"Of the Imitation of Christ"

I have been reading Thomas A Kempis' book "of the Imitation of Christ" for a couple months now. I wanted to cruise through it-- but it keeps stopping me dead in my tracks. I wanted to quote from it-- but there are at least two lines in every paragraph that cut me to the bone. All in all the book is far more relevant and far more insightful than most of what I have read this year. He saw me coming a mile away.

Here is another sample:

And if he who firmly purposes often fails, what shall he do who seldom, or with little firmness, purposes anything? (-Thomas A Kempis, "of the Imitation of Christ" chapter 19: Exercises of a Religious Person)

How quickly I lose my resolve to fear and shame. How quickly I give in and give up when I should persevere. How quickly I drop and do not even feign to rise. Christ have mercy.