Category Archives: inspiration

Five Quotes from Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955 Today is the day of Einstein’s birth. And yes, I know this series is based on “five quotes” but I included a few extra. “When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a secondContinue reading “Five Quotes from Albert Einstein”

Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#461), a brief story, and a couple comments…

On the bike…a gym bag containing wet clothes, and two bottles of red wine. A brief story…I coasted up to the community center at my usual time (and before I had the wine on the bike and wet clothes in the bag), which is also the time that parents often pick up their kids fromContinue reading “Things That Can be Carried on a Bike (#461), a brief story, and a couple comments…”

Thoughts on the Parable of the Leaven…a story within a story

So if you’ve been to this blog before you know that I like bread. A lot. I enjoy eating it, of course, but I also enjoy making it. I’ve often said that bread makes itself, that we merely provide the correct conditions and guide it along; I am really fascinated by its process. I’m alsoContinue reading “Thoughts on the Parable of the Leaven…a story within a story”

Starry, Starry Night…

Image found here. I was at meeting at our church tonight and was feeling overwhelmingly exhausted for some reason; I didn’t stay for the entire meeting. I hopped on my bike and rode slowly; it was a cold and cloudless night. The cold–at first–felt jarring. But then as I pedaled and coasted I warmed upContinue reading “Starry, Starry Night…”

Five Quotes from Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison  February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931 “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”“If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” “Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other livingContinue reading “Five Quotes from Thomas Edison”

Five Quotes from Jimmy Carter

Image Found Here. Okay…so I know I said five quotes, but I could have gone on for quite a while. I find this man truly inspiring. For more in the Five Quotes series, click here. “This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are preventedContinue reading “Five Quotes from Jimmy Carter”

Five Quotes from Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth (born Isabella Baumfree) 1797 – November 26, 1883 “I feel safe in the midst of my enemies, for the truth is all powerful and will prevail.” “Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ’cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ comeContinue reading “Five Quotes from Sojourner Truth”

L’Hiver…

As I rode to a meeting this evening it struck me that it was 6pm and there was still some light left in the sky; during the darkest days of winter the light shrinks away nearly two hours earlier…the days are getting longer! And as I pedaled and coasted into the winter’s cold wind IContinue reading “L’Hiver…”

Five Quotes from Rosa Parks

Photo found here. Rosa Louise McCauley Parks  (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005)  Click here for the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development.  “I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people toContinue reading “Five Quotes from Rosa Parks”

Death By Advertising

This interesting but short video was made in collaboration with junkthought.org and Micah M. White (from Adbusters). I find it interesting and it does make sense to me, but at the same time I find it somewhat ironic that it seems to be a sort of anti-advertisement (or a hidden advertisement) for their websites. ButContinue reading “Death By Advertising”

Five Quotes from Mahatma Gandhi

 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi  2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948 “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.“ “Let everyone try and find that as a result of daily prayer he adds somethingContinue reading “Five Quotes from Mahatma Gandhi”

Two Short Videos Honoring Two Great Men…

I find both of these videos really moving. The one below shows Nina Simone singing a song (which she and the band had just learned) honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, jr just three days after his assassination.   And the very short clip above shows the humility of our president…a man who holds oneContinue reading “Two Short Videos Honoring Two Great Men…”

Something to Ponder…

I came across this short clip a few days ago. It makes me feel small (which isn’t a bad thing, I believe, in the ego-centric world in which we live). It also makes me remember that we–human beings on planet earth–are all in this together. For better-or-worse we are all on this big marble hurtlingContinue reading “Something to Ponder…”

Five Quotes from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968 “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to theContinue reading “Five Quotes from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Five Quotes from Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda (né, Narendra Nath Datta) 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902 To learn more about Swami Vivekananda, visit one of the foundations that bear his name (here or here), or also this wiki.“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; theyContinue reading “Five Quotes from Swami Vivekananda”

Five Quotes from Henri Nouwen

Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (Nouen)  (January 24, 1932 – September 21, 1996) I came across the the above photo recently at Indy Bikehiker (thanks John!) and it reminded me of some of the books I’ve read by this inspirational and prolific author (this one is my favorite). But it also reminded me that even thoughContinue reading “Five Quotes from Henri Nouwen”

Merry Christmas!

Photo Credit: Filipe Dana I came across these two photos yesterday and they inspired me to post them for Christmas. The above photo is of the Christ Statue, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in front of a full moon. And the below image is of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama praying in front of anContinue reading “Merry Christmas!”

The Longest Night…

Today is the winter solstice, which of course is also the longest night of the year. But it doesn’t have to be the darkest. From this night on, until the summer solstice, the days grow longer and the nights shorter. And I’ve used this example very recently (about light overcoming darkness) but I will again…whenContinue reading “The Longest Night…”

Five Quotes from Joe Strummer

John Graham Mellor (Joe Strummer) 21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002 “And so now I’d like to say – people can change anything they want to. And that means everything in the world. People are running about following their little tracks – I am one of them. But we’ve all got to stop justContinue reading “Five Quotes from Joe Strummer”