Quotes for Signboards, Marquees, Church Signs, Inspiration, and Reflection

By Stan H. McCarley

Character is doing what is right when no one else is looking.

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.

Never put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.

Quantity is what you count; quality is what you count on.

Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts.

These are just a few of the quotations that I have included in this book. It is a culmination of over four decades of gathering quotes and sayings, noticing church and marquee signs and bumper stickers and, most recently, researching on the Internet.

In the preface for this book, I went through and listed quotes that meant a lot to me, but as I look back, I realize that they all mean something to me.

I hope that you can use them for motivation, reflection, and inspiration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888325322

Book preview

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Quotes for Signboards, Marquees, Church Signs, Inspiration, and Reflection

Stan H. McCarley

ISBN 979-8-88832-531-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88832-532-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Stan H. McCarley

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Dedicated to my parents

Howard and Nellie McCarley

Thanks for everything!

Preface

Personal Favorites

A-A-A-A-A

B-B-B-B-B

C-C-C-C-C

D-D-D-D-D

E-E-E-E-E

F-F-F-F-F

G-G-G-G-G

H-H-H-H-H

I-I-I-I-I

J-J-J-J-J

K-K-K-K-K

L-L-L-L-L

M-M-M-M-M

N-N-N-N-N

O-O-O-O-O

P-P-P-P-P

Q-Q-Q-Q-Q

R-R-R-R-R

S-S-S-S-S

T-T-T-T-T

U-U-U-U-U

V-V-V-V-V

W-W-W-W-W

Y-Y-Y-Y-Y

Calendar

Religion

A-A-A-A-A

B-B-B-B-B

C-C-C-C-C

D-D-D-D-D

E-E-E-E-E

F-F-F-F-F

G-G-G-G-G

H-H-H-H-H

I-I-I-I-I

J-J-J-J-J

K-K-K-K-K

L-L-L-L-L

M-M-M-M-M

N-N-N-N-N

O-O-O-O-O

P-P-P-P-P

R-R-R-R-R

S-S-S-S-S

T-T-T-T-T

U-U-U-U-U

V-V-V-V-V

W-W-W-W-W

Y-Y-Y-Y-Y

Letters

Notes and Quotes

About the Author

Dedicated to my parents

Howard and Nellie McCarley

Thanks for everything!

Preface

For twenty years, I worked for a food manufacturing company that produced a wide variety of products. I was in charge of doing the signboard that they had in their entryway. The sign was one of the first things that visitors saw when they came to the office and plant. I did one sign a week, sometimes two.

In the beginning, I tried to be clever and advertise our products in the signs. Examples were Like to Eat Chips You Will Love Our Dips, "Breakfast Blahs Try Our Cinnamon Spread on Toast, or An Apple a Day—Only If It's Covered with Our Caramel Dip."

As time went by, I began picking up quotes from the newspapers, books, or ones I came across from other sources.

I did not keep track of the ones I used. If I liked it, I used it.

After about a year, I started keeping a list and marking the date I used a particular quote. After about five years, I started to chart the quotes I used and found out that some quotes I had used four or five times and other really good ones not at all. In addition, I found that weeks in a row, I used quotes that started with the same letter—the, they, there, etc. That is why my list is alphabetical by the first letter of the first word. (Even though most sets of letters for signs are only capital letters, this book is written in lower- and uppercase letters.)

So I decided to keep a list of each quote I used, with the date, so I would use a better variety. I suggest you keep track of what you use.

Over the years, I received many compliments on the quotes that I used. I hope that people have enjoyed them, that they rang a note of truth, and that some have caused people to stop and think.

I have added many, many more quotes for this book and many for church signs.

Hopefully, from this book, you can find something that will make you laugh or stop and say, How true is that?

Personal Favorites

A budget is an attempt to live below your yearnings.

A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.

An apology is a good way to have the last word.

Balance is the key to a smooth ride in life.

Before you borrow money from a friend, decide which you need more.

Character is doing what is right when no one else is looking.

Crying over spilt milk does nothing but make a bigger mess to clean up.

