Maybe you just want to start by reading some of the notes on my thinking captured in the daily journal of my Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) processes.

The point of discussing these processes in public or opening the kimono with the full journal of shaping my conscious thought is err on the side of being more open, more transparent ... so that others can avoid the mistakes I have made or even learn from the mistakes that I am making ... knowledge is entirely about feedback loops, testing hypotheses and developing a point-of view ... for the most part, AI is only a tool to help with keeping track of the threads or generating hundreds of things to provoke contemplation.

Simply following the crowd, acquiring toys to compare one's pile of toys with the best of the toy acquirers is much like PASSIVELY consuming content OR being a mere spectator OR being nothing but tourist following the crowd of tourists ... that kind of activity is fine, but it is not actually about being alive -- the ACTIVE conscious life is primarily a matter of CONSCIOUS CONTEMPLATION.

Preamble

1. Gratitude as Foundation. Gratitude is the most essential practice of human existence. I have lived a spectacular life—not through my own efforts, nor through the efforts of my family, but through pure blessing. No human being earns a spectacular life; we receive it. The awareness that I cannot possibly be grateful enough is itself the greatest gift. I am simply, flat-out LUCKY, and I am not alone in this blessing. Human beings, individually and collectively, take far too much for granted and fail to live lives saturated with gratitude and appreciation for the blessings all around us.

2. Created as Originals. We are created to be originals, not duplicates or copies of others. This does not mean we should fail to appreciate differences, but we must never worship other human beings. I was born with this blessing—it requires no discipline to acquire; it is purely good fortune. I have never found lasting satisfaction in copying anyone else, despite being surrounded by worthy examples. Each of us was created to be UNIQUELY ourselves. We are not made to imitate but to explore what we were designed to become. With profound humility, I acknowledge that discovering what "being me" truly means requires walking with the Lord. My path, therefore, is not about following any crowd, attending church out of obligation, or doing something merely because everyone else does.

3. Material Emptiness. I find no meaning whatsoever in material things—very little when I was younger, and now, after bearing the burden of maintaining possessions, my desire for them is less than none. Soon I will be entirely free of these distractions. Being a minimalist does not mean I fail to appreciate food, shelter, or utilities—these are blessings to be grateful for. But I find no meaning in ownership or accumulation. Material things are a BURDEN: something I am obligated to care for, only rarely and fleetingly a blessing.

4. Structural Over Personal. In social matters, I am a structuralist—focused not on myself but detached so as to attend to the good of the order. I detest concern for my feelings or another individual's feelings when it comes to relationships. I am apersonal; I detest ego-driven manipulations. I care about the structure of relationships rather than my feelings or individual interactions. This means personal relationships do not "stick" for me. Individual relationship dynamics have often proven to be distractions from my path. This includes professional colleagues, friends, and family. I do not mean that I do not love my family, but I have found that I must focus on the overall goal rather than worry about feelings. I must walk my own path, and the path with my Lord generally leaves little room for concern about whether family, friends, or colleagues like me.

5. The Creator's Infinitude. Everything about our Universe is exponentially greater than everything humans are capable of understanding. Moreover, I believe this one Universe—all that humans can begin to contemplate—is an infinitesimally small fraction of all different universes our Creator can create. Accordingly, my personal agenda from now on is to try to focus much more on paying even more attention, rather than just doing things or being an active busybody, to minimize my footprint, to first do no harm, and to maintain gratitude and appreciation for all blessings received. The proof of the Creator's existence is entirely ontological and philosophical, a matter of definition of terms, not faith, see item 10. My only doubt concerns the anthropomorphic conception of the Creator—no human being can begin to understand the Creator or His many mansions. The anthropocentric language humans use to tell stories of God is driven entirely by human limitations. The weakness in contemplating the Creator's reality lies entirely in the limits of human consciousness, imagination, and expression. I use the traditional language of Christian tradition because nothing has shaped my consciousness more—but though the language is insufficient, it remains the best approximation of Reality available to me. I must respect the language of all my elders, even knowing with certainty that all elders are imperfect mortals doing their best, neither God nor anything like a supernatural god.

6. Intentional Discovery Through Humility. Living intentionally is the process of discovering the Creator's will through prayer, contemplation, and above all, humility. Not only am I not God—though that acknowledgment must come first—I must also recognize that I do not truly know who I am, why I exist, or what should be important in my life. It is abundantly clear that other humans, and the mass of humanity in total, are either completely wrong or woefully misguided regarding life's purpose.

7. Submission as Blessing. Some see submission as a duty, when in reality it is the most profound, exquisite blessing—to be free of one's ego and actually able to walk with the Lord rather than chart one's own course. One must truly understand why the ability to meet one's most basic needs is so much better than the alternative of power, fame, fortune, and the need to feed one's ego. Finding the discipline to appreciate the ability to submit to the Lord is the most profound blessing any human can possess. The discipline of submission—rather than, or more correctly over and above, the discipline to impose one's will on one's surroundings—is the root of all freedom.

