Failure is just part of the process, and it's not just okay; it's better than okay. God doesn't want failure to shut us down. God didn't make it a three-strikes-and-you're-out sort of thing. It's more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so we can swing for the fences again. And all of this without keeping a meticulous record of our screw-ups.

Does the church have all kinds of problems? You bet, because it's made up of people like me, so I get that part too. But all I need to know about the church is that Jesus picked her.

If you get a no from somebody, don't say, 'I'm going to take this as some big cosmic signal.' No, you just got a no, deal with it. Just go to the next step.

Fix your eyes on Jesus; it's ok to stare.

But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence. It's a love that operates more like a sign language than being spoken outright.

I used to think God wouldn’t talk to me, but now I know I’m just selective with what I choose to hear.

Live a life of conspicuous grace and courageous resolve.