Being Pastoral Quotes & Sayings

Freedom, as I have been taught to understand as a political being in exile- to be protected by law, to be able to live my life as I choose, absent from tyranny and persecution- is perhaps not the foremost aspiration here in Dhompa's pastoral and nomadic world. The elders tell me they equate freedom with the right to live as Buddhists, which entails being able to perform their rituals, have access to lamas and to monasteries, and be able to participate in retreats and studies. They might even refer to an aspired state of mind: to be free of attachment, anger, stupidity, jealousy and arrogance. To be released from fear and, perhaps, even from their attachment to the past. — Tsering Wangmo Dhompa

Deception is nowhere more common than in religion. And the persons most easily and damningly deceived are the leaders. Those who deceive others are first themselves deceived, for not many, I think, begin with evil intent. The devil, after all, is a spiritual being. His usual mode of temptation is not an obvious evil but to an apparent good. The commonest forms of devil-inspired worship do not take place furtively at black masses with decapitated cats but flourish under the bright lights of acclaim and glory, in a swirl of organ music. — Eugene H. Peterson

Perhaps life just turned a person who tried harder into a person who felt they must write it on someone else's report. — Chris Cleave

ORU is a daring new concept in higher education. It was planned to be from the beginning, one that would be able and willing to innovate change in all three basic aspects of your being - the intellectual, the physical and the spiritual. — Oral Roberts

Everybody knows how much time Fang spends in bed. A local store that gives a 30 days' trial on mattresses gives Fang only 15 days. — Phyllis Diller

One chapter of my life seemed to have ended; perhaps the whole book was closing. Instead of being the pastoral figure aiding a life transition, I found myself the sheep, lost and confused. Severe illness wasn't life-altering, it was life-shattering. — Paul Kalanithi

It was like being around a particularly irritating two-year-old. — Charlaine Harris

It was supposed to say "Great Artist" on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say "such a good teacher/daughter/friend" instead; and what I really want to shout, and want in big letters on that grave, too, is F*** YOU ALL. — Claire Messud

More than 100 people are involved in a transplant operation ... and we can't waste time and resources if there is a chance the caretakers aren't up for an awesome responsibility. — Leonard Bailey

There is a particular hapiness in giving a man whom you like very much, good food that you have cooked yourself. — Karen Blixen

I think quite often when you have a hell of a lot more money and time, as you very much do on a big studio film, you don't necessarily have to make the decisions right there. You can always goback and reshoot it. — Keira Knightley

Knowing the edge of your competency is important. If you think you know more than you do, you will get in trouble. — Warren Buffett

People always say, "It's not that simple." But maybe it is. — Marty Rubin

Science is advanced by proposing and testing hypothesis, not by declaring questions unsolvable. — Nick Matzke

It is not creativity, however pastoral it may be, or meetings or planning that ensures our fruitfulness, even if these are greatly helpful. But what ensures our fruitfulness is our being faithful to Jesus, who says insistently: "Abide in me and I in you" (John 15:4). — Pope Francis