8. Detachment as Liberation. The discipline of aggressive detachment—overcoming attachment—allows one to experience the most sublime beauty and perfect peace of the eternities. To BE WITH GOD, to be in communion with one's Creator, requires a consciousness capable of releasing the burden of all things and all entanglements. This begins with forgiveness of others and oneself, but detachment builds upon that foundation. The ability to detach from all things, all relationships, all possessions, all desires is the root of spiritual freedom. Though I cannot know with certainty, it seems that one of the first and most necessary tasks of heaven is for every soul to love the Creator with infinite love, desiring nothing more than to spend eternities contemplating the perfection of detachment and the beauty of pure forgiveness.

9. Solitude and Emptiness. As fasting's importance lies not merely in self-control and appetite optimization but in the appreciation of fullness that can only be experienced from emptiness, most of the great gains in human experience arise from what comes after excesses are removed. When one is able to bask in solitude and ponder the essential core of what matters, true insight becomes possible.

10. God Is Creative Love. The most creative, eternally unfolding love IS God—the definition of the word "God" means LOVE. The most divine form of love: "I AM becoming everything I AM"—Yahweh—LOVE of an eternal, self-existent, and unchanging nature. Beyond the human experience of growth, spiritual transformation, and fulfilling potential lies alignment with God's creative being, manifesting God's eternal character through developing selves, experiencing God's sufficiency and promises. There are scriptural echoes in Exodus 3:14-15, Malachi 3:6, Jeremiah 32:27, and other places—including our own lives. God IS, by definition and NOT BY ANYONE'S BELIEF, the most original, most profoundly creative LOVE. Genesis 1:1 opens Scripture with this operational DEFINITION of exactly what the word "God" means. We must BEGIN our understanding of God by contemplating the PUREST, truest, most eternal LOVE of eternal CREATION—the reason we were ever allowed to exist. God is LOVE—not a sappy human likey form of love, but a love supreme, in the parlance of Coltrane's saxophone: something beyond human expression, yet reflected in the most beautiful things humans have ever done. The greatest expression of CREATIVE love is the ability to trust completely in the Lord's plan for one's life—especially when one cannot be certain what that plan is. The way to exercise pure, true, creative love is to constantly seek first the purest, truest, most creative love of our CREATIVE Lord. Trusting in the Lord with all one's heart, might, mind, and being—never leaning on the crutch of simple, easy, false truths or giving in to the egotism of one's own understanding—is the root of all spiritual freedom. In all one's ways acknowledging Him, and He will make straight one's path to CREATIVE, eternal, everlasting joy.

What follows are 25 practical applications—ways to live out the principles articulated in the Preamble. Each represents a distinct pathway, a summarized practical purpose that flows from these foundational commitments.

1. The Uniqueness Imperative

I was not created to copy anyone else. I was created to be UNIQUELY me—but discovering what that means requires walking with the Lord, not following the crowd.

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."
— Psalm 139:14

I am not really about copying anyone else; I was created to be UNIQUELY me, but I don't claim to know what being me really is. With the most profound humility, I must claim that I have to walk with the Lord in order to find my own unique way. Of course, this means that my path is not generally going to be about following any crowd, going to church or doing something simply because it is what everyone else is doing. David recognized that God's creative work in each person is distinct and purposeful. No two souls are identical, and no one else can fulfill the calling God has placed on my life. To copy others is to reject the unique masterpiece God intended me to be. The crowd offers safety in numbers but poverty of purpose. The path with God is often solitary, often misunderstood, but it is the only path that leads to becoming who I was truly made to be. "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

2. The Revelation Principle

Meaning is not discovered by searching; it is SHOWN by the Lord. What gives life purpose is revealed, not invented.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you."
— Jeremiah 1:5

It is perhaps wrong to say that I have found what gives my life meaning; primarily the things that give my life meaning have been SHOWN to me by the Lord rather than something I have found on my own. This distinction matters profoundly. The self-help industry promises that meaning can be manufactured through goal-setting, vision boards, and positive thinking. But genuine purpose is not a human construction—it is a divine revelation. God knew me before I existed. He consecrated me—set me apart—before my first breath. My task is not to invent meaning but to receive it, not to create purpose but to discover what was already embedded in my design. This posture of receptivity requires humility that the modern world finds almost incomprehensible. We are taught to seize, to achieve, to make our own way. But the soul formed for eternity can only find its purpose from the One who formed it. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

3. The Humble Uncertainty

I don't claim to know what being me really is. Walking with the Lord is the only way to find my own unique way.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
— Proverbs 3:5-6

With the most profound humility, I must claim that I have to walk with the Lord in order to find my own unique way. This admission feels like weakness in a culture that celebrates self-knowledge and self-actualization. "Know thyself," the ancient philosophers commanded. But what if the self is too deep, too mysterious, too entangled with eternal purposes to be known apart from its Creator? I do not fully understand myself. I cannot see around the corners of my own soul. My understanding is limited by my finitude, distorted by my fallen nature, and insufficient for the task of navigating eternity. But the Lord sees. He knows. He guides. To lean on my own understanding is to trust a flickering candle in a vast darkness. To trust the Lord is to follow the One who is light. The paths He makes straight are not always the paths I would have chosen—but they are the paths that lead home. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

4. The Anti-Conformity Calling

My path is not about following any crowd, going to church, or doing something simply because everyone else is doing it.

