Jan Karon Quotes & Sayings

Don't fear whatever God lays before you today. — Jan Karon

Human nature is what we were put on this earth to rise above. K. Hepburn in The African Queen — Jan Karon

God our Father, Lord and Savior, thank you for your love and favor, bless this food and drink we pray, and Irene who shares with me today. Amen. — Jan Karon

Alis volat propiss. (She flies with her own wings.) — Jan Karon

My work is awfully labored just now. Sometimes it has the most wondrous life of its own, it fairly pulls me along - rather like wind surfing! At other times, it drags and mopes, so that I despair of ever writing another word or drawing another picture. I've found that if one keeps pushing along during the mopes, out will flash the most exhilarating thought or idea - a way of doing something that I had never seen before - and then, one is off again, and hold on to your hat! — Jan Karon

Well, I'm going to church. But i've got to tell you that it's full of hypocrites.
My friend, if you keep your eyes on Christians, you will be disappointed every day of your life. Your hope is to keep your eyes on Christ. — Jan Karon

Thank you, God, for loving me, and for sending your Son to die for my sins. I sincerely repent of my sins, and receive Christ as my personal savior. Now, as your child, I turn my entire life over to you. Amen. — Jan Karon

I stepped out on faith to follow my lifelong dream of being an author. I made real sacrifices and took big risks. But living, it seems to me, is largely about risk. — Jan Karon

The dark book has been terribly popular. Dark characters, dysfunction, and all sorts of things from reality that are true in our world. — Jan Karon

Do you like the fall of the year?" The man gave an odd laugh. "Why?" "One of the things that makes a dead leaf fall to the ground is the bud of the new leaf that pushes it off the limb. When you let God fill you with His love and forgiveness, the things you think you desperately want to hold on to start falling away . . . and we hardly notice their passing." The — Jan Karon

Thank you for patience that you may reward it, thank you for brokenness that you may mend it, thank you for love that you may enlarge it above our most heartfelt expectations. — Jan Karon

To do it all and deprive others of doing is ... a misguided notion. — Jan Karon

While most people took family for granted, he [Father Tim] took it for grace. — Jan Karon

Sorrow and joy, he thought, so inextricably entwined that he could scarcely tell where one left off and the other began. — Jan Karon

I've put everything I had and I've given my readers 120 percent, and that's the truth. — Jan Karon

Loving can be hard. Sometimes we don't feel loving, but it isn't all about feeling. Very often it is about will. Practice that if you can. — Jan Karon

Did I tell you how much I liked your sermon on Sunday?" "You did not, or I would have remembered it." "Well, it was glorious. You were very bold, I thought, to preach on sin. Hardly anyone wants to hear sin preached." "Mainstream Christianity glosses over the fact that it isn't just a question of giving up sin, but of doing something far more difficult - giving up our right to ourselves." He made the turn onto the busy highway toward Wesley, which always, somehow, seemed a shock to his senses. "The sin life in us must be transformed into the spiritual life." "How?" "Through sacrifice and obedience." She smiled ironically. "How do you think that will be received by those of us who come to sit in a comfortable pew and find a hot seat instead? "They'll just have to go across the street until I've finished preaching on that particular subject." She laughed with delight. "You're different these days." He laughed with her. "I pray so," he said. — Jan Karon

My grandmother influenced me so deeply. — Jan Karon

Rejoice! Know that I am with you and for you and will never leave you; take courage that I will fight for you and be your shield and buckler and provide for you when you are old; I will supply your every need, I will give you victory over death, I have prepared a place for you in heaven — Jan Karon

As long as you have any floor space at all, you have room for books! Just make two stacks of books the same height, place them three or four feet apart, lay a board across them, and repeat. Viola! Bookshelves! — Jan Karon

Well, I think some people are very happy in retirement. And in a year and a half I'm going to see how happy I feel in retirement. I'm just going to not work quite so hard, but I'll continue to write as long as God gives me breath. — Jan Karon

