A coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.
- Anonymous
Miracles happen everyday,
change your perception of what a miracle is
and you'll see them all around you.
- Jon Bon Jovi
The best portion of a good man's life
is his little, nameless, unremembered
acts of kindness and of love.
- William Wordsworth
Our "Rainbows and Butterflies" are the small miracles of our life -
the little things that are so easy to overlook,
yet so awe inspiring when we take a moment
to notice and to pay attention.
Give thanks for the rainbows, for the butterflies,
for all God's creatures - large and small,
for the bright blue sky and the soft fog and the gentle rain,
for the tree veiled in the season's first frost,
for the baby's laugh,
for the touch of a hand and the whispered "I love you."
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Further reading:
Gratitude for All Life
Appreciating Our Blessings
Everything is a Miracle
Appreciating Today
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- Matthew 7:1
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
- Jesus (Matthew 5:7,9)
Then came Peter to him, and said,
Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me,
and I forgive him? till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee,
Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
- Matthew 18:21-22
Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite [religious leader], when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan [Samaritans and Jews generally disliked and were suspicious of each other] came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds ... and ... took him to an inn and took care of him. ...
Jesus [said] "Go and do likewise."
- Luke 10:25-37 (The Parable of the Good Samaritan)
The Christian gospel is a summons to peace,
calling for justice beyond anger,
mercy beyond justice,
forgiveness beyond mercy,
love beyond forgiveness.
- Wendell Berry
Further reading: Instrument of Peace
Tolerance, Not Judgement
Caring for the Least of These
Let Me Sow Love
Feeding the Hungry
There is no truth.
There is only perception.
- Gustave Flaubert
Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.
- Wayne Dyer
Let mad beauty collect itself in your eyes.
- Jewel
A flower is a weed seen through joyful eyes.
The virtue of anyone or anything is solely in our perspective.
See gold, and there is gold; see lead and there is lead.
If you see this thistle as a thorny nuisance, then it is a weed.
If you appreciate its bright pink bloom, then it is a flower.
It becomes what you name it.
The power is in your choice, your perspective, your speaking.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Further reading:
Beauty is Everywhere
What One Emphasizes
Simply Marvelous
Life's most urgent question is:
what are you doing for others?
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
You can't live a perfect day without doing something
for someone who will never be able to repay you.
- John Wooden
Compassion is the universal standard of moral living.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Further reading:
Being of Service
Feeding the Children
The Least Of These
Material Possessions
