"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7"Prayer is the lifting up of the mind to God. Now the mind is lifted up to God sometimes by praise, sometimes by desire, sometimes by sorrow, sometimes by wonder. But it is especially lifted up by rest -- when in the quiet of contemplation it is withdrawn from worldly things and united to God as to something supremely intelligible and desirable."
Thomas Aquinas, *Summa Theologica*"Nothing is equal to prayer; for what is impossible it makes possible, what is difficult, easy. Prayer is the root of our immortality, the inexhaustible treasure of the poor, the medicine that expels disease, the strength of the weak, the harbor in the midst of tempests."
John Chrysostom, *Homilies on the Statues*"We have been taught that God made the world for the sake of mankind, and we are convinced that this is reasonable. For how could men have known God if He had not chosen to make Himself known? And how could they have known that they themselves were good and just unless they had the image of that goodness and justice dwelling within them? For what power had men to perceive God, unless they were made in His likeness?"
Justin Martyr, *First Apology*"Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. It is not something we do for ourselves. It is not a private project. It is not self-improvement. It is the work of the Spirit in us, through the ordinary rhythms of life -- worship, Scripture, community, service -- reshaping our desires until we want what God wants."
Eugene Peterson, *The Jesus Way*What if the thing you're most anxious about today is the very door through which God means to meet you?
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive -- to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Then consider how many have died and been denied this day. Waste none of it in complaint or worry. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what is in Fortune's control and abandoning what lies in yours."
Marcus Aurelius, *Meditations*Overcast +60°F Humidity:67% Wind:↓9mph