A Tribute to Jack

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.

A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.

We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.

One must keep on pointing out that Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.

Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.

There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him.

Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.

The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.

The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career.

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.

There are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."

Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different...

When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world.

Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.

We are mirrors whose brightness is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us.

All get what they want; they do not always like it.

It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to.

Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise.

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.

This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

When Christ died, he died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only person in the world.

If God forgives us we must forgive ourselves otherwise its like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.

All these toys were never intended to possess my heart. My true good is in another world, and my only real treasure is Christ.

Of all the bad men, religious bad men are the worst.

Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

If you're thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you, you're embarking on something, which will take the whole of you.

Now is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It won't last forever. We must take it or leave it.

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.

When you are arguing against God you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.

There would be no sense in saying you trusted Jesus if you would not take his advice.

God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want.

Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.

Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you do, and you will presently come to love him.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.

The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen — not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.

If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.

All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

Change

The Facebook posts of all the things I don't know about my friends are floating around again. I really have no desire to do it myself...I always have a hard time thinking of things my friends don't know. But it did make me think of how I've changed in the last 10 years.

There's no real reason for picking 10. It just seems the most practical, and most of the changes happened within that time frame. So without further ado, 10 differences between Kristin Age 18 and Kristin Age 28.

10. Kristin 18 tried to read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. She managed to read the beginning and end of Fellowship and Two Towers, then succeeded at reading the entire Return of the King in 24 hours. The Return of the King movie also came out the year she was 18. Kristin 28 has read almost every single book by JRR Tolkien and is considered an expert on all things Elvish by her husband and brother-in-law.

9. Kristin 18 started her freshman year at JMU believing she'd graduate, find a teaching job she loved, and teach for decades. Kristin 28 is glad she got her degree, but even more glad to not be using it (except with her own 3 year old).

8. Kristin 18 watched the original Star Wars trilogy with her brother. She enjoyed it, but didn't consider herself a fan of Sci-Fi. Kristin 28 can quote Star Wars, Firefly, and Doctor Who. She's also read a good number of Expanded Universe Star Wars books, has a daughter named Mara Jade, and considers River to be the best name for a girl super-hero. She also plans on taking lessons in swordsmanship.

7. Kristin 18 could barely boil water. Kristin 28 bakes for fun, plans meals a week in advance, uses a bread machine, and is much more adventurous with food.

6. Kristin 18 didn't really watch TV, other than Jeopardy in the evenings (which she was and is quite good at). Kristin 28's favorite (non-sci-fi/fantasy) TV show is FRIENDS. She has seen every single episode, many of them twice. She recently discovered How I Met Your Mother, which intrigues her because it reminds her of FRIENDS.

5. Kristin 18 knew practically nothing about Great Britain, and didn't care much that she didn't. Kristin 28 follows blogs on royal jewels, fashion, hats, and the Duchess of Cambridge. She knows the family tree of the British royals back to the reign of Queen Anne, and probably a bit further though the Stuarts aren't her strong point. She thinks British television is superior to American television (Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and Doctor Who!) and would happily move across the pond if they weren't so socialist.

4. Kristin 18 did not under any circumstances speak in public. Kristin 28 speaks up if she has something to say and has spoken in front of a large crowd a few times, including her graduation from JMU.

3. Kristin 18 had a list of 40 things she wanted in a husband. Kristin 28 has a husband that checks 39 out of the 40 things on the list.

2. Kristin 18 thought video/computer games were stupid. Kristin 28 thinks that video/computer games, EXCEPT the ones based on Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, are stupid.

1. Kristin 18 cared far to much about what other people thought of her. Kristin 28 desires to please God and her husband. Everyone else liking her is just icing on the cake.

How have you changed in the last 10 years?

Majesty

God is not a man.

God is not a politician. He's not a democratically elected leader.

He is King. He is Lord. He is a Ruler.

Not by election, but by right. By preeminence. Because no one is greater. No one outranks God!

As Americans we don't have a very positive view of monarchy. We don't like foreign powers, or anyone really, telling us what to do. We don't want to fight other people's wars, though we often do because we like being in charge and in control. We view taxation as unfair when we don't feel we have representation in the political spectrum.

