Quotes from Peter Scazzero

death is a necessary prelude to resurrection. To bear long-term fruit for Christ, we need to recognize that some things must die so something new can grow.

taking care of the tasks of life. We know we have found our balance when we are so deeply rooted in God that our activity is marked by the peaceful, joyful, rich quality of our contemplation.

Trust God to run the universe without you.

Our churches are filled with "leaking" Christians who have not treated their emotions as a discipleship issue.

no other person has ever lived your life. You may be wondering what will happen if you engage in this journey of emotionally healthy spirituality, if you take seriously God's purpose for you to increasingly live faithfully out of the life he has given you.

ADOLESCENTES EMOCIONALES Tienden a estar siempre a la defensiva. Son amenazados y alarmados por las críticas. Mantienen una puntuación de lo que dan para después pedir algo a cambio. Tratan mal los conflictos, generalmente culpan, apaciguan, van con una tercera persona, hacen mala cara o ignoran el tema por completo. Se preocupan por ellos mismos. Tienen dificultad para escuchar verdaderamente el dolor, las desilusiones o necesidades de otra persona. Son críticos y sentenciosos.

By the very act of refusing to succumb to the enormous pressure of Western culture around us, we, too, serve as a sign of a free people. We have been called out of a world trying to prove its worth and value by what it does or possesses. We are deeply loved by God for who we are, not for what we do.

We make choices to trust God, to wait on God, to obey God, to stick with God, to remain faithful when everything in us wants to quit and run.

Lewis Smedes sums up the dangers of superficial forgiveness: "We will not take healing action against unfair pain until we own the pain we want to heal. It is not enough to feel pain. We need to appropriate the pain we feel: Be conscious of it, take it on, and take it as our own … I worry about fast forgivers. They tend to forgive quickly in order to avoid their pain.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).

we all depend, in every instant, upon the mercy of God.

Grant me grace to follow you into the unknown, into the next place in my journey with you. In your name, amen.

Most of us never examine the scripts handed to us by our past.

God is just, merciful, good, wise, loving.

We numb our pain through denial, blaming, rationalizations, addictions, and avoidance.

ese día, sentados en la oficina del consejero y muy avergonzados por la situación de nuestro matrimonio, aprendimos una lección que nunca olvidaremos: aunque éramos cristianos comprometidos desde hacía casi veinte años, nuestra manera de relacionarnos reflejaba mucho más la de nuestra familia de origen, que la forma que Dios tenía pensada para su nueva familia en Cristo.

We are not called by God to die to the "good" parts of who we are. God never asked us to die to the healthy desires and pleasures of life—to friendships, joy, art, music, beauty, recreation, laughter, and nature. God plants desires in our hearts so we will nurture and enjoy them. Often these desires and passions are invitations from God, gifts from him. Yet somehow we feel guilty unwrapping these presents.

God never asks us to annihilate the self. We are not to become "non-persons" when we become Christians. The very opposite is true. God intends our deeper, truer self, which he created, to blossom as we follow him.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:14)?

Blessed is he who expects nothing," said Francis of Assisi, "for he shall enjoy everything.

In what ways does my current pace of life and leadership enhance or diminish my ability to allow God's will and presence full scope in my life?

A Rule of Life, very simply, is an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do. It provides guidelines to help us continually remember God as the Source of our lives.

I prefer the notions of seasons to stages when describing our life in Christ. We don't control the seasons; they happen to us. Winter, spring, summer, and fall come to us whether we like it or not.

Watch for the internal signs that you are exceeding your limits, doing more for God than your abiding relationship with him can sustain (for example, lack of peace, irritability, rushing). Make it your first priority and goal to seek his face and to do his will each day.