The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.

Use problems as opportunities to change our lives. Problems call forth our courage and wisdom.

Information is only as valuable as its source.

Science and religion support the same truth – pure energy is the father of creation.

The laws of physics are the canvas God laid down on which to paint his masterpiece.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

I suddenly found myself thinking how, try as we might, we never really have much control over the trajectory of our lives. We can delude ourselves into believing that we’re the master captain steering the course of our destiny…. But the randomness of everything inevitably pushes us into places and situations where we never expect to find ourselves.

A Special Relationship by Douglas Kennedy

Forest

Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.

Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Book of Proverbs 16 verse 9 (Holy Bible)

He said: I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

Book of Proverbs 18 verse 1-3 (Holy Bible)

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.

Book of Proverbs 11 verse 14 (Holy Bible)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Book of Proverbs 11 verse 14 (Holy Bible)

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Book of Psalms 30 verse 5 (Holy Bible)

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6 verse 14-18 (Holy Bible)

We human beings are only a part of something very much larger. When we walk along, we may crush a beetle or simply cause a change in the air so that a fly ends up where it might never have gone otherwise. And if we think of the same example, but with ourselves in the role of the insect and the larger universe in the role we’ve just played, it is perfectly clear that we are affected every day by forces over which we have no more control than the poor beetle has over our gigantic foot as it descends upon it. What are we to do?

We must use whatever methods we can to understand the movement of the universe around us and time our actions so that we are not fighting the currents, but moving with them.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Morphou Bay

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

(Holy Bible)

As the brightness of the sun is born of it, and the rays of the sun proceed from it and come down to us, neither the brightness of the sun nor its rays are separate from the sun itself. When we say brightness, we do not speak of another sun but of the one sun.

In the same way we say the Logos of God is God and Spirit of God is God. We do not say there are other Gods, but the one God, that is eternal and everlasting together with His coeternal Word and His Holy Spirit.

Orthodox Christian Neomartyrs; Michael the Breadseller, Granitsa, Greece 21st March 1547.

Sunrise

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Philippians 2 verse 1-7 (Holy Bible)

Things might happen accidentally – but then we make choices. That is what we have to live with – not the accident, the fluke but the choices we make in the wake of it. Because they really determine our destiny.

When it comes to forgiveness, language may be important but gesture is everything. Because gesture begets another gesture. Just as forgiving another allows you to forgive yourself.

The Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy

Flowers

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

Audrey Hepburn

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.

Baron Pierre de Courbertin

Many of us feel that we have a responsibility to help create opportunities for those with the potential to excel but lacking the resources, and to use the fruits of our success to help build a better world for future generations. We do this in our personal lives, and we do it through the corporations with which we are involved. We do it not simply out of altruism, but because we know that we and our children will benefit, and because only our collective goodwill can solve problems that might affect our lives and the lives of those we care about.

Cliff Kurtzman, CEO, Adastro Inc.

Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.

Doris Mortman

Rocks in the sea

The body has within, the inherent ability and intelligence to heal itself, provided it is given the opportunity to do so.

Hippocrates

The highest reward for a man’s (and a woman’s) toil is not what he (or she) gets for it, but what he (or she) becomes of it.

John Ruskin (1819-1900)

True science discovers God waiting behind every door.

Pope Pius XII

One night I dreamed a dream. I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes of my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me, and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand and to my surprise I noticed there was only one set of footprints. I realised that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life. This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

‘Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You, You would walk and talk with me all the way. But I’m aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints. I just don’t understand why, when I needed you most, You leave me.’

He whispered. ‘My precious child, I love you and will never leave you never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you’.

Margaret Fishbank Powers

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

Mark Twain

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.

Martin Luther

Joy is prayer – Joy is strength – Joy is love – Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.

When I am hungry, give me someone that I can feel. And when I am thirsty give me someone who needs a drink. When I am cold, give me someone to keep warm. And when I grieve, give me someone to console.

So if you want something the only way to truly have it is to give it to someone else. We are seeking the experience of oneness, for only then does the peace of God flow into our lives.

Mother Theresa

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree, Where Alph, the sacred river ran, Through caverns measureless to man, Down to the sunless sea.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1824)

Aquarium

Lord, I love you and I need you come into my heart heal and bless me, my family, my home and my friends - in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Prayer for Work
My heavenly father, as I enter this work place, I bring your presence with me. I speak your peace, your grace, your mercy and your perfect order into this office. I acknowledge your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided and done within these walls. Lord, I thank you for the gifts you have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in Your honour. Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Anoint my projects, ideas and energy; so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring you glory.

Lord, when I am confused guide me. When I am weary energise me. When I am burned out infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit. May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.

And, oh Lord when I leave this place, give me a safe journey. Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it. Lord, I thank you for everything you have done, everything you are doing and everything you are going to do. In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving. Amen.

Gardens

Saint Theresa is known as the Saint of the Little Ways. Meaning she believed in doing the little things in life well, and with great love. She is also the patron Saint of flower growers and florists. Roses represent her. May everyone be blessed who reads this:

Today may there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of you.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law but the operation of a higher law.

Anyway
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centred – Love them anyway. If you do good people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives – Do good anyway. If you are successful you win false friends and true enemies – Succeed anyway. The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow – Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable – Be honest and frank anyway. What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight – Build anyway. People really need help but may attack you if you help them – Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth – Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Experience is a great thing, yet it is not learned but suffered.

Christianity has value when it costs us.

Falls are material for humility.

From a correct relationship to yourself, comes a right relationship to all others and to the Divine.

God will never take away something without giving you something better to take its place.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

Happiness is a healthy, mental attitude, a grateful spirit, a clear conscience and a heart full of love.

Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.

He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses much more; He who loses faith, loses all.

How you spend your time is more important than how you spend your money. Money mistakes can be corrected, but time is gone forever.

Let us accept people as they are and not as we would want them to be.

Man has made his life more comfortable but has he made it happier?

Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

One song can spark a moment, one flower can make a dream, One tree can start a forest, one bird can herald spring.

Pink flowers

One smile begins a friendship, one handclasp lifts the soul. One star can guide a ship at sea, one word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation, one sunbeam lights a room. One candle wipes out darkness, one laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start a journey, one word must start each prayer. One hope will raise our spirits, one touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom, one heart can know what’s true. One life can make the difference, you see it’s up to you.

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we have. There is no cost but a lot of reward.

When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessings in stone.

Take a walk with God, He will meet you at the Steps.

The road to success is not straight. There is a curve called failure, a loop called confusion, speed bumps called friends, caution lights called family and you will have flats called jobs. But…. If you have a spare called determination, an engine called perseverance, insurance called faith, and a driver called Jesus you will make it to a place called success!

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.

There where anger goes God does not go.

To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others use your heart.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he shall make your paths straight.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift.

You can’t know courage without conquering fear, and you can’t know joy without knowing sadness.

Flowing waters