Saturday, March 23, 2013

Monday, March 18, 2013

from Out of Control by Ben Young and Dr. Sam Adams

"We're daring you to move from control to mystery; from sustained, chaotic activity to periods of silence and solitude; and from practiced self-reliance to deep faith and trust in God. ... to experience true peace and rest."

from Out of Control by Ben Young and Dr. Sam Adams

A lot of us wrongly believe that we can attain true peace and simplicity only through radical self-denial, a la Saint Francis. ... But Christ never said that. He said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14.27, NKJV), not "Peace I leave with you if you sign up for full-time missions work ..."

from Out of Control by Ben Young and Dr. Sam Adams

"How can the church be truly countercultural if it is as consumed as the world is with activities? Playing the same game of busyness under the guise of 'spirituality' offers little refuge from the inevitable storms of chaos of life. ... the church should offer hope and renewal, not contribute to exhaustion and fatigue." 

from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

"You tell stories?" the mans asks, the piquing of his interest almost palpable.

"Stories, tales, bardic chronicles," Widget says.

"Whatever you care to call them. The things we were discussing earlier that are more complicated than they used to be. I take pieces of the past that I see and I combine them into narratives. It's not that important, and this isn't why I'm here --"

"It is important," the man in the grey suit interrupts. "Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and ever ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift. Your sister may be able to see the future, but you yourself can shape it, boy. Do not forget that." He takes another sip of his wind. "There are many kinds of magic, after all."