The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust - not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God.

Do but stand still in the hour of trial, and you will see the help of God, if you trust in Him. But there is so often a forsaking the ways of the Lord in the hour of trial, and thus the food of faith, the means whereby our faith may be increased, is lost.

We're always going to be trusting the process.

People change when they hurt enough that they have to change, learn enough that they want to change, receive enough that they are able to change.

When did we start believing God wants to send us to safe places to do easy things?

Let's help people get on board with what God wants to give them, but what we don't want is the process. Everyone wants the product.

You can't want to be happy, because that's too easy and too boring.

I remember I had a low point when I was working on a soap opera, 'General Hospital,' five years ago. It was my first real job, and it was so overwhelming. You would work five days a week and have to learn sometimes up to 30 pages of new dialogue a night, then have one take to shoot it all, the next day.

Sometimes you're gonna jump off a cliff and land flat on your face. Then you just get up and go again. But sometimes you dive off the cliff and start soaring with the eagles, and that's when you find new music, places that you've never been before.

We all get where we're going by circuitous journeys, and some of the setbacks are warranted.

If life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.

You show me anybody that's great in anything they do, I'll show you somebody that's persevered, demonstrated that mental toughness to overcome some obstacles and adversity.