The longer you've known someone- the more history there is between you- the longer it will take to establish in their mind that you have truly changed. Remember, forgiveness is an altogether different thing from trust or respect. Forgiveness is about the past. Trust and respect are about the future. Forgiveness will be in the hands of others and cna be given to you, but trust and respect are in your own hands and must be earned.

I had always been able to make people laugh in school, so I really developed that and worked on it and I got pretty good at it and it turned into a career.

Most people think it takes a long time to change. It doesn’t. Change is immediate! Instantaneous! It may take a long time to decide to change…but change happens in a heartbeat!

The very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose. Your actions have value far greater than silver or gold.

When I was 19 years old, both of my parents died in the same year; my mom of cancer and my dad in a car accident. Through the next two or three years and a series of bad decisions - all my own, I might add - I ended up literally homeless, before that was even a word. I even slept occasionally under a pier on the Gulf Coast.

Jesus is Jesus. So, I'm not sure I'd get into the business of making somebody into Jesus. That's just me.

I start every day making sure I'm where I need to be and thinking like I need to think.