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
— Galatians 1:10

My path is not generally going to be about following any crowd, going to church or doing something simply because it is what everyone else is doing. This sounds like rebellion, but it is actually the deepest form of obedience. Paul understood that serving Christ and pleasing people are often mutually exclusive pursuits. The crowd has its own logic, its own momentum, its own destinations—and they are rarely God's destinations. Even religious crowds can miss the mark. Church attendance, ritual observance, social conformity to Christian culture—none of these are substitutes for the solitary walk with God. The prophets were rarely popular. Jesus was crucified by consensus. The saints throughout history have often stood alone against the tides of their time. To follow God is to be willing to be misunderstood, marginalized, and out of step with the age. The approval of man is a cheap currency; the approval of God is the only treasure that endures. "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

5. The Material Emptiness

I don't find ANY meaning whatsoever in material things—NONE. Being a minimalist means recognizing that ownership is a burden, not a blessing.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
— Matthew 6:19-20

I don't find ANY meaning whatsoever in material things ... NONE. Being a minimalist does not mean that I don't need to eat or that I don't appreciate shelter or utilities—of course, these things are blessings to be grateful for—but I do not find any meaning whatsoever in ownership or from the things I have accumulated. Material things are a BURDEN to me, something that I am obligated to take care of and only rarely a fleeting blessing. Jesus was explicit: earthly treasures are temporary, vulnerable, and ultimately worthless as sources of meaning. Moths devour, rust corrodes, thieves steal. Every possession requires maintenance, storage, insurance, attention. The more you own, the more owns you. Minimalism is not an aesthetic preference or a lifestyle trend—it is a spiritual recognition that stuff cannot satisfy the soul. The pursuit of possessions is a detour from the pursuit of God. Those who find meaning in accumulation are building on sand. The only treasures worth laying up are those that transcend decay and theft—treasures stored in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can reach. "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."

6. The Contentment Economy

Godliness with contentment is great gain. Food, clothing, shelter—these are blessings, not sources of meaning.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
— 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Being a minimalist does not mean that I don't need to eat or that I don't appreciate shelter or utilities—of course, these things are blessings to be grateful for. Paul's economy is radically different from the world's. In the world's economy, gain is measured in accumulation. In God's economy, gain is measured in godliness plus contentment. The equation is complete with food and clothing. Everything beyond basic provision is bonus, not necessity. We entered the world with nothing; we will exit with nothing. The interval between is an opportunity to pursue what matters—not the endless expansion of our material footprint. Contentment is not settling for less; it is recognizing that more is often less when it comes to spiritual vitality. The person who needs little is wealthy indeed, for their security rests not in barns and portfolios but in the God who provides daily bread. Gratitude for basic blessings is the foundation of contentment; contentment is the foundation of freedom. "If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."

7. The Burden of Ownership

Material things are a BURDEN—something I am obligated to take care of and only rarely a fleeting blessing.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
— Luke 12:34

Material things are a BURDEN to me, something that I am obligated to take care of and only rarely a fleeting blessing. Every possession demands attention. The house requires maintenance. The car needs repairs. The clothes must be washed, sorted, stored. The gadgets become obsolete and require replacement. Each item in our lives is a claim on our time, energy, and mental bandwidth. The heart follows the treasure—this is Jesus' diagnosis of the human condition. Where we invest our resources, there our attention fixates. Those who accumulate much find their hearts fragmented across a thousand possessions, a thousand concerns, a thousand anxieties about protection and preservation. But the person who travels light can fix their heart on a single treasure: the kingdom of God. Ownership feels like freedom but often functions as bondage. The minimalist discovers a paradox: in releasing the burden of things, the soul finds room to breathe, to pray, to attend to what actually matters. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

8. The Relational Paradox

I don't find much meaning in relationships either; most often, relationships have proven to be a distraction from my own path.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
— Matthew 10:37

I don't find much meaning in relationships either; most often, relationships have proven to be a distraction from my own path. This includes family relationships. This confession sounds harsh in a culture that idolizes family and friendship as the highest goods. But Jesus Himself made clear that following Him might require prioritizing the divine relationship over human ones. This is not about hating family—Scripture commands us to honor parents and love one another. It is about ordering loves correctly. When human relationships compete with the call of God, when family expectations conflict with divine purpose, when social bonds would pull us from the narrow path, we must choose. The person called to a solitary walk with God may find that many relationships, however precious, function as distractions from their unique calling. This is not a universal prescription—many are called to deep community. But for some, the path requires a certain holy solitude that others cannot understand or enter. "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me."

9. The Solitary Path

I must walk my own path, and the path with my Lord generally does not include my family. This is love properly ordered, not love abandoned.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
— Luke 14:26

I do not mean that I don't love my family, but I have found that I must walk my own path, and the path with my Lord generally does not include my family. Jesus' language here is deliberately shocking—"hate" in the Semitic idiom means to love less by comparison. The point is not emotional rejection but hierarchical ordering. God must come first, and "first" means that everything else—including the most sacred human bonds—must take second place. Some are called to serve God through family; others are called to serve God despite family resistance or incomprehension. The monastic tradition understood this: sometimes following Christ requires leaving behind even good things for the sake of the one necessary thing. This is not abandonment but properly ordered love. I can love my family truly while recognizing that my deepest walk is one they cannot share. The path with the Lord is ultimately solitary—no one else can walk it for me, and not everyone can walk it with me. "He cannot be my disciple."

