#chris

...death is not the total dissolution or our identity but the way to its fullest revelation. ↗

— Henri J.M. Nouwen

#death

[Jesus] tilted His head back, pulled up one last time to draw breath and cried, "Tetelestai!" It was a Greek expression most everyone present would have understood. It was an accounting term. Archaeologists have found papyrus tax receipts with "Tetelestai" written across them, meaning "paid in full." With Jesus' last breath on the cross, He declared the debt of sin cancelled, completely satisfied. Nothing else required. Not good deeds. Not generous donations. Not penance or confession or baptism or...or...or...nothing. The penalty for sin is death, and we were all born hopelessly in debt. He paid our debt in full by giving His life so that we might live forever. ↗

— Charles R. Swindoll

#death #jesus-christ #sin #death

There's a lovely Hasidic story of a rabbi who always told his people that if they studied the Torah, it would put Scripture on their hearts. One of them asked, "Why on our hearts, and not in them?" The rabbi answered, "Only God can put Scripture inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your heart, and then when your hearts break, the holy words will fall inside. ↗

— Anne Lamott

#christianity #judaism #scripture #faith

How should an artist begin to do his work as an artist? I would insist that he begin his work as an artist by setting out to make a work of art. ↗

— Francis A. Schaeffer

#christianity #art

Happiness is an art mastered by the very few. Genuinely happy people are as rare as Christians who believe in God. ↗

— Albert Vigoleis Thelen

#god #happiness #the-island-of-second-sight #art

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ↗

— Mary Ellen Chase

#children #date #mind #state

I made it," you said, gruffly, "for you." You shoved it onto my finger. It was roughly carved, shaped from a lump of something colourful and cold...a ring made entirely from a gemstone. It was beautiful. It glinted emerald greens and blood reds over my skin, and had tiny flecks of gold catching the light. I couldn't stop staring at it. "Why?" I asked. You didn't answer that. Instead you touched the ring gently and looked piercingly at me, unsaid questions in your eyes. ↗

— Lucy Christopher

#lucy-christopher #ring #stolen #ty #beauty

We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God. ↗

— Max Lucado

#christian-life #christian-living #christianity #heaven #beauty

We desire to possess a beauty that is worth pursuing, worth fighting for, a beauty that is core to who we truly are. We want beauty that can be seen; beauty that can be felt; beauty that affects others; a beauty all our own to unveil. ↗

— Stasi Eldredge

#christian #women #beauty

What does ‘I love you’ even mean? It’s weird how different three words can feel. I mean, I’ve said it before but it’s never felt so… big, you know? I’m not sure it meant the same thing then. Like, I was too young to get it. Is that insane? You think I’m insane. But I’m not. I’m just… new to this, I think. Honestly, I think I’m new to this.” “I know you’re saying something profound, but it’s hard to focus when your tits are out. ↗

— Christina Lauren

#beautiful-stranger #christina-lauren #max-stella #sara-dillon #beauty