Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of meaningless and empty life… It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as...
And ultimately forgiveness is a gift of grace rather than an act of will. I have to be willing to forgive, but I cannot will myself to forgive. I can forgive with my mind, but forgiveness is finally a matter of the heart. And the forgiveness of the heart comes from...
It’s not that if they accept Jesus into their life then “Bam! Life is great!” Accepting Jesus into their life does mean that Jesus is walking alongside them in their pain, frustration, and loneliness. And salvation is wrapped up in that.
Christmas is a time for “giving up” sin, bad habits, and selfish pleasures. Christmas is a time for “giving in” surrender to Christ, acceptance of Him as King. Christmas is a time for “giving out” real giving, not swapping.
An angel appears to Joseph in a dream to explain the situation. When Joseph wakes, he must make decisions about marrying Mary and caring for her and the child. He acts on complete faith and trust. Acting on faith and trust is a tremendous challenge today. In our...
The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.
The only real security in a relationship lies neither in looking back in nostalgia, nor forward in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now.
The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness. Gratitude arises from the lived perception, evaluation, and acceptance of all of life as grace—as an undeserved and unearned gift from the Father’s hand. Such recognition is itself the work of grace, and...
My life is not about me. It is about God. It is about a willing participation in a larger mystery. At this time, we do this by not rejecting or running from what is happening but by accepting our current situation and asking God to be with us in it. Paul of Tarsus...
Genuine, untarnished, long-lasting living begins and is sustained when we know without a doubt that we can try, fail, try, fail, try, fail…and that God accepts and understands us. from Being Me