Head Trip

“If one’s theology (view of God) does not significantly change one’s anthropology (view of humanity), it is largely what we call a “head trip.””

— The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Richard Rohr
http://a.co/fHujkXB

Eucharist

“The word “Eucharist” is from the Greek eukharistia, meaning “thanksgiving” or “gratitude.” It is a compound term derived from the Greek words eu, for “well,” and kharis, for “favor” or “grace.” Thus, Eucharist, that is, “gratitude,” means “well-favored” or “good grace.””

— Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass
http://a.co/cS0KIfd

Both And

“We’re creatures of both dark and light, suffering and healing, joy and sorrow. The goal isn’t necessarily to extinguish the less-palatable option entirely but to find hope in the basic, simple, elemental stuff of daily living. It’s only in such deep, patient presence that the rush of really living—and not just being alive—comes breaking in.”

— Surviving the Bible: A Devotional for the Church Year 2020 by Christian Piatt
http://a.co/dJDLbcg

Thank You

“With the morning birdsong, My heart echoes thank you. With the rustling sounds in the kitchen, My heart echoes thank you. With the early noise of the suburbs, My heart echoes thank you. With the awakening words of day, I add my voice and say thank you.”

— Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass
http://a.co/jcz0480

Soft Eyes

“In the Japanese art of Aikido there is a practice called “soft eyes”—it means to widen one’s periphery to take in more of the world. If a stimulus is introduced to an unprepared person, his eyes narrow and the flight/ fight response takes over. If the same unexpected stimulus comes to someone with “soft eyes,” the natural reflex is transcended and a more authentic response takes its place—such as thinking a new thought.”

— Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass
http://a.co/ibOiPFK

Becoming Who We Already Are

“From the very beginning, faith, hope, and love are planted deep within our nature—indeed they are our very nature (Romans 5: 5, 8: 14–17). The Christian life is simply a matter of becoming who we already are (1 John 3: 1–2, 2 Peter 1: 3–4). But we have to awaken, allow, and advance this core identity by saying a conscious yes to it and drawing upon it as a reliable and Absolute Source.*”

— The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Richard Rohr
http://a.co/5fhwQRp

Fifteen Seconds

“Studies like the ones done by the neuroscientist Rick Hanson show that we must consciously hold on to a positive thought or feeling for a minimum of fifteen seconds before it leaves any imprint in the neurons.”

— The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Richard Rohr
http://a.co/hVDb1nm

Embracing The Gift Of Who We Are

“Gratitude, at its deepest and perhaps most transformative level, is not warm feelings about what we have. Instead, gratitude is the deep ability to embrace the gift of who we are, that we are, that in the multibillion-year history of the universe each one of us has been born, can love, grows in awareness, and has a story. Life is the gift. When that mystery fills our hearts, it overwhelms us and a deep river of emotions flows forth—feelings we barely knew we were capable of holding.”

— Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass
http://a.co/j95OF2E