Defeat isn't bitter if you don't swallow it.

Don't give up—normally, it is the last key on the ring that opens the door.

Efficiency is the ability to avoid extra work by doing it right the first time.

Even the greatest mountain climbers use a guide.

Few people recognize opportunity because it is disguised as hard work.

Focus on what matters and let go of what doesn't.

Getting up is a matter of mind over mattress.

Go after dreams, not people.

Happiness is an inside job; don't assign anyone else that much power over your life.

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Hot air is for balloons.

I am too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener.

If you can't win, make the fellow ahead of you break the record.

I'm trying to become the person my dog thinks I am.

Jumping at the first opportunity seldom leads to a happy landing.

Just remember, even your worst days are only twenty-four hours.

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.

Know your worth and stop giving people discounts.

Learn from the mistakes of others; you can never live long enough to make them all.

Make sure everybody in your boat is rowing and not drilling holes when you're not looking.

Many things can be done in a day if you don't make that day tomorrow.

May every sunrise bring you hope, and may every sunset bring you peace.

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Never put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.

Opportunities are seldom labeled.

Opportunity doesn't make appointments; you have to be ready when it arrives.

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you but not the one behind you.

People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.

Quantity is what you can count; quality is what you can count on.

Retirement—it is time to retire when your get-up-and-go has gone and went.

Rock bottom can be our greatest teacher, as long as we don't stay there too long.

Sometimes I feel like giving up, then I remember I have a lot of people to prove wrong.

Spend time with your children; it will be your best investment.

Talent will get you in the door, but character will keep you in the room.

Thanks is a neglected form of compensation.

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.

The biggest mistake you can make is believing you work for someone else.

The right angle to approach a difficult problem is the try-angle.

The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day.

There are two kinds of companies: those that are competitive and those that are closed.

Time flies because there are so many people trying to kill it.

To all the doors that closed on me, I'm coming back to buy the building.

Ulcers are not caused by what you eat but rather by what is eating you.

Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts.

We always have time for the things we put first.

Whatever is going to happen will happen whether we worry about it or not.

When you are a professional, you come back no matter what happened the day before.

Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.

You were born an original; don't die a copy.

You are only young once, and that excuse won't last forever.

You can tell if you're on the right track—it's usually uphill.

You never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with them.

Your future depends on many things but mostly on you.

________________

A-A-A-A-A

A bad attitude is like a flat tire; you can't get very far until you change it.

******************

A bad conscience has a very good memory.

**************

A bad decision is when you know what to do, and you don't do it.

***************

A bad habit never disappears miraculously; it's an un-do-it yourself project.

***************

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

********

A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. When you wake up, take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and healthy. The moment you start acting like life is a blessing, it will start to feel like one.

************************************************

A beautiful face will age, and a perfect body will change; a beautiful soul will always be beautiful.

***************

A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.

****************

A best friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.

*********

A best friend is the one who brings out our best.

******

A bore is a fellow who persists in talking about himself when you want to talk about yourself.

***************

A bright outlook makes each moment a celebration.

*********

A budget is an attempt to live below your yearnings.

*********

A career person is one who has given up on finding a better job.

***********

A clear conscience, like a soft pillow, helps you sleep well.

************

A closed mind is usually empty because it won't allow anything to enter.

**********

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

******

A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.

**********

A commitment to quality guides us to great achievements.

********

A committee is a group that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

********

A company is known by the people it keeps.

**************

A couple of years from now, everything you're stressing about won't even matter; keep moving forward.

***************************

A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.

*********

A day without laughter is a day wasted.

*******

A day without sunshine is like night.

******

A diamond cannot be polished without friction nor a person perfected without trials.

************************

A diamond is just a piece of coal that made good under pressure.

************

A diamond is a piece of coal that handled stress exceptionally well.

******************

A diamond is a piece of coal that stuck to the job.

*******

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit.

*********

A dollar may not go as far as it used to, but what it lacks in distance, it makes up in speed.

*********************

A dream written down with a date becomes a goal; a goal broken down into steps becomes a plan; a plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.

***************************************

A father holds his children's hands for awhile, but he holds their hearts forever.

*************

A fault recognized is half corrected.

*********

A fear of failure can so often overwhelm a desire to succeed.

*******************

A few words about trouble…put your troubles in the pocket that has a hole in it.

***************************

A flower doesn't think of competing with the flower next to it; it just blooms.

********************

A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself.

*********

A friend is a person who knows you and still likes you.

*********

A friend is a person who listens attentively while you say nothing.

***********

A friend is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.

************

A friend is a person who sees through you and still enjoys the view.

*****************

A friend is a person with a sneaky way of saying good things about you behind your back.

*******************

A friend is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.

**********

A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you've become, and still gently invites you to grow.

*************************************

A friend is one who knows all about you and likes you just the same.

********************

A friend is someone who allows you distance but is never far away.

*******************

A friend thinks of you when others are thinking of themselves.

****************

A friend understands what you are trying to say, even when your thoughts aren't fitting your words.

*****************************************

A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.

*********

A friend will weigh your faults without putting a thumb on the scale.

**************

A go-getter is someone who gets in behind you in a revolving door

and comes out ahead of you.

***********************************

A goal is a dream with a deadline.

******

A good apology has three parts: I'm sorry, it's my fault, what can I do to make it right?

*********************

A good friend never gets in your way unless you're on your way down.

*************

A good friend puts up with your worst moods, goes along with your worst ideas, and always sees the best in you.

********************************************

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

**************

A good laugh and long sleep are the two best cures for anything.

*****************

A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are for what you have.

*********************************************************

A good place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.

********************

A good reputation is more valuable than money.

***********

A good scare is worth more to a person than good advice.

*************

A good team leader is someone who takes a little more than their share of the blame and a little less than their share of the credit.

***************************************************

A good way to knock the chip off a coworker's shoulder is to pat them on the back.

***********************

A handful of common sense is worth a bushel of learning.

***************

A happy home is more than a roof over your head; it's a foundation under your feet.

**************************

A hard thing about business is minding your own.

***********

A home is a house with a heart inside.

*********

A house is built by human hands, but a home is built by human hearts.

******************

A humble talent that is used is worth more than one of a genius that is idle.

*********************

A job becomes work only when you worry about it.

**************

A journey begins with one step, so watch where you're stepping.

*************

A leader looks for opportunities to find someone doing something right.

*************

A lesson for all of us is that for every loss, there is a victory; for every sadness, there is joy; and when you think you've lost everything, there is hope.

***********************************************************

A lie is always in a hurry, but the truth is willing to wait.

**********

A lie requires a lot of words, the truth very few.

*************

A little kindness can make a big difference.

********

A little progress each day adds up to big results.

********

A little sugar never hurt a lemon.

******

A loafer is a person who is trying to make both weekends meet.

***********

A loose tongue often gets in a tight place.

*******

A lot of good could be accomplished in this world if nobody cared who got the credit.

***********************

A lot of people love their jobs; it's the work they hate.

************

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.

***********

A lot of things broke my heart but fixed my vision.

*********

A man has two reasons for doing anything—a good reason and a real reason.

********************

A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.

************************************

A man is made hard by hardships.

**********

A man should learn to sail in all winds.

******

A man should leave more behind than a tombstone.

************

A man should only be unhappy when regrets start replacing his dreams.

*****************

A man who enjoys responsibility usually gets it,

but a man who merely exercises authority usually loses it.

***************************

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.

***********

A man's body is so sensitive that when you pat him on the back, his head swells.

********************

A man's judgment is no better than his information.

**************

A man's limitations are not the things he wants to do and cannot;

they are the things he ought to do but does not.

*******************************************************

A mind unemployed is a mind unenjoyed.

**********

A minute's success pays for the years of failure.

***********

A mistake is evidence that someone has tried to do something.

***************

A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.

*******************

A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.

***********

A moment of patience in a moment of anger saves you a hundred moments of regret.

******************

A mother is the only person who carries you for nine months in her belly, three years in her arms, and forever in her heart.

********************************************************

A negative mind cannot give you the necessary tools to create a positive world.

*******************

A negative mind will never give you a positive life.

***************

A new broom sweeps clean, but the old brush knows the corners.

************

A pack rat is hard to live with but makes a fine ancestor.

**********

A pat on the back is only a few inches from a kick in the pants.

**********

A perfectionist is one who takes infinite pains and often gives them to other people.

***************

A person begins cutting wisdom teeth the first time they bite off more than they can chew.

****************

A person cannot be a peacemaker until he first finds peace for himself.

*************

A person cannot be polished without friction nor a person perfected without trials.

**************

A person must be big enough to admit their mistakes, smart enough to benefit from them, and strong enough to correct them.

*************************************************************

A person of words and not deeds is like a garden full of weeds.

*************

A person often meets destiny on the road they took to avoid it.

*************

A person's reputation is precious, but a person's character is priceless.

*************

A person who cannot lead and will not follow invariably obstructs.

************

A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.

***************

A person who is sure nothing can be done is usually someone who has never done anything.

****************

A person who loves you will never stop believing in you and will never let you go, no matter how difficult the situation.

********************************

A person who says they will meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance.

*********

A person who cannot lead and will not follow invariably obstructs.

************

A person who is truly great doesn't have to prove it, and if they're not great, proving it will do no good.

******************************************************

A person who values you would never put themselves in a position to lose you.

**************************

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs—jolted by every pebble in the road.

******************************************************

A person wrapped up in themself makes a very small package.

*************

A person's character is like a fence; all the whitewash in the world won't strengthen it.

******************************

A person's most beautiful asset is not a head full of knowledge but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help others.

*******************************************************************

A person's temper improves the more they don't use it.

**************

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities; an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.

*************************************************************

A pessimist is someone who complains about the noise when opportunity knocks.

****************

A pint of example is worth a gallon of advice.

*******

A politician is a person who approaches every subject with an open mouth.

*********

A positive attitude is a magnet for positive results.

******

A positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes.

*******

A positive attitude will not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

************************************************

A positive mind finds opportunity in everything, while the negative mind finds fault in everything.

********************************************

A procrastinator suffers from hardening of the oughteries.

***********

A professional is someone who can do their best work when they don't feel like it.

***************************

A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.

********

A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them.

******************

A prudent person profits from personal experience, a wise one from the experience of others.

****************************

A quiet friend may be a desirable friend.

*******

A quitter never wins; a winner never quits.

*********

A rabbit's foot is a poor substitute for horse sense.

*********

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

*****************

A real leader faces the music even when they don't like the tune.

************

A real person is one who finds excuses for others but never for himself.

**************

A relationship is not based on the length of time you have spent together; it's based on the foundation you've built together.

***********************************************************

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.

*****************

A rolling stone gathers no moss, but a sitting duck loses its feathers.

***************

A satisfied life is better than a successful life; our success is measured by others, but our satisfaction is measured by our own heart, mind, and soul.

********************************************************

A second chance doesn't mean anything if you never learned the lessons of your first mistake.

*****************************

A sense of humor frees us to think creatively.

************

A setback is a setup for a comeback.

*********

A sharp tongue and a dull mind are usually found in the same head.

***********

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

***********

A simple hello could lead to a million things.

*************

A skeptic is a person who, when they see the writing on the wall, claims it's a forgery.

************************

A small leak can sink a great ship.

******

A smart person knows what to say; a wise person knows whether to say it or not.

*********************

A smile costs nothing, but it creates so much.

**********

A smile goes a long way, but you have to start it on its journey.

************

A smile improves your face value.

*******

A smile is a carnation in the buttonhole of life.

*********

A smile is a curve that can straighten out a lot of things.

***********

A smile is a powerful tool; you can even break ice with it.

**********

A smile is a very inexpensive way to improve your looks.

***********

A smile is contagious; be a carrier.

*******

A smile is the cheapest way to improve your looks.

