“Wait, go back to that Southern Baptist part,” Julia said, interrupting, as she does. “Are you a born-again?” articulating her question as if she were asking me if I were really a headhunter or a Martian. “Yes,” I said, “but… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“I have a complicated spiritual history. Here's the short version: I was born into a Mass-going Roman Catholic family, but my parents left the church when I was in the fifth grade and joined a Southern Baptist church—yes, in Connecticut.… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
While it's true that you may lose your religion during the course of a lifetime, you never lose your salvation. Once you let Jesus… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
You can call it what you like, categorize it, vivisect it, qualify, quantify, or dismiss it, and none of it will make grace anything… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“Sometimes grace is having the strength to persevere through the storm. Sometimes it's having the guts to rebuild, to take a chance, to follow your nose and your heart rather than your head. Sometimes grace is finding out that your preconceived notions are dead wrong. Sometimes it's being surprised by joy. Sometimes grace is something you can feel even if… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share
In her inestimable audacity, Julia was the catalyst in my life for something beautiful. I hadn't anticipated her-hadn't even wanted her, truthfully-but there she… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“Wait, go back to that Southern Baptist part,” Julia said, interrupting, as she does. “Are you a born-again?” articulating her question as if she… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“Maybe that's why Jesus was so fond of parables: Nothing describes the indescribable like a good yarn.” — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“Everyone experiences grace, even if they don't realize it. It's kind of like Moby's music. You could ask your average sixty-something-year-old retired banker in Connecticut if he's ever heard of Moby and/or his music and the response you'd receive more than likely would be a resounding, “No—what's a Moby?” But if you say, “Remember that American Express commercial where Tiger… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share
Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. And grace is getting what you absolutely don't deserve. … benign… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“I would say that grace is startling,” Jean told me as he began retelling the story of how he wound up as pastor of… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“Grace to me is a little bit of extra help when you're feeling stuck or doomed or, probably, hopefully, out of good ideas on how to save yourself, and how to salvage the situation or the friendship or the whatever it is,” Anne Lamott once told me. “I wish it was accompanied by harp music so you could know that's… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share
Of all the exotic aromas and experiences from my sojourn in Ethiopia, it’s the frankincense I miss most. — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
“Some theologians argue that one kind of grace is better than another, and that some people think they're experiencing “divine” grace when it's actually… — Cathleen Falsani Copy Share Image
