Freedom
“But we hear the word limit in much the same way we hear the word quiet: as a form of subtraction, a curtailment of what could or ought to be ours. We despise it as old-fashioned, a diminishment of personal freedom,…But what is freedom to begin with? Something boundless we’re born with, innate to human existence? Are we truly free, mired as we are in nurture and inheritance, the strictures of our time, the limits of science? Or is freedom a gift, something we do not own and c
Spiritual Blindness and Deafness
“He [Gadarene Demoniac – Luke 16:19-31] is an icon of our brokenness and represents us all in many ways. He did not ask Christ to deliver...
Thoughts (Battling Them)
“I once confessed to an experienced priest that sinful thoughts were torturing me, and this is what he advised me: “Think of the thoughts...
Fruitful vs Fruitless
“Good people do not keep Christ's word written on paper, for paper is external to man and can be lost. Neither do they only keep it in...
Control/Self-Control
“God writes upon our hearts the knowledge of His will… Our hearts must yearn for the things of God. The hunger to do His will is the...
Joy and Happiness - Part 1
“…we have a misleading idea at the very head of our Constitution: the pursuit of happiness. One can not pursue happiness; if he does he...
Wisdom
“People who have the sort of mind that sees only one side to every question tend towards vigorous action. They succeed in everything they...
Perseverance/Persistence
“We need to have perseverance in our petitions before God.” (Orthodox Study Bible, John 2:3-5) “When bad thoughts surround us like a...
Spiritual Perception/Warfare/Experiences
“The life of a believer is not one of ease but a constant spiritual battle.” (Foundation Study Bible, 2 Corinthians 10:4) “…there is a...