Finding love is a magical experience. How do you know when you've found the right person? When something is more than just a grade-school crush? True love is said to happen to each person just once in their lifetime. But that's not true.

The heart has the capacity to love passionately and truly more than once. True love means sharing your intimate moments and talking like you've known each other forever. Feeling sad when you're apart.

Laughing. Joking freely. Experiencing happy moments that you hope will never end. Complimenting each other. Feeling lightheaded when he or she walks into the room. Making sacrifices to be together. Respecting one another's private space.

Growing together. Staying awake to watch the other sleep. Lying together under the stars and listening to each other's hearts beat. Kisses on the forehead.

~

We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.

- Sam Keen, from To Love and Be Loved

The spaces between your fingers were created so that another's could fill them in.

- Unknown

Have you ever wondered which hurts the most: saying something and wishing you had not, or saying nothing, and wishing you had?

- Unknown

Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control.

- Unknown

If I could be any part of you, I'd be your tears. To be conceived in your heart, born in your eyes, live on your cheeks, and die on your lips.

- Unknown

Don't say you love me unless you really mean it, because I might do something crazy like believe it.

- Anonymous

You know you're in love when you don't want to go to sleep at night because your life is better than a dream.

-Anonymous

Should I smile because we are friends? Or cry because we'll never be anything more?

- Unknown

Today I caught myself smiling for no reason... then I realized I was thinking about you

- Unknown

When you feel cold and warm at the same time, when you read over the same line for the tenth time,

when your heart and thoughts somehow appear to rhyme, and when a simple name conquers your whole mind, then you are in deep trouble my friend... you are in what they call, "love".

- Philippos Aristotelous

Nobody is worth your tears, and the one who is won't make you cry.

- Unknown

Sometimes people put up walls, not to keep others out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

-Unknown

It's amazing how someone can break your heart, but you still love them with all the little pieces.

- Unknown

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These forgiveness scriptures were written about seeking atonement from our Holy Father. Can you reflect this same type of unconditional love with those that seek forgiveness from you? While it is hard to forgive those who hurt us, it is often equally as hard to ask for forgiveness. Perhaps you can draw some inspiration from these forgiveness scriptures.

#1

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

#2

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. (Matthew 11:28)

#3

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

#4

My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

#5

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

#6

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19)

#7

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted. (Isaiah 43:25-26)

#8

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ... (Romans 8:1)

#9

Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord,
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.  (Isaiah 1:18)

 

#10

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

#11

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

#12

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15

# 13
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke uponyou 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.
Matthew 11:28

# 14
Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 55:22

# 15
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 John 2:1

#16
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9

# 17
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
Acts 3:19

# 18
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together; state your case, that you may be acquitted.
Isaiah 43:25-26

# 19
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ...
Romans 8:1

# 20
Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord,
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Isaiah 1:18

# 21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

# 22
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7

# 23
Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.
Hebrews 10:17

# 24
The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
Daniel 9:9

# 25
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14

# 26
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12

 

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Graduation or commencement is one of the most magical times in anyone's life. Whether be it from high school or college, graduation marks a momentous milestone that will only be crossed once.

Graduation is a culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and quest for knowledge. Graduation is a special recognition for the bestowing of diplomas, certificates, degrees, and honors. Share these special and moving graduation inspirational quotes with your grad today.

#1

Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

#2

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.

~Milton Berle

#3

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.

~William Arthur Ward

#4

Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

#5

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

~Henry David Thoreau

#6

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

#7

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

~Santiz Anatole France

#8

I hope your dreams take you... to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known.

~Anonymous

#9

All our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them.

~Walt Disney

#10

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

#11

Graduation is a time of completion, of finishing, of an ending,
however, it is also a time of celebration of achievement and
a beginning for the new graduate.

~Catherine Pulsifer

#12

You are educated.
Your certification is in your degree.
You may think of it as the ticket to the good life.
Let me ask you to think of an alternative.
Think of it as your ticket to change the world.

~Tom Brokaw

#13

There is a good reason they call these ceremonies
'commencement exercises'.
Graduation is not the end;
it's the beginning.

~Orrin Hatch

#14

I will reach for the stars no matter how hard it seems,
and fly like a bird with the knowledge this journey brings.

~Semetra C. Vanison

#15

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather,
always bring your own sunshine.