The notion of whether there would be some kind of organization in this potluck deal? Shouldn't somebody get on the phone and call the guest list? What if they ended up with too many deviled eggs?
'There is no such thing as too many deviled eggs,' said Cynthia. — Jan Karon

No matter how far we travel, the memories will follow in the baggage car. — Jan Karon

graced lawn parties at Fernbank." Hoppy stood and applauded. — Jan Karon

Come sit on my lap,' she said. Soon, very soon, he would think himself too big for lap-sitting. He got down from his chair and she picked him up; he was solid as anything. She held him close and swayed her body a little, like a cradle rocking, and soon he looked at her with the lovely solemnity that seemed to be a hallmark of their Jack Tyler, and said, ' I could prob'ly have a deviled egg now. — Jan Karon

In everything, give thanks. — Jan Karon

One must begin somewhere, sometime, to let go of the bitterness, or be eaten alive and the marrow sucked out. — Jan Karon

Easter is never deserved. — Jan Karon

Bottom line, wasn't life itself a special occasion? — Jan Karon

I've got a lot to download on your mercy and grace. I've always rushed up to You and dumped whatever it was and hurried away, fascinated by my own busyness. I want to turn all this over to You slowly, carefully, examining every fragment as I pass it off, so there'll never be any question about it again. Every time I've dumped and run, I've nearly always run back and snatched it out of Your hands. Help me in this ... Right now, I'm certain of only one thing - that You love us, and that's where we all have to begin. — Jan Karon

Father, he prayed silently, thank you for sending this boy into my life. Thank you for the joy and the sorrow he brings. Be with him always, to surround him with right influences, and when tests of any kind must come, give him wisdom and strength to act according to your will. Look over his mother, also, and the other children, wherever they are. Feed and clothe them, keep them from harm, and bring them one day into a full relationship with your Son. — Jan Karon

He turned away for a moment, smacked by the beauty of complete surprise. — Jan Karon

Your goodness to me has been overwhelming. How tender you are, though I am often as tough as gristle. How patiently you have loved me since you made up your mind to love me always. — Jan Karon

Cutcutcutcutcutcut . . . At 4:10, the machine lifted off the roof of Mitford Hospital and, in the starless night, burned itself away. — Jan Karon

Then he prayed for ( ... ) and all the rest who made up his world. — Jan Karon

We are not necessarily doubting," said C. S. Lewis, "that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." He — Jan Karon

the trees began to form — Jan Karon

There are so many people who don't know small towns exist. When I write, I want to give my readers two things: one is a sense of consolation, and two, I want to make them laugh. — Jan Karon

There's nothing trite about being consoled in a world that does everything in its power to deliver sorrow. — Jan Karon

The significant, life-forming times are the dull, in-between times. — Jan Karon

Phillipians 4:13 for Pete's sake! — Jan Karon

Moses dialogues with God, hammers down, gets into relationship with the Almighty: . . . Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! . . . Surprise us with love at daybreak: Then we'll skip and dance all the day long. Make up for the bad times with some good times; We've seen enough evil to last a lifetime. Let your servants see what you're best at - The ways you rule and bless your children. And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest On us, Confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do. Eugene Peterson's translation the 90th — Jan Karon

A loved one from us has gone, A voice we love is stilled. A place is vacant in our home, Which never will be filled. Estelle Woodhouse, 1898-1987 — Jan Karon

Oh, Timothy, how could you not have loved someone all these years? Loving absolutely seeps from you, like a spring that bubbles up in a meadow." "Maybe you can convince me of that, but I doubt it. I find myself niggardly and self-seeking, hard as stone somewhere inside. Look how I've treated you." "Yes, but you could never deceive me into thinking you were hard as stone. You've always betrayed your tenderness to me, something in your face, your eyes, your voice ..." "Then I have no cover with you?" "Very little." " 'Violet only wanted a friend,' " he quoted, " 'but every time she tried to have one, she did something that chased them away. — Jan Karon

