“When I have no eyes for the small signs of God’s presence – the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends – I will always remain tempted to despair.  The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump [Isaiah 11 1-2],, a shoot that hardly anyone notices.”  ( iGracias! – A Latin American Journal (December 2, 1981), copyright © 1983 Henri J.M. Nouwen. Published by HarperCollins).

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“Hatred corrodes the container it is carried in” (Senator Alan Simpson during the funeral for President George H. W. Bush).

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“Disciples are those who, seriously intending to become like Jesus from the inside out, systematically and progressively rearrange their affairs to that end” (Dallas Willard).

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“When our desire for recognition and approval is ordered rightly, it is transformed away from the vice of vainglory towards the virtue of magnanimity. Magnanimity is derived from the Latin words magna and anima, which literally means “greatness of heart” or “being great-souled.” Great souls attract, they’re magnetic. They draw people to themselves and then steer people towards God.  . . . . The ironic thing about magnanimous people is that their lives are worthy of recognition but they don’t seek it, that’s one of the least things they’re interested in. What they’re interested in is becoming more like Christ and helping others do the same”(Jonathan Bailey, jonathan@jonathanrbailey.com December 16, 2018).