10. The Unfinished Obituary

My obituary is still in progress. Working out its ideas and themes is basically what life is—a continuous discovery of meaning revealed by the Lord.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
— Ephesians 2:10

I have STARTED trying to write it of course ... working out the ideas and themes of one's obituary is basically what life is. The obituary cannot be finished because the life is not finished. Each day adds new lines to the story, new chapters to the narrative that only God can see in full. Paul calls us God's "workmanship"—the Greek word is poiema, from which we get "poem." We are God's poem, His artistic creation, shaped for purposes He determined before we drew breath. The good works were prepared beforehand; our task is to walk in them, to discover them day by day, to live into the meaning that was always there waiting. The obituary will one day be complete—but not by my hand. The final draft belongs to the One who began the work and will bring it to completion. Until then, I live in the tension of the unfinished, the not-yet-revealed, the still-being-written. Life is the working out; death is the final punctuation. Until that day, the pen remains in motion. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand."

11. The Gratitude Imperative

Gratitude is the most essential practice of human existence. I cannot possibly be grateful enough—and this very awareness is itself the greatest blessing.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Gratitude is perhaps the most important thing a human being can do. I have lived a spectacular life—not through my efforts or even through those of my family—but through pure blessing. No human being truly earns a spectacular life; we receive it. The awareness that I cannot possibly be grateful enough is itself a gift of grace. I am simply, flat-out LUCKY, and countless others share in this unearned fortune. Yet humanity, individually and collectively, takes far too much for granted. We fail to live lives saturated with thanksgiving and appreciation for the blessings that surround us at every moment. The practice of gratitude is not mere positive thinking; it is the recognition that all we have comes from a Source beyond ourselves. To live ungratefully is to live a lie. To give thanks in all circumstances—even suffering—is to align oneself with reality. "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

12. The Discipline of Unearned Blessing

My spectacular life is NOT through my efforts. I have simply been blessed—and recognizing this is the foundation of humility.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
— James 1:17

My better life is NOT through my efforts or even the efforts of my parents or grandparents and family—in fact, I don't really see that ANY human has earned a spectacular life. Everything good in life is a gift. Every breath, every relationship, every moment of beauty or joy descends from the Father of lights. There is no self-made man in God's economy. Those who believe they have created their own success have simply failed to trace the chain of causation far enough back. The DNA that gave us capacity, the circumstances that provided opportunity, the thousand invisible hands that guided us away from disaster—none of these were self-generated. To recognize this is not to diminish effort or responsibility. It is to situate human striving within a larger context of grace. We plant and water; God gives the growth. This awareness obliterates pride while amplifying gratitude. Every good gift comes from above—where there is no shadow, no variation, no caprice, only generous, constant giving. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above."

13. The Cosmological Humility

Our Universe is exponentially greater than human capacity—and this Universe is but an infinitesimal fraction of what the Creator can create.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
— Isaiah 55:9

I see everything about our Universe as being exponentially greater than everything that humans are capable of. Moreover, I believe that this one Universe—or everything that humans can begin to contemplate—is an infinitesimally small fraction of all the universes that our Creator can create. This cosmological humility shatters the anthropocentric illusion that humans occupy the center of reality. We are peripheral beings in a reality whose center is God alone. The gap between divine and human understanding is not merely quantitative but qualitative—infinite, unbridgeable from our side. This is not cause for despair but for wonder. The God whose thoughts exceed ours as the heavens exceed the earth is the God who condescends to walk with us. The incomprehensibility of God is not a barrier to relationship; it is the foundation for awe. Those who think they have God figured out have merely constructed an idol small enough to fit in their minds. The true God overflows all categories. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."

14. The Language of Limitation

The anthropocentric language humans use to describe God is driven entirely by human limitations—yet it remains the best approximation we have.

"Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."
— 1 Corinthians 13:12

The anthropocentric language that humans use to tell stories of God is entirely driven by human limitations. The weakness or inability to contemplate the reality of the Creator is entirely about the limits of human consciousness and the limits of human imagination and what humans are capable of expressing. I use the traditional language of the Christian traditions because those traditions have done more to shape my consciousness than anything else—so although the language is insufficient, it is still the very best approximation of Reality that I can possibly have. We must respect the language of all our elders, even though we know with certainty that all these elders are imperfect mortals doing their best. Every human word about God is a finger pointing at the moon—necessary for direction, useless if mistaken for the destination. Theology is always a stammering attempt to speak the unspeakable. We see in a mirror dimly; full clarity awaits eternity. Until then, we use the words we have been given, holding them humbly, knowing they are vessels insufficient to contain what they carry. "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face."

15. The Prayer of Discovery

Living intentionally is the process of discovering the Creator's will through prayer, contemplation, and above all, humility.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."
— James 1:5

The process of living intentionally is the process of discovering the Creator's will through prayer, contemplation, and above all humility. This is not the kind of planning the world admires—strategic goals, five-year plans, self-directed destiny. Divine guidance comes through receptivity, not assertion. Prayer is not informing God of our preferences; it is positioning ourselves to hear His. Contemplation is not naval-gazing but attentiveness to the One who speaks in silence. And humility—humility is the prerequisite for all the rest. Only the humble can receive; the proud are too full of themselves. The discovery of God's will is a lifelong process because God reveals progressively, step by step, as much as we can bear, as much as we are ready for. The path unfolds one step at a time to those willing to ask, to listen, to follow. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously."

