For pain must enter into its glorified life of memory before it can turn into compassion.

As well as being one of the worst things that can happen to a human being, schizophrenia can also be one of the richest learning and humanizing experiences life offers.

There's never been a doctor who served many patients who, despite their best efforts, did not lose some of them to death. But they understood that was part of life itself.

I write about true-life type things.

Over the years I've seen people lose a spouse and then withdraw and lose interest in life, and I believe we need to resist that.

I was raised in the Baptist church... but I didn't really have a real committed experience with Christ until my father died.

When we enter the gates of pain and use the healing power of memory, we will hear God speaking, and we can take comfort and rest our weary souls in his crazy, holy grace.

You've been a good steward of it. You've been a good steward of your pain.

Under the guidance of the Spirit every trial enriches the soul... He best heals wounds who has felt a similar wound.

Every sorrow is really the "Shade of His Hand outstretched caressingly."

So when it came to role models, I looked at presidents' wives. Of course, you're talking about a farm girl who stood in the fields, dreaming, years ago, wishing she was that kind of person. But if I had been that kind of person, do you think I could sing with the emotions I do? You sing with those emotions because you've had pain in your heart.

Blessed be those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Nobody said when.