~Anthony J. D'Angelo

#16

Graduation is only a concept.
In real life every day you graduate.
Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life.
If you can grasp that,
you'll make a difference.

~Arie Pencovici

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It is a profound truth that our paths are shaped and our lives are formed by those that we choose to surround ourselves with. Friendship is one of the strongest ties that the human condition can form.

An unknown author once said that "friends are kisses blown to us by angels", and anyone who has known the love of a true friend can stand testament to just how true that is. Share these inspirational friendship poems with those friends that are dear to your heart and that have a window seat for your soul.

#1

Online Friendship
Online friend I have never seen you before,
but I know you are really there.
I click you into reality, like magic in the air.
Your voice is like an angel, though I really do not hear.
Your hug as warm as any, of the loved ones I hold dear.
You are always there for comfort, or a word of cheer.
Though you are very far away, I always have you near.
You are a very special friend, like none I have ever known.
As long as you are in cyberspace, I will never be alone.

~Author Unknown

#2

The Making of Friends
Life is sweet because of the friends we have made
And the things which in common we share;
We want to live on, not because of ourselves,
But because of the ones who would care.
It's living and doing for somebody else
On that all of life's splendor depends,
And the joy of it all, when we count it all up,
Is found in the making of friends.

~Edgar A. Guest

#3

Some people, no matter how old they get,
Never lose their beauty --
They merely move it from their faces
Into their hearts.

~Martin Buxhaum

#4

Everyone Needs Someone
People need people and friends need friends
And we all need love for a full life depends
Not on vast riches or great acclaim
Not on success or on worldly fame
But just in knowing that someone cares
And holds us close in their thoughts and prayers
For only the knowledge that we're understood
Makes everyday living feel wonderfully good
And we rob ourselves of life's greatest need
When we 'lock up our hearts' and fail to heed
The outstretched hand reaching to find
A kindred spirit whose heart and mind
Are lonely and longing to somehow share
Our joys and sorrows and to make us aware
That life's completeness and richness depends
On the things we share with our
loved ones and friends.

~Helen Steiner Rice

#5

Thank You Friend
I never came to you, my friend, and went away without
some new enrichment of the heart;
More faith and less of doubt,
more courage in the days ahead.
And often in great need coming to you,
I went away comforted indeed.
How can I find the shining word, the glowing phrase
that tells all that your love has meant to me,
all that your friendship spells?
There is no word, no phrase for you
on whom I so depend.
All I can say to you is this,
God Bless You precious friend.

~Grace Noll Crowell

#6

Friendship
There's a miracle of friendship
That dwells within the heart
And you don't know how it happens
Or where it gets its start
But the happiness it brings you
Always gives a special lift
And you realize that friendship is
God's most perfect gift.

~Author Unknown

#7
A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart
and can sing it back to you
when you have forgotten the words.

~Author Unknown

#8

A Special Friend

I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me;

I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be;

I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day

As you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.

I'd like to do the big things and the splendid things for you,

To brush the gray from out your skies and leave them only blue;

I'd like to say the kindly things that I so oft have heard,

And feel that I could rouse your soul the way that mine you've stirred.

I'd like to give you back the joy that you have given me,

Yet that were wishing you a need I hope will never be;

I'd like to make you feel as rich as I, who travel on

Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to lean upon.

I'm wishing at this time that I could but repay

A portion of the gladness that you've strewn along my way;

And could I have one wish, this only would it be:

I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me.

~Author Unknown

 

#9

A Friend Is Like A Flower

A friend is like a flower -- a rose to be exact,

Or maybe like a brand new gate --that never comes unlatched

A friend is like an owl, both beautiful and wise

Or perhaps a friend is like a ghost, whose spirit never dies.

A friend is like those blades of grass -- you can never mow,

standing straight, tall, and proud -- in a perfect little row

A friend is like a heart that goes --strong until the end.

Where would we be in this world -- if we didn't have a friend.

 

#10

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,

I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

 

If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.

 

If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,

I would video tape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day.

 

If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two

to stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming, you would KNOW I do.

 

If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,

well, I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away.

 

For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,

and we always get a second chance to make everything right.

 

There will always be another day to say our "I love you's",

And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do's?"

 

But just in case I might be wrong and today is all I get,

I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget,

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,

And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.

 

So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?

For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss

and you were too busy to grant someone,

what turned out to be their one last wish.

