Bonnie's Miracle

    My sister Bonnie and her husband Bob owned their own flower shop.But flowers were becoming1at more and more local stores and through the Internet2their business was not as good as it had been three years earlier when they3it.For about a year,Bonnie and Bob discussed4they should do.They debated selling.They talked about5it into a gift shop or maybe a bookstore.But there just wasn't enough6or people around the area to7the business.

    Feeling helpless,Bonnie began8praying and asking God for answers.She9"God,give me a sign telling us what You want us to do.Call me on the10she said,"and show me what to do."

    Soon the phone rang.A young woman was asking how much they wanted for the11.My husband and I never take the road beside12shop,"she said,"but we were driving by yesterday and saw the 'For Sale' sign in the13.

    Puzzled,Bonnie replied,"There isn't a sign in the window.My husband and I have been discussing whether or not we should sell,but haven't reached a14"But I saw the sign!"the young lady15insisted."My husband saw it too.It was blue and white in the16picture window17the road.

    It18that the sign was the reflection（反射）of a house's poster put up19to the window on the other side of the road.Anyhow,within two weeks,the young lady and her husband20the flower shop at a handsome price.

    A businessman was deep in debt and could see no way out. He sat on the park bench, 1in hands, wondering if anything could 2 his company.

    Suddenly an old man appeared. "I can see3is troubling you," he said. After listening to the businessman's  4, the old man said, "I believe I can5 you."  He asked the businessman's name, and 6 a check , saying , "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can 7 me back at that time." Then he left quickly.

    The businessman8 in his hand a check for $ 500,000,signed by John D. Rockefeller, who was then one of the9 men in the world! "I can get rid of my money worries now!" he realized. But instead, he10to put the check in his case, just knowing it was there to give him the strength to work out a11 to save his company.

    Within a few months, he was out of debt and 12money once again. Exactly one year later, he returned to the 13with the check. At the agreed-on 14, the old man appeared. Just15the businessman was about to hand back the cheek and16 his successful story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I am so17 I caught him!" she cried, "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's 18 escaping from the rest home and19 people he's John D. Rockefeller." And she led him away by the arm. The businessman just stood there, 20.

    Suddenly, he realized it wasn't the money, real or imagined, but his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

    Douglas was my cousin. I first met him when he came to stay with my family for a 1, because his parents were going to teach in Africa.

    He and his family 2 all the way on the other side of the country, so we had never had a chance to visit. 3, when we arrived at the airport, it was not hard to find which person was my 4. He was the one standing all alone, looking around for someone to 5 him. He looked a little scared to meet us, 6 started to smile shyly after my mom hugged (拥抱) him.

    When we got back home and Douglas 7 putting his things away, I could not believe it. All of his 8 were the same, all white shirts and dark blue shorts. He 9 had a dark blue jacket with a tie!

    "How come you 10 only one kind of clothes?" I asked him.

    "That's the way my school has 11 been," he said. "We have to wear uniforms."

    "I would hate having to wear the 12 thing every day," I said.

    "I don't 13," Douglas said. "It 14 time. I don't have to think about what I am going to wear."

    "Well, we don't wear uniforms at our 15. You're going to look pretty 16 if you come to school in a jacket and tie."

    Douglas looked worried. I felt bad. I had not meant to 17 his feelings. After all, it was not  18easy to live with some 19 family for a year. Then and there I decided that I was going to 20 my cousin and try to make this as good a year as possible for him.

    At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them. As was usually the 1, I fully expected one of the women to2 , but on this evening one of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit3 .

    He began by saying, “Dennis, I was quite4 with you last week when you gave us this 5 I didn't feel that I had anyone to say those words to, and6, who were you to tell me to do something that is 7? But as I began driving home a8 deep down in my heart started talking to me. It was 9me that I knew exactly who I needed to say 'I love you' to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a cruel 10and really never resolved it since that time. We 11seeing each other unless we totally had to at Christmas or other family 12. But even then, we13 spoke to each other. So, last Tuesday by the time I got home I had14 myself I was going to tell my father I loved him.”

    “It's15, but just making that decision16to lift a heavy load off my chest.”

    “When I got home, I rushed into the house to tell my wife what I was going to do. She was already in17 , but I woke her up anyway. She catapulted (弹射) out and 18 me, and for the first time in our married life she saw me cry. We19half the night drinking coffee and talking. It was20.”

    One day, I drove into a service station to get some gas. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling 1 . As I paid for the gas, the attendant said, “How do you feel?” That seemed like a 2 question, but I felt fine and told him so. “You don't look 3.” he replied and continued to tell me my skin appeared 4.

    By the time I left, I was a little 5 . About a block away, I 6 to the side of the road to look at my face 7 the mirror. Was everything all right? Had I picked up 8 rare disease? By the time I got home, I was beginning to feel a slight 9 somewhere in my body.

    The next time I went into that gas station, I 10 what had happened: The place had recently been painted a bright yellow, and the light reflecting off the walls made everyone inside 11 as though they were sick! That was the truth. 12 , I let that short conversation change my attitude for an entire day. His 13 observation affected the way I felt and acted.

    This experience made me think a lot. It is the same with life, in which attitude 14 . The way we look at life determines how we feel and how we 15. If we expect something to turn out 16 , it probably will. But the 17 also works in reverse. If we expect good things to happen, they 18 do. An optimistic attitude, I believe, is not a luxury but a(an) 19. So after that, I chose to highlight the 20 throughout the rest of my life.

    Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

    This farmhouse had been 2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's3 made a noise. He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a4  from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.

    Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse5the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried6when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he7  into the room where grain was stored and was quite8as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he9 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat10 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily11 the cat's paws (爪子).

    The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 12family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to13with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came14 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

    Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!

    The house came15 the next few days. Zigfried16 every single hour of them.17 the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 18 smile at the door of his home, he heard the19of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The20 froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: "Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?"