More Than Meets the Eye

Vengeance doesn't heal pain, Logan. Love heals pain. Where is the love in what you are doing?

Vengeance doesn’t heal pain, Logan. Love heals pain. That’s why God tells us to leave the vengeance to Him and instead focus on loving each other, including our enemies. ~ page 248

No matter how many people reject or betray you, if you have even one person in your life you can count on--really, truly count on--you can overcome any obstacle. Trusting the wrong person might lead to temporary heartache, but trusting the right one provides a strength that can fuel you for a lifetime.~ page 56

People might try to hide their broken places and pretend to be whole, but the truth is that we all have failings. That is why we need each other.

Who knew making a gal smile could leave a man feeling so accomplished?

Well, she was no stranger to loss, to hurt feelings, to prejudice. But she’d decided long ago not to let pain dictate her life.

Evangeline mashed the potatoes with excessive force. She could work out her frustration over Logan's obstinance and produce silky smooth potatoes at the same time. Benefits all around.

Eva, on the other hand, forfeited her edge without hesitation. Despite her ingrained insecurity about her eyes and a history of outsiders devaluing her because of them, she openly professed her brokenness and offered it as a gift to strangers.

A shell, no matter how fortified was not impenetrable. Pain always found a way inside. The only way to truly overcome was to dissolve the darkness with light.

She, better than anyone, knew that a soul’s sore spots didn’t really disappear. They could be buried, defended, and denied, but until they were loved, they wreaked havoc with a person’s peace.

If we want the Lord to accomplish mighty deeds in our own lives, the first step is to put what we have in His hands.

I’ll pray for you, as well, Logan, that you won’t lay burdens on yourself that only God is meant to carry. ~page 106

The problem with memorizing scripture was that it rose up to prod her conscience at the most inconvenient times. Nothing like having Jesus call her a hypocrite to slap down her indignation over Logan's infractions.

Where is the love in what you're doing?

Her heart felt like it had been thrown around like a child on a twenty-foot seesaw--exhilarating highs followed by crashing lows, only to repeat with new joys and terrifying fears. It left her light-headed, off-balance, and a tiny bit nauseated.

It wasn’t right for the villain in Logan’s story to be the hero in hers.

She still had a few tender spots that ached when prodded, but Zach and Seth and loved and accepted her into a place where past hurts mattered less than present blessings. Maybe God had brought her into this stranger’s life to do the same for him.~ page 59

We don't speak that name in this house." "That's the problem, " Abby held her head high, and pride nearly burst through the seams of Zach's chest. "We've closed ourselves off form that horrible day for too long. It's festered inside us both, killing our friendship and turning us into people we never intended to become. Losing Ben was a horrible tragedy, one that haunts me to this day. But we have to let it go, Sophia. We have to let God heal our wounds so we can more forward.

Usually Zach had come in from the fields by now, as he seemed to tell time with his stomach.

It was Logan's job to live for God, and God's job to take care of the rest.