Quotes from Lynn Austin

We show our faith in God when we keep moving forward even when our prayers aren't being answered. It's the highest form of praise to keep believing that God is good even when it doesn't seem that way.

All these troubles you've been having aren't a punishment from God. He wants to use them to draw you closer to himself.

As long as you continue to seek Him, son, your love will continue to grow. And as you express your love for Him through obedience, He'll reveal more of himself to you.

Today Mrs. Beasley began by clearing her throat. Again, this isn't a worrisome sign. Librarians are not overly talkative so our throats can get froggy from lack of use.

I've discovered that the things that happen in my life make a lot more sense when I include God in the picture. It's like trying to work a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the front of the box. You can do it, but the task of putting thousands of tiny pieces together will sure go easier and make a lot more sense if you can take a peek at the bigger picture now and then.

she could begin again and not become so entangled in this long, horrible war, would she watch from the sidelines as a spectator this time? Would she choose differently, take fewer risks? Caroline

Guard your heart, son," Eli said in a hushed voice. "That's what God looks at—your heart. Most folks look at the outside things, like the color of your skin. But God looks at your heart.

It was easy to rise up in faith and heroism when we faced a clear-cut enemy. Its much harder to resist the enemy of gradualism and assimilation, much harder to maintain a passion for God when we are bogged down in the daily routine of life

Prayer doesn't come with guarantees. We can't change God's mind by pleading with Him. But praying will bring us closer to Him, so He can comfort us and let us know He loves us no matter what happens.

Sometimes when He seems the farthest away from us, He's really the closest.

You can never out-give God. Don't ever forget that.

There's no shame in changing direction, Harriet. In fact, once you've seen the warning signs, it's always wise to turn around.

The journey has been a parody of my life recently: rushing, waiting, wandering, feeling lost and losing sleep, wondering if I'm getting anywhere.

Depression, I've learned, is sometimes caused by anger that we keep locked up inside.

So often I have felt alone in my journey, yet I've been afraid to let anyone see my fear and weakness.

Then rely on your judgment and forget all this." Zechariah scooped up the scroll with a sweep of his hand. "But don't try to do both. It won't work. Either your faith in God is absolute, or it's worthless. There's no way to compromise.

But the truth is, I can't sip from an hour-long church service on Sunday morning or dash off a hasty prayer or gulp down a daily Bible verse and expect them to sustain me any more than I can expect a glass of water to last for a week.

The reality of life as His disciple, as one of "the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3), is a life of complete helplessness in a harsh environment, trusting the shepherd to lead us and feed us.

The war has changed you, too, Caroline. Your faith is stronger, your compassion deeper, your love more intense than ever before. It's as if all the qualities I saw in you and fell in love with have been refined and purified.

let Him run things the way He knows best, according to His will. Trust Him, Missy. Trust that everything you done for Him and everything you gave up for Him has a purpose. God will give it all meaning in the end.

Love for God is never instant. It has to grow and mature just like any other kind of love. The struggle is always with our will.

The only way to grow in faith is to put your faith to the test. You must place yourself in His hands and let Him prove himself faithful. Unless you make up your mind to trust Him, you'll never know that Yahweh is faithful.

we need to ask God how He wants us to live in the times He has appointed for us. If we work with Him, using the gifts and the strength He provides, then we'll help build His kingdom, for His glory, here on earth. And that's really the only thing that matters.

Because we're not free when there are no boundaries-we're in great danger.