Small Miracles: Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life
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What this book is all about...
May 5, 2000...a small book landed on my arms. My brother’s girlfriend had thoughtfully given me a birthday gift. It was this book -- Small Miracles! I excitedly read the sixty true stories contained in it and relished in the fact that coincidences does happen a lot in our lives.
You could actually be involved in a series of events and quite easily dismiss it as pure “luck”, “fluke”, “chance happenings” or “twist of fate.” Or you could see it as a blessing and perhaps feel God’s hand at work. But the remarkable thing is that once you have opened your eyes wide enough to see with your heart, they just come. Blessings found in answers that you were seeking, solutions to challenges, unexpected help, new found friendships and closing the gap between families and loved ones. Suddenly, your world is illuminated with light and you gasp with awe for everywhere miracles after miracles abound. They are not even big ones but little, tiny, small ones. Yet the greatest blessing comes from the knowing that all is well along with the feelings of love, hope, joy and peace.
This gift prodded me to buy Small Miracles II: Heartwarming Gifts of Extraordinary Coincidences. I also began to share these stories during our growth sessions with our teachers in our preschool. Eight years later, I still find myself sharing them as excitedly as I had done a few years ago.
Coincidence?
Some of the small miracles...in summary
1. Walking in a dimly lit street one night, a man heard muffled screams coming from behind the bushes. A rapist was at work. Torn between fear and risking his own life to help this unknown woman, he took the latter. He jumped upon the attacker and wrestled with him until he ran and escaped.
He could hear the girl sobbing so he tried to reassure her saying, "you're safe now." Suddenly out from the bushes, the words came in amazement, "Dad, is that you?" It was his youngest daughter, Katherine.
2. Trisha had picked up a stray cat in the school's courtyard, fallen in love with it and had begged her father to let her keep him. His father detested the cat intensely and finally he succumbed to his daughter's pleas esp. when she said that he just came up to her and rubbed against her in affection. "We connect Dad." But one time when the cat made the mistake of creating a mess in the dining room, he ordered for the cat to be removed from the house the following day!
Late that night, Trisha was startled from sleep when the cat hurled his body onto the bed and began to make hissing, angry sounds. Trisha tried to fend him off, but he kept returning. Finally she stood up and and climbed into her sister's bed on the other side of the room. Just then, an earthquake occured. And a huge drawer toppled across the bed where only seconds before Trisha had been sleeping. It was the Northridge California earthquake of 1994. And the plain old alley cat had saved her life. Yes, the cat became a permanent member of the family after that.
3. Every sunday morning at exactly 9 a.m., twenty members of a Southern Baptist congregation church choir would assemble in a chapel for a one hour rehearsal before their services. The members were devoted and extremely punctual.
One day, sirens pierced the morning air as the residents rushed to see the chapel in flames. It was ten minutes past nine. They shook their heads mournfully as they realized that none of the choir members could have gotten out in time. The fire had happened too fast.
Still paralyzed with shock, people didn't notice the arrival of twenty automobiles pulling into the church's parking lot. Twenty red-frocked figures were running towards the church. Until the townspeople saw in astonishment at this miraculous sight. They were alive!!! For the first time in twenty years of ongoing choir practice, every single one of the choir members--for separate and unconnected reasons-had arrived late.
Small Miracles Series
Small Miracles: Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life (1997)
Small Miracles II: Heartwarming Gifts of Extraordinary Coincidences (1998)
Small Miracles of Love and Friendship: Remarkable Coincidences of Warmth and Devotion (1999)
Small Miracles for Women: Extraordinary Coincidences of Heart and Spirit (2000)
Small Miracles for the Jewish Heart (2002)
Small Miracles for Families: Extraordinary Coincidences that Reaffirm Our Deepest Ties (2003)
Changing Course: Women's inspiring stories of menopause, midlife and moving forward.
(2004)About the Authors
Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal are the bestselling authors of the Small Miracle Series. Out of a deep appreciation for God’s guiding hand through out their lives, they have decided to write this book. Both of their fathers were Holocaust survivors whose lives were saved by strange and mysterious coincidences.
One of their favorite stories in the First Small Miracles book came from the Oprah Winfrey Show’s Valentines Day special of 1996. The story featured an elderly couple who had been married for over 50 years. They wanted to track them down but bemoan the fact that they were unable to.
One evening, Judith was delivering a talk at Barnes and Nobles bookstore in Queens when during the Q & A portion, someone raised a hand and announced, “Page 129.”
"What?" Judith asked, confused. “You wrote our story on page 129 of your book” the man replied warmly. Guess what? It was the valentines’ couple from the Oprah Winfrey show!
Yitta Halberstam is a writer and lecturer on spirituality whose work has appeared in many magazines, including Parade, New York, Money, and Working Woman. Judith Leventhal is a Gestalt therapist. They both live in Brooklyn, NY.
Albert Einstein once said...
“There are only two positions you can take. Either you believe that nothing in life is a miracle or you believe that everything in life is a miracle.”
I invite you to get a copy of this book to read, share and be inspired and encouraged and just simply be amazed. May you continually recognize the many miracles that come your way. God bless you in your journey.
Michelle Simtoco
Small Miracles on Ebay
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Michelle! There are many of these type of books around filled with little miracles. I love to read them because somehow they just make you feel good inside. Thanks for sharing.
Great hub kindest regards Zsuzsy
I must admit good things happen .....even to me daily...and your inspiration is one of them....It has become very difficult lately dealing with mom and her Alzheimer...but even on the worst days I come out with more understanding and knowledge and realize God has me here to care for her..Although at times I wonder why? I think I shall get this book today..Thank you my dear sweet lady...G-Ma :o) hugs
" Ask and you shall receive" Think it and it is real if you really believe it no matter what. These are the wondorous gifts we have been given by our creator! Thank you for the wondeful Hub to help people discover this simple truth.
Love your hub Michelle. Albert Einstein was a very smart cookie! You have to decide for yourself how you see the world. I have read many similar books, but I shall definitely seek out these ones now. Thanks, Hope.
After you have lived a few years - I have experienced 64 of them so far - you look back on your life and realize that there were far too many coincidences and escapes from near disasters to be just coincidences.
In my case, too many bullets that missed, or grenades that either didn't go off, or went off harmlessly, not to realize that God literally cares for us.
We don't know why He does. Apparently, He just loves His children.
If you don't believe in God, that's your problem - not mine.
Bob
Dear Michelle
Thank you Michelle for always giving us such beautiful blessings of hope, love and faith.
Michelle, you are a big miracle from God!
Kind Regards
Bernard Levine
Thanks for this hub. Sometimes we need little reminders like this. Even at the darkest hour, there is a miracle just around the corner.
I magree with you rmr.
This is beautiful and I will get that book, miracles are all around us and we have the chance to be one for someone else. What would happen if no one recognized the promptings we get nor followed them? We can make such a difference if we are tuned in....
Small miracles! Did I catch right that on May 5th a small beautiful miracle was born. If so then we are both Taurean sisters. Pretty cool, huh! But I'll have to go to compu-smart's birthday hubs to see if May 5th is the miraculous day!
O Boy! you could have stopped me, Michelle! The cat has been let out of the bag!!!!! LOL but we are confirmed Taurean sisters!!!! And that's cool!!!
An uplifting hub...thank you. Miracles happen everyday, even when we are unaware, that is why we should be thankfull in all things - at all times.
Great stories. They bring a tear to your eye because of the absolute miracle of it.
Something positive to brighten up the day =)
Halooo back to you Taurean sis! The answer to your question is the 20th!!! Have a wonderful ripilin day!
Nice hub, Ripplemaker. I firmly believe in miracles. I have no choice: they've been happening to me all my life.
So nice, Ripplemaker. I'm a firm believer in the notion that coincidences are simply God's way of remaining anonymous. I love hearing these stories.
Me singing!--->There can be miracles, when you believe though hope is frail, it's hard to kill, who knows what miracles you can achieve When you believe somehow you will you will when you believe.:)
ripplemaker, thank-you for this hub! and sharing some of your stories in miracles! I do believe in miracles, and this whole universe is a miracle to me and everything on it including you, who shares and guides the non believers!
Keep up the good work my angel!:)
I once read a piece in reader's digest about telepathy not being telepathy and a form of subliminal messages that can be retrieved if one digs down deep enough and into the past and despite all the researches and events the author undertook, at the end of the long drawn article he confessed to the presence of events that just couldn't be linked or explained with science ,reason or known metaphysical phenomenons.Personally, I do believe in miracles as much as I believe in science.Great stories!
Every now and again, you stumble upon something heartwarming and meaningful on the web. This hub is just that - beautifully constructed with an important spiritual message. It wrestles us all away from our occupations and material things. Thank you most sincerely ripplemaker.
Lovely Hub. We both believe in miracles. It is immensely sad that some people cannot see or acknowledge them.
Great post! Great samples from the book! Thanks for sharing! It's very inspiring!