 

So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear,

Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear,

Take time to say "I'm sorry," "please forgive me," "thank you" or "it's okay".

And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

~Author Unknown

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Nothing is more important than the family that surrounds us. Family can mean so many things to so many people. Life begins and ends with family, although our roads and paths in life may take us separate places, we are always together in our hearts. These inspirational family poems may cause you to reflect and reminisce on your own family, of bittersweet days gone by and those that are still ahead.

#1

A Home Song

~ Henry van Dyke

I read within a poet's book

A word that started the page:

"Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage!"

Yes, that is true; and something more

You'll find, where'er you roam,

That marble floors and gilded walls

Can never make a home.

But, every house where Love abides,

And Friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home-sweet-home:

For there the heart can rest.

 

#2

Going Home for Christmas

~ Edgar Guest

He little knew the sorrow that was in his vacant chair,

He never guessed they'd miss him, or he'd surely have been there;

He couldn't see his mother or the lump that filled her throat,

Or the tears that started falling as she read his hasty note;

And he couldn't see his father, sitting sorrowful and dumb,

Or he never would have written that he thought he couldn't come.

He little knew the gladness that his presence would have made,

And the joy it would have given, or he never would have stayed.

He didn't know how hungry had the little mother grown

Once again to see her baby and to claim him for her own.

He didn't guess the meaning of his visit Christmas Day

Or he never would have written that he couldn't get away.

 

He couldn't see the fading of the cheeks that once were pink,

And the silver in the tresses; and he didn't stop to think

How the years are passing swiftly, and next Christmas it might be

There would be no home to visit and no mother dear to see.

He didn't think about it - I'll not say he didn't care.

He was heedless and forgetful or he'd surely have been there.

 

Are you going home for Christmas? Have you written you'll be there?

Going home to kiss the mother and to show her that you care?

Going home to greet the father in a way to make him glad?

If you're not I hope there'll never come a time you'll wish you had.

Just sit down and write a letter - it will make their heart strings hum

With a tune of perfect gladness - if you'll tell them that you'll come.

 

#3

A Thought

~ Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child's Garden of Verses

 

It is very nice to think

The world is full of meat and drink,

With little children saying grace

In every Christian kind of place.

 

#4

Family

~ Sean Kelley

Always there

Fun-loving people

Christians who love God

Friends

 

#5

Matthew 20:20-21

~ The Rhyming Gospels, a poetic paraphrase of Holy Scripture,

by Bernard Williams

 

Then the mother of James and John

Came forward at their bequest,

She knelt down before Jesus

To make known her request.

Jesus looked down upon her,

Asked, "What is your desire?"

She said, "To serve in your kingdom

My two sons do aspire."

"Command one to stand at your right,

For both I want the best,

The other put at your left hand,

This, then is my request."

 

#6

Whole Duty of Children

~ Robert Louis Stevenson,

A child should always say what's true

And speak when he is spoken to,

And behave mannerly at table;

At least as far as he is able.

 

#7

Our House

~ Edgar Guest

We play at our house and have all sorts of fun,

An' there's always a game when supper is done;

An' at our house there's marks on the walls an' the stairs,

An' some terrible scratches on some of the chairs;

An' ma says that our house is surely a fright,

But pa and I say that our house is all right.

 

At our house we laugh an' we sing an' we shout,

An' whirl all the chairs and the tables about,

An' I rassle my pa an' I get him down too,

An' he's all out of breath when the fightin' is through;

Am' ma says our house is surely a sight,

But pa an' I say that our house is all right.

 

I've been to houses with pa where I had

To sit in a chair like a good little lad,

An' there wasn't a mark on the walls an' the chairs,

An' the stuff that we have couldn't come up to theirs;

An' pa said to ma that for all of their joy

He wouldn't change places and give up his boy.

 

They never have races nor rassles nor fights.

Coz they have no children to play with at nights;

An' their walls are all clean and their curtains hang straight,

An' everthing's shiny an' right up to date;

But pa says with all of its racket an' fuss,

He'd rather by far live at our house with us.

 

#8

Grandparents

~ Scott Kelley

Who is like a grandma? I would like to know. A face filled with a smile. A head crowned with snow.

Her words are always kind, no matter what you do. And she always wants to help, as long as your heart is true.

Now, grandpa is a different breed. His bark is worse than his bite. If you ever catch him without his teeth, he's really a funny sight!

