Life keeps on reminding us that anything is possible, magical…and filled with humor. Perhaps it’s because I’m a gardener but somehow faith and gardening go hand in hand. Each year we have faith that spring will come…and it does. But it’s still a miracle! Enjoy this list of 20 quotes. They are words to inspire the soul.
If the only prayer you ever say in life is “Thank you”. . . that is enough. Meister Eckert
Faith is spiritualized imagination. Henry Ward Beecher
As you practice counting your blessings, you will find that you faith is being suddenly revitalized. Robert Schuller
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Miracles are not a contradiction of nature. They are only in contradiction of what we know of nature. St. Augustine
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his brother. Kahlil Gibran
Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into. Mahatma Gandhi
Faith is reason grown courageous. Sherwood Edy
When the heart weeps for what is lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found. Sufi Aphorism
Faith is a passionate intuition. William Wordsworth
Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith. Robert Brault
Anybody who has seriously been engaged in scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: Ye must have faith. It is a quality which the scientist cannot dispense with. Max Plank
I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong. John Lennon
As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit. Emmanuel Teney
Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind. Albert Einstein
Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything that requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. Gail Devers
Science is a way of life which can only flourish when men are free to have faith. Norbert Weiner
Faith means belief in something concerning which doubt is theoretically possible. William James
You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith. Mary Manin Morrissey
Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. D. Elton Trueblood
Fran,
Thanks for helping us welcome spring. I love all the quotes here, but my hands-down favorite is, “Faith is a passionate intuition. William Wordsworth”
I believe Faith can get us through when things look bleak.
I appreciate the reminder, and inspiration.
Alex
Hi Alex…
I’ve been dealing with a lot of illness these past few weeks…one a very close friend. And another, as a minister. I have been privileged to observe both of them as they go through this journey…and how their faith sustains them.
Perhaps it’s because I’m a gardener but somehow faith and gardening go hand in hand. Each year we have faith that spring will come…and it does. But it’s still a miracle! Fran
A great set of quotes, Fran. Love the ones about “faith”, though. So important to hope and believe.
I am sorry you’ve been going through a difficult times. I pray for your peace.
Vidya….I just finished re-reading the book ‘Why Faith Matters’. The second time reading it was sweeter and more provocative than the first. The older I get, the more I appreciate how faith is such an integral part of our lives.
Thanks for your kind thoughts. Actually, I’m not in pain. Rather I am in awe of individuals who can deal with grave illnesses with such elegance and ‘faith’. Their ability to live in the moment inspires me everyday. 🙂 Fran
Fran,
This was lovely. I so enjoyed all the quotes.
I loved this quote: You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith. Mary Manin Morrissey
And of course, the intuition quote!
Angela…am glad you enjoyed.Yep…the intuition quote was meant for you 🙂 Fran
Fran,
This is such a beautiful collection of quotes. Somehow I managed to pick a favorite: “are not a contradiction of nature. They are only in contradiction of what we know of nature.” Wow is all I can say. Thank you so much for this.
Hi Fran,
I love tulips, I love spring rain, I love green grass, I love the smell of spring. I miss Michigan when I think of it. I have to vote for the same quote Angela did. I love Mary. I used to get her tapes, yes tapes, from the church she was at 8 years ago!
Tess…
I hear you. You echo my sentiments. It has been non-stop rain here in Israel for the past 4 days….like Noah and the Ark type of rain. You wouldn’t believe that a country that gets about 8″ per year would experience an onslaught like this (with A LOT of runoff). Anyway, I went onto the rooftop to take some photos for my post tomorrow on Gardening Gone Wild…..I download the photos and lo and behold, there are a few from Philadelphia that I took in December when I was there. They were never erased (?). I laughed to myself when I saw the greenery and beauty of Rittenhouse Square during the first few days of winter. Life keeps on reminding us that anything is possible, magical…and filled with humour.:) Fran
“As you practice counting your blessings, you will find that you faith is being suddenly revitalized. ” LOVE this! So true!!!
