“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isa. 60:1-3 ESV)

When You Fall… Arise

“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” (Micah 7:8 ESV)

Failure is not final for the child of God. The enemy may try to speak defeat over your life, but God speaks restoration. You may fall, but you are not finished. In Christ, there is always a rising again.

It Is Your Task… Arise

“Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” (Ezra 10:4 ESV)

There are moments when God calls you to stand up and step forward even when you feel weak. His command is often accompanied by His promise: you are not alone. Strength is found not in your ability, but in His presence with you.

Shake Yourself From the Dust… Arise

“Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” (Isa. 52:2 ESV)

There are times when you must refuse to stay where defeat has tried to place you. Shake off discouragement. Break agreement with despair. God calls you out of bondage into freedom, out of shame into dignity, out of the dust into purpose.

Even If You Fall Again and Again… Arise

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” (Prov. 24:16 ESV)

The mark of the righteous is not perfection—it is perseverance. You may stumble more than once, but grace gives you the strength to rise again. God is not finished with you because you have fallen; He is faithful to lift you back up.

Therefore… Stand and Rise

“But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you…” (Acts 26:16 ESV)

God does not reveal Himself to leave you in defeat. He reveals Himself to raise you up for purpose. Every encounter with Him is an invitation to stand, to serve, and to move forward in His calling.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:2 NIV)

God is the lifter of your head. What held you down cannot hold you forever when His hand is upon your life. He sets your feet on solid ground so you can stand again with confidence.

Quotes

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.” — Washington Irving

“Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit.” — Queen Elizabeth II

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’” (Matt. 16:17 ESV)

When God Opens Your Eyes

Revelation: The act of revealing or disclosing, especially a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known or realized; an epiphany, usually an experience of sudden and striking spiritual realization.

Have you ever read a Bible passage many times and then, one day, suddenly saw something in it you had never noticed before? The words had not changed, but your understanding had. It was as though a light had been turned on.

That is a good picture of spiritual revelation. God can take something that has been in front of you all along and help you understand it in a new and deeper way.

Peter experienced this when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus explained that Peter had not arrived at that understanding merely through human reasoning. God had revealed it to him.

Sometimes we need more than information—we need God to open our understanding.

God Gives Us Revelation in Many Ways

God has revealed Himself throughout history through what He has made, through His prophets, through angelic messengers, and through those led to speak by the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ and through His written Word.

No matter how we believe a message has come to us, however, it must always agree with and never contradict what is written in the Bible. God will never give us “new revelation” that contradicts what He has already revealed in His Word.

Revelation Comes When God Enlightens the Eyes of Your Heart

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.” (Eph. 1:17-19 ESV)

Paul prayed that believers would have the “eyes” of their hearts enlightened. There are things about God that cannot be understood merely by collecting facts. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply spiritual truth.

Ask God to open the eyes of your heart.

Revelation Comes Through God’s Word

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130 ESV)

The Bible should always be our foundation. As you read it, don’t simply rush through the words. Stop. Think. Pray. Ask God, “What do You want me to understand from this?”

A familiar passage may suddenly speak directly to something you are facing. God’s Word gives light.

Revelation Comes Through What He Has Created

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20 ESV)

Look at the stars, mountains, oceans, trees, animals, and the incredible complexity of the human body. Creation continually points beyond itself to its Creator.

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” (Rom. 1:19 ESV)

Creation reveals that there is a powerful Creator behind it all.

Revelation Comes by the Holy Spirit

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 ESV)

The Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of the words of Jesus. He can bring a Scripture to mind at exactly the moment we need it, help us recognize truth, and give us understanding as we study God’s Word.

That is why prayer and Bible study belong together. Before reading Scripture, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.

Therefore

“Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Prov. 2:2-5 ESV)

God tells us to seek wisdom and understanding as though we were searching for hidden treasure. Don’t be satisfied merely knowing about God. Seek to know Him more deeply.

Pray for wisdom. Open His Word. Listen carefully. Test everything by Scripture. And ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what God wants you to know.

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” (1 Cor. 2:12 ESV)

Quote

“A God whom we could understand exhaustively, and whose revelation of Himself confronted us with no mysteries whatsoever, would be a God in man’s image, and therefore an imaginary God, not the God of the Bible at all.” — J. I. Packer

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isa. 43:2 NIV)

You Are Not Going Through It Alone

Notice that God does not say if you pass through the waters. He says when. Difficulties are part of life. There will be times when circumstances feel like rising waters, rushing rivers, or even a consuming fire.

