On the Picture of Christmas

“‘Pictures have a way of changing you - far more profoundly and far more permanently than words ever could.’  Maybe that’s what God had in mind some 2,000 years ago when He sent us a picture of himself - and according to Hebrews,  an exact representation of His being.  I can tell you that picture has changed me - for more profoundly and far more permanently than any words I have ever heard spoken. “ RBG

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6).

On Christmas Memories

“Every year we all gathered at the Reynolds United Methodist Church to take communion early in the evening on Christmas Eve. The minister would be there for several hours serving the sacrament to individual families.  When our family entered the building, we would greet another family who was leaving and then wait in silence on another family being served. Each family would speak to other families in whispers and there would be a lot of hugs with life long friends we lived and worked with every day. A heartfelt “Merry Christmas” was always whispered in the ears of those you hugged. I will always remember the way Mama made sure we began our Christmas celebration. Some of my best memories in life.” RBG

On Growing Up in Church

"I remember sitting in church next to Daddy one Sunday morning. It was plainly written in the church bulletin that the title of Brother Johnson’s sermon would be, “What Time is It?” Everybody in the congregation obviously saw that... but Daddy. He didn’t notice because he spent the entire time writing figures on the bulletin. It was obvious to me that he was not paying one bit of attention as to what was going on in church. I’m not sure if he was working on a deal or trying to figure out how to pay a bill, but he was doing some serious figuring. Finally the time came for the sermon to begin. Brother Johnson stepped up to the pulpit and began his sermon with these words, 'What time is it?'  All of a sudden Daddy looked at his watch and blurted out loud for everyone to hear, “It’s 25 minutes til 12!” RBG

On IBS

"I’ve never had a baby myself but I have been close to it. I am probably one of the few men you would ever meet who has experienced labor pains.  I know how tough it is to be driving down the road doing 90 MPH going through transition. I’ve experienced that pain. I also know what it’s like to go from 5 CM to 10 CM in 30 seconds.  Irritable Bowel Syndrome does that to you.” RBG

On Moments

"Life is a journey that is made up of moments. Some are wonderful. Others can be very painful. But it is not the moment that defines us.  It is the way we handle the moment.” RBG

On Seeing Clearly

“Although my Ophthalmologist may not agree, I am positive this is true: The older I get the better I see.” RBG

On Work Ethic

"We grew up working and earning every penny of our spending money.  It didn't matter what we did on Friday nights - we had to be at work at the store at 8AM on Saturdays.  I remember being kinda proud when I heard all the cheering for my play during a high school basketball game on a Friday night.  I can tell you there was no cheering at my house on Saturday morning." RBG

On First Impressions

"We get second and third chances at many things. But we do not get second or third chances at first impressions.” RBG

On Giving Up

“Bubba Watson, the golfer, has a slogan that has served him well in professional golf: ‘If you have a swing, you have a shot.’  That slogan would also serve us well in life when the odds are stacked against us.  As long as we have a swing - we have a shot.  “ RBG

On Margins

“Can you imagine how difficult it would be to read a book if the pages you were trying to read had no margins at the top, bottom and sides? There would be words all over the page and it would be very difficult to take it all in.  We also have to have margins in our life.  Blank spaces around all the busy stuff gives us a much better perspective.” RBG

On Friendship

“I heard Lee Iacocca say one time that his father used to say when you die if you’ve got five real friends you’ve had a great life.  When you view life from a hearse you need at least six.” RBG

On the Supernatural

“How can anyone look at a brand new baby and say there is no God? As a result of an act of love, a human being grows from a seed connecting with an egg, is nurtured in the mother’s womb and arrives on the scene as a person with characteristics of the parents…and the grandparents. I don’t think I have ever heard a man exactly explain that.” RBG

On Kindness

"We all have opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people we come in contact with each day of our lives. The impact of a kind deed can last forever. "RBG

On Happiness

“The pursuit of happiness comes with blood, sweat and tears. It is not a defensive lifestyle as most people lead, but a lifestyle of being on a mission. None of us have an unalienable right to be happy. The truth is there will be many times when we are not. But we do have the right to pursue it. “RBG

