Category Archives: Growth

We are more





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It’s time to stop living a shallow life; this was never the intention for us, this was never the design for our existence. Remember the first time you went to the beach? You approached the shore and got your feet wet. It might have been cold and as you sat there for a while, a little scared of the immensity of what was in front of you, you started to walk in a little further. Your feet were feeling the water and the sand, and you took another step. And while the water was cold, your body started to assimilate the temperature, and it felt good. But it wasn’t until you threw yourself in completely, and the water embraced your entire body and covered your head, that the refreshing feeling overtook you and let you wanting more. The reason: shallow waters never give a refreshing experience. We are designed to submerge deep and be drenched, soaked and delighted.

But we have lowered the standard, we have conformed to the menial, and we have inclined our soul to the feet of mediocrity and reality. Surrendering to the least resistance pathway, has domineered our minds. Our eyes have been covered by cataracts, and we have become numb to the wonder before us. Our words utter the expressions that describe a soul who has given up. A soul that its only purpose is to “ride along,” to fill space, to create just the enough effort to “get-by” the day’s work or tasks.

Dreams have become fables in our minds. They are good for children that have not experienced life, good for entertainment, to have fun with and do what children do, but they are not good for us. We have killed them. We have become the passerby that sees abuse happening right before their eyes, and chooses to do nothing. Reality has made its throne in our soul, and it plans to stay there.

Jesus was amazed at his creation and reflected it back to us in Matthew 6:28-29 “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Wow! The most amazing life is unfolding in front of our eyes, and we don’t get it. I don’t get it. When did we drift? Why did we drift? What has happened? Is there a disconnect internally? Is there a core issue that just impedes us of reaching our potential? Is the love for what we see, blind us from the real, palpable things unseen? The staleness of life comes from the fight we constantly have with king reality. He is a dictator, a merciless ruler. But his reign is not meant to last. We have been tricked and lied to, that his rule over us is a dictatorship and that we can’t do anything about it. But it’s not. We are more; we are created for more.

We are created to experience the wonder of life and to show that wonder to others. It’s that amazing experience that rekindles in us the desire to live, create and dream. We are more. When that thought enters deep into our mind, heart, and soul, we understand that the Creator of the universe endowed us with greatness and purpose.

There is a coup planned on king reality. There is an uprising coming. Wonder, possibility, awe, hope and dreams, are the knights rushing in to dethrone him. To reshape the life we have conformed to, way too long. The coup will be public, the coup will be big, and things will never be the same. We will be drenched in the refreshing waters again. The dreams of a what can be will assault us in ways that we will not be able to contain. There will be no boundaries; king reality will become a peasant. We might check with him from time to time, but not to ask permission, just to check realism. He might have some “wins”, but we will do bigger and greater things in the name of possibility. Wonder will be unleashed upon us. We will become, “anything-is-possible” kind of people.

We are more.

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© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2015

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“If you can?”

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IMG_2731“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

If you can? That was the question/response Jesus gave to the father of the boy that had a tormenting spirit. This got me thinking. How broken was his spirit to question his beliefs? I have to admit, at times I have mustered the same expression of this father, “Lord I believe, please help my unbelief”. His situation was so dire and so persistent, that he was not looking for a complete fix, just a respite. His expectations of life as he knew it, had come down to survival, to merely exist. He was not expecting God´s best and instead he lowered God to his human level. Life was hard and his son was suffering. “But if you can do anything”. It was an expression of desperation from a father that needed and pleaded for help.

I know the feeling, not of a tormenting spirit, but the angst and despair of feeling helpless and without a door to go. Any light will do, any sign of help will suffice, any handout would be great. Any move that would appease the pain will be welcomed. Dreams, potential and yes, even hope are a distant idea because reality has set in. And it is hard. It crushes your spirit and it breaks your heart. We try everything, anything, even the failed shallow attempt of hands that fall short of becoming the solution to our needs because its inconvenient or too much trouble.

The shorthanded help of people just won’t do it. Our human spirit is reduced to accept less, and it’s hard. The turmoil, the tension, the despair that is felt is so persistent that any expectation of things getting better are low to non-existent. And we reach to the “people that can help”, and sometimes we just get what we have always gotten; failed attempts and a weary tired hurt heart. It seems like the places we go and doors we knock, are pathways to empty rooms and dry hopes. Those around don’t understand the pain or don’t even seem to be prepared to help. And in our desperation we lower our lives to mere existential fixes, we become addicts of the immediate. Have you felt this way?

In the words of Martin Luther to his contemporary Erasmus, “Your thoughts of God are too human”. Our thoughts of Almighty God, all powerful Lord, need to raise to the place where they are to be. Only Jesus. He is the only one that can help the soul and turn all things around. We shouldn’t let the fallen world make our image of God, a fallen one.

He is asking us this question again today, “If I can?”, like if he was stating, “Are you kidding me? Do you know who you are talking to? Do you understand the power and the might you are facing this very moment? I created you, I know your most inner thoughts and everything about you. And I love you, as no one you can think of, loves you. I understand your pain, I see your suffering, and I cry at your persistent angst. But I am God and I am here to make all things new. Many have tried to help you, but have fallen short. I want you to know that I want you to come directly to me. Your source, your God, your I CAN!”

“I can solve your pain, I will wipe your tears, I can do and have done all things new. I will change your mourning into dancing”.

“If you can? You ask. I say, if you believe, anything and everything is possible.’’ Jesus.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2015

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Take another step

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“How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” Joshua 18:3
“What are you waiting for?” That was basically the question Joshua was asking. They knew what they had to do but were motionless, even when they had a promised a better place, a bountiful land. Stillness was their answer.

Oftentimes we know exactly what we need to do and just do nothing. There are many reasons for that, but the main one is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of not having the skills, fear of fear itself. But when we are all by ourselves, we know what we need to do. We know that action is the only option, but we choose to stay put, we choose to do nothing. Probably it is because we are comfortable where we are in life right now and making a change is inconvenient. Or maybe fear has become our master. Can you imagine that? Being controlled by a thought that extrapolates and creates mental circumstances and events that in the majority of time never happen? Fear constricts perception, thinking, and motor processes, but faith and love promote action. That is why repeatedly we find God reassuring us and telling us not to fear. “Do not fear, for I am with you” and “perfect love drives out fear”.

You might have been drawn into a situation that most likely you did not create. Or be in a position today you drifted into because of your inaction. Regardless of what or why you are where you are today, you need to move. The best way to break a series of bad decisions is, you guessed it, make one good decision. It sounds simplistic and obvious but when you are immersed in a streak of constant inaction, thinking of making a change, even when it’s a small one, seems an unsurmountable task. One act, ons step, that is what it takes.

Here are some suggestions of how to start making changes that I found helpful:

  • Rest: Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron, but when you are well rested your body and your mind are renewed, you think better you’re more productive, alert and more prone to move on.
  • Eat well: Take control of your diet and make small changes everyday. Drink water before eating, it will make you feel more full and therefore consume less. Ask for help to make a balanced diet and don’t be hard on yourself.
  • Exercise: Even a small walk around your neighborhood will make you feel better and alert.
  • Analyze who are your influencers: “The people that you listen to, are the preview of the future you.” Jeff Henderson. When we consider the lives of those we regard and seek their advise, we should notice the result of their lives in the area we are seeking advise on. Are they modeling well? If I am asking financial advise, are they an example to follow? In relationships? In work? If not, change your sphere.
  • Ask for help: If you cannot make changes on your own, seek advise of others. Look for people that have different ideas than yours and pick their minds. Sometimes one word or one phrase is all that you need to start moving.

Storms in life and menacing waters may be ahead of you, that’s life. But you are not a quitter, you are courageous and you embrace the future with hope. Every obstacle is just a building block for your character. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”, if you never quit and you take that first step, you will be on you way to your promised land. Steven Curtis Chapman described this beautifully in his song “Take Another Step”. There’s a paragraph that says:

If there’s an ocean in front of you

You know what you’ve gotta do

Take another step and another step

Maybe He’ll turn the water into land

And maybe He’ll take your hand and say

Let’s take a walk on the waves

Will you trust Me either way

And take another step

Take another step

So you know what needs to be done. What are you waiting for? Take another step.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2014
Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A view from the bottom

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When life hits us with a storm of problems, the first thing that usually gets impaired is our view. We usually only see the immediate, the here and now, the critical issue that needs attention. Problems are all we see; it is in most cases our first reaction. We get immersed in the situation and our view becomes focused on that particular item. Health, finances, relationships, whatever it is that is hitting close to home, takes center stage and it seems to come to us with a vengeance. We look around and the only thing we see is a hopeless bottom.

Isn’t it curious that we can one day be at the top of our game and seem that we can conquer the world and then suddenly, we are thrown to our knees begging for help because we can’t see a way to even conquer ourselves? Life is hard. For some, it’s harder than most and we cannot understand why, or even make sense of it many times. It is in these moments where an uninvited guest usually knocks at our door and without hesitation strolls in. Regret mines our mind and accuses us continually. “Why did you say that?” or “Why did you do that? If you hadn’t gone there, or If you hadn’t bought that everything would have been different.” That list can go on and on. Regret points us even further down to the bottom, whispering to us that this is a permanent place for us and that we blew it.

But the bottom even as hard as it might be, has another vantage point, UP. You see, being at the bottom is sometimes a good place to be to look from. Everything looks different, you see life from a different perspective. You appreciate life in a deeper more profound way. We can decide to continue to roam and resign ourselves to live in the low places, or we can scout the bottom for a step to move up. King David penned it best in Psalm 121; “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” A beautiful view from the bottom.

The bottom is a reminder for us to look up. To raise our voices and focus our view to higher, greater, bigger places. I know that the feeling at the bottom is sometimes a constant angst, despair. A place of loneliness and shame. But it also can be if you decide, a place of hope and new vision. When our inner eyes look up, our outer circumstances will follow suit. A place of despair can become a place of hope. A place of tears can become a place of joy. A place of sickness can become a place of healing. A place at the bottom can become a place to look up.

A place at the bottom can be a vantage point. A place to look up to our Heavenly father, that in the midst of your current circumstances is waiting for you to look to him. You might not know your next step, and even thinking of taking one is frighting because you fear it will make your stay at the bottom permanent. But the great thing to remember is that He created the heavens and the earth and knows and created every path imaginable on your trek up the mountain. And if there is none, he will make one.

No more tears, no more regrets. Lift your eyes towards the mountains and take the next step. Your Heavenly father awaits. And you have the best view right now, a view from the bottom.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2014
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Untapped Potential

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I’m honored to have Michael Q. Pink as a guest writer. I have been following Michael’s teachings, and used his resources for many years now. His insights around the principles for business and life found in the Bible are simply amazing. Michael is a best selling author, teacher and speaker, and has written over a dozen books including The Bible Incorporated, Selling Among Wolves, and the Rainforest Strategy, among others. Visit and bookmark Michael’s blog where you will find a plethora of resources to help you achieve your God given potential in your business and in your life. Here’s the link: www.michaelpink.com

Here’s Michael’s post, enjoy!
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Shoots. Green lines in a field.There’s a verse in the Bible that says, “Much food (increase) is in the fallow ground of the poor and for lack of justice, there is waste.” Proverbs 13:23

That is an incredibly good promise and it comes with instruction! You see, we all have fallow ground in our lives (untapped potential). That’s territory or potential that has laid dormant, unplanted and gotten hard and covered up with weeds. It might be your ability to write or create or build. It might be that business idea God gave you years ago, or that book idea that’s been rattling around in your head for years.

The problem often is, that we talk about those ideas, those gifts and talents, but all too often we let them lay fallow (undeveloped, underutilized) and we wonder why finances are tight! But you can do something about that. You can start working your field now. Expose the roots of neglect and lesser activities (weeds) to the sun. Prepare the soil to receive the seed of a great idea wrapped in effort. Sharpen your skills. Hone your abilities. Update your knowledge.

