CHANGING HUMANITY

"Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people. Leo Tolstoy observes, 'Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.'"






Richard Foster
Celebration Of Discipline  p. 11
Hodder  1980

GOD + YOU = MIRACLE

"Several of the signs in John's gospel involve the cooperation of people and God: the feeding of the 5000, the healing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus. Whether we pass out bread, wash away mud, or roll away a stone, we are assisting Him in performing a miracle."






Warren Wiersbe
Be Alive  p.724
David C. Cook

ENCOURAGEMENT

"We learn that the people we are leaning on are not holding us up. They are standing next to us."




Melody Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go    p. 78
Hazelden  1990

EXHAUSTING

"The most exhausting thing in life . . . Is being insincere."






Anne Morrow Lindberg
As quoted in In God's Care/Hazelden  1990

OBEDIENCE AND COURAGE

"A person can only learn obedience when tempted to disobey, can only learn courage when tempted to flee."





Philip Yancey
Disappointment With God    p.111
Zondervan  1998

SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS NOT . . .

"Spiritual maturity is not self-sufficiency. In fact, our desire for self-sufficiency is a subtle expression of our sinful nature. It's a desire to get to a place where we won't need  God. We want God to provide more so we need Him less."



Mark Batterson
The Grave Robber   p. 146
Baker Books  2014

EYE FOR AN EYE

"If we continue to live by the axiom of, 'eye for eye' and 'tooth for tooth,' humanity may someday be blind and unable to smile."








Lenya Heitzig & Penny Rose
Live Fearlessly: A Study In The Book Of Joshua  p. 303
David C. Cook  2008

IF THEY . . . IF I . . . IF IF IF

" . . .true and lasting change does not happen by trying to alter our life conditions. Although it is tempting to think so, outside adjustments cannot correct inside problems. Extraordinary healing requires surrendering the belief that we can heal our lives by manipulating our environment."
(Emphasis mine)




The Twelve Steps: A Spiriual Journey  p.37
RPI Publishing  2012

MEMORIES

"May our memories of kindness be long and of offenses be short."


Beth Moore
Portraits Of Devotion p.54
Broadman&Holman  2014

WORRY DOESN'T WORK

"We think: If I really care, I'll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying.
                         . . . . .

"Anxiety gives power to the problem, not the solution."

Melody Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go   p.65
Hazelden 1990

FROM PAIN TO PASSION

"I'm a big believer that, many times, your greatest passions are birthed from your greatest pain."

Bryan Loritts
Bible Study Magazine  March /April 2016  
Portrait Of A Diverse Church by Jessi Strong

TOO LITTLE TO MATTER

"If we held on to our 5 loaves and 2 fish, we' d have 5 loaves and 2 fish. But if we dared to put some of it back in God's hands, He might be able to do something miraculous with it."

Mark Batterson
The Grave Robber  p. 142
Baker Books  2014

YOU TELL " ME"

" Does someone always have to be right and another wrong?"

Beth Moore
Paul: 40 Days On His Journey Of Faith  p. 126
Broadman&Holman  2010

IF I WANT TO SEE CHANGE, PERHAPS . . .

"We don' t see the world as it is; we see the world as we are."

Mark Batterson
Draw The Circle  p. 71
Zondervan  2012

ANGER

"Anger is a warning signal. It points to problems. Sometimes, it signals problems we need to solve. Sometimes, it points to boundaries we need to set. Sometimes, it's the final burst of energy before letting go, or acceptance, settles in."

Melody Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go   p.60
Hazelden  1990