But the Church is not a democracy. The Church is a monarchy. (I'm choosing not to refer to it as a Theocracy because that is defined as

government by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided

. A monarchy in comparison is

a state or nation in which the supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in a monarch

. In this case, actually lodged.) Only instead of being Lord of a region, or King of a country, an Empire, or a Commonwealth-Which-Used-to-Be-An-Empire, GOD is King of the UNIVERSE. Preeminent. Paramount. Supreme. Sovereign.

So what words are used to describe God, and what do they mean?

God: the supreme or ultimate Being, perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness.
King: one that holds a preeminent position; ruler for life.
Majesty: the greatness and dignity of a sovereign, supreme authority or power.
Lord: one having authority over others; ruler by right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due.

Sovereign: one possessing and exercising supreme power and authority.
Supreme: highest in rank or authority.
Preeminence: paramount rank; superior


Meeting a Head of State is a matter of protocol.

As Americans, we are not obligated to bow to foreign Heads, but some of us could, out of respect or courtesy.

How do we approach the God of the Universe?

You might be saying, but God is also my Father! He wants us to be like little children...and children don't give a fig for protocol.

Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:4-5

But wait, what is this child doing? Humbling himself?

Humble: not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive; reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission.
Deference: respect and esteem due to an elder or superior.

Do we approach God with humble hearts and deference? Or are we arrogant, making demands when things go wrong, and ignoring Him when things are going well? Remember, God is not a NOMINAL monarch, but an ACTUAL monarch. He's not a petite elderly 87 year old great-grandparent monarch. He's a WARRIOR-KING. Read the next verse in Matthew:

But whoever causes on of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

He takes his position seriously. He takes his relationship with YOU seriously. Do you take HIM seriously?

Here's an example of what it looks like when God is not taken seriously:
http://www.dennyburk.com/presbyterian-church-u-s-a-rejects-popular-hymn-in-christ-alone-because-of-wrath/

The Presbyterian Church USA believes that God is Love, but does not want to recognize that God is also our Judge, that He can get angry, and that sin is disgusting to Him.
Nevermind that the lyric says the wrath of God was SATISFIED by Jesus' death on the cross. Some people in the American Church don't want a wrathful God. But as the author states,

Any formulation of deity that excludes God’s justice and wrath against sin is not the God of the Bible. A wrathless god shorn of His justice is no god worth worshipping. Nor is he a god able to convict and save sinners. When wrath is taken away, so is the gospel. And that is why this discussion matters.

I've discovered this week that while I know that God is the Creator of All, and I acknowledge Him as Lord & Savior, I really don't live like I truly fear God.

I'm not talking about frightened fear. That is the type Paul is referring to when he tells Timothy:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND.

2 Timothy 1:7

The fear of God is what leads to knowledge:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

The man who fears God will be led in God’s ways. (Psalm 25:12-13)

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.

Proverbs 14:26

Fearing God is respecting Him, giving Him the place of glory, honor, reverence, thanksgiving, praise and preeminence He deserves; esteeming Him and His desires over and above our own.

--John Bevere, Breaking Intimidation

The fear of the Lord is relating to God as Lord, King, and Sovereign. The fear of the Lord is giving Him the respect due Him because of His majesty and preeminence. It's taking Him seriously, believing He will do what He says. Recognizing and submitting to His authority. Learning to hear and obey His voice. Caring about His opinion over the opinion of friends, family, and people on the street.

You will not be afraid of man if you fear God! The fear of God swallows up all lesser fears.

The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Hebrews 13:6

Aslan a man! said Mr. Beaver sternly. Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion--THE Lion, the Great Lion.

Ooh! said Susan. I'd thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.

That you will, dearie, and no mistake, said Mrs. Beaver; if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly.

Then he isn't safe? said Lucy.

Safe? said Mr. Beaver; don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe! But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.

I'm longing to see him, said Peter, even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.

That's right, Son of Adam, said Mr. Beaver, ...and so you shall. Word has been sent that you are to meet him, tomorrow if you can, at the Stone Table.

What about poor Mr. Tumnus? said Lucy.

The quickest way you can help him is by going to meet Aslan, said Mr. Beaver, once he's with us, then we can begin DOING things.

