Forgive me, Father. Forgive my weakness. Forgive my wondering. Bring me to those beautiful shores of home and let me content my feet in the soft sands of all that you have prepared for me. Let me be thankful for all that you have given, neither hungering nor thirsting for what is not my cup. Your

Forgiveness given is forgiveness gained.

One thing that discovering my own history had taught me is that we must learn not to whip ourselves for the failures of others. When a mother cannot love and protect her children, it is not the children who are defective.

Tightening my fingers, I held on. "Honey, the farther you go in life, the more you realize that most people aren't trying to hurt anybody. They're just trying to . . . get by. People don't always make the right decisions—even the people we love. I know Jake loves us. He's just trying to . . . find his way right now.

Sometimes we must try to view the actions of those around us with forgiveness. We must realize that they are going on the only road they can see.

Those Christians who resist the inclination toward fundamentalism and who follow the nature, actions, and words of Jesus Christ should consider people who are different from us to be worthy of our care, generosity, forgiveness, compassion, and unselfish love.

It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.

Don't take things personally. Everything's not all about you.

The best way to have the last word is to apologize.

I do not forget any good deed done to me & I do not carry a grudge for a bad one.

But if we keep to the positive fact of wanting to produce and to be something, then we can talk over accomplished facts, when it cannot be avoided, without getting angry, even if they might concern, or stand in direct relation with, the Goupils or our family. Besides, these questions are between you and me for a better understanding of the situation, and not out of spite.

Let us be very sincere in our dealings with each other and have the courage to accept each other as we are.