Sin happens whenever we refuse to keep growing.

every time God forgives us, God is saying that God's own rules do not matter as much as the relationship that God wants to create with us.

The cross solved our problem by first revealing our real problem, our universal pattern of scapegoating and sacrificing others. The cross exposes forever the scene of our crime.

When we fail we are merely joining the great parade of humanity that has walked ahead of us and will follow after us.

Those who are not true leaders will just affirm people at their own immature level.

The ego hates losing – even to God.

People who know how to creatively break the rules also know why the rules were there in the first place.

Much of the work of midlife is to tell the difference between those who are dealing with their issues through you and those who are really dealing with you.

Denial of our pattern of failure seems to be a kind of practical atheism or chosen ignorance among many believers and clergy.

I have prayed for years for one good humiliation a day, and then, I must watch my reaction to it. I have no other way of spotting both my denied shadow self and my idealized persona.

Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future.

Not everything you're good at is what you're called to do.

If you only enjoy the journey of writing, that's reward enough.

The more you complain the longer God lets you live

That's starting to depress me about UFOs. The fact that they cross galaxies...and always end up in places like Fyfe, Alabama.

The world could bring you poison in a jewelled cup, or surprising gifts. Sometimes you didn't know which of them it was.

I don't think my spirituality has affected my character. I feel like my character is much more cynical about his beliefs, and I think I have to kind of drop what I believe in order to play him.

The year after I graduated from high school, they came to shoot Mr. and Mrs. Bridge in Kansas City.

Who is to guard the guards themselves?

All the keys to joy can be reduced to these two. Laugh but at no one's expense and love but without expectation.

Would it be all right? Would it be all right to go ahead and feel? Go ahead and count on something?