Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Culture and Lifestyle
  3. Celebrities
  4. 25 Quotes by Dolly Parton on Faith and Family

25 Quotes by Dolly Parton on Faith and Family

Nellah Bailey McGough
By Nellah Bailey McGough Updated April 27, 2021
Skip gallery slides
FB

We all love watching the high-heel wearing, rhinestone-clad Dolly as she's belting out her numerous chart-topping songs but there is also a deeply spiritual side to Dolly Parton. Growing up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, she was the 4th of 12 children. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was a farmer and her mother, Avie Lee Parton, was busy taking care of her family, neighbors, and household. They didn't have much money but they were rich in love and relied on their faith in God. 

In a 2003 interview with Larry King, Dolly commented, "I grew up in a very religious background. I trust God, I love God, and I love the thoughts of it. Even if there was no God, I'd prefer to believe it, because I prefer to believe in something greater than we are. It takes all of the pressure off of you. You don't have a bunch of ego problems." Dolly says that her work is to glorify God and her actions mirror her words. She seems to walk the talk which is why people all over the world adore and respect her.

In addition to her musical career, she created the Imagination Library more than 20 years ago. Inspired by her father's inability to read or write Dolly wanted to gift preschool children the love of reading. Today over 1 million age-appropriate books are sent to children from birth to age 5 across the United States and abroad every month. Dolly once said, "A belief in God is essential. We grew up believing that through God all things are possible. I think I believed that so much that I made it happen. I know what it's like to be without and I know what it's like to have things. And I appreciate both."

Start Slideshow

1 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Rainbow
Credit: Southern Living

I was blessed to have family members who encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Whether it is your parents, or your uncles or your aunts or even the neighbor down the road, it's important that kids have someone who encourages them to chase their rainbow. - Dolly Parton

1 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Choices
Credit: Southern Living

You make your choices, you make your sacrifices and I never looked back. I knew early on that I was going to walk that road until God told me to stop. - Dolly Parton

2 of 25

3 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Gift
Credit: Southern Living

So I say a silent prayer for creatures great and small. Peace on Earth, good will to men is the greatest gift of all. - Dolly Parton

3 of 25

Advertisement

4 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Appreciate
Credit: Southern Living

I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. These small actions help remind me that there are so many great, glorious pieces of good in the world. - Dolly Parton

4 of 25

5 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Attention
Credit: Southern Living

If I can hold God's attention, I can hold the world's. - Dolly Parton

5 of 25

6 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Wind
Credit: Southern Living

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. - Dolly Parton

6 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Rain
Credit: Southern Living

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain! - Dolly Parton

7 of 25

8 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Smile
Credit: Southern Living

If you see someone without a smile today, give 'em yours. - Dolly Parton

8 of 25

9 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Quotes Count Blessings
Credit: Southern Living

I always count my blessings more than I count my money. I don't work for money, never did. - Dolly Parton

9 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I've always kinda been a little outcast myself, a little oddball, doin' my thing, my own way. And it's been hard for me too, to be accepted, certainly in the early years of my life. - Dolly Parton

10 of 25

11 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I don't think you ever really know what all you're doing, so you have to act on faith. - Dolly Parton

11 of 25

12 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I always ask God to work through me and let me be a light of some kind and help in this world, so I always pray for that, and I always want to do good. - Dolly Parton

12 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can't put a dollar sign on. - Dolly Parton

13 of 25

14 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

No matter what, I always make it home for Christmas. I love to go to my Tennessee Mountain Home and invite all of my nieces and nephews and their spouses and kids and do what we all like to do—eat, laugh, trade presents and just enjoy each other. - Dolly Parton

14 of 25

15 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I thank God for my failures. Maybe not at the time but after some reflection. I never feel like a failure just because something I tried has failed. - Dolly Parton

15 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I see so much of my family in the things that I do. And I love and embrace that. - Dolly Parton

16 of 25

17 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

People just overshoot trying to find God. They're going outside and trying everything. They don't realize that it's right inside themselves. - Dolly Parton

17 of 25

18 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

God has his plans and his reasons. Sometimes we are supposed to go through things so that we learn lessons. - Dolly Parton

18 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I've never been pregnant so I just feel God didn't mean for me to have kids so that everybody else's children could be mine. - Dolly Parton

19 of 25

20 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

When I wake up, I expect things to be good. If they're not, then I try to set about trying to make them as good as I can 'cause I know I'm gonna have to live that day anyway. So why not try to make the most of it if you can? - Dolly Parton

20 of 25

21 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

I like to think of myself as a Girl of Many Colors, not just a coat, because I have all kinds of moods and I experience them all. I think that's what makes a human being. - Dolly Parton

21 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

There's a scripture that says, 'A merry heart doeth good like medicine.' I think that's true, too. - Dolly Parton

22 of 25

23 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

Every day I pray about all I do. - Dolly Parton

23 of 25

24 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

People are looking for something a little more stable; people are feeling like they need to get closer to God. - Dolly Parton

24 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 25

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
Dolly Parton Faith Quote
Credit: Southern Living

When I'm home, I spend Sunday with my husband. If we're not cooking, we travel around in our camper, stop at fast-food restaurants, and picnic. We love that stuff that will harden your arteries in a hurry. - Dolly Parton

25 of 25

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Nellah Bailey McGough

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 25
    2 of 25
    3 of 25
    4 of 25
    5 of 25
    6 of 25
    7 of 25
    8 of 25
    9 of 25
    10 of 25
    11 of 25
    12 of 25
    13 of 25
    14 of 25
    15 of 25
    16 of 25
    17 of 25
    18 of 25
    19 of 25
    20 of 25
    21 of 25
    22 of 25
    23 of 25
    24 of 25
    25 of 25

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    25 Quotes by Dolly Parton on Faith and Family
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.