What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems ea… - Henri Nouwen

Often we come home from a sharing session with a feeling that something precious has been taken away from us or that holy ground has been trodden upon.

First of all, you have to keep unmasking the world about you for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long run, destructive. The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you simply have to be realistic enough to remind yourself of this. Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: 'These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting belief.

solitude begins with a time and a place for God, and God alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that God is actively present in our lives — healing, teaching and guiding — we need to set aside a time and space to give God our undivided attention. (Matt 6:6)