"Once We Watched the Lazy World Go By..."

...now the days seem to fly...(but) love goes on and on...

(Disney's Robin Hood)

On May 18, 2006 I was looking forward to a Tuesday night date with my boyfriend Jeremy. We had been dating for almost a year, though we'd known each other for almost 3.

I knew as soon as he walked through my door that this evening would be extra special. He was wearing one of my favorite shirts and he wouldn't tell me where we were going.

We stopped at Barnes & Noble and got chocolate cupcakes. He had IBC root beers in the truck. It had just rained and I could tell he was concerned about the ground being wet. He drove us to the park in Bridgewater and told me he'd go check to see if "our spot" by the river was too muddy. I pretended to be clueless, but I think he knew that I knew what was coming, though I had butterflies because I had no idea how he was going to do it!

Eventually he called my phone and told me he had saved our spot. I started down the long gravel path, trying to look calm and like nothing momentous was about to happen.

Several strategically placed roses with notes later, I found Jeremy with the last rose by the river.

3 days later I bought my dress.

A month later my parents sold our house and moved to VA Beach. My sister and I moved into a townhouse near campus.

5 months after that I started student teaching.

3 months after that I graduated.

And a month after that we got married.

We've been married 6 years with an eternity to go.

(The third picture was actually taken on that same path at the park, courtesy of my favorite photographer Bryan Myhr.)

What's so Bad About Being a Princess?

Who decided that one could be a strong, self-sufficient woman OR a princess? Who determined that princesses are weak and unarmed?

My daughter(s) will be allowed to watch Disney movies. At least the classic ones--and Tangled. But I will ensure that her definition of Princess is created not from Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Ariel...but from fantasy and sci-fi princesses. MY daughter's princesses will wear a tiara with her gold armor as she rides beside her father the King:

She will defend with a sword or bow:

She will use her mind, as well as a weapon:

She will use her voice:

She will bring healing:

She will love passionately:

She will give wise council and grant sanctuary:

She will learn honor, bravery, and cunning.

She will give honor, love, and joy.

She will be wise and gracious.

She will defend and protect.

She will sooth and heal.

She will be a warrior.

Because she is a princess.

Dedication to the Lord

For anyone who wasn't able to attend Mara's dedication, I wanted to share the note I read to the congregation.

For those of you whose children have been in Jeremy's class, you know that he spends time each year helping his students discover the meanings of their names, firs,t middle and last. We believe that what we speak over our children influences them for life.

When we named our son, we spent months looking for a strong name, but also one that rolled off the tongue easily so it could be shouted quickly when necessary. :) Jeremy wanted an uncommon name and I wanted something with a royal heritage. So we named him Aedan. In the Old Irish, Aed means fire. For those of you who know our Aedan, he is definitely a FIERY boy, burning strongly and brightly, ardent, and passionate. It is also the name of kings and other leaders in Irish lore. His middle name Lee is a family name, but it also has a meaning we love: SHELTER from the storm. Our prayer for Aedan is that he will be a fiery witness for God, drawing people to his flame, yet also being able to provide care and protection for others in the midst of the storms of life.

Our daughter Mara was born in November. We liked the name for years, but it took a little digging to discover the meaning. The name Mara is a variant of Maria/Mary/Miriam, and is in the Bible used by Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi to mean "bitter". Not something I want to speak over my daughter, so we dug a little deeper to see if there was another meaning in addition to the Hebrew, and we found this: The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including bitter, rebellious, and WISHED FOR CHILD. It's most likely an Egyptian name meaning BELOVED.

When I was writing this, I found a verse in John that I feel sums up the two meanings well. John 16:21 states "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." He has taken the bitterness and replaced it with the joy of a child, who is beloved.

From the beginning, Mara's middle name was to be Jade, which is one of Jeremy's favorite names and a favorite precious stone. However I was doodling one day, playing around with names, and inserted a second middle name. I told Jeremy it was Mara's "princess name" since princesses traditionally have 2 or 3 middle names. He said "Why not?" and we added the name Alexandra. Not only is it the name of several queens, but it means "DEFENDER OF MEN".

