Welcome to The Week In Words, where we share quotes from the last week’s reading. If something you read this past week inspired you, caused you to laugh, cry, think, dream, or just resonated with you in some way, please share it with us, attributing it to its source, which can be a book, newspaper, blog, Facebook — anything that you read. More information is here.
Just a further note — if you’ve posted a quote on your blog this past week, feel free to link it here as well. You don’t have to save it for Mondays. 
And please do read and comment even if you’re not posting quotes.
Here are a few I’ve read in various places:
Seen on Diane‘s Facebook status:
“I think sometimes a lot of the wear and tear on our lives is from fighting the circumstances that God has allowed to come into our lives.” Nancy Leigh DeMoss
I think that is probably true. It’s not usually surrender that’s the problem as much as the struggle against surrender.
Also seen at Diane‘s:
“It takes grace to give grace, takes hope to give hope, takes love to give love. I can give these to you because Christ gave them to me.”-Paul David Tripp
I can only minister to others what I have received from Christ.
Seen at girltalk:
When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now.
Insofar as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all.
When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased. ~ C. S. Lewis, Letters of C.S. Lewis (8 November, 1952)
So true!
And I am so thankful for this truth expressed in the Heidelberg Catechism (which I had not heard of before) shared by Chris Anderson at My Two Cents:
Question 60: How are thou righteous before God?
Answer: Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; so that though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil; notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me, the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ; even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart.
Special note for next week: we’re moving this week, and I am not sure when we will have Internet access and when my desktop PC will be set up and ready to use. If I can set up The Week In Words next Monday, I will, but if you don’t see it here, that means I wasn’t able to, and you can hang on to those quotes for the following Monday.
If you have some family-friendly quotes you’d like to share, please leave the link to your “Week In Words” post with Mr. Linky below. I hope you’ll visit some of the other participants as well: this is a small enough meme so far that it is not hard to visit around with others who love to glean quotes from their reading as well.
Stray Thoughts 
“A truth that’s told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.”
William Blake
Oh, I love that Paul David Tripp quote–and your summary was so apt.
I think the concept can also be applied in another way. Often, I hear people say “What do I have to give?” The answer should be: “What Christ has given you.”
I have received His unconditional love. So what can I give? I can give unconditional love. I am a recipient of divine unmerited favor. And I can (through Christ) offer unmerited favor (I have a hard time with this one.) I have received forgiveness. I can give forgiveness.
What do I have to give? So often, we’re looking for a talent, a special “word”, or something physical. And true, we should be using those to minister to others. But ultimately, we can give what we have been given–and that’s how the world will be transformed by the gospel of Christ.
Hi Barbara,
Believe it or not, I was just thinking of visiting when your comment came through… I thought to myself that I needed to read your compilation of quotes… 🙂
Blessings to you and yours on your move! Will be thinking of and praying for you.
Hugs.