He eyed in the far corner of the room the carton of books they'd schlepped across the pond(ocean) They were both fearful of being stuck without a decent book, and who knew they would find everything from Virgil to Synge on the shelves of a fishing lodge? — Jan Karon

Go, and be as the butterfly — Jan Karon

MITFORD BOOKS BY JAN KARON At Home in Mitford A Light in the Window These High, Green Hills Out to Canaan A New Song A Common Life In This Mountain Shepherds Abiding Light from Heaven Home to Holly Springs In the Company of Others Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good — Jan Karon

Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic. — Jan Karon

There was a lot of brokenness in my family. Let's just say that I was raised by my grandparents. — Jan Karon

Are you reading your Bible?"
Ah, well ... I was."
And then you quit."
You got it."
Then, you can expect to be weak on one of your flanks, and that's precisely where the Enemy will come after you with a vengeance. — Jan Karon

I remember the first time I held my book, my first book in my hands. I cannot tell you how it moved me. — Jan Karon

But I tell you now that it's not too late
no matter how deep the wound. (Regarding forgiveness) — Jan Karon

From "Come Rain or Come Shine" by Jan Karon pg. 259
In regard to watching a sunset, "You could tell a lot about people who would stop what they were doin' to watch the Almighty go about his business. — Jan Karon

I have raced against the clock since I went into advertising at the age of eighteen. — Jan Karon

There may be circumstances in this life that God uses to keep bringing us back to Him, looking for His grace. — Jan Karon

I try to put my heart out there to everybody. They don't have to be Christian. For example, I have lots of Jewish readers. I love my Jewish readers. — Jan Karon

Him.You are good, O God, and You are faithful. Tenderize and soften our Lenten hearts, we pray, lest they grow brittle and break. — Jan Karon

For fog was merely a cloud that wasn't too smitten with itself to visit terra firma. — Jan Karon

When I speak of God's will, it helps to know that he wants the best for us. If you can't believe he's there, pray anyway. If you feel he's cheap and withholding, thank him anyway. There will come a time when you'll thank him even for the hard places. — Jan Karon

Food is a great way of communicating. — Jan Karon

And it can be a way of healing. — Jan Karon

Lord, make me a blessing to someone today. — Jan Karon

The standing fields [ready to harvest]were the legions who hadn't filled their God-vacuum with the One who was born to fill it; the standing fields were those who waited for someone to reach out and speak the truth, and tell them how they might be saved. — Jan Karon

Charles Dickens said, It opens the lungs, washes the countenance, exercises the eyes, and softens the temper - so cry away. — Jan Karon

Professor Morgan had called [Dooley] 'a lad of few words.' That wasn't true. There were words spilling around in him all the time. Too many words. His problem was organizing them. — Jan Karon

I worried too much about what others thought - I can tell you it's a tragic waste of time and energy and pokes God in the eye. — Jan Karon

All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. JL Borges — Jan Karon

Father Tim: Know that God has a plan for your future. Watch and wait for his timing, and when it comes, hitch a ride. You'll know. — Jan Karon

Merry Christmas!' someone shouted.
He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
'Merry Christmas!'
'Merry Christmas!'
'C-cookies for ever'body!' Sammy hollered. And looking both ways, they all fled across to the light, and the warmth, and the books, and the mystery. — Jan Karon

I live in a village where people still care about each other, largely. — Jan Karon

He remembered the gravestone of a woman parishioner in the churchyard of St. John's in the Grove. DEMURE AT LAST, it read. He thought that the single most definitive and amusing epitaph he'd ever come across. — Jan Karon

Was he willing to blend into the life of another human being for the rest of his days, and have hers blend into his? That, of course, was the Bible's bottom line on marriage: one flesh. Not separate entities, not two autonomous beings merely coming together at dinnertime or brushing past one another in the hallway, holding on to their singleness, guarding against invasion. One flesh! (p. 207). — Jan Karon

Did you hear the one about the funeral procession?

