“You see, by acting according to God’s wishes, both Mary and Joseph were destined to suffer.” (source)
“God allows us to see, hear, and experience things for a reason. They are important to God’s overall plan, and we have a role to play in helping God accomplish that plan. In the final analysis, this is all we’re really responsible for: to respond to what God lets us see and hear. We want to create complexity out of this simple responsibility, but it needs no great explanation. You and I are not responsible to make miracles happen. That’s God’s job. But we are responsible to participate in the experiences God presents us with, to watch and listen, and then tell others about what we’ve seen and heard.” (source)
“Jesus came to Mary and Joseph as He comes to us. In seasons of great pain, despair, and disappointment, He comes. Just when you’re at the end of yourself, He comes. He appears at just the right moment—never early, but always at the right time. And it is at this moment that you realize it’s not the end. It’s the beginning!” (source)
“the first: Ordinary people witness extraordinary events.” (source)
“big idea number three: Ordinary people tell extraordinary stories.” (source)