These High, Green Hills Quotes

“When we turn from our sin, and have the blessed forgiveness of the Almighty, then we can ask Him to run things, and let Him be in charge.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“RATS-IN-A-POKE!”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“When his flock thronged into the midnight service, there was wonder on every face at the newly hung greens and the softly flickering candles on each windowsill. To the simple beauty of the historic church was added fresh, green hope, the lush scent of flowers in winter, and candle flame that cast its flickering shadows over the congregation like a shawl.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Why is it God so often breaks our hearts?"

"Well. Sometimes He does it to increase our faith. That's the way He stretches us. But there's another reason, I think, why our hearts get broken."

She looked at him.

"Usually, " he said, "what breaks is what's brittle."

She nodded thoughtfully. "So we have to be careful of getting hard-hearted?"

"Bingo," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the end of the hall.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“I came away from that time in my life with a special sense of a couple of verses in second Corinthians:
"'For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.'

" . . . . I try to look for the things which aren't seen.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“there is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage. May”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“We look for visions of heaven,” Oswald Chambers had written, “and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us.” He”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“There are two things to aim at in life,’ ” he quoted from Logan Pearsall Smith. “ ‘First, to get what you want, and after that, to enjoy it.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“For all things work together for good . . .” he murmured, quoting from the book of Romans. “Use this for good,” he prayed.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Lord,” he said aloud, “I’m not going to pray, I only want to listen. Why does Dooley turn away from us?”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Lord, if this is Your answer, then You’ve got to help me do this thing. I know how You feel about fear, and I agree. But I’m scared stiff and You know it, and I‘rn needing a generous hand-out of grace.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“We look for visions of heaven,” Oswald Chambers had written, “and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Men ate the bread of angels,” was how the psalmist described it. That appeared, somehow, to illustrate his marriage. Every day, with what seemed to be no effort at all on his part, he received God’s extraordinary provision of contentment—there it was, waiting for him at every dawn; all he had to do was gather it in.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“In the end, would he be able to say with Paul, I have fought a good fight! I have finished the course! I have kept the faith!

Time, which tells everything, would tell that, also.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“His style was to give the issue to God and haul it back again, ad infinitum, 'til the cows came home, until the thing finally wore itself out in him.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Was his ego so twisted that he had to seize control over outcomes? No, it was almost worse than that. He was driven to console people, to bind them up, to protect them from the worst—an ambition that often got in the way of the Holy Spirit's ministrations. . . .

He didn't know if it was so loving to protect people. Perhaps really loving meant not protecting them.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“It was a type of grace, this small hour he'd been given. . . . He gazed away from the notebook, giving thanks for small things.

'We look for visions of heaven,' Oswald Chambers had written, 'and we never dream that all the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us.'

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had talked of the small things, too, saying in Life Together:

'We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts.

'We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good. Then we deplore the face that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious. . . .

'Only he who gives thanks for the little things receives the big things.'

Cynthia came in quietly and set a cup of tea before him. He kissed her hand, inexpressibly grateful, and she went back to the kitchen.

When we view the little things with thanksgiving, he thought, even they become big things.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“They stood there, lined up along the wall, gazing at the wonder of a sunset that blazed across the heavens. Where the sun was sinking, the skies ran with molten crimson that spread above the mountains like watercolor, changing to orange and pink, lavender and gold. A cool fire of platinum rimmed the profile of Gabriel Mountain and the dark, swelling ridges on either side.

He put one arm around Dooley's shoulders and the other around Cynthia's waist. The fullness of his heart was inexpressible.

All is safely gathered in . . .

He knew it could not always be this way. . . No, nothing ever remained the same. If he had learned anything in life, he had learned that such moments were fragile beyond knowing.

Ere the winter storms begin . . .”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Lord, show me where to step here. We’ve got a boy who looking for a familiar face in the crowd. We can’t let him down.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Big cities never sleep, but little towns do.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“She said, ‘I’m sorry for th’ bad I’ve done, and I want to git saved.‘ It was as matter-of-fact a thing as you’d ever want to hear. “Well, the young ‘uns on the board, they started in laughing, but that girl, she stood there like a rock, you should have seen her face! She was meaning business. “I said, ‘What would you be repenting of?’ And she said, ‘Bein’ generally mean and hatin‘ ever’body.‘ ” “My brother, that’s as strong an answer as you’re likely to get from anybody, anywhere. “I said, ‘Do you want to be forgiven of meanness and hatred?’ and she squared back her shoulders and said, ‘That’s what I jumped down here for.’ “I said, ‘Well, jump in here and say a prayer with me and turn your heart over to Jesus.’ And we both went down on our knees right there by the water, saying those words that’s changed the lives of so many lost and hurting souls. “ ‘Lord Jesus,’ she prayed in behind me, ‘I know I’m a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Amen.’ “Wellsir, I looked up and half the crowd had moved over to that big tree and was going down on their knees, one by one, and oh, law, the Holy Ghost got to working like you never saw, softening hearts and convicting souls ‘til it nearly snatched the hair off my head. “We stayed kneeling right there, and I led first one and then another in that little prayer, and before you know it, brand-new people were getting up off their knees and leaping for joy!”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“You never did like that ol’ woman.‘ And th’ feller said, ‘That’s right, but hit was me as kept her in th’ insane asylum. Now she’s left me all ‘er money an’ I have t‘ prove she was in ’er right mind.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Come, ye thankful people, come
Raise the song of harvest home
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied
Come to God’s own temple, come
Raise the song of harvest home.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“This joy was different from what he felt when the Holy Spirit broke down his defenses and circumcised his heart. But both these joys produced in him a tenderness that was nearly unbearable.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Preach the Gospel at all times,” St. Francis had said. “If necessary, use words.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“said the Lord Jesus will knock and keep knocking ‘til you let Him come in and make you a new creature. He’ll never break down the door. Nossir, the Lord is a gentleman. He waits to be invited.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock! If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“Percy Mosely was running a special on a vegetable plate: collards, black-eyed peas, candied yams, cornbread, and banana pudding for two-fifty, during the week of the Hope House grand opening, only. After that, three bucks.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills

“But I hope you won't expect too much, Father. I think I've spoiled you with stories of angels and painted ceilings, and broken hearts that never mended.”
― Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills