History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed.

If you were born to be a nail, you cannot curse the hammer.

Every time you compromise, something inside your spirit dies a little

As long as we have breath we can hope, can't we?

It takes less courage to end your life in a burst of glory than to face the mistakes you've made and start over.

Like a tree, a woman can't carry the weight of two seasons simultaneously. In the violent struggle of trying, she'll miss every bit of joy each season promises to bring.

Just because something is hard doesn't mean it's impossible.

Bitterness isn't usually found most deeply in those whose hearts are hard but rather in those who are most tender. It's not that they are cold; it's that they've been made to feel unsafe.

You can't fake yourself into being okay with what happened. But you can decide that the one who hurt you doesn't get to decide what you do with your memories. Your life can be a graceful combination of beautiful and painful.

Sometimes it's easier to overcome a fall and a break than the fear of failure.

The olive tree is such a beautiful reminder that this isn't how it's going to be forever. On the other side of the harsh wind is fruit. On the other side of the process of being broken and waiting is a useful heart free of bitterness. On the other side of being pressed and crushed is oil . . . the most valuable part of me set free to emerge.

The biblical way to be preserved is to be pressed. And being pressed can certainly feel like being crushed.