Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons

"The secret to style is a beautiful smile."

"The day you were born Heaven wept at its great loss,Earth joyed at its gain."

"I once dreamt that the man in the moon took an interest in me and reflected the sun’s light directly in my path, lighting the way for my footsteps to sink themselves into the ground. It was wonderful to have my course illuminated by one with a grander perspective than my own. But when I awoke, realizing I could not call on the moon for guidance, my spirit sank until it occurred to me I could talk to the one who had created the moon. And He has lit my path ever since."

"The elixir of life is a bubbling stream of laughter."

"You won’t solve your problems by drowning others in them."

"You are right, I do fall down a lot. But that wouldn’t be true if I never stood back up."

"I might be tempted to socialize more if the conversations taking place around me were half as interesting as the dialogue going on inside my head."

"Pride is not your friend. He would have you think he is, that he affords you strength and courage, but in truth he robs you of your health and by slow, diluted degrees steals your might. He is a crafty and cunning liar who would have you think that stubborn, unapologetic, superior, boastful, and popular are admirable traits. Pride would convince you that being right is more crucial than being kind. He would have you sever relationships, even turn your back on family and friends rather than utter a humble apology. To do so is beneath you, pride would say. He would have you fight like a raptor and gnash your teeth while jutting out an inflexible jaw to defend and protect him, regardless of who is hurt in the process. He would use and demean you in order to puff up and fortify himself. He would destroy your life and every meaningful association before casting you aside without a hint of remorse. Again, Pride is not your friend."

"Barking at people earns their respect about as effectively as staring into the sun improves your vision."

"It is a great mystery to me how the problems of others seem like simple arithmetic while my own appear as complicated as a calculus equation."

"Sometimes a problem isn’t really a problem but the solution in disguise."

"There is a sky full of stars aplenty, and all you can babble about is a cold, little rock we call the moon. This is how it is with petty problems that exist too close to us."

"Oh what marvels fill me with thanksgiving!The deep mahogany of a leaf once green. The feathered fronds of tiny icicles coating every twig and branch in a wintry landscape. The feel of goosebumps thawing after endured frozen temperatures. Both hands clamped around a hot mug of herbal tea. The aromatic whiff of mint under my nose. The stir of emotion from a child's cry for mommy. A gift of love detached of strings. Spotted lilies collecting raindrops in a cupped clump of petals. The vibrant mélange of colors on butterfly wings. The milky luster of a single pearl. Rainbows reflecting off iridescence bubbles. Awe-struck silence evoked by any form of beauty. Avocado flecks in your eyes. Warm hands on my face. Sweetness on the tongue. The harmony of voices. An answered prayer. A pink balloon. A caress. A smile. More. These have become my treasures by virtue of thanksgiving."

"Thanksgiving is not only being aware of the abundance of good in the world but embracing it."

"Night helps us appreciate daylight, while lengthy days make us yearn for a good stretch of night."

"Gratitude possesses all the energy of a sunbeam. That is how it makes life blossom."

"Find much to be grateful for in every day. Doing so will not only enrich your life, it will bless those around you in ways you may never know."

"It is easy to say I am thankful for the sweet and beautiful things in life: flower gardens, ice cream cones, diamond rings, dances under moonlight, children’s laughter, birdsongs, and the like. The challenge is recognizing things of value in the dark, sour, uglier parts of life. But if you look hard enough, you will find that even tough times offer pearls worthy of gratitude."

"Isn’t it strange how a lamb can feel like a lion when comparing itself to a mouse, whereas a lion feels like a lamb when measuring itself against dragons?"

"Gratitude is a grinning attitude."