask or imagine"... you stop a minute and think about it. Wow could it really be true that someone could have such unconditional love and care for that little broken book? Does the Creator of all the books care so much about each and every one of them with such utter devotion? Yes!... Now follow me with your imagination to another book, this one has your name on the cover, now open it up. Does it have the perfectly perfect "I love you more than you can ask or imagine" faithfully written through it? Have you given your book to the One that created it in the first place?

Blank Canvas

hmmm.... I suppose I'll just start typing something at random.......*cough* ....well I was reading a really dreadful story about a torture chamber, "the Pit and the Pendulum" by Poe, but I had to stop because it gave me "the freaks" as my little sister Amy would so perfectly put it :)..... *hehe* I just got up and closed the door because and open door right behind you is not something that would be desireable after reading something darkly depressing and haunting....... ooooooooooo shivers, I think I need a blanket to wrap around myself to make me less scared lol.... I don't know why I like to frighten myself so, I suppose it makes me feel adventurous and brave....anyways, I really feel like drawing something, something cute like a little porcupine or a puffin or something :P...so yeah I'm pretty much rambling right now (as you can tell)....BOO! haha bet I caught you off gaurd there didn't I ;)... yeah, that was pretty lame...omg! I know!... *hehe* having a little conversation with myself... so this has pretty much just been a day in the life of Lindsey's head... so yeah, I thought I should write another blog, but WHAT DO YA KNOW! my mind went ..... b-l-a-n-k....... like a canvas

Jane Austin

there's something delicious about good literature.... The words aren't just printed on the page, they play out in front of you, even after the book is long set aside, they chase your thoughts, and you are invited into a place where nothing around you is real, but everything in your head suddenly becomes lifesized... there's nothing like getting lost in a good romance novel, not the gushy type that is all roses and happiness, but one with well developed characters and clever dialogue, who have flaws and woes, and yet is more agreeable due to it's level of believability... Jane Austin captures the essence of that in her beautifully written books, the quotes of which are exquisite... her characters are complex and honestly portrayed with humor and passion, and the beauty of the language gives it a charming and delightful nature...

I found a great collection of quotes online (which saves me the time of finding and typing them out)... hopefully you enjoy them and possibly decide to read some of her books as well:)...

Who can forget the amazing put-downs to poor Darcy in "Pride & Prejudice?

"You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it."

And this?

"...I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."

Or the deep sighs that are such a part of "Persuasion."

"A man does not recover from such a devotion of the heart to such a woman! -- He ought not - he does not."

And at the end of "Emma":

"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."

The light-hearted (but honest) observations:

"That would be the greatest misfortune of all! -- to find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!"

And

"I am particularly unlucky in meeting with a person so well able to expose my real character, in a part of the world, where I had hoped to pass myself off with some degree of credit."

Both of which were from "Pride & Prejudice." Homespun wisdom could be found among the pages of "Northanger Abbey":

"Wherever you are you should always be contented, but especially at home, because there you must spend the most of your time."

Or

"An occasional momento of past folly, however painful, might not be without use."

Some of my favorite Jane Austen quotes:

Emma

"Respect for right conduct is felt by everybody.”

”It was a delightful visit; - perfect, in being much too short.”

"Emma denied none of it aloud, and agreed to none of it in private.”

"...she had the comfort of appearing very polite, while feeling very cross...”

"A man would always wish to give a woman a better home than the one he takes her from.”

"It is a great deal more natural than one would wish, that a young man, brought up by those who are proud, luxurious, and selfish, should be proud, luxurious, and selfish too.”

"Vanity working on a weak head, produces every sort of mischief.”

"...it is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to be ready for anybody who asks her.”

"Family connexions were always worth preserving...”

"There are secrets in all families, you know...”

"There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do, if he chuses, and that is his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution.”

”There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.”

”Oh! I always deserve the best treatment, because I never put up with any other.”

Mansfield Park

"She was, she felt she was in the greatest danger of being exquisitely happy, while so many were miserable.”

"It will be a bitter pill to her; that is, like other bitter pills, it will have two moments ill-flavour, and then be swallowed and forgotten...”

"We have all a better guide in ourselves if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.”

"...the most valuable knowledge we could any of us acquire - the knowledge of ourselves and of our duty...”

"Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure.”

"there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them.”

"Good sense, like hers, will always act when really called upon...”

"Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.”

"...nobody minds having what is too good for them...”

