Being Accepted:
"I must know that I am accepted at my worst. God shows me to myself as worse than I had ever conceived - a crucifier of the sinless one - in order to leave in me no possible room for doubt - that is to say no possible further experience of evil that might create doubt - that he loves me and accepts me." - English theologian, Sabastian Moore, The Crucified Jesus is no Stranger

Faith

"There are times when you choose to believe something that would normally be considered absolutely irrational. t doesn't mean that it is actually irrational, but it surely is not rational. Perhaps there is suprarationality: reason beyond the normal definitions of fact or data-based logic; something that only makes sense if you can see a bigger picture of reality. Maybe that is where faith fits in." - The Shack, by Wm Paul Young

Mary's Dream

Mary’s Dream
I had a dream, Joseph. I don’t understand it, not really, but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our Son. I think that was what it was all about. The people had been preparing for it for about six weeks. They had decorated the house and bought new clothes. They’d gone shopping many times and bought elaborate gifts. It was peculiar, though, because the presents were not for our Son. They wrapped them in beautiful paper and tied them with lovely bows and stacked them under a tree. Yes, a tree, Joseph, right in their house. They’d decorated the tree also. The branches were full of glowing balls and sparkling ornaments. There was a figure at the top of the tree. It looked like an angel might look. Oh! It was beautiful. Everyone was laughing and happy. They were all excited about the gifts. They gave the gifts to each other, Joseph, not to our Son. I don’t think they even knew him. They never mentioned his name. Doesn’t it seem odd for people to go to all that trouble to celebrate someone’s birthday if they don’t know Him. I had the strangest feeling that if our Son had gone to this celebration He would have been intruding. Everything was so beautiful, Joseph, and everyone was so happy, but it made me want to cry. How sad for Jesus – not to be wanted at His own birthday party. I’m glad it was only a dream. How terrible, Joseph, it if had been real!

Author unknown.

Marriage

"When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain that excited, abnormal, and eshausting condition continuously until death do them part."
- Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw

Beginning again

"When God created us, God gave Adam a secret and that secret was not to begin, but him to begn again. In other words, it is not given to us to begin; that privilege is God's alone. But it is given to us to begin again - and we do everything we choose to defy death and side with the living." - Elie Wiesel

Inner voice

"We would be wise to listen intentionally to the voice of our own lives and to discern what our very soul is saying to us in the depths of our being, there where truth abides. As we listen to ourselves, we can become ourselves." - Parker Palmer

Failure and success

Baskeball star, Michael Jordan once said, "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost more than 300 games, and 26 times 've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. Throughout my life and career I've failed, and failed, and failed again. And that's why I succeed."