Dirk Mullenger

One day Jesus’s disciples asked him how to pray—which is hilarious when you think about it: here they are talking with God (aka Jesus) asking him, ‘How should we talk with you?’ Remarkably, Jesus gives them the lay of land:…

“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.” ― Octavia E. Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories…

“People are not who you want them to be. Kill your idols. Sure there are things we can learn from people–but people aren’t going to be what you think they are–what they should be. “People, even those people you have…

It’s easier to tell other people to persist than to do so yourself. 00

“When you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note you play that determines if it’s good or bad.” —Miles Davis   00

Journal entry from 2013 It was touching last night to see daughter Michelle laying in bed with my youngest son Casey watching a National Geographic program on sharks. They were cuddled up in bed and Casey what was beaming with…

“Write your own book instead of reading someone else’s book about success.” -Herb Brooks 00

“Love is happiness”, a lonely young woman once told me. She said, “Nobody loves me, and I will never be happy until I am loved”. Do you feel unloved? Do you feel unworthy of being loved?  Have you been abandoned…

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner…

“If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die a lot of times.”– Dean Smith 00

“Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.” – Dale Carnegie 00

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” –Philippians 4:6 …and if you do worry, make it segue into prayer. 00

“The more concerned we become over things we can’t control, the less we will do with the things we can control.” –John Wooden 00

I hate that word community—and worse, I dread that being in community is an absolute necessity to living a fulfilled, semi-sane life. Loners are skewed. They wobble. Even if you’re a genius, if you’re a loner genius you’ll be lonely.…

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.” —Kristin Armstrong 00

“I write about the power of trying, because I want to be okay with failing. I write about generosity because I battle selfishness. I write about joy because I know sorrow. I write about faith because I almost lost mine,…

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” —Albert Schweitzer 00

You might be expecting a lard load of advice from a know-it all. Were it only so.  On the whole, habits have gotten the worst of me. Play word association, you say ‘Habit’ I say ‘Bad!’.  My strength is to…

“My conclusion on Free Will and Predestination…they are identical.” —Winston Churchill 00

Discouragement implies futility, induces emotional pain, suggests you will find relief if you quit trying. Your efforts may cease, but the pain will remain. Discouragement misinterprets the present and dooms the future. It stifles the now, foments hopelessness, and pockmarks…