Fran, I really love this post. It’s beautiful & powerful. – and I’m printing this one out for my wall 🙂
Aileen….I’m so happy you liked the quotes. I’m using them as mantras. I tape them the side of my computer so I see read them several times a day. My mother used to remind us to ‘count our blessings’. At that time I’m sure I didn’t appreciate the meaning of it. Now,I understand and thank her for giving me such wise advice.:) Fran
Hi Fran,
What a wonderful list of quotes! This one jumps out at me – “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Thanks for sharing the amazing post.
Cathy,
That’s one of my favorites as well. His use of the’whole staircase’ as a metaphor pulled me in…and which of us (who are old enough) don’t remember the ‘I have A Dream Speech’ and Robert Kennedy’s announcement of his death. Fran
Fran,
I love these quotes! There are many that I haven’t read yet. My favorite is the first one by Meister Eckert because I’m so grateful that Spring is on the way!!
Thanks for such an inspirational post!
You really have a great selection of quotes here. Thank you!
With pleasure Nea 🙂 Fran
Love, love, love this post Fran. I think the first quote by Meister Eckert is one of my all time favorites:) I feel like it has been being sent my direction a lot lately so when I started reading your post … I just smiled.
Sybil…
I’m glad that it brought a smile to your face. His works and influence have had a resurgence. I copied a paragraph about him for you. I thought you might find it interesting.:) Fran
“In 1891, Karl Eugen Neumann, who translated large parts of the Tripitaka, found parallels between Eckhart and Buddhism. Shizuteru Ueda, a third generation Kyoto School philosopher and scholar in medieval philosophy showed similarities between Eckhart’s soteriology and Zen Buddhism in an article (“Eckhardt um zen am problem”, 1989). In the 20th century, Eckhart’s thoughts were compared to Eastern mystics by both Rudolf Otto and D.T. Suzuki, among other scholars.”
Hi Fran,
I loved this set of quotes. Thank you for writing.
It was very timely with the beginning of spring. Spring is my favourite season of the year because life starts again and it’s full of growth. It’s the time of the year when we see birds nests in the trees.
I liked Einstein’s quote in particular by the way. It demonstrates how religion and science are so intertwined.
Hiten,
It was a pleasure to write the quotes. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt. Am glad you liked the Einstein quote. It’s so interesting how a lot of people still think that all scientists don’t have faith/God and that faith oriented people don’t believe in science. There is so much wonderful dialogue that has and continues to happen between the two. Fran
Hi Fran,
I guess this is my blog “quote” reading evenings. It’s funny how the law of attraction works, but just about every blog I’ve visited today were about the best quotes out there. So, I’ve filled my head with them and about to go to sleep with my mind full of beautiful quotes to rock my dreams.
Thanks, Fran, and have a great day!
Sylviane…
It is pretty amazing about intuition and the law of attraction.
I’m glad you enjoyed the quotes. They give me a tremendous amount of pleasure. I read quotes whenever I need a dose of inspiration.:) Fran
Hi,
I’m new to your site. Got here by reading of your intuitive decision to remain in Israel, on Angela’s blog. Piqued my interest since I have a daughter living in Israel too. But I’m still here in New York. Unlike you, I only get there once, sometimes twice, a year.
Love this posting of quotes since I’m a quote lover.
Nice to ‘meet’ you.
Beautiful post. My favorite quote: Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind. Albert Einstein
I have a feeling, I’ll be using this one quite often. 🙂
Anne-Sophie- Einstein is one of my all time favorites. If someone told me I could have dinner with anyone I wanted, it would be Einstein. Richard Feynman is a close 2nd. Fran
Love these quotes Fran! I think this one is my favorite – Faith is a passionate intuition. William Wordsworth. Great inspiration to get us ready for spring and we are ready. Thank you!
Cathy- that is a wonderful quote by William Wordsworth – and one that’s easy to remember. 🙂 Fran
Hi Fran,
I don’t know how I ended up on your site but I’m thankful to god for this.
