Gimme some a that freedom!

"Or if you want to go just a wee bit deeper, we could talk about the nature of freedom itself. Does freedom mean that you are allowed to do whatever you want to do?...What is freedom, really?...Only I can set you free, Mackenzie, but freedom can never be forced...At this point you don't even comprehend that freedom is an incremental process...And freedom is a process that happens inside of a relationship with him." (p. 95)

Can you trust?

Mackenzie, those who are afraid of freedom are those who cannot trust us to live in them. Trying to keep the law is actually a declaration of independence, a way of keeping control." (p. 203)

"The world, in many ways, would be a much calmer and gentler place if women ruled. There would have been far fewer children sacrificed to the gods of greed and power." (p. 147-148)

hmmmm...... :D

Judging...to feel safe?

"Judging requires that you think yourself superior over the one you judge."

"What right did he have to judge anyone? ... All his judgments had been superficial, based on appearance and actions, things easily interpreted by whatever state of mind or prejudice that supported the need to exalt himself, or to feel safe, or to belong." (pp. 159-160)

Do you find yourself judging others? Judging your circumstances?

That love is Unconditional

"But what about when they do not behave, or they make choices other than those you would want them to make, or they are just belligerent and rude? What about when they embarrass you in front of others? How does that affect your love for them?"

Mack responded slowly and deliberately. "It doesn't really...What they do might affect my pride, but not my love for them."

That's just the way God loves all his children...

Authority

"Authority as you usually think of it, is merely the excuse the strong use to make others conform to what they want." (p. 123)

"It is a picture of my bride, the Church: individuals who together form a spiritual city with a living river flowing through the middle, and on both shores tress growing with fruit that will heal the hurt and sorrows of the nations. And this city is always open, and each gate into it made of a single pearl...Pearls, Mack. The only precious stone made by pain, suffering and - finally - death." (p. 177)

"My purpose from the beginning was to live in you and you in me... I choose to live moment by moment fully human. I am fully God, but I am human to the core. " (p. 112)

To learn...to change

"Among the mysteries of a broken humanity, that too is rather remarkable; to learn, to allow change." (p. 154)

The promise

"But keep in mind that if you live your life alone and independently, the promise is empty." (p. 203)

Incredible Dance of Being

"Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life - your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities - is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being." (p. 207)

I love this one!! Makes want to go out and buy a mobile to hang in my house. :D

"Responsibilities and expectations are the basis of guilt and shame and judgment, and they provide the essential framework that promotes performance as the basis for identity and value. You know well what it is like not to live up to someones expectations." (p. 206)

If not performance, What do you see as the basis for determining someone's identity and value?

Time to let that go

"Only you, in the entire universe, believe that somehow you are to blame. Perhaps it's time to let that go - that lie. And Mackenzie, even if you had been to blame, her love is much stronger than your fault could ever be." (p. 168)

I AM NOT A BULLY!

"For now I just want you to be with me and discover that our relationship is not about performance or you having to please me. I'm not a bully, not some self-centered demanding little deity insisting on my own way. I am good, and I desire only what is best for you. You cannot find that through guilt or condemnation or coercion, only through a relationship of love. And I do love you." (p. 126)

Your new nature

"When I am your life, submission is the most natural expression of my character and nature, and it will be the most natural expression of your new nature within relationships."  (p. 146)

World not a playground

"This world is not a playground where I keep all my children free from evil. Evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have the final say. Now it touches everyone that I love, those who follow me and those who don't. If I take away the consequences of people's choices, I destroy the possibility of love. Love that is forced is no love at all." (p. 190)

STOP such an insane lust...

"I can see now," confessed Mack "that I spend most of my time and energy trying to acquire what I have determined to be good, whether it's financial security or health or retirement or whatever. And I spend a huge amount of energy and worry fearing what I've determined to be evil" Mack sighed deeply.

"...You don't need me at all to create your list of good and evil. But you do need me if you have any desire to stop such an insane lust for independence."

(p. 136)

I am far more than that...

"Mackenzie, I am what some would say 'holy, and wholly other than you.' The problem is that many folks try to grasp some sense of who I am by taking the best version of themselves, projecting that to the nth degree, factoring in all the goodness I perceive, which isn't often much, and then call that God. And while it may seem like a noble effort, the truth is that it falls pitifully short of who I am. I'm not merely the best version of you that you can think of. I am far more than that, above and beyond all that you can ask or think."

"Even though you can't finally grasp me, guess what? I still want to be known."

(p. 98)

I really like this quote! Wow. ++++ I want to send out a special welcome to all the new visitors - from all over the world! So glad to have you reading daily, and hope you will find great comfort in the special messages from the book. :D

The most loving outcome

"You are the ones who embrace fear and pain and power and rights so readily in your relationships. But your choices are also not stronger than my purposes, and I will use every choice you make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome." (p. 125)

Simple yet infinitely complex

"A fractal...something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified. A fractal is almost infinitely complex. I love fractals, so I put them everywhere."

"Looks like a mess to me."

"Thank you! What a wonderful complement!"

(p. 129)

Touched Her

"But the vividness and depth of his memories touched her and slowly undermined her resolve to stay objective. There was life in what he was telling her and she quickly understood that whatever happened had greatly impacted and changed her husband." (p. 243)

No Mercy or Grace in Rules

"But can you clean your face with the same mirror that shows you how dirty you are? There is no mercy or grace in rules, not even for one mistake." (p. 202)

You're still that kid in the dark

"But why do we keep all that crap inside?" Mack asked.

"Because we believe its safer there. And, sometimes, when you're a kid trying to survive, it really is safer there. Then you grow up on the outside, but on the inside you're still that kid in the dark cave surrounded by monsters, and out of habit you keep adding to that collection. We all collect things we value, you know?" (p. 175)

Head issues out of the way

"I'm not trying to make this harder for either of us. But this is a good place to start. I often find that getting head issues out of the way first makes the heart stuff easier to work on later...when you're ready." (p. 93)

Of whispered hopes

"Don't forget that in the midst of all your pain and heartache, you are surrounded by beauty, the wonder of Creation, art, your music and culture, the sounds of laughter and love, of whispered hopes and celebrations, of new life and transformation, of reconciliation and forgiveness." (p. 191)

You the Judge?

"Then it is you who determines good and evil. You become the judge. And to make things more confusing, that which you determine to be good will change over time and circumstance." (p. 135)

Supposed to or Want to?

"You're not supposed to do anything. You're free to do whatever you like... Don't go because you feel obligated. That won't get you any points around here. Go because it's what you want to do." (p. 89)

Created to Fly

"Pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. And if left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place." (p.97)

"Broken humans center their lives around things that seem good to them, but that will neither fill them or free them." (p. 125)

But don't let the anger...

"He caused incredible pain to many. It was wrong, and anger is the right response to something that is so wrong. But don't let the anger and pain and loss you feel prevent you from forgiving him and removing your hands from around his neck." (p. 227)