Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons

"In my lifetime I have witnessed far too many miracles to believe in impossibilities, and so I am officially modifying the defini"

"Stubbornness is surely just taut-jawed, clenched-fisted madness."

"When there is not enough time to do your best, do the best you can with the time you have."

"I am not what you see. I am what time and effort and interaction slowly unveil."

"You can do things. Do you know this?Do you believe it?You should. It’s true. You can do great things."

"Be sure to wear greenon March seventeen,or else Irish leprechauns pinch your bones clean!"

"To believe in yourself is to light a spark with the potential to start a fire."

"It seems there's confusion at this time of yearregarding the reason for Christmas. From shopping for presents to spreading good cheer,the world makes an overly huge fuss. But Christmas is not for the gifts we exchange. It's not about sleigh rides or sweet candy canes. Nay, Christmas is simple. A time to recall Christ's gift of atonement He gave to us all."

"The whispers you hear in your ear that you fear in the air everywhere,they are ghosts. The moans and the groans in the lowest of tones no one owns or condones, they are ghosts. You might deem them gremlins or water or wind,while others say shadows or rodents or sin. But oh! I say no! ‘Tis not so, child, for lo!The chills that you feel in a thrill that proves goose bumps are frightfully real,they are ghosts!"

"When I ask you to be my valentine, I’m not asking you to love me. I’m simply asking you to accept tokens of my love for you."

"I wear my wrinkles like battle scars, having earned every last one slaying life’s dragons. They boast of my victories and some defeats while their beauty is a wealth of wisdom gained."

"Things that remind me of Mother are these:the truth ‘mid deception, a warm summer breeze,the calm within chaos, a stitch in a rip,a comforting blanket, the smile on her lip,an ocean of love in a heart big as whales,the morals in everyday stories she tells,a wink amid laughter, the wisdom in books,the peace in humility, beauty in looks,the light and the life in a ray of the sun,the hard work accomplished disguised as pure fun,concern in a handclasp, encouragement too,the hope in a clear morning sky azure blue,the power in prayers uttered soft and sincere,the faith in a promise, and joy in a tear. These things all attest to the wonder and graceof my precious mother, none else could replace."

"On Easter we wrap up pretty, little decorated eggs symbolizing life and renewal. We do this because of the intangibility of a promised gift, which is the eventual resurrection of the body, restored to its finest forever state. Easter celebrates life and the idea of its eternal value, most notably the life of the gift-giver who demands nothing in return. He is your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

"Impatience is racing at misery full speed."

"The wind is made of haunting souls that moan and groan in whistles and whispers. This ghostly choir chills the breeze and orchestrates a rise of goose bumps on my skin."

"It’s simply this:the Irish kiss,a snog o’ bliss,be blessed luckfrom any miss."

"I never knew what Mother knowed,Like how a thread and needle sewed,And how a kiss healed boo-boos fast. Why family knots were made to last. I never knew how Mother saw A caring man in angry pa,A smile beneath the teary gloom,A game inside a messy room. I never knowed what Mother knew,Like how to smile when days were blue,And how to laugh for laughter’s sake,While giving up her slice of cake. I never saw what Mother see’d Like honor pulling garden weeds,Or deep confessions in a look,And hope alive in storybooks. I never knew how Mother knowed To hand out carrots when it snowed,And why hot cocoa liked the rain,While naptime kept a person sane. For mother knowed and see’d it all. A winner in a strike-out ball. A 'yes, please' in a shoulder shrug. A 'love you mostest' in a hug. Perhaps, someday, I’ll come to know What Mother saw and knowed as so. Like how 'I’m right' can be all wrong,And why the night requires a song. But of the things I learned and knew I never doubted one thing true. My mother made it crystal clear,she knowed and loved me ever dear."

"Sunshine warms us, as do smiles—which makes me think that smiles are sunbeams reflected off our teeth."

"Observe the Lord’s Day as he would have you, and perhaps He will observe your days as you would have Him."

"In one way or another,you owe your life to Mother."