Well, this funeral procession was goin' up the hill to the church and the back door of the hearse flew open and out shoots the casket and, blametty blam, down the hill it goes through the intersection with horns blowin' and people dodgin' out of the way, and it runs on down the street and jumps up on the sidewalk and busts in through the pharmacy door and shoots down the aisle to the druggist and the lid pops up and this guy sits up and says: 'Got anything to stop this coffin? — Jan Karon

It was a wonderful life. To have a stage play right in this room, with real people acting real parts. — Jan Karon

So many people don't know that God loves them. They feel, 'Why would God love me? Why would He be interested in me?' — Jan Karon

As worthless as guilt was known to be, he couldn't help feeling it, seeing his wife work herself to exhaustion for a parish tea that would last only two hours. — Jan Karon

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know thee as thou art revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of thy love, amen. — Jan Karon

We must stop listening to voices from the past
and we must stop immediately.
Father Tim — Jan Karon

Mitford would simply like to be the pause that refreshes.' — Jan Karon

In his bachelor's heart of hearts, he loved pie with an intensity that alarmed him. Yet, when he was offered seconds, he usually refused. "Wouldn't you like another piece of this nice coconut pie, Father?" he might be asked. "No, I don't believe I'd care for anymore," he'd say. An outright lie! — Jan Karon

Love God, be strong, be safe, be happy. — Jan Karon

one who possessed Beauty without Vanity,"' he said aloud to Barnabas. '"Strength without Insolence, / Courage without Ferocity, / And all the virtues of Man without his Vices. — Jan Karon

My life is extremely full and wretchedly busy, and I feel that while my life drains energy from my work, my work in turn drains energy from my life. The result is, I am always playing catch-up spiritually. That is my thorn. — Jan Karon

Knitting, he thought, was a comfort to the soul. — Jan Karon

The waters hold all heaven within their heart. — Jan Karon

The firefly only shines when on the wing, So it is with us
when we stop, we darken. — Jan Karon

I grew up hearing words like snakeroot, sassafras, mullein - things that had wondrous, mysterious sounds in their names. — Jan Karon

Even the roughest character, underneath all that hurt, is someone who wants to love and be loved. — Jan Karon

The rector wondered if the joy that people seemed so expert at containing somehow transferred to their dogs, who had nothing at all to hide. — Jan Karon

In World War One, they called it shell shock. Second time around, they called it battle fatigue. After 'Nam, it was post-traumatic stress disorder. — Jan Karon

You love him, I can see it."
"More than anything."
That alone should be enough, he thought, but of course it never is. Courage has to come in there somewhere, and perseverance and forbearance and patience and all the rest. A job of work, as Uncle Billy would say, but worth it and then some. — Jan Karon

Why can't life always be lived under the stars,' she said, 'with great music and family and friends? — Jan Karon

You could tell a lot about people who would stop what they were doing to watch the Almighty go about His business (said as several stopped to watch a beautiful sunset, Chapter 14). — Jan Karon

The windows were open to morning air embroidered with birdsong. — Jan Karon

Writing is a way of processing our lives. And it can be a way of healing. — Jan Karon

I learned not to be so bitterly defeated when my fiction took a beating from editors. I learned in advertising to color in the lines and have my work done on time and to make it the very best it could be. — Jan Karon

That was his favorite thing about books - they took you off to other people's lives an' places, but you could still set in your own chair by th'oil heater, warm as a mouse in a churn. — Jan Karon

Every saint has a past, the sixteenth-century poet had said, and every sinner has a future. — Jan Karon

We took the parkway to Linville Falls, 221 to Marion, then I-40 here. The Alleluia Highway, we decided to call it. — Jan Karon

Give me faith, Lord, to know Your Presence as surely as I know the beating of my own heart. I've felt so far from You ... — Jan Karon