So Mara Alexandra Jade is our WISHED FOR and BELOVED DEFENDER OF THE PEOPLE, a PRECIOUS STONE belonging to the Master Craftsman to form into a priceless work of art.

To paraphrase 1 Samuel 1:27-28, the words of the mother Hannah: "For these children I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to Him. Therefore I am lending my children to the Lord. As long as they live, they are lent to the Lord."

Confidence

This is what I shared this afternoon at a professional luncheon for Cornerstone Christian School. I was a speaker for the alumni.


Good afternoon. My name is Kristin Barb. I am the mother of two, a preschool teacher, a consultant with The Pampered Chef, and a graduate of Cornerstone Christian School. When Rick asked me to share today, he asked if I had one word to describe what I gained from my CCS experience. I quickly responded: Confidence. Cornerstone believes that a quality education is a partnership between families, the school, and the churches. That education encompasses a child’s character and opportunities for ministry as well as academic excellence. For me, CCS provided a safe, nurturing environment to test my wings while preparing me for the academic and emotional challenges of high school.

I attended CCS for 4 years, 5th through 8th grade. Like all preteens, it was a time of major adjustment and change. I started 5th grade as an incredibly shy little girl, literally hiding behind my dad during the Open House event. I didn’t have much to be confident about back then. My family had just moved to Virginia 3 weeks before and I wasn’t thrilled about leaving my friends and starting over in a new place filled with corn fields and smelly cows. I was a decent student, mostly As and Bs with a few Cs in math. I stuttered when I was nervous. I was used to being in the background where it was safe and comfortable. But Cornerstone changed that because of good friends and amazing teachers, specifically Cynthia Brunk.

One of my education assignments when I attended JMU was to write a paper about my most influential teacher. That teacher was Mrs. Brunk. I was fortunate to have Mrs. Brunk all four years, for 5th and 6th grade math and science and 7th & 8th grade English. I give her credit for the legibility of my cursive, my ability to parse a complex sentence, and my love of taking learning outdoors and into the unexpected. She took my Cs in math and worked with me until I was an A student, which is a great accomplishment when one is learning algebra. I learned to pay attention to details and discovered the benefit of reading ALL the directions before beginning an assignment. She, and my other teachers at CCS, taught me that my perspective was not only welcome, but wanted. And I thrived. In 6th grade I had my first experience on stage when I filled in for a sick classmate the day of the Spring Program. With just hours to learn my lines, I accepted the role because I knew Mrs. Brunk and Mrs. Hostetter believed in me. In 8th grade I sang a solo and was part of a quintet in the ACSI Music Festival, both coached by our music teacher Michele Morgan. Not only was the shy little girl from South Jersey speaking into a mic, she was singing into one as well as part of the middle school worship team. That same year, I and some schoolmates helped Mrs. Morgan with background vocals for a Vacation Bible School curriculum. Then in the spring I boarded my very first airplane with eight other students and three staff and flew over the border to Mexico City.

It’s impossible to put a monetary value on those middle school experiences. I was never just “one in the crowd”. My teachers had the opportunity to get to know who I was—quirks, stutter and all—and lend a helping hand and encouraging word when needed. We were taught to do our best in everything, to ask questions and think critically, not just soak up information like sponges, and most importantly to live our faith, not simply defend it.

After graduation I prepared to attend public school for the first time in my life. While I was quite terrified—Harrisonburg High School is and was a huge school for a girl whose entire middle school wasn’t too much bigger than her freshman English class—I knew I was prepared. I had been trained well, because of the collaboration between home and school and the emphasis on excellence. Three musicals, another speaking part in a church play, District choir, a trip with the Honors choir to sing in Carnegie Hall, a Yearbook award, two advanced placement courses, a trip to the Supreme Court, participation in a mock trial, and two years of drama and marketing classes later, I graduated with honors. As I walked across the stage I knew I looked as confident as I felt inside.