So refreshing to hear you say about faith. Only faith to GOD when times are so depressing that you can believe life is worth living.
I pray for you and peace to you. Thank you.
Susanna-
Thanks for your thoughts. I’m glad that you found my site as well. Fran
Hello Fran,
Personally, I resonate with many of these quotes. But then right now I am in a place where faith is not a problem. It makes me wonder how these quotes would be viewed by someone who feels like she is drowning right now, right here. Like for example a woman who has recently lost her life partner. For her a wise remark like “When the heart weeps for what is lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found” could feel heartless perhaps? I wonder what quote of faith I could offer her… and my mind goes blank. Any suggestions?
You have a beautiful site here, by the way. Thank you!
Halina
Halina-
What a wonderful way to start my day at 530am -with my first cup of coffee. I love the way you are thinking…how true it is that when you ‘sing to the choir’, quotes like these are rich and fulfilling. But when not in a ‘faith oriented’ place and facing obstacles, inspirational quotes can feel meaningless and even heartless. A dear friend of mine just lost his wife- i am at a loss of words much of the time when speaking with him. Initially I heard myself saying ‘I don’t know what to say’ in trying to respond to him but over time I realized that my presence and being with him is what’s important.
I am going to give some thought to what you have written. If I come up with something worthwhile, I will contact you. Thank you for your thoughtful words. Fran
I love the quotes and will put them in my “quote file”! I also appreciated the last comment and your thoughtful response. When a friend, a person of deep faith, lost his wife, he said that for a time, he just depended on others to have faith for him. I liked that.
Galen – 430am here ( a time change in Israel) as I read your comment. Thank you – your words are beautiful. It gives meaning to a phrase I have heard a few friends use after losing someone close to them ‘I have felt your strength and it has given me strength’. For me the strength translates into faith. Fran
Dear Fran and Galen,
Your words are both touching, true and powerful. Thank you!
Many warm greetings –
Halina (7:42 am in Denmark :-))
Halina – Thanks for starting this conversation. It is always heartwarming to meet another spiritually centered (can’t find the right phrase) individual.
So you live in Denmark? Did you move your clocks forward an hour last night?
Hi Fran – and it’s my pleasure! 🙂
We’re going move the clocks on the night between Saturday and Sunday. In the US they did it last week-end I think. What a funny world we live in…
I have family in Israel by the way (my later brother’s widow, children and grand-children).
Halina- Am sorry that you lost a brother. Did he live there with his wife or did she move to Israel after his death? Why don’t you write to me at: [email protected] ~
Thank you Fran – I will. 🙂
“Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.” I love this one!
And this is my real life experience!
Thank you Fran! Thank you for sharing the quotes!
Rose- Am glad you enjoyed. I love that quote. I can’t imagine not questioning most things – and faith certainly falls into that category. Fran
Although it took what seemed like a protracted period of time for me to begin to write Digging Deep, once I began the process, I found it to be extremely invigorating and cathartic. Having studied creativity since my years in college, I had a lot of hands on experience, as well as philosophical, psychological and clinical writings that supported my belief system that in order to live a healthier life, or one of less disease, an individual needs to work towards developing an authentic, creative self. Because I am so deeply involved in the act of gardening, over a span of some years, I became more and more committed to using gardening as a conduit to facilitating people in living more creative lives. One could argue that I just as easily could have used music, art or dance as a tool, which is certainly relevant. But in truth, an individual’s yearning to make a connection with nature is uniquely primordial, from the time that humans began growing crops and collecting food from their environment for survival.
Ruben –
It’s always a pleasure to meet someone with similar sensibilities. Our background, beliefs, and work overlap. I have used music -as I wrote in Digging Deep- since I was a child to access my authentic, creative self. But I do agree that our need to connect with nature is profound and a part of the spiritual journey ~ a conduit for making meaning out of life. One of my favorite lines is ‘Before you go into therapy, get out in the garden and dig’.
I’m curious to know more about your background and the work that you are presently doing. If you feel compelled to share, write me at: [email protected]. Your thoughts are appreciated. Fran