But there is something important in this promise: you are passing through.

The waters are not your final destination

Imagine someone caught in a sudden storm while traveling home. The rain pours down, visibility becomes difficult, and water begins covering the road. At that moment, the storm may be all that person can see. But beyond those dark clouds, the destination is still there.

Life can feel that way. When you are surrounded by trouble, it is easy to think that the trouble is the whole story. But God sees what is on the other side. He knows where you are, where you are going, and what you must pass through to get there.

And He promises to go with you.

The Lord Your God Goes With You

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)

You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you know who will be there with you. God does not abandon His children when circumstances become difficult.

His presence is greater than whatever you are facing.

The Lord Goes Before You

“The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” (Deut. 31:8)

God not only walks beside you—He goes before you

Whatever you are about to face, God is already there. Nothing waiting around the corner will surprise Him. You can move forward knowing that He sees what you cannot see.

Fear No Evil

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

David did not say he would never enter the valley. He said he would walk through it.

Why could he keep walking?

“For You are with me.”

The presence of God changes everything. You may still have a river to cross, a fire to walk through, or a valley to travel, but you never have to face it alone.

Therefore

“Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found. Surely when great waters rise, they will not come near.” (Psalm 32:6)

Whatever you are facing today, keep moving forward in faith. Pray. Trust God. Refuse to allow fear to convince you that your present difficulty is your final destination.

The waters may rise, but God is with you.
The fire may be hot, but God is with you.
The valley may be dark, but God is with you.

And with God beside you and before you, you can keep going until you have passed through.

Quote

“God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.” — C. S. Lewis

“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.” (1 Cor. 10:23 NIV)

Having a Right Doesn’t Always Make It Right

We hear a lot about our rights. Rights are freedoms or entitlements recognized by law, society, or moral principles. And many rights are important and should be protected.

But as Christians, there is another question we must ask: Just because I have the right to do something, is it the right thing to do?

The apostle Paul reminds us that not everything we have the freedom to do is beneficial or constructive. Sometimes love requires us to willingly set aside something we have every right to claim for the good of someone else.

Christian freedom is not simply about what we are free to do. It is also about being free to serve.

Defend the Rights of Others

The Bible tells us to be especially concerned about the rights of those who cannot easily defend themselves—the poor, needy, afflicted, and destitute.

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Prov. 31:8-9 ESV)

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.” (Psalm 82:3 ESV)

There is an important distinction here. Scripture teaches us not to be consumed with demanding our own rights, while at the same time calling us to stand up for the rights of others.

Jesus Did Not Cling to His Rights

Jesus is our greatest example. Although He is Lord of all, He humbled Himself and became a servant. Instead of demanding what He deserved, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature a God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:5-8 NIV)

And notice how the passage begins: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

That makes it personal

When someone irritates you, when you are overlooked, when you do not get your way, or when you could insist on your rights, ask yourself: What would the attitude of Jesus look like in this situation?

Sometimes following Christ means laying aside what we could rightfully demand in order to love and serve someone else.

Therefore

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Phil. 2:9-11 NIV)

Jesus humbled Himself, served others, and gave His life—and God exalted Him.

We are called to follow His example

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
(Gal. 5:13)

So, when considering your rights, don’t ask only, “What am I entitled to?” Ask, “How can I use my freedom to honor Christ and serve someone else?”

Quotes

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — Jesus (Mark 10:45 ESV)

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” — Jesus (Matt. 16:24 ESV)

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13–16 ESV)

You don’t know what tomorrow will bring

There is nothing wrong with making plans for the future. In fact, wise planning is encouraged throughout Scripture. The problem comes when we make our plans without considering God.

We can make appointments, set goals, save money, plan vacations, build businesses, and prepare for retirement—but none of us knows exactly what tomorrow will bring.

James reminds us how brief and uncertain life is: “You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

That is why our plans should always be made with humility and dependence upon God: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

The purpose of the Lord will stand

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Prov. 19:21 ESV)

We may have many ideas about how our lives should unfold, but God sees what we cannot see. He knows what is ahead, and His purposes are greater than our plans.

