“God answered prayers first by teaching the need to ask, second by using friends as holy messengers.”

“For the Arab, the past does not merely live. The past defines the present.”

“Mark felt eyes on him as tight as a sniper's aim.”

“Normal Iraqi etiquette was forgotten the moment drivers sat behind the wheel.”

“His eyes touched lightly, and passed on.”

“He used a minimum of words and no inflection whatsoever. It was a policeman's manner of speaking, direct and unadorned.”

“Life is a purposeful action.”

“Use fear as a counselor not a captor.”

“The one trying to have the last word is rarely walking in the Word.”

“Jesus-shaped spirituality hears Jesus say "believe and repent," but the call that resonates most closely in the heart of a disciple is "follow me." The command to follow requires that we take a dai...”

“The engine that drives all your activities is hope. What you hope in shapes you.”

“I assumed my first undivided responsibility.”

“Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.”

“Without you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face - I know it's an impossibility, but I cannot help myself.”

“So its true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.”