Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more . . . And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less

Pain narrows vision. The most private of sensations, it forces us to think of ourselves and little else.

Christians are simply pilgrims who acknowledge their lostness and their desire for help in finding the way.

Christians fail to communicate to others because we ignore basic principles in relationship. When we make condescending judgments or proclaim lofty words that don't translate into action, or simply speak without first listening, we fail to love - and thus deter a thirsty world from Living Water. The good news about God's grace goes unheard.

If God doesn't want something for me, I shouldn't want it either. Spending time in meditative prayer, getting to know God, helps align my desires with God's.

When suffering happens, it forces us to confront life in a different way than we normally do.

Jesus did not give the parables to teach us how to live. He gave them, I believe, to correct our notions about who God is and who God loves.