Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.

You have a "turn" every time you have an opportunity to choose. But most of us only see a tiny fraction of the choices we have.

The life of Abraham Lincoln is by most accounts an amazing study in character formation. Yet he was notoriously disorganized; he even had a file in his law office labeled If you can't find it anywhere else, try looking here.

We are tempted to live under the illusion that somewhere out there are people who are normal.

I need to worship because without it I can forget that I have a Big God beside me and live in fear. I need to worship because without it I can forget his calling and begin to live in a spirit of self-preoccupation. I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on. I need worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance and stubborn independence.

True joy, as it turns out, comes only to those who have devoted their lives to something greater than personal happiness. This is most visible in extraordinary lives, in saints and martyrs. But it is no less true for ordinary people like us.

Never try to have more faith - just get to know God better. And because God is faithful, the better you know Him, the more you'll trust Him.