Grant

“Spiritual formation prepares us for a life in which we move away from our fears, compulsions, resentments, and sorrows, to serve with joy and courage in the world, even when this leads us to places we would rather not go. Spiritual formation helps us to see the face of God in the midst of a hardened world and in our own heart. This freedom helps us to use our skills and our very lives to make that face visible to all who live in bondage and fear. As Jesus told his disciples: “So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit – A Guide to Encountering God Through the Five Classical Stages

“The Bible is primarily a book not of information but of formation, not merely a book to be analyzed, scrutinized, and discussed but a sacred book to nurture us, to unify our hearts and minds, and to serve as a constant source of contemplation”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit – A Guide to Encountering God Through the Five Classical Stages

“Sooner or later we must distinguish between what we are not and what we are. We must accept the fact that we are not what we would like to be. We must cast off our false, exterior self like the cheap and showy garment that it is”
― Ian Morgan Cron, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

“Equanimity refers to the ability to remain emotionally composed and steady regardless of what’s happening around us. Remember, feelings are like waves on the surface of the ocean. Don’t attach or identify with them but with the vast ocean beneath them. More than once in life I’ve had to say to myself, I am not my feelings.”
― Ian Morgan Cron, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery