Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845)

*

The sun makes ice melt; kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
—Matthew 5:9 NIV

We who work for peace must not falter. We must continue to pray for peace and to act for peace in whatever way we can, we must continue to speak for peace and to live the way of peace; to inspire others, we must continue to think of peace and to know that peace is possible.
—Peace Pilgrim (1908–1981), born Mildred Lisette Norman, pacifist and peace activist

I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot . . . and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why … I succeed.

—Michael Jordan (b. 1963), American basketball player

*

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947), founder of the Ford Motor Company

It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you. Yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.

—Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

*

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
—Jesus, Matthew 11:28–30

No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?

—Lee Iacocca (b. 1924), American businessman and author

If there is a sin against life, it consists perhaps not so much in despairing of life as in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.

—Albert Camus (1913–1960), French author and philosopher

For the sorrowing every day is evil, for the joyous heart it is festival always.

—Proverbs 15:15 TJB

If you will call your troubles experiences, and remember that every experience develops some latent force within you, you will grow vigorous and happy, however adverse your circumstances may seem to be.
—John Heywood (1497–1580), English playwright and poet

Prayer—secret, fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal godliness.

—William Carey (1761–1834), English missionary

Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.

—E.M. Bounds (1835–1913), American minister and author

If you try to make your circle closed and exclusively yours, it never grows very much. Only a circle that has lots of room for anybody who needs it has enough spare space to hold any real magic.

—Zilpha Keatley Snyder (b. 1927), American children’s writer

If you approach each new person you meet in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt

If someone were to hand me a book that was as simple to me as the multiplication table,and say, “This is the Word of God. In it He has revealed His whole will and wisdom,” I would shake my head and say, “I cannot believe it; that is too easy to be a perfect revelation of infinite wisdom.” There must be, in any complete revelation of God’s mind and will and character and being, things hard for the beginner to understand; and the wisest and best of us are but beginners. 

—R. A. Torrey