Flowers are sent to do God's work in unrevealed paths, and to diffuse influence by channels that we hardly suspect.

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.

The Church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones.

Some men are like pyramids, which are very broad where they touch the ground, but grow narrow as they reach the sky.

As for marigolds, poppies, hollyhocks, and valorous sunflowers, we shall never have a garden without them, both for their own sake, and for the sake of old-fashioned folks, who used to love them.

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.

The thistle is a prince. Let any man that has an eye for beauty take a view of the whole plant, and where will he see a more expressive grace and symmetry; and where is there a more kingly flower?

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself.

He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has.

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.

1) everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal

I'm your other half. (...) I'll carry your heartbeat in mine.

A diamond does not complain about the discomfort of being polished

When one is down due to trials on earth evil sees an opening to attack. You with God are more powerful than satan ~ every time.

It is rather hard and certainly depressing to admit guilt and to repent

Maybe there was no happily ever after [...] but there was happiness sometimes and she had it now, doing what she knew she was born for.

You are not here to fritter away your precious hours when you have the ability to accomplish so much by making a slight change in your routine.

The Vatican has always had a core of diplomats for centuries. It has ambassadors in 180 countries and always played a kind of behind-the-scene role in many world issues.

There is no best way to make art, but there are a lot of better ways.

By altering our attitudes we can alter our lives.