16. The Confession of Ignorance

I must acknowledge that I don't even really know who I am, why I should exist, or what should be important in my life.

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it."
— Psalm 139:6

Not only am I not God, although that must come first—I must also acknowledge that I don't even really know who I am, why I should exist, or what should be important in my life. This confession scandalizes modernity. We are supposed to know ourselves, define ourselves, create ourselves. But honest introspection reveals depths beyond our plumbing. Why do I exist? What should matter most? These questions have no self-generated answers. The soul cannot lift itself by its own bootstraps. Only the One who created me knows the blueprint, the purpose, the destination. David marveled at knowledge too wonderful, too high to attain—the knowledge of what God was doing in his innermost being. This is not despair but wonder. The mystery of the self is doorway to the mystery of God. Self-knowledge comes not from introspection alone but from divine revelation. To know myself, I must be known by the One who made me. "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me."

17. The Blessing of Submission

Submission is not duty but the most profound blessing—to be free of ego and able to walk with the Lord rather than chart one's own course.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
— Matthew 11:29-30

Some will see submission as a duty, when in reality it is the most profound, exquisite blessing—to be free of one's ego and actually able to walk with the Lord rather than charting my own course. The world hears "submission" and thinks "oppression." But Jesus offers a yoke that brings rest, a burden that is light. The freedom the world offers—autonomy, self-determination, being your own god—is exhausting. It requires carrying the weight of an entire universe on shoulders never designed for it. Submission to God is not the end of freedom but its beginning. It is the freedom of a fish in water rather than a fish flopping on the dock claiming independence. The discipline to submit is harder than the discipline to dominate—and infinitely more liberating. Those who have tasted this blessing never return to the slavery they once called freedom. "You will find rest for your souls."

18. The Freedom of Littleness

The ability to meet one's basic needs is far better than power, fame, fortune, and the need to feed one's ego.

"Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it."
— Proverbs 15:16

One must truly understand why the ability to pay one's bills for one's most basic needs is so much better than the alternative of power, fame, fortune, and the need to feed one's ego. The world cannot fathom this arithmetic. How can less be more? How can obscurity be preferable to fame? How can modest provision surpass great wealth? The answer lies in what comes with the package. Great treasure brings great trouble—anxiety about preservation, envy from others, the corruption of the soul by what it possesses. But a little with the fear of the Lord brings peace that transcends circumstances. The person who needs little has little to lose. The person content with basic provision has already arrived where the wealthy are still striving to reach. Ego is an expensive addiction; simplicity is liberation. The discipline of littleness is the narrow gate to the spacious place. "Better is a little with the fear of the Lord."

19. The Discipline of Detachment

Aggressive detachment—overcoming attachment—allows one to experience sublime beauty and perfect peace.

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."
— Matthew 19:29

The discipline of aggressive detachment over and above overcoming attachment allows one to experience the most sublime beauty and perfect peace of the eternities. Detachment is not indifference; it is freedom. It is the ability to hold all things with open hands rather than grasping fingers. The person attached to possessions suffers with every loss; the detached person possesses everything because nothing possesses them. Jesus promises a paradoxical arithmetic: those who leave behind receive a hundredfold. This is not transactional but transformative. When the soul releases its grip on lesser goods, it becomes capable of receiving the greater. The letting go is painful—it feels like death—but it is the death that leads to life. Detachment from things, relationships, outcomes, even from one's own identity as the world defines it, opens space for God to fill. The detached soul floats; the attached soul drowns. "Will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

20. The Communion of Release

To BE WITH GOD requires a consciousness capable of releasing the burden of all things and all entanglements.

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
— Luke 10:41-42

In order to BE WITH GOD, to BE in communion with one's Creator requires a consciousness that is capable of releasing the burden of all things and all entanglements. Martha busied herself with many things; Mary sat at Jesus' feet. Both responses seem legitimate, but Jesus commended Mary. The good portion is not doing but being—being with, being present, being available. Our busyness, however productive, can be a barrier to communion. Our entanglements, however worthy, can crowd out the One Thing Necessary. Communion with God requires what the mystics called "holy leisure"—not laziness but availability, not passivity but receptivity. The consciousness cluttered with concerns cannot perceive the still, small voice. The soul tangled in a thousand threads cannot follow the single thread that leads to God. To be with God, we must let go of everything that competes for God's place. "Mary has chosen the good portion."

21. The Foundation of Forgiveness

Spiritual freedom begins with forgiveness of others and oneself, upon which detachment builds.

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
— Matthew 6:14-15

This, of course, begins with forgiveness of others and oneself, but detachment builds upon that. Unforgiveness is the heaviest chain—it binds us to the one who wronged us more surely than any physical bond. The one who refuses to forgive carries the offender everywhere, reliving the injury, nursing the wound. Forgiveness severs this chain. It releases the other and releases the self. But forgiveness is only the foundation; detachment builds higher. We must forgive not only persons but outcomes, not only wrongs but disappointments. We must release our grip on how we thought life should have gone, on what we thought we deserved, on who we thought we should have become. Each act of forgiveness and release removes another weight until the soul is light enough to ascend. The Father who forgives us empowers us to forgive. And in forgiving, we find we have been freed. "If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

22. The Gain of Emptiness

As fasting reveals the fullness that can only be experienced from emptiness, most great gains arise from the removal of excess.