But teeth don't have anything to do with being very bright. Between the two you have quite a blend of humor, patience, and wisdom no end.

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Graduation is many things. It's the culmination of years of hard work. It's the mark of a new era. It's a new beginning as the graduate embarks upon an exciting new journey. Graduation also marks the end of carefree days of childhood. It means saying goodbye to friends - usually not forever - just goodbye to a bittersweet period of life that is passing. This moving compilation of inspirational graduation poems is great for the high school or college graduate.

#1

A Little Prayer by Anonymous

That I may not in blindness grope,
But that I may with vision clear
Know when to speak a word of hope
Or add a little wholesome cheer.

That tempered winds may softly blow
Where little children, thinly clad,
Sit dreaming, when the flame is low,
Of comforts they have never had.

That through the year which lies ahead
No heart shall ache, no cheek be wet,
For any word that I have said
Or profit I have tried to get.

#2

Be the Best of Whatever You Are by Douglas Malloch

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill
Be a scrub in the valley - but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway some happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass -
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail -
Be the best of whatever you are!

#3

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them; "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

#4

The World is Against Me by Edgar A. Guest

"The world is against me," he said with a sigh.
"Somebody stops every scheme that I try.
The world has me down and it's keeping me there;
I don't get a chance. Oh, the world is unfair!
When a fellow is poor then he can't get a show;
The world is determined to keep him down low."

"What of Abe Lincoln?" I asked. "Would you say
That he was much richer than you are today?
He hadn't your chance of making his mark,
And his outlook was often exceedingly dark;
Yet he clung to his purpose with courage most grim
And he got to the top. Was the world against him?

"What of Ben Franklin? I've oft heard it said
That many a time he went hungry to bed.
He started with nothing but courage to climb,
But patiently struggled and waited his time.
He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb,
Yet he got to the top. Was the world against him?

"I could name you a dozen, yes, hundreds, I guess,
Of poor boys who've patiently climbed to success;
All boys who were down and who struggled alone,
Who'd have thought themselves rich if your fortune they'd known;
Yet they rose in the world you're so quick to condemn,
And I'm asking you now, was the world against them?"

#5

You May Count That Day by George Eliot

If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard -
One glance most kind,
That fell like sunshine where it went -
Then you may count that day well spent.

But if, through all the livelong day,
You've cheered no heart, by yea or nay -
If, through it all
You've nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face -
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost -
Then count that day as worse than lost.

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Perhaps you're an athlete. Or your son or daughter is. Or maybe your spouse is a sports fanatic. Whatever the case, you will enjoy these inspirational quotes for athletes from around the world.

Sports do not build character. They reveal it.

-Heywood Hale Broun

I cannot have survival as my only goal. That would be too boring. My goal is to come back in my best running form. It is good for me to have that goal; it will help me.

-Ludmila Engquist (Olympic champion hurdler facing cancer and chemotherapy)

When I came back, after all those stories about Hitler and his snub, I came back to my native country, and I could not ride in the front of the bus. I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. Now what's the difference?

-Jesse Owens

There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open.

-Nike

Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.

-Michael Johnson

I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.

-Jesse Owens

Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.

-Steve Prefontaine

It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse.

-Ann Trason

Tough times don't last but tough people do.

-A.C. Green

What matters is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog.

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

The gun goes off and everything changes... the world changes... and nothing else really matters.

-Patti Sue Plummer

You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.

-Frank Shorter

Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.

-Doug Larson

The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost

No negative thoughts cross my mind on race day. When I look into their eyes, I know I'm going to beat them.

-Danny Harris

I have met my hero, and he is me.

-George Sheehan

 

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It takes lots of inspiration and skill to be a runner, and it’s a craft that must be worked on each and every day. The hard work and dedication that goes with being a top notch runner is something to be respected. Some inspirational running quotes to keep you motivated:

#1

If you feel like eating, eat. Let your body tell you what it wants.

~ Joan Benoit Samuelson

#2

I like running because it's a challenge. If you run hard, there's the pain ~ and you've got to work your way through the pain. You know, lately it seems all you hear is? Don't overdo it' and? Don't push yourself.' Well, I think that's a lot of bull. If you push the human body, it will respond.

~ Bob Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers general manager, NHL Hall of Fame.

#3

In a country where only men are encouraged, one must be one's own inspiration.

