“You see Maggie, I realized the importance of our responses to the unanswered prayers. I had a choice to either grow bitter and turn away from God, or walk closer allowing his grace to guide each step. I don't know why some things happen the way they do, but I am sure of this: God is loving, and knows what he's doing. ”

“Daddy says every person on earth is born iwth a device that lets them know right from wrong. Some call it their conscience, others say it's their inner voice; he calls his a gift from God. I don't know what to call mine, but I do know it lives in my belly.”

“Mamma says God uses the bad times to build strength. Wonder how strong a person needs to be before things get easier.”

“One of the problems with lying is you can never tell just one. It usually takes at least three, but sometimes more. In order to be good, a notebook should be kept nearby at all times. There's nothing worse than forgetting your lies in the middle of a story.”

“Faith is carrying your pain and problems to the invisible altar of God, laying them down and walking away, knowing that now they are in hands capable of doing what you could never do.”

“That’s the really annoying thing about love. I probably would be happier if I didn’t know it, but once you do know it, once you feel those things for someone, you can’t make yourself really wish it away. It’s like wishing away . . . your soul.- Jenny”

“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.”