“My God, I could raise a family of six children and hold down a full-time job with all the energy I expend on depression!”

“Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.”

“Never forget the tribulations that we have endured. We are all one energy, and we are all part of God. You are one family now. Do not allow yourselves to find reasons to separate yourselves. Share everything; help each other in raising your children. Love each other, and love life.”

“I had to let go first. Trying to control the timing and outcome was a terrible waste of energy. My intentions were already out there and I had taken what action I could. My only job now was to get out of the way.”

“and here I felt a strange leaping of my heart-God did! My job was to simply follow His leading one step at a time, holding every decision up to him in prayer.”

“I didn't plan on either children or writing. Once I realized that writing satisfied me in some enormous way, I had to make adjustments. The writing was always marginal in terms of time when the children were small. But it was major in terms of my head. I always thought that women could do a lot of things. All the women I knew did nine or ten things at one time. I always understood that women worked, they went to church, they managed their houses, they managed somebody else's houses, they raised their children, they raised somebody else's children, they taught. I wouldn't say it's not hard, but why wouldn't it be? All important things are hard.”