Thomas S. Monson

Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time.-Thomas S. Monson

Author Unknown

With God nothing is impossible, but we must reach up and take His hand.--Author Unknown

Author's Note:

All right, when I read this quote, I can't help but think of this Greg Olsen painting "Be Not Afraid." It is one of my favorite paintings of his. I got this photo off the web by going to www.gregolsen.com/artwork. 

Mitch Albom

Here's another one from "Have A Little Faith". This on is on pages 37-39. Yup! It's long. Sorry, but I want to be this kind of teacher...someday!

"So what drew you in?"
"I wanted to be a teacher."
"A religious teacher?"
"A history teacher."
"Like in normal school?"
"Like in normal school."
"But you went to the seminary."
"I tried."
"You tried?"
"The first time, I failed."
You're kidding me.
"No. The head of the seminary, Louis Finkelstein, pulled me aside and said, "Al, while you know much, we do not feel you have what it takes to be a good and inspiring rabbi."
"What did you do?"
"What could I do? I left."

---------

Now, this stunned me. There were many things you could have said about Albert Lewis. But not having what it took to inspire and lead a congregation? Unthinkable. Maybe he was too gentle for the seminary leaders. Or too shy. Whatever the reason, the failure crushed him.
He took a summer job as a camp counselor in Port Jervis, New York. One of the campers was particularly difficult. If the other kids collected in one place, this kid went someplace else. If asked to sit, he would defiantly stand.
The kids name was Phineas, and Al spent most of the summer encouraging him, listening to his problems, smiling patiently. Al understood adolescent angst. He'd been a pudgy in a cloistered religious environment. He'd had few friends. He'd never really dated.
So Phineas found a kindred soul in his counselor. And by the end of camp, the kid had changed.
A few weeks later, Al got a call from Phineas's father, inviting him to dinner. It turned out the man was Max Kadushin, a great Jewish scholar and a major force in the Conservative movement. At the table that night, he said, "Al, I can't thank you enough. You sent back a different kid. You sent me a young man."
Al smiled.
"You have a way with people--particularly children."
Al said thank you.
"Have you ever thought about trying for the seminary?"
Al almost spit out his food.
"I did try," he said. "I didn't make it."
Max thought for a moment.
"Try again," he said.
And with Kadushin's help, Albert Lewis's second try went better than the first. He excelled. He was ordained.
Not long after that, he took a bus to New Jersey to interview for his first and only pulpit position, the one he still held more than fifty years later.
No angel? I asked. No burning bush?
"A bus," the Reb said, grinning.
I scribbled a note. The most inspirational man I knew only reached his potential by helping a child reach his.

Mitch Albom

This is a quote from a book I am currently reading written by Mitch Albom titled "Have A Little Faith". (It's on page 19.) I loved it! I hope you will too...

"Do you believe in God?"
"Yes, I do."
I scribbled that on my pad.
"Do you ever speak with God?"
"On a regular basis."
"What do you say?"
"These days?" He sighed, then half-sang his answer. "These days I say, 'God, I know I'm going to see you soon. And we'll have some nice conversations. But meanwhile, God, if you're gonna taaake me, take me already. And if you're gonna leave me here'"-he opened his hands and looked at the ceiling-"'maybe give me the strength to do what should be done.'"

Larry W Gibbons

The Lord has armed you with your trials.
~Larry W. Gibbons

Gordon B. Hinckley

It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. … If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." - Gordon B. Hinckley.

Neal A. Maxwell

Last one, I promise! (For today--at least!) “It is extremely important for you to believe in yourselves not only for what you are now but for what you have the power to become. Trust in the Lord as He leads you along. He has things for you to do that you won't know about now but that will unfold later. If you stay close to Him, You will have some great adventures. You will live in a time where instead of sometimes being fulfilled, many of them will actually be fulfilled. The Lord will unfold your future bit by bit.” ― Neal A. Maxwell

Neal A Maxwell

This is something I need to remember! “Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best—better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable.” ― Neal A. Maxwell

Chris Stewart

"'Elizabeth, do you remember Jerusalem? The pools of Bethesda, the porch and the water where the lame and halt used to wait for the angel to stir the water for them? There was a beggar there. His body was broken and feeble. He was so weak and lame, he was unable to walk, unable even to stand. Do you remember him, Elizabeth? Do you know who I mean?" "Yes, I remember. He was one of the crippled. And my Brother healed him." "Do you remember how long he waited?" "I don't remember specifically, but it was a long time." "Thirty-eight years, Elizabeth. Almost his entire life. Thirty-eight years he suffered alone, waiting patiently. Yet whenever the angel came, he never could reach the water in time, for he was too weak and feeble to be the first to the pool. Can you imagine his disappointment? Can you imagine how he felt? Thirty-eight years he suffered, waiting for a miracle. He felt so sick and abandoned, so completely alone, for there was no man to carry him and no one who cared. "And sometime in your mortal life, you will feel like this man. You will feel sick and abandoned, unable to deal with the challenges of the world. You will want to be healed, but there will be no one there. And when you feel that way, Elizabeth, I want you to remember this man. Remember that Christ healed him when no one would carry him to the pool. When he felt most alone, after patiently waiting so long, the Savior came out of nowhere and made him whole. There will be times you feel you have been abandoned, but that is never so. Your Brother will heal you. Our Father will always look after you. And from time to time I may be able to help you as well. "But Teancum, how can all this be true? With the entire universe to manage, how can we matter so much to the Father? With all the suffering in the world, all the long prayers and urgent cries, will he still have time for me when I pray?" ... "He controls the heavens," he answered. "He controls the seas and the universe and the armies of men. He controls the course of each nation and the course of each man and womam. The sun will rise as he tells it to, and he can make kings of men. And if he can do all this, Elizabeth--and you know that he can--then can he not hear your prayers and give you help when you ask? The galaxies, they are nothing, when compared to his love for you. He can make you holy, and he can answer your prayers. And remember this Elizabeth, for this is important too. It is a plan of happiness he has created, not a plan of misery. He sends us to be happy! And he will provide a way. ... "You must have faith when the answers don't come immediately.'"

Maya Angelou

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

Thomas S. Monson

“Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time.” (From To The Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson By Heidi S. Swinton. Page vii).