My favorite books have a personality and complexion as distinctly drawn as if the author's portrait were framed into the paragraphs and smiled upon me as I read his illustrated pages.

A candid spirit is mightier than the most persistent dogmatism.

The less routine the more life.

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.

First find the man in yourself if you will inspire manliness in others.

Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats.

I consider it the best part of an education to have been born and brought up in the country.

Books are the most mannerly of companions, accessible at all times, in all moods, frankly declaring the author's mind, without offense.

A government, for protecting business only, is but a carcass, and soon falls by its own corruption and decay.

Our ideals are our better selves.

Our friends interpret the world and ourselves to us, if we take them tenderly and truly.

In order to get where you want to go in life, you have to Geeet!

But the issue is not only life and death but our existence before God and our being judged by him. All of us were sinners before him and worthy of condemnation.

I didn't have any pets growing up.

There is just no reason why the richest nation in the world can't provide health care to all its people.

Legislators represent people, not trees or acres. Legislators are elected by voters, not farms or cities or economic interests.

When you're in a relationship with someone you have to be in control of that relationship and you have to be as open as you can about everything, straight up, out the gate.

I'll rail against what I think is wrong.

I like a person who knows how to say something dark at a very dark moment. The darker the moment and the darker the comic, the better. Something that is so wrong on all levels.

The weekend brought good news for our friends in the cattle industry. At long last, Japan has taken the steps needed for American beef to make its way back into the Japanese market.

How should we provide for our families? Financially, spatially (be near them), emotionally, morally, spiritually. ...I don't have what it takes to provide for my family spiritually; I need Jesus.