Hope Knows That If Great Trials Are

When Absolute Control And Rigid Obedience Pose As Love Within The Family And The Local Faith-community , We Produce Trained Cowards Rather Than Christian Persons.

When Our Inner Child Is Not Nurtured And Nourished, Our Minds Gradually Close To New Ideas, Unprofitable Commitments And The Surprises Of The Spirit.

Being The Beloved Is Our Identity, The Core Of Our Existence. It Is Not Merely A Lofty Thought, An Inspiring Idea, Or One Name Among Many. It Is The Name By Which God Knows Us And The Way He Relates To Us

Letting Ourselves Be Loved By God Is More Important Than Loving God.

I've Decided That If I Had My Life To Live Over Again, I Would Not Only Climb More Mountains, Swim More Rivers, And Watch More Sunsets; I Wouldn't Only Jettison My Hot Water Bottle, Raincoat, Umbrella, Parachute, And Raft; I Would Not Only Go Barefoot Earlier In The Spring And Stay Out Later In The Fall; But I Would Devote Not One More Minute To Monitoring My Spiritual Growth. No, Not One.