The boy I used to know as Thomas Merker has been erased--replaced with a personality programmed by television and commercials to act a certain way.

My dad believes that bad disguises itself - that danger hides. I think it's the opposite. The truly horrible things about the world are always reaching out for you.

My memories are like a shuffled deck of cards, each one coming up at random.

Some memories are presents that I'm unable to unwrap over and over.

Puberty flicked a switch inside of them and dreams were replaced by hormones and college prep courses and varsity sports while I continued to look for faeries in the woods behind my house.

Common sense is no match for the voice of God.

Without ‘Gnan’ (True Knowledge of the Self), desire(s) will not go away.

When I see that people want to listen to me and when I feel that they are supporting the goals that I am committed to, then I am very pleased.

That's the way to live - around people who care. It may be a tough ride, but something is going to come out of it.

Every time you take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves the person whose hand is in yours.

The first people totalitarians destroy or silence are men of ideas and free minds.

Poetry is innocent, not wise. It does not learn from experience, because each poetic experience is unique.

It was like passing the scene of a highway accident and being relieved to learn that nobody had been seriously injured.

Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing.

If there's one thing you can say about mankind, there's nothing kind about man.