Quotes from Alicia Britt Chole

In moments when I am tempted to treat this gift called time as though it were some unfortunate filler, I hear a gentle whisper from God in my soul: "Child, I am the God who wastes no man's time. To me, every course in your life is main.

In our daily lives, we may prefer self-reliance. But perhaps utter dependence is the truer friend of our souls.

The glorious mystery is that listening for God holds power whether or not anything is heard.

Christian spirituality is not a life project for becoming a better person." —EUGENE PETERSON

the disciples' illusions of what Jesus could and should do with His power were shattered by the reality of what Jesus actually did with His power, and their personal illusions of commitment-unto-death were shattered by the reality of fear-inspired self-protection.

Lent is a much-needed mentor in an age obsessed with visible, measurable, manageable, and tweetable increase, for it invites us to walk with Jesus and His disciples through darker seasons that we would rather avoid: grief, conflict, misunderstanding, betrayal, restriction, rejection, and pain. Then Easter leads us in celebration of salvation as the stunningly satisfying fruit of Jesus' sacred decrease.

Like a short spoon in a tall glass, people's attention simply cannot reach the bottom of our profound longing to be valued. Only God can reach that place because he is the One who created that place.

more of a sojourn. A sojourn is a "temporary stay at a place."4 And a "stay" is about presence, not productivity.

Jesus appears to have walked unstressed and unhurried. His peaceful pace seems to imply that he measured himself not by where he was going and how fast he could get there but by whom he was following and how closely they walked together. Patience grows well in such soil. She is the ally of a soul that makes God its primary pursuit, because in this journey called life, regardless of the scenery, such a soul is deeply contented in the Company.

The Father's work in us does not sleep—though in spiritual winters he retracts all advertisement. And when he does so, he is purifying our faith, strengthening our character, conserving our energy, and preparing us for the future. The sleepy days of winter hide us so that seductive days of summer will not ruin us.

To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.

The question asked is not, 'What should be happening in my life?' but 'What is happening in my life?' The present moment, the present set of circumstances, the present relationships in our lives—this is where God lives. This is where God meets us and gives us life." — ALICE FRYLING

God needs nothing, asks nothing, and demands nothing, like the stars. It is life with God which demands these things. . . . You do not have to sit outside in the dark. If, however, you want to look at the stars, you will find that the darkness is necessary. But the stars neither require nor demand it." — ANNIE DILLARD1

Christian spirituality, the contemplative life, is not about us. It is about God. The great weakness of American spirituality is that it is all about us: fulfilling our potential, getting the blessings of God, expanding our influence, finding our gifts, getting a handle on principles by which we can get an edge over the competition. The more there is of us, the less there is of God.

Brother Lawrence, known for his intimacy with God, wrote, "The foundation of spiritual life, for me, has been a high image of God and a high esteem of God."2

God keeps our hearts peaceful (sound, complete, well) when we keep our minds trust-full (steadfast upon Him).

Some things just have to be believed to be seen." —PHILIP YANCEY

The awareness of being a child of God tends to stabilize the ego and results in a new courage, fearlessness, and power.

I feel that trials do not prepare us for what's to come as much as they reveal what we've done with our lives up to this point.

We all guard against sins of commission and we are vigilant toward sins of omission. But achievements—even in small doses—can make us vulnerable to sins of addition: adding niceties and luxuries to our list of basic needs, adding imaginations onto the strong back of vision, adding self-satisfaction to the purity of peace.