Four years later I returned to my high school gym, now owned by James Madison University. Wearing my black cap and gown I clutched a paper in my hands and willed them to stop shaking. Standing in front of hundreds of fellow College of Education graduates, I did something that the 5th grade me, and even the 8th grade me, would not have thought possible: I spoke…out loud…into a microphone…WITHOUT A STUTTER. In that speech I quoted one of my professors who said “We do not teach math, science, or social studies. We teach children.” I can say the same about Cornerstone Christian School. The teachers there do not just teach academics, they teach the whole child…Academic excellence, strong Godly character, and a heart for ministering to the needs of others above their own. My close connection with the school has enabled me to watch other students graduate and continue to excel in school (academically, socially, in music, theater, and sports), and in the workplace after graduation. I’ve met a future governor as well as teachers, business leaders, inventors, engineers, lawyers, doctors, artists, and writers. We—the students and alumni of Cornerstone Christian School—have been given a great gift: the confidence to go out into the world and fulfill our God-given dreams.


Authors Note: Check out CCS at www.ccsconnection.org.

You Know You're a Geek When...

10. The cover of a book can cause righteous indignation or absolute adoration. (Character representation! I should have a pretty good sense of the content from the cover.)
Good cover: Aslan in all his golden glory on the cover of The Chronicles of Narnia (complete collection). Epic.
Bad cover: The blonde on the cover of Anne of Green Gables. Seriously?!
Also: The Hobbit cover with the creepy Gollum and the fat, stupid looking Bilbo. Bad. The awesome drawing on The Silmarillion cover...So good I used it as the background of my wedding program.

9. Using A BOOK ILLUSTRATION as the background of your wedding program. Moving on...

8. Referencing either the Lord of the Rings book appendices or Extended Edition movie appendices, or both, in conversation.

7. The Star Wars Wiki page pops up automatically when you type SW in your internet search.

6. You have a Pinterest board that has been taken over by Doctor Who, Star Wars, LOTR, and/or Firefly references and/or products.

5. You take your 2 year old by the hand and your first conscious thought is "Come along Pond!"

4. Your daughter is named for a former Imperial assassin turned Jedi Master and also shares a middle name with the Queen of Great Britain.

3. You actually understand a majority of Josh Barb's Facebook statuses.

2. "I know" is the expected response to "I love you".

1. "Hello Sweetie" has replaced almost all other greetings in your vocabulary.

Movie Quotes, Part 2

What NOT to say when he tells you he loves you:

Paul Varjak: Holly, I'm in love with you.
Holly Golightly: So what?
Paul Varjak: So what? So plenty! I love you. You belong to me.
Holly Golightly: No. People don't belong to people.
Paul Varjak: Of course they do.
Holly Golightly: I'm not going to let anyone put me in a cage.
Paul Varjak: I don't want to put you in a cage. I want to love you.
Holly Golightly: It's the same thing.
Paul Varjak: No it's not

Harry Burns: I've been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you.
Sally Albright: What?

What to say to her dad:

Linus Larrabee: Go ahead, say it.
Fairchild: You don't deserve her.
Linus Larrabee: I don't, I know that; but I need her, and I don't need anything.

Amusing quotes:

Harry Burns: There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.
Sally Albright: Which one am I?
Harry Burns: You're the worst kind; you're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.
Sally Albright: I don't see that.
Harry Burns: You don't see that? Waiter, I'll begin with a house salad, but I don't want the regular dressing. I'll have the balsamic vinegar and oil, but on the side. And then the salmon with the mustard sauce, but I want the mustard sauce on the side. "On the side" is a very big thing for you.
Sally Albright: Well, I just want it the way I want it.
Harry Burns: I know; high maintenance.

Kathleen Kelly: "Joe"? "Just call me Joe"? As if you were one of those stupid 22-year old girls with no last name? "Hi, I'm Kimberly!" "Hi, I'm Janice!" Don't they know you're supposed to have a last name? It's like they're an entire generation of cocktail waitresses.

Joe Fox: The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.

Dennis Reed: Annie, when you're attracted to someone, it just means that your subconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously. So what we think of as fate is just two neuroses knowing that they are a perfect match.

Anne Shirley: Why do people have to grow up and marry, change?
Gilbert Blythe: Oh, you'd change. If someone ever admitted that they were head over heels for you, you'd be swept off your feet in a moment.
Anne Shirley: I would not, and I defy anyone who would try and make me change.
Gilbert Blythe: Oh, you do?