*************

A smile is the lighting system of the face and the heating system of the heart.

*******************

A smile is worth a thousand words.

*******

A smiling face doesn't always mean a happy heart.

***********

A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.

********

A sound argument must have more than sound to it.

**********

A specialist is someone who does everything else worse.

************

A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.

**************

A strong wind makes a strong tree.

*****

A successful marriage isn't finding the right person; it's being the right person.

***********

A successful person is one who went ahead and did the thing the rest of us never quite got around to.

***************************************

A sure formula for a speech: have a good beginning and a good ending and keep them as close together as possible.

*****************************************

A sweet spirit can make the plainest face beautiful.

****************

A synonym is the word you use when you can't spell the other one.

****************

A team that has character doesn't need stimulation.

*********

A thing bought has little value, a thing earned is a treasure.

*************

A thought does not define you, but repeated ones can—think good thoughts.

******************

A thought written down is yours to enjoy forever.

**************

A toothache is a pain that drives you to extraction.

***********

A toxic person will never change; they just change victims and blame everything on everybody else.

*********************

A true friend is someone who is there for you when they would rather be somewhere else.

**************************

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

*****************

A true friend never gets in your way, unless you happen to be going down.

******************

A true friend tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

*****************

A true relationship is two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other.

******************

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

*************

A turtle makes progress when it sticks its neck out.

************

A vacation is nothing but a bunch of 2s: it consists of 2 weeks which are 2 short, and afterward, you are 2 tired 2 return to work and 2 broke not 2.

*********************************************************

A window of opportunity won't open itself.

*********

A winner explains; a loser explains away.

*********

A winner feels responsible for more than his job; a loser says, I only work here.

*********************

A winner goes through a problem; a loser goes around it and never gets past it.

****************

A winner isn't nearly as afraid of losing as a loser is secretly afraid of winning.

****************

A winner listens; a loser just waits until it's his turn to talk.

************

A winner makes commitments; a loser makes promises.

***********

A winner paces himself; a loser has only two speeds—hysterical and lethargic.

******************

A winner respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn from them; a loser resents those who are superior to him and tries to find chinks in their armor.

**********************************************************

A winner says, I'm good but not as good as I ought to be. A loser says, I'm not as bad as a lot of other people.

***********************************************

A winner says, Let's find out. A loser says, Nobody knows.

********************

A winner says, There ought to be a better way to do it. A loser says, That is the way it's always been done here.

**********************************************

A winner works harder than a loser and has more time; a loser is always ‘too busy' to do what is necessary.

********************************************

A wise man is cautious and avoids danger, a fool plunges ahead with great confidence.

*****************************

A wise man learns from his experiences, but a wiser man learns from others' experiences.

****************************

A wise man said, Do not seek revenge. The rotten fruits will fall by themselves.

*********************

A wise man was asked, What is anger? He replied, It is a punishment you give to yourself for somebody else's mistakes.

**********************************************

A wise person knows there is something to be learned from everyone.

********************

A wish is a desire without any attempt to attain it.

***************

A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than a whole book of praise after a success.

********************************************

A word of praise is equal to a dose of medicine.

***********

A year from now, you will wish you had started today.

*************

A youthful heart gives energy to any age.

**********

Ability is what you're capable of doing, motivation determines what you do, attitude determines how well you do it.

********************************************

Ability may get you to the top, but only character will keep you there.

*************************

Ability without ambition is like a car without a motor.

*********************

About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age;

accept failure as natural and unavoidable and do not allow the best that is in you to be stunted by fear of failure.

*********************************************

Accept others as they are, and you will encounter friends everywhere you go.

***************************

Accept that you will never be perfect, life will always have challenges, and other people will disappoint you sometime—acceptance is the first step toward peace.

************************************************

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.

*********************

Accept, then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.

*******************************

Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be.

******************

Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence, and face your future without fear.

***********************************

Acceptance from yourself is far more important than acceptance from others.

***********************

Acceptance is seeing with your heart, not with your eyes.

*******************

Accomplishing the impossible means only that the