You can become an expert in any field compared to almost anyone if you will read a few books a year on the subject. You want to prepare your field to begin producing a harvest? Assess your field. Inform yourself. Locate resources that can help you. Then, begin to work at it.

But perhaps you say, you have no fields laying fallow. You have nothing in your life that can produce abundance. You have left no stone unturned. I say to you… Let God be true and every man a liar (Romans 3:4) The Scripture says there is MUCH FOOD in the fallow ground of the poor. It’s there. You just don’t see it. Or more likely, you see it all the time, but don’t believe it. Others have told you, ”It’s a bad idea, don’t quit your day job.” Maybe you don’t see or believe the potential. Maybe you’re afraid.

It’s time to look at that ground, that ability, that book idea, that business idea and start to prepare it for planting. If it has lain fallow all these years, you can’t just throw seed on it and expect a good harvest. The weeds and stones will choke it out. But you can start working on it, preparing for it, studying on it, testing it, refining it, honing it. If it’s a book, you can write the first chapter, or maybe just the table of contents. If it’s a business idea, you can write the business plan to give you clarity.

As you begin to prepare the field to plant your seed, the idea will rise up big in you and get clearer. Faith will arise. Confidence will grow and before you know it, you will be working that fallow ground and experiencing your first harvest. There is much more to say on this so please visit my blog (http://www.michaelpink.com/two-hindrances-success/) where I discuss two great hindrances that may hinder most people from ever getting started.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Don’t Quit!

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There’s a scene from the movie Facing the Giants, in which coach Grant Taylor tells Brock Kelley to do the death crawl with a teammate on his back. The kicker is that he had to do it blindfolded, and the only direction he would received was the voice of the coach, not the sight of his eyes. It is a very inspiring scene. It represents life in many ways, yours and mine. We go through life many times crawling, because that’s the only way we can advance. And we also we find ourselves crawling blindfolded with extra weight over us. A perfect combination for a quitter.

We have all had these seasons in our lives. Moments that make us question everything. Times when our sight is clouded, blindfolded, and we have no direction whatsoever. Times in which we have an extra weight on our backs that pushes us down, reviving the idea of quitting every second. It’s in moments like these that I appreciate the coach Taylor’s of the world. Those that push us harder and inspire us to continue to move forward, even when we can’t see where we are going. That voice that leads us to the end zone, and helps us realize that we can do more, be more, achieve more. That voice that will not accept a no for an answer, and will expect the best of us, no matter what.

We need those voices. We all need from time to time; a firm voice that will acknowledge the pain, the struggle, but in spite of that will inspire and push you to the end zone. Just when Brock says, “its hard”, coach Taylor responds, “I know its hard, but you can do it”. And louder and louder he shouted on, “Don’t quit, Don’t Quit, your very best!”.

The same I tell you today. Don’t Quit. I know its hard, I know you can’t see anything in the horizon, but trust the voice, even if it is your own, that tells you; Don’t quit! Don’t quit on your family, it might be hard, but you have to give your very best! Don’t quit on your passion, I know its frustrating some times, but you have to give your very best!, Don’t quit on your children; there are many disappointments, but they are full of potential and they deserve your very best. Don’t quit on your God, He is the ultimate voice that leads you to the end zone, that pushes you further, beyond your limits, because He knows you can do more.

You can be a coach Taylor to the Brock Kelley’s in your life. Or maybe you feel like Brock, and just want to give up. I know, I’ve been both. Just follow the voice, push hard. If you do I promise you one thing; You will get to the end zone and everyone, even yourself, will be amazed of what you will achieved.

So above all, DON’T QUIT!

Enjoy the clip!

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”
Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2014
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A cure against wandering

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Listening to the tunes of Agnus Dei and How Great is our God, I wonder of your majesty and love. You have made me yours, even when I wander through this world and ignore your promptings to my own peril.

