“I am learning that mature faith, which encompasses both simple faith and fidelity, works the opposite of paranoia. It reassembles all the events of life around trust in a loving God. When good things happen, I accept them as gifts from God, worthy of thanksgiving. When bad things happen, I do not take them as necessarily sent by God -- I see evidence in the Bible to the contrary -- and I find in them no reason to divorce God. Rather, I trust that God can use even those bad things for my benefit.” ReasonUseHappensSimpleAcceptingEventsBenefitsEvidenceOppositesGood ThingsWorthyDivorceContraryThings HappenNo ReasonBad ThingsMatureFidelityLoving GodParanoiaGift From GodBad Things HappenSimple FaithWhen Bad Things Happen Book:Reaching for the Invisible God Study Guide Source: Reaching for the Invisible God Study Guide
“I'm fascinated by the period that goes from the Industrial Revolution to right after World War II. There's something about that period that's epic and tragic. There's a point after the industrial period where it seems like humanity's finally going to make it right. There were advances in medicine and technology and education. People are going to be able to live longer lives; literacy is starting to spread. It seemed like finally, after centuries of toiling and misery, that humanity was going to get to a better stage. And then what happens is precisely the contrary. Humanity betrays itself.” PeopleWorldWarSeemsHappensAbleHumanityTechnologyCenturyStageRevolutionPeriodsMedicineMiseryStartingSpreadContraryWar Of The WorldsTragicFascinatedWorld War IiBetrayWorld War IEpicLiteracyIndustrial RevolutionToilingTechnology And EducationLonger Life Author:Carlos Ruiz Zafon
“I no longer believe the conservative message that children are naturally selfish and destructive creatures who need civilizing by hierarchies or painful controls. On the contrary, I believe that hierarchy and painful controls create destructive people. And I no longer believe the liberal message that children are blank slates on which society can write anything. On the contrary, I believe a unique core self is born into every human being; the result of millennia of environment and heredity combined in an unpredictable way that could never happen before or again.” PeopleWayNeedsWritingBelieveHumansChildrenSelfHappensI BelieveBornHuman BeingsResultsFamilyEnvironmentCreaturesMessagesUniqueConservativePainfulContrarySelfishCoreDestructiveBlankUnpredictableHierarchySlateHeredityBlank Slates Author:Gloria Steinem