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"
— Isaiah 58:6

As with fasting's importance for not just self-control and appetite optimization and the appreciation of fullness of tastes and the senses that can be experienced only from emptiness, most of the big gains in the human experience arise out of what comes after the excesses are removed. The via negativa—the negative way—is the path of subtraction rather than addition. We are conditioned to think that more is better, that progress means acquisition. But the soul grows not by adding but by shedding. Fasting teaches this viscerally: hunger sharpens the senses, emptiness creates capacity for filling. The same principle applies to every domain. Remove the noise to hear the signal. Remove the clutter to see what matters. Remove the excess to make room for the essential. True fasting, Isaiah says, is not merely abstaining from food but loosing bonds, undoing yokes, setting free. It is the removal of everything that oppresses the soul. Emptiness is not poverty but possibility. "Is not this the fast that I choose?"

23. The Gift of Solitude

When one is able to bask in solitude and ponder the essential core of what matters, true insight becomes possible.

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
— Matthew 6:6

Most of the big gains in the human experience arise out of what comes after the excesses are removed and one is able to bask in solitude and able to ponder the essential core of what matters. Solitude is not loneliness; it is the soil in which insight grows. Jesus regularly withdrew from crowds, even from disciples, to be alone with the Father. In solitude, the clamor of competing voices fades. In silence, the still small voice becomes audible. The essential core of what matters cannot be discovered in noise and distraction. It requires the discipline of withdrawal, the courage to face oneself without entertainment or escape. In the secret place, with the door shut, the soul meets God unmediated. What happens there is invisible to the world but more real than anything the world can see. The Father who sees in secret rewards openly—but the reward is not what the world values. It is the reward of knowing and being known, of hearing and being heard. "Your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

24. The Definition of God as Love

God IS by definition the most original, most profoundly creative LOVE—not sappy sentiment but love supreme, eternal, and creative.

"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
— 1 John 4:8

The most creative, eternally unfolding love IS God—in other words, the definition of what the word "God" means IS LOVE. God IS, by definition and NOT BY ANYONE'S BELIEF, the most original, most profoundly creative LOVE. This is not theological speculation but ontological definition. God does not merely have love as an attribute; God is love in His very being. All genuine love participates in and derives from this Source. The love that creates universes, that sustains existence moment by moment, that pursues the lost and redeems the broken—this is not sappy sentiment but fierce, creative, self-giving reality. John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" gestures toward it; the greatest human art reflects a fraction of it. To know this Love is to know God; to miss this Love is to miss God entirely, regardless of theological correctness. Those who love know God; those who do not love cannot know Him, whatever their creed. "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

25. The Trust That Creates Freedom

The greatest expression of creative love is the ability to trust completely in the Lord's plan—especially when that plan is not clear.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
— Proverbs 3:5-6

The greatest expression of CREATIVE love is the ability to trust completely in the Lord's plan for one's life—especially when one cannot be sure of exactly what that plan is. This is the summit of faith: not trust based on certainty but trust extended into mystery. The Lord's plan rarely unfolds according to our blueprints. It takes turns we would not have chosen, includes losses we would have avoided, leads through valleys we would have gone around. Yet the path He makes straight is straight according to His geometry, not ours. To trust completely is to release the need to understand before obeying, to see before stepping, to know before believing. This kind of trust is not passive resignation but active love—love that believes the Beloved knows best even when appearances suggest otherwise. Acknowledging Him in all our ways means bringing every decision, every circumstance, every unknown into His presence and leaving it there. This is the creative love that corresponds to Creative Love. This is the trust that sets us free. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart."

26. The Refusal to Envy

Envy is the confession that God has not given enough—gratitude is the declaration that He has given more than deserved.

"A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot."
— Proverbs 14:30

27. The Practice of Anonymity

Do good without needing credit; the Father who sees in secret is the only audience that matters.

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
— Matthew 6:1

28. The Silence Before Speaking

Words multiply confusion; silence cultivates wisdom. Speak only when silence would be a disservice.

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent."
— Proverbs 10:19

29. The Indifference to Reputation

What others think of me is none of my business; what God knows of me is everything.

"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."
— Luke 6:26

30. The Stewardship of Attention

Attention is the currency of the soul; spend it only on what returns eternal dividends.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
— Ephesians 5:15-16

31. The Courage to Be Misunderstood

Those who walk with God will be incomprehensible to those who do not. Accept this as confirmation, not rejection.

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
— 1 Corinthians 2:14

32. The Acceptance of Smallness

Embrace insignificance in the world's eyes; significance in God's eyes operates by inverse proportion.

"But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
— Matthew 19:30

33. The Resistance to Hurry

Hurry is the enemy of depth. God is never rushed, and those who walk with Him learn His pace.

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
— Isaiah 40:31

34. The Hospitality of Listening

To truly listen to another is to offer them the hospitality of presence—a gift rarer than speech.

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger."
— James 1:19

35. The Poverty of Opinion

Hold opinions loosely; only revelation deserves certainty. Most convictions are merely preferences in disguise.