In the moments where our soul is sober and clear, questions flow and are inevitable. How can we elevate our thoughts and soul to the stature of whom God wants us to be? How can we honor you with the life you have entrusted us? It is for us to look at my own life and ponder where we are. We should not live a life of the likes of chicken, meddling in the earth and always feeding from the ground, scared of everything and tossed around by even the most minuscule of provocations. We should be living a life of the eagles, soaring high and elevating our lives above the circumstances and hitting it’s target with precision. Why? Why is the pull of this earth so strong in the soul and mind?

I can’t conclude definitely what are the facts that contribute to this, but I know that in part is what we let our lives be fed by. We let distractions, well, distract us. Can this be changed? What do we have to do to make life more focused and significant? What are the pressures that need to be alleviate from our life so the “right” food feeds the soul and mind?

I ponder this myself. I should understand better what is it that makes me act and react the way I do. Why the wandering? Why the unfulfilling pursuits and self flagellating journeys? How can I, in the pursuit of happiness, ignore the inclinations of the world and have the right sight of The Most High? How do I shift from the “I” to the HIM? Can it be done? Can I conquer this fallen state of mind and life? Is there a way where the focus of life runs away from the present state and passing satisfactions to the future prize of eternal joy, rest and fulfillment?

HE is Holy. I am not. He is the Most High, not me. When this heart focuses on him and realizes what he has done for it, it melts and drops. The stance is of adoration and prostration. Can this life be lived with that inner stance everyday? Is it possible to fulfill His purpose in life?

God is faithful, We are not. But we want to be. Knowing that never once He has had left our side is comforting, convicting and humbling just because it has not be reciprocated. Shame is the word that best describes the sentiment. Shame of walking away from the path that was made for us at the cross. Shame is the feeling that comes from a life that has wandered many times over. We question; I question. Can you give us a new heart? Can you change the way we respond to life? Can you respond to us when we plea as David plead? Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. – A pure heart, a steadfast spirit. – If I want something in this life is that. This is where I could dare to put my “I” first. A heart that kneels before the Creator and a spirit that longs nothing else but Him!

A pure heart and a steadfast spirit focussed only on that which HE wants. This is what I want in life. So I ask and pray, for a cure against wandering: A pure heart and a steadfast sprit. You should ask the same.

Ps51.10

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2014
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A fine-tuning place

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And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 3:17–4:1

The story paints the scene when Jesus had just been baptized by his cousin John the Baptist and the audible voice of God validates to everyone who he was. I don’t know about you but that would be reason enough for me to be emboldened and put a spring in my steps, but obviously I am not Jesus. The scripture tells us a very interesting event that followed; He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and tempted. (Matthew 4:1) In the natural, this might seem very strange and even contradictory but it actually makes a lot of sense. There is a principle hidden here: Nothing substitutes process.

There are times in our lives that we just don’t understand. I mean we receive all the green lights, the approvals and even the support of those dear to us, but then after the euphoria and the emotional high fades, we find ourselves walking alone in a desert place. It is a place that grieves us and antagonizes us constantly and it seems not to end. We don’t understand why if everything seemed right, felt right and looked right we are in a place that is barren and inhospitable.
But if you subscribe to the idea that there are no substitutes for process, you will understand something else also:The wilderness is a prerequisite for the calling. Head knowledge alone does not qualify you, experience does. And even when things look a little dicey right now, this might be the place that will prepare you for your next assignment.

But even if you don’t concur with my beliefs, the principle works in every area of life. Nothing substitutes process. And when you make peace with this, you will see life from a different lens. The question will no longer be why, but what? What is the reason I am going through this? What is it that I have to learn about myself that I cannot discover any other way? What traits in my personality is changing, pruned, modified, strengthen? What is it that I am lacking that this situation is testing me for? Your wilderness situation has the potential to unveil your potential, and that is always a great place to be in.

So even when it might be a hurtful, confusing or dark season of your life, maybe, just maybe this could be the greatest moment for you. Just as the 40 days of testing and temptation that followed, the time in the wilderness became the foundation from which Jesus’s ministry would sprung from.

It is your decision. You can either wither and dry, or you can blossom if the middle of this real or even apparent dry place, it really doesn’t matter which one it is. The wilderness is really a fine-tuning place.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2013
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.