"...one of those well-meaning people, who are always doing mistaken and very disagreeable things.”

"...to sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment.”

"...a girl of fifteen! The very age of all others to need most attention and care, and put the cheerfullest spirits to the test.”

"We have all a better guide in ourselves if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.”

"...the most valuable knowledge we could any of us acquire - the knowledge of ourselves and of our duty.”

"She would hesitate, she would tease, she would condition, she would require a great deal but she would finally accept.”

"...there is not one in a hundred of either sex, who is not taken in when they marry...it is, of all transactions, the one in which people expect most from others, and are least honest themselves.”

"...people are never respected when they step out of their own proper sphere.”

Northanger Abbey

"...our pleasures in this world are always to be paid for...”

”To be always firm must be to be often obstinate.”

”...after all that romancers may say, there is no doing without money.”

”Where the heart is really attached, I know very well how little one can be pleased with the attentions of anybody else.”

"Let me only have the girl I like, say I, with a comfortable house over my head, and what care I for all the rest.”

"Give me but a little cheerful company, let me only have the company of the people I love, let me only be where I like and with whom I like, and the devil may take the rest, say I.”

"...one of that numerous class of females, whose society can raise no other emotion than surprise at there being any men in the world who could like them well enough to marry them.”

"It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire...”

"...when you men have a point to carry, you never stick at anything.”

"No man is offended by another man's admiration for the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.”

"...our pleasures in this world are always to be paid for...”

"...man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal...”

Persuasion

"If there is any thing disagreeable going on, men are always sure to get out of it.”

"She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! alas! she must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.”

"...there could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved.”

"Surely, if there be constant attachment on each side, our hearts must understand each other ere long.”

"How quick come the reasons for approving what we like.”

"...the art of knowing our own nothingness beyond our own circle...”

"...in that inconvient tone of voice which was perfectly audible while it pretended to be a whisper...”

"I am not one of those who neglect the reigning power to bow to the rising sun.”

"It was, perhaps, one of those cases in which advice is good or bad only as the event decides.”

"'My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversa tion; that is what I call good company.' 'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.'”

"Every thing united in him; good understanding, correct opinions, knowledge of the world, and a warm heart.”

Pride & Prejudice

"You are too sensible a girl...to fall in love merely because you are warned against it.”

"...can I be happy,...in accepting a man whose sisters and friends are all wishing him to marry elsewhere?”

"Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.”

"A young man...so easily falls in love with a pretty girl for a few weeks, and when accident separates them, so easily forgets her.”

"Till this moment, I never knew myself.”

"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love tomatrimony ina moment.”

"It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. Women fancy admiration means more than it does.”

"That would be the greatest misfortune of all! - to find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!”

"I have been mediating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.”

"...never had she so honestly felt that she could have ever loved him, as now, when all love must be in vain.”

"There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”

"...angry people are not always wise...”

"...there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary.”

"...disguise of every sort is my abhorrence.”

"Those who do not complain are never pitied.”

"One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, every thing in his favour, should think highly of himself.”

"It was consoling, that he should know she had some relations for whom there was no need to blush.”

"...they parted at last with mutual civility, and possibly a mutual desire of never meeting again.”

"...for what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?”

"...the commonest, dullest, most threadbare topic might be rendered interesting by the skill of the speaker.”

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similiar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least.”

Sense & Sensibility

"[he] is a man...whom every body speaks well of, and nobody cares about; whom all are delighted to see, and nobody remembers to talk to.”

"With such a reward for her tears, the child was too wise to cease crying.”

"...misery such as mine has no pride. I care not who knows that I am wretched.”

"Dulness is a much produced within doors as without, by rain. It makes one detest all one's acquaintance.”

"Some people were always cross when they were hot.”

"It would be an excellent match, for he was rich and she was handsome.”

"The old, well-established grievance of duty against will, parent against child.”

"...we always know when we are acting wrong...”

"I am convinced that there is a vast deal of inconsistency in almost every human character.”

"The old, well-established grievance of duty against will, parent against child.”

"His temper might perhaps be a little soured by finding, like many others of his sex, that through some unaccountable bias in favour of beauty, he was the husband of a very silly woman.”

"You have made your own choice. It ws not forced on you. Your wife has a claim to your politeness, to your respect, at least.”

"...we always know when we are acting wrong...”

"I wish as well as every body else to be perfectly happy; but like every body else it must be in my own way.”

"...I did not then know what it was to love.”