i just finished a really good book...
what makes a book really good in my unprofessional opinion?
- it makes me think (whether i agree or disagree isn't completely relevant)
- it has good quotes
- it invites me and challenges me to be more of who God created me to be
this book meets the criteria.
here are my favorite quotes (i like having them all in one place):
The world would be a healthier place if nobody were allowed
to wear a costume.
Grace only sticks to our imperfections.
There are more lifeguards than sharks…for the most part, other
people aren’t out to get us.
It costs personal fear to be authentic but the reward is
integrity, and by that I mean a soul fully integrated, no different between his
act and his actual person. Having
integrity is about being the same person on the inside that we are on the
outside, and if we don’t have integrity, life becomes exhausting.
He…holds compassion in one hand and justice in the
other. He offers both liberally and yet
they don’t cancel each other out.
You will never have a healthy relationship with a deceptive
or manipulative person.
They offer grace…the grace in which they assume I’m a really
great guy who’s just trying to figure things out, and they politely show me the
error of my ways.
Tell them (your children) they can grow up and be whoever they want and nobody gets to tell
them who they are except God.
How many people have been made to fear something because
somebody else had an agenda.
I believe God is a fan of people connecting and I think the
enemy of God is a fan of people breaking off into paranoid tribes.
It’s true you’re bad at relationships but it’s also true
that you’re good at relationships….and I reminded him of all the people who
love him and all the people he’s loved.
I told him I thought it was unfair for a man to be judged by a moment,
by a season. We are all more complicated
than that.
My hope is such a fierce pruning will help create a strong
and tender man who understands himself and people and the nature of love better
than he ever could have before he made his mistakes.
I don’t know why it is, exactly, but the people with the
healthiest self esteem are also the greatest at intimacy. I’m not talking about arrogant people. I’m talking about people who know they are
both good and bad yet believe at the deepest level they are really good for
people.
The most powerful, most attractive person we can be is who
we already are, an ever-changing being that is becoming and will never arrive,
but has opinions about what is seen
along the journey.
Kids with parents who are honest about their shortcomings
seem to do better in life. parents who
aren’t trying to be perfect or pretend they are perfect have kids who trust and
respect them more.
It’s as though their family was a refuge, a place where
everybody could be themselves with no fear of being judged.
There’s a difference between apologizing and asking
forgiveness. An apology is a
statement…asking forgiveness involves giving power to the person you’re seeking
forgiveness from. –paul young
I’m starting to wonder if that’s not the whole point of
life, to be thankful for it and to live in such a way others are thankful for
theirs as well.
We believed in grace over guilt and we believe anybody could
become great if they were challenged within the context of a community.
When we experienced tension she made respectful comments and
then brought up the subject again when the moment was right.
I’m supposed to contribute something to the people around me
and create an environment where healthy relationships can flourish.
What’s going on in other people’s minds is none of your
business. (this is one of my number one takeaways from the book)
She was a master at resolving conflict and had absolutely no
skill at manipulation.
Every person has a longing that will never be fulfilled and
it’s our job to let it live and breathe and suffer within it as a way of
developing our character.
Perfect is subjective.
…there was never a reason to overreact.
 |
| (no offense to this guy) |
And this slow death and resurrection will likely last the
rest of my life.
I want to teach our children to get scary close, and more,
how to be brave. I want to teach them
that love is worth what it costs.
