the new boldness

"(1) God hasn't call you to challenge or change anyone's feelings. Offer presence, not judgment. (2) Better a good listener than an irritating suggester. (3) Humility and gentleness are the new boldness." - Scotty Smith

not the fulfillment of our wish-list

"Father, you have promised sufficient grace, not the fulfillment of our wish-list. You are more committed to making us like Jesus, than making us cozy. In our most Gospel-sane moments, we’re good with that, Father. Give us more of those moments."

[Scotty Smith]

terrible inner turmoil

Repentance is like antiseptic. You pour antiseptic onto a wound and it stings, but it heals. That’s how repentance works. It creates terrible inner turmoil, because you have to admit things you don’t want to admit. - Tim Keller

seen, known, loved

“We tweet, text, Snap, IG, and DM to be seen, known, and loved. Could it be that our worst social media habits are a failure to believe we are seen, known, and loved by our Creator? A digital delirium caused by our unbelief that Psalm 139 is true over me?”

 

—Tony Reinke

he's a liar

"The devil wants you to believe that you're a special kind of wounded. The kind that no one can love and no one can heal. He's a liar. You are loved and Jesus can heal you." -Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP

ask a lot more questions

"I should presume less, offer fewer solutions, and ask a lot more questions. Only when I listen to the pain of others am I able to love across the lines of difference in ways that are helpful and not hurtful." - Scott Sauls

woe is me... for I am lost

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Isaiah 6:5

grow downward

"Pray that this year you may grow downward: that you may know more of your own vileness, more of your own nothingness, and so be rooted in humility." - Charles Spurgeon

the people dwell in day, who dwelt in death's surrounding night

"The race that long in darkness pined,
Has seen a glorious light;
The people dwell in day, who dwelt
In death’s surrounding night.

To hail Thy rise, Thou better Sun,
The gathering nations come,
Joyous as the reaper bears
The harvest treasures home.

Unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a King,
Unto us a Child is born
Unto us a King

His name shall be the Prince of Peace,
Forevermore adored,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The great and mighty Lord.

His power increasing still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know,
Justice shall guard His throne above,
And peace abound below."

Original lyrics: John Morison (approximately 1781)
Variations and modern version by Alex Barrett

emptied himself of his glory

The fact that God became human and emptied himself of his glory means that you should not want to hang out only with the people with power and glitz, who are networked and can open doors for you.

You need to be willing to go to the people without power, without beauty, without money. That is the Christmas spirit, because God became one of us.

[Tim Keller]

the baby in my womb leaped for joy

Luke 1:41-44


And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.'"


Art: Circa 13th Century. Mary Visits Elizabeth.

the 20 percent

If someone is criticizing you and the criticism is mostly mistaken, identify the 20 percent of the indictment that is fair. Without excuse be willing to take it to heart. The strongest Christians are the ones most willing to repent. - Tim Keller

bows low and offers praise

In we shuffle, hooded amplitudes,
scapulared brooms, a stray earring, skin-heads
and flowing locks, blind in one eye,
hooked-nosed, handsome as a prince
(and knows it), a five-thumbed organist,
an acolyte who sings in quarter tones,
one slightly swollen keeper of the bees,
the carpenter minus a finger here and there,
our pre-senile writing deathless verse,
a stranded sailor, a Cassian scholar,
the artist suffering the visually
illiterate and indignities unnamed,
two determined liturgists. In a word,
eager purity and weary virtue.
Last of all, the Lord Abbot, early old
(shepherding the saints is like herding cats).
These chariots and steeds of Israel
make a black progress into church.
A rumble of monks bows low and offers praise
to the High God of Gods who is faithful forever. 

[Kilian McDonnell, "The Monks of St. John's File in for Prayer"]

a deep abyss

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850)

55 Maxims of the Christian Life by Fr. Thomas Hopko

1. Be always with Christ and trust God in everything.
2. Pray as you can, not as you think you must.
3. Have a keepable rule of prayer done by discipline.
4. Say the Lord's Prayer several times each day.
5. Repeat a short prayer when your mind is not occupied.
6. Make some prostrations when you pray.
7. Eat good foods in moderation and fast on fasting days.
8. Practice silence, inner and outer.
9. Sit in silence 20 to 30 minutes each day.
10. Do acts of mercy in secret.
11. Go to liturgical services regularly.
12. Go to confession and holy communion regularly.
13. Do not engage intrusive thoughts and feelings.
14. Reveal all your thoughts and feelings to a trusted person regularly.
15. Read the scriptures regularly.
16. Read good books, a little at a time.
17. Cultivate communion with the saints.
18. Be an ordinary person, one of the human race.
19. Be polite with everyone, first of all family members.
20. Maintain cleanliness and order in your home.
21. Have a healthy, wholesome hobby.
22. Exercise regularly.
23. Live a day, even a part of a day, at a time.
24. Be totally honest, first of all with yourself.
25. Be faithful in little things.
26. Do your work, then forget it.
27. Do the most difficult and painful things first.
28. Face reality.
29. Be grateful.
30. Be cheerful.
31. Be simple, hidden, quiet and small.
32. Never bring attention to yourself.
33. Listen when people talk to you.
34. Be awake and attentive, fully present where you are.
35. Think and talk about things no more than necessary.
36. Speak simply, clearly, firmly, directly.
37. Flee imagination, fantasy, analysis, figuring things out.
38. Flee carnal, sexual things at their first appearance.
39. Don't complain, grumble, murmur or whine.
40. Don't seek or expect pity or praise.
41. Don't compare yourself with anyone.
42. Don't judge anyone for anything.
43. Don't try to convince anyone of anything.
44. Don't defend or justify yourself.
45. Be defined and bound by God, not people.
46. Accept criticism gracefully and test it carefully.
47. Give advice only when asked or when it is your duty.
48. Do nothing for people that they can and should do for themselves.
49. Have a daily schedule of activities, avoiding whim and caprice.
50. Be merciful with yourself and others.
51. Have no expectations except to be fiercely tempted to your last breath.
52. Focus exclusively on God and light, and never on darkness, temptation and sin.
53. Endure the trial of yourself and your faults serenely, under God's mercy.
54. When you fall, get up immediately and start over.
55. Get help when you need it, without fear or shame.

we're frightened of ordinariness

"The Desert Father’s called this the demon of Acedia – that raging desire to escape from the ordinary. Acedia was described as a state of listlessness, leading to a state of being unable to place value on what is embarrassingly ordinary. The demon of Acedia holds an important place in early monastic psychology. The Desert Father John Cassian observed this heart sickness that would come over monks who lived dwelling on an “ideal” all day. It made them have increasing disdain and reduced commitment to the everyday discipleship with their brethren. I’ll say it again…we’re frightened of ordinariness." - Dan White Jr.

how to completely depend on God

It is only when you reach the very bottom, when everything falls apart, when all your schemes and resources are broken and exhausted, that you are finally open to learning how to completely depend on God. As is often said, you never realize that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. You must lose your life to find your life (Matthew 10: 39).

[Tim Keller]

vemödalen

disconcerted by nothing

“Who is the invincible human being? One who can be disconcerted by nothing that lies outside the sphere of choice.” - Epictetus

to heal you

“Remember the one who has ridiculed you, who has grieved you, who has wronged you, who has done evil to you, as your physician, your healer. Christ sent him to heal you; don’t remember him with anger.” - Abba Zossima