“Beauty is such a gentle grace. Like God, it rarely shouts, rarely intrudes. Rather it woos, soothes, invites; it romances and caresses. We often sigh in the presence of beauty as it begins to minister to us — a good, deep soul-sigh.”- John Eldredge John Eldredge concludes Chapter 3 of Get Your Life Back as […]
“God also filled the world with a renewable supply of something our souls need daily: beauty. Yes, beauty. The fact that our world is so saturated with beauty, breathtaking in so many ways great and small — this ought to let you know God feels it’s something you need for your survival. We are absolutely […]
“You sure can’t wait to find God and life and restoration until you’ve sorted your life out. There’s too much rushing at us; we haven’t the time to carefully and systematically think through every piece of information, misspoken word, confusing interaction, heartbreaking news. Subtly, maybe not so subtly, the burdens on the soul pile up.”- […]
“Over time I’ve found no better practice to help clear out my cluttered soul than the practice of benevolent detachment. The ability to let it go, walk away — not so much physically but emotionally, soulfully.”- John Eldredge (emphasis author’s) “Thou must be emptied of that wherewith thou are full, that thou mayest be filled […]
“Every time I turned to Jesus to try and get some peace and orientation, he simply kept saying, Give this to me. Release this to me. Give them to me. And I was struck by how difficult that is, especially once you’re really worked up in speculation, worry, genuine concern, or anxiety. Jesus didn’t offer […]
“The One Minute Pause . . . sounds almost too simple to be a practice that brings me more of God, but it’s very effective. Because what it does is open up soul space, breathing room. And God is right there. Over time, the cumulative effect is even better. It’s reshaping the pace of my […]
“Predators hunt under cover of darkness; from the horse’s point of view, nighttime calls for high vigilance. Come morning we often have to settle them down before we attempt to ride, so we groom them and do some ‘ground work’. At some point in their connection with us — once they’re feeling safe and secure […]
“[Shallow attention] isn’t just an intellectual problem; it’s a spiritual crisis. It’s pretty hard to hear ‘deep calling unto deep (Psalm 42:7)’ when we’re forced into the shallows of our own hearts and souls by this frenetic world. Jesus heard my surface prayers; he came to my rescue.”- John Eldredge “Whoever believes in me, as […]
“If we had more of his lavish life bubbling up in us, it would be a rescue in this soul-scorching hour. But this frantic, volatile world constantly wilts the soul, dries it out like a raisin, making it almost impossible to receive the life God is pouring forth. That’s called a double bind.”- John Eldredge […]
“When you withhold your blue flame, you are withholding a gift from the world. ‘That doesn’t matter because my gift to the world sucks,’ you’ll say in your bad moments. Guess what: you don’t get to make that call. Because it’s not about you. If this were about self-fulfillment, then sure, you could quit. It’s […]
“You are the CEO of your life. . . . You have a duty to dream. It’s your job to set the vision, to look up from the ground and out to the horizon and imagine what might lie beyond. You’ll find that following your blue flame will light the path to a better way. […]
“So when I first discovered my blue flame . . . I imagined barricading myself in a remote location and coming up with all the inspiration I needed on my own. . . . Your blue flame is meant to draw you to others, not only in sharing what you produce but in creating it […]