Sometimes God opens doors we never expected. At other times, He closes doors we desperately wanted to walk through. Looking back, we may discover that what seemed like a disappointment was actually God’s protection or redirection.

We should make plans—but hold them with an open hand before God.

Trust God with what you cannot see

Thinking about the future can easily lead to worry. We wonder what will happen with our families, finances, health, work, and countless other things.

But God is already present in the tomorrow you cannot see.

Instead of worrying about everything that might happen, trust the One who knows what will happen. Take care of today’s responsibilities and leave tomorrow in God’s hands.

Therefore

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Prov. 16:3 ESV)

Make your plans prayerfully. Commit them to God. Ask Him to open the right doors, close the wrong ones, and change your direction whenever necessary. Then move forward in faith, trusting Him with the outcome.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

You don’t need to know everything about your future when you know the One who holds it.

Quote

“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln

“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” (2 Cor. 10:12 ESV)

Count your own blessings

Comparing yourself with others is a fast way to get trapped by the sin of envy. When you focus on what someone else has—their possessions, abilities, success, appearance, opportunities, or accomplishments—you can quickly lose sight of what God has given you.

Comparison works both ways. Comparing yourself with someone who appears to have more can produce envy and discouragement. Comparing yourself with someone who appears to have less can produce pride. Neither response is helpful.

Instead, count your own blessings. Thank God for what He has given you and faithfully use what He has placed in your hands.

God has a specific plan for you

God created you with your own abilities, experiences, opportunities, and purpose. You do not discover and accomplish His plan for your life by constantly looking at others. You discover it by looking to Him.

Someone else’s calling is not your calling. Someone else’s journey is not your journey. Rather than asking, “Why don’t I have what they have?” ask, “Lord, what do You want me to do with what You have given me?”

Faithfulness is more important than comparison.

Count others more significant than yourself

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3 ESV)

Instead of competing with others, Scripture tells us to honor them. Their success does not diminish God’s plan for you. You can rejoice when God blesses someone else without feeling threatened or diminished.

Humility frees you to encourage others rather than compete with them.

Seek God’s approval

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Gal. 1:10 ESV)

Comparison often grows from our desire for human approval. We want to know how we measure up. But the Christian life is not about keeping score with other people.

Your goal is to please God and faithfully serve Christ.

When you seek God’s approval rather than people’s applause, comparison begins to lose its power over you.

Therefore

“Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.” (Gal. 6:4–5 NIV)

Examine your own life. Thank God for your blessings. Develop the gifts He has given you. Follow the direction He gives you. Encourage others in their successes, and refuse to measure your life by theirs.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Rom. 12:3 ESV)

Quotes

“Comparison is the death of joy.” — Mark Twain

“When the Lord makes it clear you’re to follow Him in this new direction, focus fully on Him and refuse to be distracted by comparisons with others.” — Charles Swindoll

Repentance: deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like.

When Jesus began His public ministry, one of His first messages was simple and direct: “Repent.”

Biblical repentance involves more than simply feeling sorry about something we have done. It means recognizing our sin, agreeing with God about it, and turning from it toward Him. Genuine repentance produces a change of heart that leads to a change of direction.

We don’t repent in order to earn God’s love or forgiveness. Rather, repentance is our response to God as He graciously calls us away from sin and toward Himself.

God wants people to come to repentance

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

God is patient. Every additional opportunity to hear His Word, recognize our sin, and turn toward Him is evidence of His mercy.

God’s desire is not that people perish, but that they repent.

God’s kindness leads us to repentance

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4 ESV)

Sometimes people think of repentance only in connection with God’s judgment. But this passage reminds us of something wonderful: God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance.

When we recognize how patient, merciful, and gracious God has been toward us, our response should not be to take His grace for granted. His goodness should cause us to turn away from sin and draw closer to Him.

True repentance produces change

It is possible to regret something without truly repenting. We can feel terrible about the consequences of our actions while continuing in the same direction.

True repentance goes further

It says, “Lord, what I did was wrong. I agree with You about my sin. Forgive me, help me turn away from it, and help me walk in obedience to You.”

John the Baptist described the evidence of genuine repentance this way:

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matt. 3:8 ESV)

In other words, repentance should eventually become visible in the way we live.

