If unconditional love, loyalty, and obedience are the tickets to an eternal life, then my black Labrador, Venus, will surely be there long before me, along with all the dear animals in nature who care for their young at great cost to themselves and have suffered so much at the hands of humans.

The message of "falling" - failure, death, crucifixion, whatever you want to say - is not really that. Some sort of falling is really found in all the world's religions, just in different languages.

The ego hates losing – even to God.

To give, and not demand that others receive . . . that is the crossover point to maturity. . .

Creation is a process that is still happening and we’re in on it! We are a part of this endless creativity of God.

The great and merciful surprise is that we come to God, not by doing it right, but by doing it wrong.

Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus.