But to be hanged—is that not unendurable? Even so, when a man feels that it is reasonable, he goes off and hangs himself.

Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time? One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow. Remember, earth is not heaven!

Suffering, it turns out, demands profound imagination. A new future has to be conjured up because the old future isn't there anymore.

When life takes the wind out of your sails, it is to test you at the oars.

Life pushes all of us around. Some people give up and others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around. To these few people it means they need and want to learn something.

Nobody whom this war has touched will ever be happy again in quite the same way. But it will be a better happiness, I think, little sister - a happiness we've earned.

whenever we think of anything that is a trial to us we should also think of something nice that we can set over against it.

The next time you encounter a difficult obstacle or problem, you should smile and say, 'Here's my chance to grow.'

When things are difficult, smile by faith. Don't wait until you feel better.

The apprehension of this blessed truth (God's faithfulness) will check our murmurings. The Lord knows what is best for each of us, and one effect or resting on this truth will be the silencing of our petulant complainings. God is greatly honored when, under trial and chastening, we have good thoughts of Him, vindicate His wisdom and justice, and recognize His love in His very rebukes.

There can be glory in failure and despair in success.

Those sentimental radio hits, with their artificial naivete and empty crudities, are the pitiful remains and the maximum that people will tolerate by way of mental effort; it's a ghastly desolation and impoverishmment. By contrast, we can be very glad when something affects us deeply, and regard the accompanying pains as an enrichment.