Not Worth It
“Not only do we give people a piece of our mind, we give them a piece of our happiness, wholeness, focus, and sometimes, a piece of our health.
— Hugh Prather, The Little Book of Letting Go, p. 5
Month: September 2007
10 Posts
More than a Feeling
“Love isn’t what you feel. Love is what you do.”
–Madeleine L’Engle, A Wind in the Door
Standing for your Marriage
“Standing for your marriage is showing unconditional love to a spouse who does not deserve your love, and trusting God to do what he has promised, changing first you, and then your spouse, to be what the Lord intends.”
— Bob Steinkamp, www.rejoiceministries.org
Recovery is possible, and it doesn’t depend on your spouse.
“Even if you choose not to continue your marriage, you still have to recover from the trauma you’ve been through. The road to recovery can be a stimulus for growth whether you travel it with your partner or you make your way alone. It’s a difficult road, but it is passable and well traveled for all its difficulties, and it’s important to know that it is there for you and anyone who wants to follow it.”
— Shirley P. Glass, NOT “Just Friends,” p. 12
Humor and Gratitude
“If we turn a bitter face to the world, for whatever reason, we can expect little else in return. If, however, we face adversity with a sense of humor and hold to a base of gratitude for what we have, we’re likely to find people responding to us in kind.”
— Leo Buscaglia, Born for Love, p. 50
Pearls Before Swine
“When he told us not to cast our pearls before swine, for example, it was not to be mean but because he knew that swine cannot digest pearls; they do them no good (Matt. 7:6). We, too, should have the good sense to refrain from giving people truth that they are not ready to receive, for it will do them no good.”
— Richard J. Foster, Prayer, p. 232
Pouring It Out to God
“One of the wonderful things about God’s immutable character is that we’re not going to tempt Him to sin when we take our negative feelings to Him…. Pouring whatever is in our hearts out to God dramatically decreases our tendency to grow bitter.”
— Beth Moore, Praying God’s Word, p. 235
Breaking Free
“I wanted to make sure we addressed the importance of praying about someone who has hurt you because it is such a vital part of breaking free. Be honest with God. Pour your heart out to Him. Tell Him the things that hurt you. Tell on the one who injured you. Search the psalms to receive further permission to speak your heart, then practice it — from your own heart with your own words!… and don’t stop until all the bitter waters have been poured out before God, and He’s had a chance to begin pouring living water back in. ‘Trust in Him at all times!'”
— Beth Moore, Praying God’s Word, p. 239-40
The Flip Side of Forgiveness
“The road to psychological ruin begins with blame.
“The road to psychological power begins with responsibility.
“You cannot blame and find good solutions at the same time….
“Blame is always about the past. Solutions must occur in the present and future.
“Blame obscures solutions by locking you into the problem and by focusing attention on damage, injury, defects, and weakness, on what is wrong. Blame makes you feel like a powerless victim.”
– Steven Stosny, The Powerful Self, p. 112
Compassion Power
“Compassion puts us in touch with the only form of genuine pride: Pride in oneself as a competent, growing, creative, healing, nurturing, and compassionate person.”
— Steven Stosny, The Powerful Self, p. 103