Among the most joyful people I have known have been some who seem to have had no human reason for joy. The sweet fragrance of Christ has shown through their lives.

Freedom begins way back. It begins not with doing what you want but with doing what you ought - that is, with discipline.

No one whose first concern is feeling good can be a disciple. We are called to carry a cross and to glorify God.

He is always doing something--the very best thing, the thing we ourselves would certainly choose if we knew the end from the beginning. He is at work to bring us to our full glory.

Are you afraid? Remember the "fear nots" of the Bible.

One step at a time, over the years, as I sought to plumb the mystery of suffering (which cannot be plumbed), I began to see that there is a sense in which everything is a gift. Even my widowhood.

Blessings taken for granted are often forgotten.