~ Tegla Loroupe, Kenya, 1994 New York City Marathon champion

#4

No one could have scripted a more celebratory inauguration of the new era that Benoit's victory and the great race she led....A woman was enabled to achieve what Benoit accomplished. A woman was welcomed in that achievement by a roar of acclamation that was unequaled for any male through the whole Games. Women competed with each other to the absolute rigorous limit of their will. And a woman endured utter exhaustion in the sight of millions of people ~ because she chose to do so. I have been astonished that so few feminists outside the USA seemed awake enough to fanfare the magnitude of what was achieved that day.

~ Roger Robinson, Heroes and Sparrows

#5

It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.

~ Emil Zatopek

#6

No pain, no gain.

~ Athletic proverb

#7

Top results are reached only through pain. But eventually you like this pain. You'll find the more difficulties you have on the way, the more you will enjoy your success.

~ Juha the Curel Vaatainen

#8

Out of the silver heat mirage he ran. The sky burned, and under him the paving was a black mirror reflecting sun~fire. Sweat sprayed his skin with each foot strike so that he ran in a hot mist of his own creation. With each slap on the softened asphalt, his soles absorbed heat that rose through his arches and ankles and the stems of his shins. It was a

carnival of pain, but he loved each stride because running distilled him to his essence and the heat hastened this distillation.

~ James Tabor, from The Runner, a short story

#9

It's elevating and humbling at the same time. Running along a beach at sunrise with no other footprints in the sand, you realize the vastness of creation, your own insignificant space in the plan, how tiny you really are, your own creatureliness and how much you owe to the supreme body, the God that brought all this beauty and harmony into being.

~ Sister Marion Irvine, 2:51 PR and 1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier

#10

If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything.

~ John Parker, Once a Runner

#11

Believe in yourself, know yourself, deny yourself, and be humble.

~ John Treacy's four principles of training prior to Los Angeles 84

#12

The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.

~ Juma Ikangaa, Tanzania

#13

Good things come slow ~ especially in distance running.

~ Bill Dellinger, Oregon coach

#14

Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'

~ Peter Maher, Irish~Canadian Olympian and sub~2:12 marathoner

#15

Fear is a great motivator.

~ John Treacy, 1984 Olympic silver medalist

#16

I prefer to remain in blissful ignorance of the opposition. That way I'm not frightened by anyone's reputation.

~ Ian Thompson, who ran a 2:09:12 marathon at the 1974 Commonwealth Games

#17

The thing that makes [Bob] Kennedy so good is that he doesn't have a fear of losing. He was willing to go to Europe and get hammered.

~ Frank Shorter

#18

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle ~ when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.

~ Inspirational sign on a runner's office wall

#19

Dream barriers look very high until someone climbs them. They are not barriers anymore.

~ Lasse Viren

#20

Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going.

~ George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

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Inspirational Sports Poems

For the athlete or sports fan in your life, these inspirational sports poems will really "hit home".

For those who are looking to excel at their favorite sport, whether it be basketball, football, volley ball, soccer, tennis, or other sports, these inspirational sports poems will help you remember that excellence in sports is a state of mind achieved by hard work towards your goal.

Print these poems off, hang them where you can read them every day and share them with your teammates.

 

#1

It's Up to You by Unknown Author

One song can spark a moment

One flower can wake the dream.

One tree can start a forest,

One bird can herald spring.

One smile can bring a friendship,

One handclasp can lift a soul,

One star can guide a ship at sea,

One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,

One sunbeam can light a room,

One candle can wipe out darkness,

One laugh can conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,

One word must start each prayer,

One hope can raise our spirits,

One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,

One heart can know what's true,

One life can make the difference,

You see. it's up to you.

 

#2

The Whirling Soccer Ball by Unknown Author

I am the whirling soccer ball and very much omnipotent

I wonder my path, my final destination

I hear the song of the cool,

brisk air hovering over my patched material

I see the barbarians on a war front of a field,

battling over my possession

I want to soar effortlessly into the white netting

I am the whirling soccer ball

and very much omnipotent

I pretend that I am not afraid

I feel the telepathic vibrations gliding me along

I touch the hard, rocky field

I worry sometimes that I may disintegrate on the cruel vast field,

amidst the turmoil

I cry for the others who are not brave enough to enter the game

I am the whirling soccer ball and very much omnipotent

I understand that I am going to get kicked around

I say it only makes me stronger

I dream of a soccer game where overtime lasts an eternity

I try to be kind and decent along the way

With only seconds left in the final game,

I hope that I have left an imprint in the net

I am the whirling soccer ball and very much omnipotent

 

#3

50 Yard Dash by Unknown Author

As I look out to see
A deep blue twilight of the sea
The cool soothing texture of the water
Preparing for the evening slaughter

Upon the top, I perish to the deep
Ripe red spots, like apples in a sleep
A cherished birch on a lake front shore
To grasp the breath of man, than more
Mind over matter is what they say,
Neptune's dolphins rescue the drowning today.

