“What we choose to embrace, to be responsive to, is the purest reflection of who we are and what we love.”
In this quote, Terryl L. Givens emphasizes the idea that our choices reflect our true selves. The things we choose to embrace and be responsive to are a reflection of our values and what we hold dear. This quote suggests that by examining our choices, we can gain insight into our own identities and what truly matters to us.
By being mindful of what we choose to prioritize and focus on in our lives, we can better understand ourselves and our passions. Our actions and decisions are a mirror of our innermost desires and beliefs, shaping our character and defining who we are at our core. This quote serves as a reminder to be conscious of our choices, as they reveal the essence of who we are and what we hold dear.
The quote by Terryl L. Givens underscores the idea that our choices and responses are a reflection of our true selves and our deepest values. In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, this quote holds modern relevance in encouraging individuals to be mindful of what they choose to embrace, as it shapes their identity and reflects what they truly love and believe in. Whether it be in personal relationships, career choices, or day-to-day decisions, being conscious of what we choose to prioritize can help us stay true to ourselves and live authentically.
"“What we choose to embrace, to be responsive to, is the purest reflection of who we are and what we love.” - Terryl L. Givens"
Think about the things you choose to embrace and be responsive to in your life. How do these choices reflect who you are as a person and what you love? Are there any patterns or themes that emerge when you consider these aspects of your life? How can you use this awareness to enhance your understanding of yourself and your values?
“The call to faith, in this light, is not some test of a coy god, waiting to see if we "get it right." It is the only summons, issued under the only conditions, which can allow us fully to reveal who we are, what we most love, and what we most devoutly desire. Without constraint, without any form of mental compulsion, the act of belief becomes the freest possible projection of what resides in our hearts...The greatest act of self-revelation occurs when we choose what we will believe, in that space of freedom that exists between knowing that a thing is, and knowing that a thing is not.”
“Those mortals who operate in the grey area between conviction and incredulity are in a position to choose most meaningfully, and with most meaningful consequences […] Perhaps only a doubter can appreciate the miracle of life without end.”
“...God is not exempt from emotional pain...One the contrary, God's pain is as infinite as His love.”
“...our minds are driven to answer questions that far transcend the bounds of our own lives.”
“A supreme deity would no more gift us with intellect and expect us to forsake it in moments of bafflement, than He would fashion us eyes to see and bid us shut them to the stars”
“In the Garden story, good and evil are found on the same tree, not in separate orchards. Good and evil give meaning and definition to each other. If God, like us, is susceptible to immense pain, He is, like us, the greater in His capacity for happiness. The presence of such pain serves the larger purpose of God's master plan, which is to maximize the capacity for joy, or in other words, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." He can no more foster those ends in the absence of suffering and evil than one could find the traction to run or the breath to sing in the vacuum of space. God does not instigate pain or suffering, but He can weave it into His purposes. "God's power rests not on totalizing omnipotence, but on His ability to alchemize suffering, tragedy, and loss into wisdom, understanding, and joy.”