“One of the ways we punish ourselves for not being more or better or thinner or stronger is by trying to squeeze ourselves — force ourselves, even — into all kinds of ill-fitting relationships. With other people, with ourselves, with our pants.”- Leeana Tankersley, Breathing Room In Chapter 21 (“Wear Better Pants”) of The Next […]
“Pick what you like, then see how it grows. If that little plant dies in a week, well, then you’ve learned something. But another outcome is also possible. What if it blooms?”- Emily P. Freeman (emphasis author’s) In Chapter 20 (“Pick What You Like”) of The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman observes that it’s […]
O God, help me believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is.”- Macrina Weidekehr, Seasons of Your Heart “It’s a wild and wonderful thing to bump into someone and realize it’s you.”- Fil Anderson In Chapter 19 (“Come Home to Yourself”) of The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman first reviews the […]
” . . . a big part of discerning your next right step is knowing and understanding what you really want to do. Knowing what you want isn’t selfish, it’s actually crucial to making decisions because it builds confidence, hastens healing, and is a gift to the people you love. . . . It helps […]
“The No Mentor is a special kind of person. While a regular mentor will help you weigh decisions and give valuable advice, a No Mentor goes in with a stronger filter from the beginning. . . . Unlike your co-listening group members, who have a primary role of listening, your No Mentor will be no-nonsense, […]
“Living attentive and paying attention is one of my favorite ways to live, but I’ve discovered if I do it in the wrong order, by going outward before I move inward, then I may add to the stress and distraction in my life in ways I never intended.”- Emily P. Freeman Emily P. Freeman concludes […]
“The biggest deception of our digital age may be the lie that says we can be omni-competent, omni-informed, and omni-present. . . . We must choose our absence, our inability, and our ignorance — and choose wisely.”- Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy In Chapter 16 (“Choose Your Absence”) of The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman […]
“If you’re standing at the crossroad of transition and you aren’t sure which way to go, as you seek people in your life who can stand beside you, and as you are becoming a person who stands beside others take heart — the Lord is always with you and within you, beside you and before […]
“It is God’s love for us that he not only gives us his word but also lends us his ear. So it is his work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company […]
“The love of Jesus will give you an ever-clearer vision of your call. . . . The more you are called to speak for God’s love, the more you will need to deepen the knowledge of that love in your own heart. The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must […]
“God’s ideas are not always obvious, and are always more clever than we can imagine. Even though the circumstances may be the same as many times before, God may have a different and better idea. So we are wise to ask for guidance each time.”- Jan Johnson, When the Soul Listens In Chapter 13 (“Don’t […]
“Staying in today is an important practice . . . but there is another related practice that is equally important, and that is learning to be where you are. While staying in today keeps us from rushing into the future, being where we are allows us to admit what’s really going on in the present.”- […]