Sally Albright: I thought you didn't believe men and women could be friends.
Harry Burns: When did I say that?
Sally Albright: On the ride to New York.
Harry Burns: No, no, no, I never said that... Yes, that's right, they can't be friends. Unless both of them are involved with other people, then they can... This is an amendment to the earlier rule. If the two people are in relationships, the pressure of possible involvement is lifted... That doesn't work either, because what happens then is, the person you're involved with can't understand why you need to be friends with the person you're just friends with. Like it means something is missing from the relationship and why do you have to go outside to get it? And when you say "No, no, no it's not true, nothing is missing from the relationship," the person you're involved with then accuses you of being secretly attracted to the person you're just friends with, which you probably are. I mean, come on, who the hell are we kidding, let's face it. Which brings us back to the earlier rule before the amendment, which is men and women can't be friends.

Quotes that make you go awww:

Joe Fox: Kevin, this is possibly the most adorable creature I've ever been in contact with, and if she turns out to be as good looking as a mailbox... I would be crazy enough to turn my life upside down and marry her.

Marilla Cuthbert: Anne, you have tricked something out of that imagination of yours that you call romance. Have you forgotten how he gave up the Avonlea school for you so that you could stay here with me? He picked you up every day in his carriage so that you could study your courses together. Don't toss it away for some ridiculous ideal that doesn't exist.

Terry McKay: And all I could say was, hello.

Annie Reed: Now that was when people KNEW how to be in love. They knew it! Time, distance... nothing could separate them because they knew. It was right. It was real. It was...
Becky: A movie! That's your problem! You don't want to be in love. You want to be in love in a movie.

Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: Tell me what was so special about your wife?
Sam Baldwin: Well, how long is your program? Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home... only to no home I'd ever known... I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic.

Harry Burns: The first time we met, we hated each other.
Sally Albright: No, you didn't hate me, I hated you. The second time we met, you didn't even remember me.
Harry Burns: I did too, I remembered you. The third time we met, we became friends.
Sally Albright: We were friends for a long time.
Harry Burns: And then we weren't.
Sally Albright: And then we fell in love.

Misc:
Kathleen Kelly: When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.

Movie Quotes, Part 1

Add your own favorites in the comments!

Sweet things to say to girls:

I've been following in footsteps all my life. Save me, Sabrina fair, you're the only one who can.

Iris, if you were a melody... I used only the good notes.

Steve: Why you only eating the brown ones?
Mary: Because someone once said they have less artificial colouring because chocolate's already brown. And it kind of stayed with me.
Steve: You kind of stayed with me.

Close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close... your... eyes. You're safe. You can relax. I'm not going to kiss you. He's gonna be so sorry he lost you, so stop worrying. Forget the past. Forget the pain. And remember what an incredible woman you are. You do that and he'll realize what he lost.

I'm allergic to fabric softener. I majored in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I'd miss you even if we never met.

Joe Fox: You know, sometimes I wonder...
Kathleen Kelly: What?
Joe Fox: Well... if I hadn't been Fox Books and you hadn't been The Shop Around the Corner, and you and I had just, well, met...
Kathleen Kelly: I know.
Joe Fox: Yeah. I would have asked for your number, and I wouldn't have been able to wait twenty-four hours before calling you and saying, "Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?"
Kathleen Kelly: Joe...
Joe Fox: And you and I would have never been at war. And the only thing we'd fight about would be which video to rent on a Saturday night.
Kathleen Kelly: Well, who fights about that?
Joe Fox: Well, some people. Not us.
Kathleen Kelly: We would never.

Mr. Darcy: How are you this evening, my dear?
Elizabeth Bennet: Very well... although I wish you would not call me my dear.
Mr. Darcy: Why?
Elizabeth Bennet: Because it's what my father always calls my mother when he's cross about something.
Mr. Darcy: What endearments am I allowed?
Elizabeth Bennet: Well let me think...Lizzy for every day, My Pearl for Sundays, and...Goddess Divine... but only on very special occasions.
Mr. Darcy: And... what should I call you when I am cross? Mrs. Darcy...?
Elizabeth Bennet: No! No. You may only call me Mrs. Darcy... when you are completely, and perfectly, and incandescently happy.
Mr. Darcy: Then how are you this evening... Mrs. Darcy?

How to tell her you love her:

I have another scenario for you - I'm in love with you. I apologize for the blunt delivery, but as problematic as this fact may be, I'm in love... with YOU. I'm not feeling this because you're leaving, and not because it feels good to feel this way... which, by the way, it does, or did before you went off like that. I can't figure out the mathematics of this, I just know I love you. I can't believe how many times I'm saying it! And I never thought I'd feel this way again, so that's pretty phenomenal. And I realize that I come as a package deal: 3 for the price of 1. I know my package, perhaps in the light of day, isn't all that wonderful, but I finally know what I want and that, in itself, is a miracle. And what I want is YOU.

I barely know you. I don't know your dad's first name, I don't know if you ever wore braces, or contacts, or glasses and I have no idea how you came to be a wedding planner, Mary. But I do know the curves of your face. And I know every fleck of gold in your eyes. I know that the night at the park was the best time I've ever had.
Queen Victoria: Why did you do it? So stupid, why did you do it?
Prince Albert: I had two very good reasons. First, I am replaceable and you are not.
Queen Victoria: You are not replaceable to me!
Prince Albert: Second, you're the only wife I've got or ever will have. You are my whole existence, and I will love you until my very last breath.

Harry Burns: I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Mr. Darcy: You must know... surely, you must know it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.
Mr. Darcy: Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you... I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgment, my family's expectations, the inferiority of your birth by rank and circumstance. All these things I am willing to put aside and ask you to end my agony.
Elizabeth Bennet: I don't understand.
Mr. Darcy: I love you.

Captain Wentworth: I have loved none but you. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone I think and plan. Have you not seen this?
Captain Wentworth: Miss Elliot, I can bear this no longer. You pierce my soul. I'm half agony, half hope. Unjust I may have been. Weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it eight years ago.

Edmund Bertram: Fanny, I've loved you my whole life. Fanny Price: I know, Edmund. Edmund Bertram: No... I've loved you as a man loves a woman. As a hero loves a heroine. As I have never loved anyone.
Anne Shirley: You just think that you love me.
Gilbert Blythe: Anne, I've loved you as long as I can remember. I need you.

Gilbert Blythe: Anne, There's not going to be any wedding anymore.
Anne Shirley: You're gonna get well, Gil. I know you are.
Gilbert Blythe: I called it off. It wouldn't be fair to Christine. There would never be anyone for me but you.

Charlie: Listen. Listen to me very carefully. I live in London, a gorgeous, vibrant, historic city that I happen to love living in. You live in New York, which is highly overrated... But since the Atlantic Ocean is a bit wide to cross every day, swimming, boating or flying, I suggest we flip for it... And if those terms are unacceptable, leaving London will be a pleasure, as long as you're waiting for me on the other side. 'Cause the truth is, I am Madly, Deeply, Truly, Passionately in Love with You.

How to propose to a woman who is proposing to you:

Queen Victoria: I'm so pleased you like it. I do want you to feel quite at home... I'm sure you're aware why I wished you to come here. Because it would make me happier than anything, too happy really, if you would agree to what I wish.
Prince Albert: And stay with you?
Queen Victoria: And stay with me.
Prince Albert: And marry you?
Queen Victoria: And marry me!

David Larrabee: God, you're easy on me.
Elizabeth Tyson, MD: Okay then, why don't you marry me?
David Larrabee: Okay, why don't I?
Elizabeth Tyson, MD: Don't kid about stuff like that.
David Larrabee: Okay. Why don't I?
Elizabeth Tyson, MD: You sure you know what it is?
David Larrabee: Yeah, that thing where you hang together a lot and sleep in the same room and button each other's hard-to-reach buttons...
Elizabeth Tyson, MD: Then I accept.

Declan: Mrs. O'Brady Callhan. Where the hell are you going?
Anna: You said no.
Declan: I didn't say no. I didn't say anything.
Anna: You walked away.
Declan: I was getting something.
Anna: Really? That was a good time to go get something?
Declan: Yeah, it was actually. I don't want not to make plans with you. I want to make plans with you.
Anna: You do?
Declan: Yeah I do.

