“The Bible teaches that true joy is formed in the midst of the difficult seasons of life.”

“True Joy is not the absence of pain but the sanctifying, sustaining presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of the pain”

“A wise teacher learns in the midst of teaching; a wise student teaches in the midst of learning.”

“Hard times and funky living can season the soul, true enough, but joy is the yeast that makes it rise.”

“The principles of gain through loss, of joy through sorrow, of getting by giving, of fulfillment by laying down, of life out of death is what the Bible teaches, and the people who have believed it enough to live it out in simple, humble, day-by-day practice are people who have found the gain, the joy, the getting, the fulfillment, the life.”

“The Catholic wisdom of the people... provides reasons for joy and humor even in the midst of a very hard life.”