Quotes from Rory Noland

We too need to scour the Bible to learn how God wants to be worshiped. For it doesn't matter how you and I want to praise God. It's not ultimately important whether worship makes us feel good or if the music is to our liking. True worship must always be offered on God's terms, not ours. So we need to learn how God wants to be worshiped.

Frederick Buechner said, "The place God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."7

They are trying to be significant in their universe—trying to mean something more than a random collision of molecules. Though modern philosophy tells them they are nothing, their hearts tell them something else. Because their minds cannot fathom what their hearts know, they feel the weight of the God-placed burden. Art often seems irrational, because the heart is reaching beyond the mind.

Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."1

But then, no artist is normal; if he were, he wouldn't be an artist.

We think it's okay to talk to others about the problem we're having with so-and-so, but we never go straight to the source. We're guilty of slander or gossip. Even if what we say is true, it's still gossip.

It's not always easy to spot idolatry in ourselves. Until the Holy Spirit brings it to light, we may be unaware how tight a grip something has on us. For that reason, we should pay close attention to anything we're convinced we can't live without.

Why does the Bible keep nagging us to give thanks? It's because we quickly forget all that God has done for us; we take him for granted. According to Romans 1:21, when we fail to honor God and give him thanks, our hearts become darkened. Indeed, if left unchecked, ingratitude leads to negativity, bitterness, cynicism, and despair.

Zephaniah 3:17 states that the Lord "will quiet you with his love." So whenever those negative voices whisper that you're a worthless failure, let the Lord "quiet you with his love." Let God's love silence those hurtful voices from your past.