Scoundrel quotes:

Marion: You're not the man I knew ten years ago.
Indiana: It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

Princess Leia: Let go, please.
Han Solo: Don't get excited.
Princess Leia: Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited.
Han Solo: Sorry sweetheart. I haven't got time for anything else.

How to apologize:

Mr. Bingley: First, I must tell you I've been the most unmitigated and comprehensive ass.

Terry McKay: Oh, it's nobody's fault but my own! I was looking up... it was the nearest thing to heaven! You were there...

Couple Cuteness:

Princess Leia: I love you.
Han Solo: I know.

Arwen: Do you remember when we first met?
Aragorn: I thought I had wandered into a dream.
Arwen: Long years have passed. You did not have the cares you carry now. Do you remember what I told you?
Aragorn: You said you'd bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortal life of your people.
Arwen: And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone. I choose a mortal life.
Aragorn: You cannot give me this.
Arwen: It is mine to give to whom I will. Like my heart.

Gilbert Blythe: It'll be three years before I finish medical school. Even then there won't be any diamond sunbursts or marble halls.
Anne Shirley: I don't want diamond sunbursts, or marble halls. I just want you.

What do you want to be married to me for, anyhow?
So I can kiss you anytime I want.

How to tell your guy you love him (or tell your friends you love the guy):

Little Mary: George Bailey, I'll love you 'til the day I die.

Elizabeth Bennet: Perhaps I didn't always love him as well as I do now, but in such cases as these a good memory is unpardonable.

A Letter to New Moms

Congratulations on the birth of your sweet baby!

I want to share the story of my son Aedan's birth two years ago.
My mom has 3 children, all born by c-section. Her doctor told her in 1983 that she would have died trying to give birth to my brother. Even though she has never had the experience of going into labor and pushing her babies into the world, she is so thankful to have us. Because of Mom's experience, I wanted so much to have my baby naturally. I worked with midwives at my doctor's office, read every book in the library on the subject, and explained my birth plan to Jeremy and my mom in great detail. Aedan was due September 23, but the day came and went and at my next appointment they planned to induce. I went to RMH the evening of Sept 29th and was induced the following morning.

Fast forward to Friday, October 1st. Enduring painful contractions with very little progress had left me exhausted. I was barely 5 cm that morning. Around lunchtime I finally agreed to an epidural so that I could rest and hopefully make more progress. When I woke up I was at 5 1/2, but the contractions were pushing my baby's head against my pelvis and they were monitoring him closely for signs of distress. As much as I wanted to keep trying, my body was exhausted. An hour later: no progress. My midwife called in the OB and we decided to go ahead with a c-section. By that point, I just wanted to hold my baby. At 5:04 that afternoon when I heard him cry I was nearly in tears myself.

While his birth was nothing like I had hoped--and I'm still quite sensitive when natural-birth moms share their stories as if it's the only "normal" way--I've come to realize that how I bring my children into the world does not define me as a woman or a mother. While I hope you know this as well, I felt I needed to share. I struggled this summer while pregnant with my daughter--do I try a VBAC? Statistically, it didn't look encouraging. Because of the circumstances of my c-section, my odds of a successful VBAC were low...and dependent on my body going into labor on it's own. We ended up deciding to have Mara by scheduled c-section. Having her was more important to me than how at this point (this was a much more difficult pregnancy). She was born the morning of November 27th, a whopping 8 lbs 11 oz! (Aedan was 6 lbs, 7 oz). All 5 of my mom's living grandchildren were born by c-section. All are practically perfect.

I don't know the circumstances of your baby's birth, but I can understand a little of what your heart is feeling. Know that (if you struggled in labor or had a c-section) you are not a failure as a woman. For your sake I hope that you will eventually experience bringing a baby into the world the way it was "meant" to be done. I recognize I will never have this experience for myself. Regardless, we as moms can continue to be thankful for the technology that allows us to hold our precious darlings in our arms regardless of our ability to bring them here--or their ability to GET here. I wish I knew why some women seem to be unable to birth naturally. If I thought it would matter to me when I reach heaven I'd make a note to ask God. But as I hold my brand new daughter in my arms I know...the only thing that matters is that she's here, she is a gift from God, and the how doesn't really matter.

Love,
Kristin