“ Life is better in the presence of health, wealth, and the resultant happiness, but inner joy cannot be based solely upon calming life’s waters.”

“ When you sincerely follow the Scriptural precepts of Godliness, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and open yourself to correction, you have done your best to establish the first foundation to inner joy.”

“ God’s joy is in watching His children live in His world and growing in overcoming the temptations and obstacles of this world.”

“ God has overcome, perfected Himself, and knows the temptations and trials of His world. He desires every heart to be His companion in the journey of life.”

“ Life is a process, not a destination, and joy should be our constant companion and state in the journey of life.”

“ Observe like God, and hold that Christ consciousness of being in, but not of the world,”

“ Life is imperfect, people are imperfect, random circumstances collide with the beautiful order we have created and damage that desired perfection. Let reality and circumstances be what they are, and feel their imperfection. Allow each moment to be its own teaching lesson and experience of being in God’s creation.”

“ Happiness depends upon what is happening, joy is the state of appreciating the underlying flow and reality of being a creature in God’s creation.”

“ The foundation of change is truly/actually feeling and understanding how/why the other person was affected by our words and actions.”

“ When the reality of one’s own actions is seen/felt/heard as having a deep effect on another person, it is possible to develop the personal motivation to make changes in thought, speech, and action.”

“ In the process of listening to and being understood, the goal is to identify the right behavior, the Godly thoughts, speech, and action that each person should adopt and act. A full, habitual, automatic, never-miss change in behavior is unlikely. Most changes take time, trials, attempts, reminders, learning new behaviors, and developing consistency and automaticity.”

“ People follow their animal instincts naturally, but animal instincts do not give us a clue as to the proper moderation of those appetites.”

“ Having seen that their sin carries no immediate Angelic wrath, they mock God as powerless, daring Him to execute them for their rebellion. In a group hug and parades of pride, they attempt to reinforce their mutual self-approval in an attempt to erase that still small voice that convicts the heart.”

“ words, reality, logic, and philosophy can obfuscate the Truth and give the appearance of truth to lies, and lies to truth.”

“ God has created men in His image, giving them His nature, and yet has allowed them to complete moral freedom. He has allowed evil to fully penetrate and permeate His world and tempt men at their core. He has given each man the free choice of masters and spiritual allegiance. He gave men the right to choose good or evil and given evil the right to tempt men’s minds, hearts, and souls. The world is finely balanced between dark and light, and we can only ask, “why?”

“ we must look with intent for the Kingdom of Heaven hidden within the dross, temptations, boredom, panic, ecstasy, conflict, misery, and mystery of everyday life. We see in Holy Scripture the admonition to resist the seduction of sensual pleasure and desire.”