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Surprise! I'm participating in the Wednesday Quotes link-up hosted by Marsha at Always Write, and I know that's not a surprise. The surprise is that I've got two posts so close together. And also that's the prompt for this round: Surprise!
There are good surprises and there are not-so-good surprises, and I think we all appreciate when life surprises us by going a whole lot better than we expected.
The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us. ~Ashley Montagu
Just moments after my daughter took this selfie of us waiting for a Pentatonix concert to start, she received an awesome surprise. One of the staff came over to talk to her . . . they were choosing some enthusiastic fans to get an upgrade ticket. So we got to move up to the stage!
Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us. ~Boris Pasternak
If you weren't surprised by your life you wouldn't be alive. Life is a surprise. ~William S. Burroughs
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| My son after his first orientation flight as a Civil Air Patrol cadet |
One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do. ~Henry Ford
Has this happened to you? You tried something new that you were very skeptical about, and it went super well? You tried something one more time, even though you'd messed it up every other time, and it finally worked! That's a good feeling, isn't it?
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| These friends joined me to put together a homeschool curriculum fair on short notice that was a big success - Surprise! - |
Finding a new friend or falling love can be one of the most pleasant surprises ever! The surprise is sometimes that you hit it off so quickly with someone. That there's someone who gets your jokes, appreciates you for who you are, is sympathetic to your struggles and likes you anyway. Sometimes I've felt a bit of surprise when reflecting on how long a friendship has endured.
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| good friends - now sisters! |
It's surprising to realize I've been friends with Denise for 20+ years. It's also surprising that the photo below was taken 14 years ago, after we'd been surprised by how wet we got after choosing NOT to wear the blue ponchos to walk up the trail beside Niagara Falls. We laughed so hard and still talk about it though, so I think it was a fun surprise!
There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved: It is God's finger on man's shoulder. ~Charles Morgan
I often say that I don't think anything can surprise me any more. Especially the last few years, right? Goodness, some crazy things have happened in the world and just in the USA that had many of us saying over and over again, "things can't possibly get any weirder" but then they DID get weirder. I've lost track of the number of times a so-called wacky conspiracy theory turned out to be true, the number of times The Simpsons or The Babylon Bee seemed to predict the future, and the number of times we said, "No! That won't happen!" and then it DID. Wow. Most of those things were unpleasant surprises, sadly. And even when I had the feeling something was going to go horribly wrong so that I wasn't shocked when it did, it was hard to not worry and be fearful. And that's sort of our default position when we are faced with the uncertainty of the future - we worry. But do you know who is never caught off guard? God. The only way I've made it through some of my uncertain times is by trusting that HE is still in control no matter how out of control my world may be.
The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us. ~Francois de La Rochefoucauld
God is mighty. God is caring. God is worthy of praise. God is loving. God is able. God is in control. Nothing takes God by surprise. Some sweet reminders to soak in before falling asleep tonight. ~Lysa TerKeurst
Do you like surprise endings or twists when you read a story? Good fiction should surprise us at least a little with the direction a story takes, the solution to a mystery, or the way a conflict resolves.
I think kids want the same thing from a book that adults want - a fast-paced story, characters worth caring about, humor, surprises, and mystery. A good book always keeps you asking questions, and makes you keep turning pages so you can find out the answers. ~Rick Riordan
The story of this world doesn't have a surprise ending, because the Bible tells us what will happen. The surprise will be when it happens. There will be signs to tell us it's coming soon, and we see a lot of those signs all around us, but the exact timing and way it unfolds is something we won't be able to predict. That's why we need to always be ready for Christ's return.
For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. . . But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.
~I Thessalonians 5:2, 4-6~
Be ready to be surprised!
Here's something that should come as no surprise - I'm going to end with some humorous quotes! And with a wish and prayer that all your surprises are pleasant ones today.
Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable. ~Jane Austen
Comedy is surprises, so if you're intending to make somebody laugh and they don't laugh, that's funny. ~Norm MacDonald
This post is also linked at Blessed Are the Pure Of Heart
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Well done, Kym. I enjoyed learning about Haydn. My mother was a pianist and piano teacher back in her day, and one of her favorites was Haydn. I love all your funnies, and always enjoy your philosophizing. :) Thanks for joining. It's always a nice surprise to read what you have each week. :)
ReplyDeleteMy kids got a kick out of the Surprise Symphony way back when we studied some music history, and I always enjoyed that one from Haydn in particular. Thanks for stopping by and for your very kind and encouraging comments!
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