Thank again,
Isn't it cool when these things happen! How often do you think things like this happen to us and we don't notice them? Great hub ripplemaker!
Hi ripplemaker,
This hub strengthens my hope and translates my faith into daily bite-size trust that we are never alone in difficult situations. Either we can be an angel to others or others are angels to us (This idea is from one of your hubs, remember.) The strength of your hubs is the hope they offer to your readers. This article inspires me. Thanks.
franciaonline
These sound like wonderful books and I do believe in miracles Ripplemaker! I will be checking these books out of the library today, thanks for the reading tips!
This is so true Ripplemaker! I hope we both can achieve the dreams on our bucket list :).
Dear Ripplemaker,
thank you for the heart warming stories. I am a surgeon by profession. Like you, I am also trying to heal in other ways, including sharing positive messages and stories about health and life. We're not alone out there.
regards,
I loved the quote from Einstein. My gosh, if he believes in miracles, then there must be something to them!
When I first learned how to stick shift, I was horrific at it. An old girl friend enticed me to "try and beat the train" at a train crossing not to far from where I went to college.
I stalled out the car in first gear right over the tracks as I saw the headlight of the train bearing down on me.
It was a miracle I got that car out of first gear, and I've lived and loved for 28 more years since then!
This sounds like a great book, Michelle. I just love synchronicity and miracles, they bring our attention to the wonders of life, if we let them.
Thx for bringing this book to our attention, it sounds like something I would really like.
Thank-you, and wish the same for you, P.O. :)
yes!yes!yes!
May 5th is deffiently a miraculous day for Birth;:)!
Michelle, what a beautiful Hub. I see that this series moves you deeply, and that you are a believer, as I, that there is no coincidence, happenstance...everything happens for a reason, whether we undertand the reason or not.
We are connected to the universe in ways we can't imagine, even given the help of masterful minds like Einstein, or the minds of those who are the teachers and guides of faith, or even our own introspective selves. I believe that we live in a soup, of sorts, and I guess that will be a Hub of mine one day!
Thank you so much for this review. I see your heart, mind, and spirit in every word.
A beautiful article. I truly believe in miracles myself. I believe that somehow, everything and everybody in life is somehow connected together.
Love this hub. Very good.
Chocked up and smiling. That was a lovely hub!
love & light -p
I feel like my cat is partly my angel. He came into my life shortly after my mother had died and always sees to know when I'm feeling down.
Great Hub!
Ah!!! Michelle Joy...
You Are a miracle yourself! This is truly wondrous! Would you believe if I told you that you are one of my miracles? Yes! No pun intended! Perhaps it is that energy flow that emanates from you, even at a distance. The truth is you always make me feel good and so do your hubs!
Thank you for existing, dear friend!
Thumbs up!
Warmest regards and blessings,
Salamat, my kaibigan,
Al
I really enjoy reading about experiences like these. I'm glad to know about this book.
Amazing and thanks for sharing about this book. I'll have to pick up a copy. I don't think there are such things as coincidences but rather they are "God-incidences", and once we are "aware", like you say, we start to see them everywhere!
Miracles happen everyday, every hour, every minute and every second. You just need to be aware of them and be thankful to God for the everyday miracles.
Great hub ripplemaker. Mabuhay
Hi!ripplemaker
there are many books that I have read on miracles.
your book is interesting and I am thinking to buy it now.
Thank you for sharing a few information about the book.
A heartful thank you to you from Ipsita & Aniket
I read this book-Small wonders II about 7years back at Podicherry, India. Its a good book.I am glad to see some excerpts from volume I, which I am yet Procure and read. Thanks for the review. It deserves attention of all those who believe in God.
Thanks for this great hub, miracles are all around us, one just needs to open your eyes and your hart to experience it. My life is full of miracles and I trust that it will continue. We serve a glorius God that loves us so much, we cannot imagine the extent of His love.
Wow! Very touching. I will be looking for this book next time I'm at the store! I love these types of stories. Another great book is 'Heaven is for real' - I found it to be very inspirational. Thank you very much for sharing this hub :)
life is really full of small miracles and sometimes we're just too busy to notice it. I really like the story a daughter being attacked by stangers and being saved by his father.


















































dayzeebee Level 2 Commenter 3 years ago
hello there, i'm real glad you made this hub about the book. the stories of real life events calls out hope, gratitude, joy and love--- good feeling places where miracles of healing can take place. thank you for constantly bringing light into this community. you are a miracle yourself!:)