Amanda Cox

“flash of memories I’d never made jolted through my head.”
― Julie Murphy, Dumplin'

“I refuse to miss out on what God is doing, what He might be saying, and how He may be miraculously intervening. I refuse to miss out because I’m focused on myself, my insecurities, or my perception of my own capacity.”
― Jess Connolly, You Are the Girl for the Job: Daring to Believe the God Who Calls You

“here’s to whatever brings us to the point where we can no longer stay the same. Here’s to keeping the front door open. Here’s to doing the brave, hard thing. Here’s to being fiercehearted.”
― Holley Gerth, Fiercehearted: Live Fully, Love Bravely

“He actually does the opposite. He says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”1 If Jesus wanted to grow a church, didn’t he know telling people they need to daily pick up an instrument of torture, death, and shame wasn’t the way to do it? Jesus opposed the pharisaical legalism of his time, but he also opposed the watered-down, flimsy, cultural religion. He was essentially saying, “I know my miracles are awesome. I know I have immense power. But don’t follow me for the wrong reason. The cost is high. The road to follow me is tough, it’s painful, it hurts, and you might even face death, but I promise there is joy on the other side. Do you want in?”
― Jefferson Bethke, Jesus > Religion: Why He Is So Much Better Than Trying Harder, Doing More, and Being Good Enough