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
— Proverbs 12:15

36. The Ministry of Presence

Sometimes the most profound service is simply being present—no words, no solutions, just witness.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
— Romans 12:15

37. The Discipline of Beginning Again

Every morning is resurrection. The mercy that is new each day invites perpetual fresh starts.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
— Lamentations 3:22-23

38. The Release of Outcomes

Do the work; release the results. Outcomes belong to God; obedience belongs to us.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
— 1 Corinthians 3:6

39. The Contentment with Obscurity

Most faithful lives are invisible to history. God's ledger records what the world never notices.

"Your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
— Matthew 6:4

40. The Vigilance Against Self-Pity

Self-pity is ingratitude wearing a victim's mask. Suffering is real; wallowing is a choice.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds."
— James 1:2

41. The Practice of Incremental Faithfulness

Grand gestures impress humans; small daily obediences please God. Faithfulness is measured in inches, not miles.

"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much."
— Luke 16:10

42. The Avoidance of Defensiveness

Defending oneself is exhausting and usually unnecessary. Let God be your advocate; silence is often the better answer.

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter."
— Isaiah 53:7

43. The Surrender of Control

The illusion of control is the last idol to fall. Surrender it daily, hourly, moment by moment.

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring."
— James 4:13-14

44. The Willingness to Appear Foolish

The wisdom of God looks like foolishness to the world. Accept the appearance for the sake of the substance.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
— 1 Corinthians 1:18

45. The Simplicity of Yes and No

Complexity in commitment often masks duplicity of heart. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

"Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil."
— Matthew 5:37

46. The Embrace of Limitation

Finitude is not a curse but a gift. Boundaries create the shape in which purpose can grow.

"And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place."
— Acts 17:26

47. The Refusal of Anxiety

Anxiety is practical atheism—the belief that God cannot handle what concerns us. Cast it on Him who cares.

"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
— 1 Peter 5:7

48. The Slowness to Judgment

Judge not the path of another; you do not know their starting point or the weight they carry.

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged."
— Matthew 7:1-2

49. The Cultivation of Wonder

Wonder is the posture of the soul before mystery. Cultivate it as the antidote to cynicism and despair.

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?"
— Psalm 8:3-4

50. The Preference for Depth Over Breadth

Know few things deeply rather than many things superficially. Depth is where treasure hides.

"The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out."
— Proverbs 20:5

51. The Habit of Returning

When you wander, return. God is not keeping score; the Father watches for the prodigal's silhouette.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."
— Luke 15:20

52. The Freedom from Comparison

Comparison is the death of contentment. Run your own race; no one else has your lane.

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
— Hebrews 12:1

53. The Acceptance of Weakness

Weakness is not a flaw to overcome but a venue for grace. Strength perfected in weakness is God's preferred method.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"
— 2 Corinthians 12:9

54. The Patience with Process

Transformation is slow. The oak does not apologize for not being instant; neither should the soul.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."
— Ecclesiastes 3:1

55. The Lightness of Self-Regard

Take God seriously; take yourself lightly. The ability to laugh at oneself is a form of humility.

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
— Proverbs 17:22

56. The Preservation of Margin

Leave space in life for the unexpected. Overcommitment is a form of faithlessness—it assumes no divine interruptions.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
— Proverbs 16:9

57. The Discipline of Subtraction

Growth often comes not by adding but by removing. Prune ruthlessly what does not bear fruit.

"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
— John 15:2

58. The Refusal to Retaliate

Vengeance belongs to God. To take it is to steal His prerogative and poison your own soul.

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'"
— Romans 12:19

59. The Honoring of Limits

Know when to stop. The refusal to honor limits is a form of pride that exhausts the body and starves the soul.

"It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep."
— Psalm 127:2

60. The Choice of Blessing Over Cursing

Bless those who harm you; it breaks the cycle of evil and releases you from bondage to their offense.

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them."
— Romans 12:14

61. The Practice of Secrecy

Keep sacred things hidden. Not everything meant for the soul is meant for public consumption.

"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs."
— Matthew 7:6

62. The Readiness to Unlearn

What you thought you knew may be what blocks what you need to know. Hold knowledge with open hands.

"If anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know."
— 1 Corinthians 8:2

63. The Vigilance Over the Tongue

The tongue is a small rudder that steers the whole ship. Guard it as the helmsman of your destiny.

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless."
— James 1:26

64. The Economy of Enough

Enough is a destination; more is an endless road. Learn to recognize arrival.

"Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me."
— Proverbs 30:8

65. The Willingness to Wait

Waiting is not wasted time; it is the furnace where patience is forged and faith is refined.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"
— Psalm 27:14

66. The Preference for Hiddenness

Seek the hidden life. The roots that matter most are underground, invisible, quietly drawing from deep wells.

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
— Colossians 3:3

67. The Mortification of Ambition

Ambition for self is a slow poison. Redirect it toward God's glory, and it becomes a different thing entirely.

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
— Philippians 2:3

68. The Recognition of Seasons

Every season has its task. Do not grieve the passing of one or grasp at the coming of another.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart."
— Ecclesiastes 3:11

69. The Surrender of Legacy

Do not labor for a name that outlasts you. The only legacy that matters is written in heaven.

"Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
— Luke 10:20

70. The Fidelity to Small Things

Attend to the small. Eternity is built from moments, and holiness is forged in the mundane.

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.'"
— Matthew 25:21

71. The Abandonment of Self-Justification

Stop explaining yourself. The need to be understood is a chain; freedom lies in being known only by God.

"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself."
— 1 Corinthians 4:3

72. The Practice of Ordinary Faithfulness

Dramatic moments are rare; ordinary moments are constant. Be faithful in the unremarkable.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
— Colossians 3:23

73. The Willingness to Be Last

The race to be first reveals misunderstanding of the kingdom. Choose the last place before you are assigned it.

"If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."
— Mark 9:35

74. The Discipline of Single-Mindedness

A divided heart achieves nothing. Pursue one thing with all your being—the pearl of great price.

"One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal."
— Philippians 3:13-14

75. The Acceptance of Unanswered Questions

Not every question has an answer accessible to mortals. Learn to dwell in mystery without demanding resolution.

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us."
— Deuteronomy 29:29

76. The Resistance to Accumulation

Every possession is a responsibility. Before acquiring, count the cost—not in money, but in attention.

"Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
— Luke 12:15

77. The Gift of Incompleteness

You are unfinished, and that is grace. Completion belongs to the resurrection; process belongs to now.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
— Philippians 1:6

78. The Habit of Praise in Darkness

Praise when you do not feel it. The sacrifice of praise—offered against the grain—moves heaven.

"Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name."
— Hebrews 13:15

79. The Refusal of Noise

Noise is the enemy of the soul. Guard your ears as you would guard your heart—they are connected.

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."
— Psalm 62:5

80. The Holding of Things Loosely

Grip nothing tightly but God. Everything else is on loan—hold it with open palms, ready to return.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
— Job 1:21

81. The Resistance to Entertainment

Amusement means "not thinking." Guard against the anesthesia of constant entertainment that numbs the soul.

"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything."
— 1 Corinthians 6:12

82. The Practice of Remembrance

Remember what God has done. Memory is the antidote to despair—past faithfulness guarantees future provision.

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old."
— Psalm 77:11

83. The Willingness to Decrease

Growth in Christ often looks like shrinking in the world. The less of self, the more room for Him.

"He must increase, but I must decrease."
— John 3:30

84. The Pursuit of Purity

A pure heart sees God. Guard against the thousand small compromises that cloud the vision.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
— Matthew 5:8

85. The Stewardship of Energy

Energy is finite and sacred. Spend it on what matters; refuse to hemorrhage it on what does not.

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
— Psalm 90:12

86. The Embrace of Dependence

Independence is illusion. The sooner you accept dependence on God, the sooner you discover true strength.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
— John 15:5

87. The Obedience Before Understanding

Sometimes you must obey before you understand. Clarity follows obedience more often than it precedes it.

"If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God."
— John 7:17

88. The Gladness in Anonymity

Rejoice when no one knows your name. The God who sees in secret is preparing public vindication in His time.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."
— 1 Peter 5:6

89. The Refusal of Self-Promotion

Let another praise you; self-promotion diminishes what it attempts to magnify.

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."
— Proverbs 27:2

90. The Daily Dying

Die daily to self. Resurrection power is available only to those who have first consented to death.

"I die every day!"
— 1 Corinthians 15:31

91. The Guard Over the Heart

The heart is the wellspring; everything flows from it. Guard it above all else, for it determines the course of life.

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
— Proverbs 4:23

92. The Freedom of Low Expectations

Expect little from the world; expect everything from God. This reordering prevents both disappointment and idolatry.

"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation."
— Psalm 146:3

93. Presence in the Present Hunt

Be STILL and HUNT. Memories of past will come to you; the future on the distant horizon will be here soon enough, but only the present moment is the venue for faithfulness.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
— Matthew 6:34

94. The Long Obedience

Discipleship is not a sprint but a marathon. Perseverance matters more than intensity.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
— Galatians 6:9

95. The Wisdom of Delay

Do not rush decisions. What feels urgent often is not; wisdom frequently wears the garment of patience.

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty."
— Proverbs 21:5

96. The Treasure of Trials

Trials are not interruptions but curriculum. The testing produces steadfastness, and steadfastness produces maturity.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."
— James 1:2-3

97. The Freedom from the Need to Fix

You cannot save anyone. Only God can. Release the burden of other people's outcomes.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
— Ephesians 2:8

98. The Acceptance of Mystery

Not everything will make sense on this side of eternity. Peace comes from accepting mystery, not resolving it.

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!"
— Romans 11:33

99. The Quiet Confidence

True confidence is quiet; insecurity is loud. Rest in who God says you are, and words become unnecessary.

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.'"
— Isaiah 30:15

100. The Final Trust

In the end, there is only this: Trust. Trust the One who began the work, who sustains the work, and who will complete it.

"Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God."
— Psalm 31:5

Summary

God is able to "perfect" His people, when they choose to trust Him and allow themselves to be shaped by His grace. My obituary is still in progress because my life is still being written—not by my own hand, but by the Lord who knew me before I was formed and consecrated me before I was born.

"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
— Proverbs 3:5-6

"He who calls you is faithful; the Creator who made you will perfect you."
— 1 Thessalonians 5:24