Lavinia’s Gleanings
I don’t write nor do I particularly like to write. I can when pressed but I prefer to read. Then I like to share what I have read by talking with people. A favorite school assignment as a kid was doing book reports. I still do it. One of my many passions is to collect those short sayings from other people that touch and inspire me. and then share my collection whenever I can. Sidebar: my father gave me a dictionary for Christmas when I was 14 years old. At the time, I thought it was a terrible present. Now I use this 1966 version of the Webster's New World Dictionary, College Edition all the time. It might be the only gift he ever gave me that I still have. So, I looked up the word gleanings to see if it was appropriate for my title. Definition number 3: to collect (facts, etc) gradually or bit by bit. Perfect! Just so you know, I do my best to verify who said these words. Often quotes come without a reference or an incorrect reference.
I hope you enjoy this sampling of my collection. May you be inspired, amused and encouraged. Blessed Be, Lavinia Pisano
Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Love the world as your own self, then you can truly care for all things. Lao Tzu
You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather. Pema Chodron
You do not need to know precisely what is happening or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope. Thomas Merton
The Earth is what we all have in common. Wendell Berry
Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson
My beloved child, break your heart no longer. Each time you judge yourself, you break your own heart. You stop feeding on the love which is the wellspring of your vitality. The time has come, your time to live, to celebrate and to see the goodness that you are. You, my child, are divine. You are pure – you are sublimely free. You are God in disguise, and you are perfectly safe. Do not fight the dark; just turn on the light. Let go and breathe into the goodness that you are. Swami Kripalunanda
Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Ian McLaren
When you can see no future, all you can do is the next right thing. From Frozen 2, the movie
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. Vivian Greene
The following are two quotes from The Missoulian article, Advice from Mothers,
Mothers’ Day May 9, 2010
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when are you going to have time to do it over?”
“If you don’t need it, it's not on sale.”
The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed. Ghandi
Prayer is the bridge between longing and belonging. John O' Donaghue
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. The Dalai Lama
May I inhale the breath of life. May I exhale all the love I have inside me.
A breath meditation: Gina Sala
World Peace can be achieved when the Power Of Love replaces the Love Of Power. Sri Chinmoy
We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace. William Ewart Gladstone
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix
I don't have time to be in a rush. Tara Brach quoting a woman with breast cancer
The purpose of life is love’s expansion. Tiger Singleton
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi
As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. Nelson Mandela
It always seems impossible until it's done. Nelson Mandela
Dare to stand before those you fear and speak your mind, even if your voice shakes. Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panther
Be yourself, who else is better qualified? Frank J. Giblin II
Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, she became a butterfly. Barbara Haines Howett
And finally:
May the blessings of the Goddess rest upon you
May her peace abide in you
May her presence illuminate your heart
Now and forevermore.
A variation of a Sufi song and blessing I learned sometime, somewhere, from someone.
With love and blessings to you all, Lavinia Pisano, Treasurer, Unity Board of Trustees
