When a man loses his vision of the future he dies.

To choose the path is to choose the destination, but sometimes it seems that the path is under our feet even before we know we're walking.

I see people getting so caught up in celebrating diversity that they are neglecting their commonality. I don't see this as a good thing. The Chinese culture has survived for more than five thousand years in part because the Chinese have embraced the same language and culture. I hope I am wrong about this, and that the flame is still on beneath the great American melting pot. Americans need each other, and a house divided, no matter the color of its occupants, is still divided. And divided we all fall.

We humans are born egocentric. The sky thunders and children believe that God is mad at them for something they've done - parents divorce and children believe it's their fault for not being good enough. Growing up means putting aside our egocentricity for truth. Still, some people cling to this childish mind-set. As painful as their self-flagellation may be, they'd rather believe their crises are their fault so they can believe they have control. In doing so they make fools and false gods of themselves.

At one time in my career, Barnes and Noble bookstores categorized my books as religious fiction.

Don't try to write what other people are writing - write what is true to you.

So often the pain of our life is no more than a reminder to take our hand off the stove.