Welcome to the deep, the dark linking chain
Dragging along the bottom, like a murdered lion's mane
There no sound resonates, approaches Zen
Too deep for the ordinary thoughts of men
Grotesque beasts feast on what the eye can't see
Drinking the wine from your chalice to collect their fee

Spirit torn, I lay and wait heartbroken
Waiting for Ares to offer me a hand or token
The time is now forever I lay awake
To break the record and collect the take

 

#4

Champion by Unknown Author

Football is a champion's sport,

The smell of fall is in the air,

You walk onto the field and see them looking

down at you,

The feeling is indescribable,

The smallest player on the field,

Yet, you may have the biggest heart,

You pour out your strength and determination,

Trying to put points on the board,

Then you switch to defense,

And you become fearless,

One of the hardest hitters,

Never one of the quitters,

Giving it all for your team,

Hate losing and giving up yards,

Then you shout a few words of encouragement,

And you help put your team back on top,

Win or lose, you walk off the field with your head held high,

Because you will always be a champion, if you play like one.

 

#5

Untitled by Unknown Author

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't!
If you like to win, but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost;
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who THINKS HE CAN.

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Among life's many occupations, there stands no single pursuit nobler than that of educating our future generations. Teachers do more than teach - they are counselors, mentors, and friends. They inspire dreams.

#1

A teacher affects eternity:
he can never tell where his influence stops.
Henry Adams

#2

What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state,
than that of the man who instructs the rising generation.
Marcus Tullius Cicero

#3

The important thing is not so much
that every child should be taught,
as that every child should be given the wish to learn.
John Lubbock

#4

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life,
those the art of living well.
Aristotle

#5

What office is there which involves more responsibility, which requires more qualifications, and which ought, therefore, to be more honorable than teaching?
Harriet Martineau

#6

By learning you will teach;
by teaching you will understand.
Latin Proverb

#7

Education is the mother of leadership.
Wendell L. Willkie

#8

Seldom was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart; the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment.
Bishop Hall

#9

If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others.
Tryon Edwards

#9

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.
Ben Sweetland

#10

Grammar speaks; dialectics teach us truth; rhetoric gives colouring to our speech; music sings; arithmetic numbers; geometry weighs and measures;
astronomy teaches us to know the stars.
Latin Maxim

#11

To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching.
Henri Frederic Amiel

#12

We learn by teaching.
James Howell

#13

Natural ability is by far the best, but many men have succeeded in winning high renown by skill that is the fruit of teaching.
Pindar

#14

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy in creative expression and knowledge.
Albert Einstein

#15

The most effective teacher will always be biased,
for the chief force in teaching is confidence and enthusiasm.
Joyce Cary

#16

Education is the guardian genius of democracy.
It is the only dictator that free men recognize,
and the only ruler that free men require.
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar

#17

To me, education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil's soul.
Muriel Spark

#18

Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.
Anatole France

#19

He that teaches us anything which we knew not
before is undoubtedly to be reverenced as a master.
Samuel Johnson

#20

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.
Chinese Proverb

#21

Be careful to leave your sons well
instructed rather than rich,
for the hopes of the instructed are better
than the wealth of the ignorant.
Epictetus

#22

Teaching is not a lost art,
but the regard for it is a lost tradition.
Jacques Barzun

Education is the transmission of civilization.
Will Durant

#23

To teach is to learn twice over.
Joseph Joubert

#24

A schoolmaster should have an atmosphere of awe,
and walk wonderingly, as if he was amazed at being himself.
Newton D. Baker

#25

One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes
change a delinquent into a solid citizen.
Philip Wylie

#26

A child mis educated is a child lost.
John F. Kennedy

#27

A master can tell you what he expects of you.
A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.
Patricia Neal

 

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