Rejection, disapproval, or abuse by God’s people can be devastating because if you and I are not careful, we may confuse God’s people with God. And God’s people don’t always act like God’s people should.
“Thomas Aquinas (1224–74) on the virtue of courage, I happened across a vice he called pusillanimity, which means “smallness of soul.” Those afflicted by this vice, wrote Aquinas, shrink back from all that God has called them to be. When faced with the effort and difficulty of stretching themselves to the great things of which they are capable, they cringe and say, “I can’t.” In short, the pusillanimous rely on their own puny powers and focus on their own potential for failure, rather than counting on God’s grace to equip them for great work in his kingdom—work beyond anything they might have dreamed of for themselves.”
― Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies
― Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies
“Breathing Under Water,” a title taken from a telling poem by Carol Bieleck, r.s.c.j., which seemed to sum up so much of the common message. I quote it here in full: “Breathing Under Water” I built my house by the sea. Not on the sands, mind you; not on the shifting sand. And I built it of rock. A strong house by a strong sea. And we got well acquainted, the sea and I. Good neighbors. Not that we spoke much. We met in silences. Respectful, keeping our distance, but looking our thoughts across the fence of sand. Always, the fence of sand our barrier, always, the sand between. And then one day, —and I still don’t know how it happened— the sea came. Without warning. Without welcome, even Not sudden and swift, but a shifting across the sand like wine, less like the flow of water than the flow of blood. Slow, but coming. Slow, but flowing like an open wound. And I thought of flight and I thought of drowning and I thought of death. And while I thought the sea crept higher, till it reached my door. And I knew then, there was neither flight, nor death, nor drowning. That when the sea comes calling you stop being neighbors Well acquainted, friendly-at-a-distance, neighbors And you give your house for a coral castle, And you learn to breathe underwater.3”
― Breathing Underwater
― Breathing Underwater
“I think that men and women, shoulder to shoulder, will work together to make this a better world. Just as I don’t think that men are the superior sex, neither do I think women are. I think that it is great that we are beginning to use the talents of all of the people, in all walks of life, and that we no longer have the closed doors that we once had.” —RBG”
― Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
― Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“while he emphasized that peace is wonderful, Rogers was not altogether starry-eyed in this first week. In fact, he seemed quite the political realist in teaching us that peacemaking will be hard work. It will certainly require the most creative thoughts our moral imagination can muster. Like Daniel Striped Tiger, we will have to move beyond typical options and come up with creative strategies that surprise and shock the warmongers we seek to influence. Peacemaking will also no doubt be time-consuming. It will require us, as it did Lady Aberlin, to take time off from our regular work to create and carry out unique plans we would not normally even consider. And peacemaking will lead us into moments of doubt and uncertainty. Like Lady Aberlin and Mister Rogers, we will find ourselves wondering whether our ideas will really work.”
― Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers
― Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers
“Our assumptions got us to where we are, but they won’t necessarily get us where we need to go. I’ve found four questions in particular are helpful when your church stops growing.”
― Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow
― Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow
Paradise Not Lost
— 4 members
— last activity Mar 19, 2020 02:03PM
An Online Book Club for the Modern Bibliophile
The Walking Book Club
— 451 members
— last activity May 19, 2021 12:49PM
We are a community of books lovers in sneakers. We listen and move to engage the body and mind.
Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine
— 176152 members
— last activity 5 hours, 27 min ago
Hey Y’all, We’ve been reading together for awhile and we don’t know about you, but we’re ready to hear your thoughts and opinions. This group is a pl ...more
Oprah's Book Club (Official)
— 86856 members
— last activity 21 hours, 55 min ago
Welcome to the official Oprah's Book Club group. OBC is the interactive, multi-platform reading club bringing passionate readers together to discuss i ...more
RW Bookclub(Unofficial)
— 2811 members
— last activity 9 hours, 9 min ago
Book discussion based on the Reesesbookclub on Instagram. We also have a monthly group book, buddy reads, challenges and giveaways! Our Facebook gro ...more
Nicole’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Nicole’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Nicole
Lists liked by Nicole




