About Talent

“I have learned in the real world there are many talented people who have the smarts to be the absolute best at whatever they do. But they don’t have the energy to take them to the next level. Talent and execution are only half the battle. The other half is energy.” RBG

About Tomorrow

“Never be afraid to look someone in the eye - and to give someone a hug or a maybe even a  kiss on the cheek if they need it - or you need it.  Most of all, never be afraid to tell someone you love that you love them. Tomorrow may be too late.” RBG

On the Road Less Traveled

"If you want to find the really good stuff, sometimes you have to get off the main road and take a chance. And if you really want to know the answer to your question, it’s probably a good idea to ask the people who really know. This is an amazing country. But if you stay on the road everybody else is traveling, you might just find a way to miss it." RBG

On Winning

“Sometimes you just have to put yourself out on a limb - out there where you know it could break.  In order to grow you have to be stretched. In order to win you have to be willing to lose.” RBG

On the Power of the Possible

“What you hate today, may just be what you love tomorrow. What is unthinkable to you today, may just be a reality tomorrow. What you think is impossible today, may just be possible tomorrow. Never underestimate the power of the possible.” RBG

On Standing in Line

“If you see a grown man wearing a suit & tie at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon at K-Mart standing in line to pay for one package of underwear, you probably should let him move to the front of the line.” RBG

On Sunshine and Rain

“Some days are sunny and some days are rainy. It has always been like that and we absolutely need both. We could not survive if we did not have both. We all have moments of wonder and moments of gloom. Days of victory and days of defeat. Seasons of happiness and seasons of heartache.  We could not grow if we did not experience both.” RBG

On Being Sick While Traveling

"I tried to walk casually through the random hotel lobby. I was walking briskly though,  wearing sunglasses and a dark blue business suit (buttoned up because I was freezing to death). The clerk was alone at the counter. I walked right by and never looked at her and never said a word. When I returned from the restroom, I stopped and told her I hoped she didn’t mind me using her restroom. She smiled. I told her I would have asked for permission when I came in but I was afraid she would say no." RBG

On Finishing Well

“I appropriately placed his putter in the casket with him before he was laid to rest at Hillcrest Cemetery. Although he was one of the best putters I ever saw, I can tell you that putter was not placed there as a symbol of how well he finished a hole on a golf course.  But it was placed there as a symbol of how well he finished his life.  It’s not how you drive – but it’s how you arrive.  True in golf and true in life.” RBG

About our Circumstances

“I was reminded that day that our circumstances can change on a dime. The lesson is to refuse to take the blessings we enjoy today for granted. Everything can change at a blink of an eye. Our real opportunity is to fully enjoy the moment we have today.  And be very thankful." RBG

After a Physical

“The doctor went over all the CBC’s and HDL’s and PSA’s and all the other results of my blood work. Then he pulled out a little handheld device and began entering some data. In just a few seconds, he calmly explained to me that I had a 13% chance of having a heart attack. I had just driven through Atlanta and I figured I probably had a 50% chance of getting run over on the interstate so the 13% sounded pretty good to me. He did tell me I could reduce that percent if I exercised regularly.  That night I was watching the Braves game and John Smoltz came up to bat and I noticed he had a .147 batting average. I quickly realized that his chance of getting a hit was about the same as my chance for having a heart attack. Smoltz promptly drilled a hit down the right field line.” RBG

About Ditch Choices

“We only have two choices when we find ourselves in the ditch.  We can complain and fuss and get the mulligrubs and blame our plight on someone else.  Or we can gather our papers back up and put them back in the basket and get on down the road.  We only have two choices.  The most important question is not about how we ended up in the ditch.  The question is, ‘Do we make the right ditch choices?”  RBG from “The Legacy of Eulan Brown”

Laughter

"It doesn't matter if you live in San Francisco, Washington DC, Quebec City or Reynolds, GA.  People come together when they laugh together."  RBG