A larger hope

"The small and even overpowering pains of our lives are intimately connected
with the greater pains of Christ.

Our daily sorrows are anchored in a greater sorrow, and therefore a larger hope."
~Henri Nouwen

Beauty and sadness

Johannes Cornelisz. Verspronck
Portret van een meisje in het blauw, 1641
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 13 juli 2016 

"Beauty and sadness always go together."

~George MacDonald

Into the gateway to joy

"Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, 
to share in brokenness, fear, confusion and anguish.
Real care means the willingness to help each other in making our 
brokenness into the gateway to joy."
~Henri Nouwen

Not all those who wander are lost

 "Buitenplaats Amerongen"

"There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for."
~J.R.R. Tolkien

"Not all those who wander are lost."

~J.R.R. Tolkien

To love

"To love at all is to be vulnerable.

Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one."

~C.S. Lewis

 my secret place for rest & peace  :-)

Till we know at least something

a silky flower in my Hoya at home

"We can never know who or what we are till we know at least something of what God is."

―A.W. Tozer

He knew it already

"God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality.

He knew it already. It was I who didn't. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards.

His only way of making me realize the fact was to knock it down."

~C.S. Lewis

Christianity is an education itself

"One of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian 
is that Christianity is an education itself."
~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

You, who live in radiance

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt

Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be Led

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained

And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most

~Rich Mullins

Sacred gift

Reuzenberenklauw, Amerongen 

"May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder."

~John O'Donohue


―  vader 75 jaar  ―

Little things comfort us

"Little things comfort us because little things distress us."

~Blaise Pascal