Quotes from "Mama's Way"

I'm an avid reader. There isn't a time in my life when I'm not reading at least three books at a time. I got an idea from something someone said in my company recently, and thought "Why not try that?" I'm going to try to put my reading to good use for others by taking portions, be it a quote or a page or more, of books I am reading or have read, that held significance for me and I think would be of interest to others. I will TRY to do this on a daily basis but one look at how often I've posted so far should give an idea that I will be doing very good to have something posted every few days!
That being said, here is my first post out of "Mama's Way" by Thyra Ferre Bjorn (out of print now):
"For us to become balanced persons, three things within us must be fed, the body, the mind and the soul.

"The body always seems to be taken care of first. It is very demanding. It will not let us forget. If we do, it causes much pain and discomfort. The mind, too, demands feeding, because it is restless when left inactive. People hunger for fine literature and most homes have books and magazines galore. And it also feasts on plays and radio and television programs and lectures. But the soul is often neglected. It is shy and patient and makes no outstanding demands. If neglected, it cries softly within the heart and we are filled with an anxiety and despair which at times we do not understand. There's that uneasy and lost feeling. If the soul is never fed, it will jsut wither and crumble into a small unnoticed something. It is a sad thing when a soul that should glow and sparkle is slowly starved into nothingness ...

"How sad that some people think prayer is only to be used when we are in danger or in desperate need of something for ourselves. Prayer is really as necessary as breathing ...

"It became clear to me that prayer was never an individual thing; it was universal. What we ask for one affects all, because prayer is always answered ... Because of prayer, God comes to men ...

"'You know, dear,' said Mama, 'prayer is too simlple. That is why some people don't use it more. It is simple enough for a little child to understand. You just ask God ... or tell Him the problem and leave it there. God is ready and willing to take care of all his earth people's needs.'
"Those three words stuck in my mind: 'Leave it there.' That was one of our troubles in praying. We carried our heavy burdens to the Lord, sometimes with the help of others, and after placing them humbly at His feet, we picked them up again adn continued to carry the load. That was what made Mama so happy after she had prayed. She had left whatever it was she carried -- for herself or for others -- left it right there with God -- sure that it was in His hands now. She could relax and rest, knowing that the answer was on its way ...

"Yes, this faith is a strange and mysterious thing, but underneath it is a power greater than the atom. If the leaders of the world today would lay aside all their resentments toward each other, and see the power of prayer, which is God's gift to men, as diligently as they do atomic power, they would find a solution to all their problems ...

"I have talked to Mama about unanswered prayer and what she thinks about it. And, as always, she makes me see it so clearly. 'It is easy to understand,' she says in her soft voice, 'if we think of our own children. Can we grant them anything they wish for? Don't we know that sometimes they ask us for things that would harm them? We really answer them the right way -- we refuse to give them what they ask.'"