My words to my wife are to refresh, encourage and help bring her into her destiny.

Humor must not professedly teach and it must not professedly preach, but it must do both if it would live forever.

Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes.

I try to write the books I would love to come upon that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness - and that can make me laugh.

Worry divides the mind.

Worry is to joy what a Hoover vacuum cleaner is to dirt: might as well attach your heart to a happiness-sucker and flip the switch.

Anxiety splits our energy between today's priorities and tomorrow's problems. Part of our mind is on the now; the rest is on the not yet. The result is half-minded living.

Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo ("to divide") and nous ("the mind"). Anxiety splits our energy between today's priorities and tomorrow's problems. Part of our mind is on the now; the rest is on the not yet. The result is half-minded living.

Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you" (1 Pet. 5:7). (The German word for worry means "to strangle." The Greek word means "to divide the mind." Both are accurate. Worry is a noose on the neck and a distraction of the mind, neither of which is befitting for joy.)

People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be—not what you nag them to be.

Answer: Your nights are long because you carry too much fear. I've been watching you. Why don't you give those fears to me? Stop trying to fix everyone (including your husband) and figure everything out. And I haven't heard you laugh in quite a while. Lighten up. I love it when you are happy. Remember, come to me when you are weary and tired. I can help you.

Anxiety increases as perceived control diminishes.