Therefore

“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31 ESV)

“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 ESV)

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matt. 3:8 ESV)

 Quote

“We must correctly distinguish regret, remorse, and true repentance. Regret is an activity of the mind; whenever we remember what we’ve done, we ask ourselves, “Why did I do that?” Remorse includes both the heart and the mind, and we feel disgust and pain, but we don’t change our ways. But true repentance includes the mind, the heart, and the will. We change our minds about our sins and agree with what God says about them; we abhor ourselves because of what we have done; and we deliberately turn from our sin and turn to the Lord for His mercy.” - Warren Wiersbe

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12 ESV)

We are accountable to God

The Bible makes it clear that every person will someday give an account of his or her life to God. We may answer to parents, employers, government authorities, church leaders, and others during our lifetime, but our ultimate accountability is to God.

Knowing this should affect how we live every day. Our decisions should not simply be based on what others might think or whether anyone will notice. The important question is: What does God think?

Nothing is hidden from God

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13 ESV)

We may be able to hide things from other people, but nothing is hidden from God. He sees our actions, knows our motives, and understands the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.

This truth should not only produce reverence for God; it should encourage us to live with integrity. Integrity means being the same person when nobody is watching that we are when everyone is watching.

God is always watching.

We will give an account for our words

Jesus even warned us about the words we speak.

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36–37 ESV)

Words matter to God. What we say can encourage, comfort, strengthen, and build others up—or it can wound, discourage, deceive, and destroy.

Before speaking, it is wise to remember that God hears every word. Ask yourself: Is what I am about to say true? Is it necessary? Is it helpful? Does it honor God?

Live to please God

It is easy to become overly concerned about what other people think. We can spend enormous amounts of energy trying to impress others, gain their approval, or avoid their criticism.

But when we understand that our ultimate accountability is to God, our priorities change. Instead of asking, “Will people approve of me?” we begin asking, “Will this please God?”

Living with accountability to God helps us make better choices even when nobody else knows what we are doing.

Therefore

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10 NIV)

Live each day remembering that your life belongs to God. Let that truth guide your thoughts, words, decisions, relationships, and actions. You do not need to live for the applause of people or be controlled by their criticism. Live faithfully before the One to whom you will ultimately give an account.

Quote

“Although we have responsibilities to others, we are primarily accountable to God. It is before him that we stand, and to him that one day we must give an account. We should not therefore rate human opinion too highly, becoming depressed when criticized and elated when flattered.” — John Stott

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13–14 ESV)

Some things need to be left behind

There are many things the Bible tells us to remember—God’s goodness, His Word, His promises, and what He has done for us. But there are also things we need to forget.

Paul understood this. His past included things he deeply regretted. Before becoming a follower of Christ, he persecuted Christians and even approved of their imprisonment and death. Yet Paul did not allow his past to keep him from moving forward. He said, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal.”

We cannot change yesterday, but by God’s grace, yesterday does not have to control today.

Forget the sins of others

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

When someone hurts you, forgiveness does not mean pretending it never happened. It means refusing to keep holding the offense against that person. If God has forgiven us so completely, we should extend forgiveness to others.

“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Heb. 8:12 ESV)

God does not continually bring our forgiven sins back before us. We should be careful not to continually bring up the forgiven sins of others either.

Forget your old ways of sin

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” (Isa. 43:18 ESV)

When God saves you, He gives you a new life. Your past may be part of your story, but it no longer has to define who you are.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 ESV)

If God has removed your sins that far away, why keep dragging them back?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17 ESV)

You are not called to spend your life looking backward. God has new things ahead.

“Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:62 ESV)

Stop living under yesterday’s condemnation

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself. You may know that God has forgiven you, yet continue replaying old failures, mistakes, and sins in your mind.

When those thoughts return, remind yourself of what God says rather than what your feelings say. Confess what needs to be confessed, learn what needs to be learned, make things right where possible—and then move forward.

Do not allow something God has forgiven to become a prison you continue living in.

Therefore

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1 ESV)

God does not want you chained to yesterday. Leave behind the sins that have been forgiven, the failures that cannot be changed, and the offenses you have chosen to forgive. Then, like Paul, strain forward to what lies ahead.

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isa. 43:25 ESV)

Quotes:

“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” — Johnny Cash

“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” — Rick Warren