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The earth is rocky and full of roots; it's clay, and it seems doomed and polluted, but you dig little holes for the ugly shriveled bulbs, throw in a h...more

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Here are the two best prayers I know: 'Help me, help me, help me' and 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Almost every single thing you hope publication will do for you is a fantasy, a hologram--it's the eagle on your credit card that only seems to soar.

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Toni Morrison said, "The function of freedom is to free someone else," and if you are no longer wracked or in bondage to a person or a way of life, te...more

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My belief is that when you're telling the truth, you're close to God. If you say to God, "I am exhausted and depressed beyond words, and I don't like ...more

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Or you might shout at the top of your lungs or whisper into your sleeve, "I hate you, God." That is a prayer too, because it is real, it is truth, and...more

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These two things are almost all I want, but unfortunately, neither one is my strong suit. I am very strong on blame, and wish this were one of God's v...more

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A nun I know once told me she kept begging God to take her character defects away from her. After years of this prayer, God finally got back to her: I...more

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The Amen is only as good as the attitude. If you are trying to finish up quickly so you can check your cell phone messages, you are missing the chance...more

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...the three things I cannot change are the past, the truth, and you.

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We learn from pain that some of the things we thought were castles turn out to be prisons, and we desperately want out, but even though we built them,...more

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Human lives are hard, even those of health and privilege, and don't make much sense. This is the message of the Book of Job: Any snappy explanation of...more

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I was terrified of death by the time I was three or four, actively if not lucidly. I had frequent nightmares about snakes and scary neighbors. By the ...more

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Help" is a prayer that is always answered. It doesn't matter how you pray--with your head bowed in silence, or crying out in grief, or dancing. Church...more

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Prayer usually means praise, or surrender, acknowledging that you have run out of bullets.