Barbara Brown Taylor

"The practice of silence is as important as the practice of speech."

"We are all called to lay down our certainties and pick up our compassion."

"God is present in the ordinary moments of our lives, if we have eyes to see."

"We are called to be prophets, which means speaking truth even when it is not welcome."

"The spiritual life is about learning to trust in a God we cannot control or fully understand."

"We are all called to be gardeners of each other's souls."

"The purpose of religion is to connect us with the transcendent in the midst of the ordinary."

"We are beloved of God not for what we do but simply for being."

"The practice of forgiveness sets us free from the past."

"We are all wounded healers, bearing our scars while tending to others' wounds."

"God's love is not something we have to earn; it is something we have to receive."

"We are called to love the earth and all its creatures as manifestations of God's love."

"The spiritual life is about becoming more awake, more alive, more loving."

"We are all carrying stories that could change someone's life if we had the courage to share them."

"God is less interested in our theological accuracy than in our willingness to love."

"We are healed in the presence of those who see us and love us as we are."

"The practice of generosity is a way of saying that we trust in God's abundance."

"We are all called to be bridges between divides."

"The spiritual life is not about becoming someone else; it is about becoming who you truly are."

"The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is the enemy of growth."

"We are not called to be successful, we are called to be faithful."

"Grace is God's surprise package wrapped in ordinary moments."

"The most dangerous prayer we can pray is 'use me.'"

"Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap."

"Despair is the only sin. Everything else can be forgiven."

"We cannot live only on highlights. We must learn to find meaning in the ordinary."

"The spiritual life is not about perfection; it's about paying attention."

"I would rather live one day as myself than a lifetime pretending to be someone else."

"Belief is not the absence of doubt, but trust in the face of it."

"We are so busy looking for the mountaintop that we miss the beauty of the valley."