Status Updates From How to Live a Holy Life

“Or try to imagine yourself at your death and think something like this: "If I were to die right now, what would become of me, who have sinned so greatly?".

“If you cannot fall asleep for a long time after you go to bed, then, after lying down, try to imagine the Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings on the cross and pray to Him in your heart about everything that comes into your heart”

“Try in every way possible to fall asleep thinking good thoughts. This is very important for the soul, as a familiar experience can attest: what you pour into the mill in the evening is what it grinds all night. All who look after themselves know very well that our last thoughts in the evening are usually the chief ones that stay with us during sleep and are the first ones we have in the morning.”

“Never have a bed that is too soft. It is not a soft bed that gives sound sleep, but a clear conscience.”

“Our spiritual improvement depends precisely on such a diligent investigation of ourself.
Without such a more or less scrupulous investigation of ourselves we cannot have spiritual improvement and no one should ever dream that without it he will perfect himself.”

“When you sit down to dinner, always start and finish it with a prayer, as you do at lunch.
After dinner, just as in the morning after breakfast, occupy your heart with spiritual thoughts.”

“When you have finished your business, lift up your thoughts to the Lord God and sincerely thank Him for all the good things that you have received from Him in the day that is coming to a close, that is, having stayed alive, your spiritual and bodily strength, your health, for food, for drink, all soul-saving thoughts, all holy desires, earthly and heavenly light, help and protection-in short, every good thing.”

“To prevent any ungodly thoughts from entering your head or ungodly desires from entering your heart during necessary rest, try to nourish yourself, depending on the condition of your soul, with various spiritual thoughts, and especially with appeals of the heart to the Lord God;”

“While playing games people very often and almost inescapably wish evil for others, lie, deceive, become annoyed, irritated or angry, taunt each other with venomous words, swear without need, often become involved in irreconcilable hostility, pointlessly squander their resources, and, in any case, trifle away their precious time.”

“St. Basil the Great says, "Amusement is the mother of sin. Amusement is the food of the eternal worm," among other things. Games generally inculcate idleness, laziness, and many other vices.”

“Never use time for rest, as do many foolish people, on amusements or on any dissolute or useless games, for example, card-playing, pitch-and-toss, and so forth.”

“Everyone rising from a meal should think of this and, after having rested a little, get back to work”