A man planted a flower seed in his garden. He looked after it, steadfastly weeding and watering the soil around it. A robust plant appeared — but, for years, no flower. He thought of destroying the plant, but finally decided: “My business is to look after the plant; it is for God to produce the flower. I will keep myself busy in tending the plant and not concentrating on my flowerless labors.” Years passed; he contented himself with the care of the plant and forgot all about the flower. One sunny morning, when a breeze was gently blowing, he smelled a strangely attractive fragrance. He ran to his plant and stood speechless in joy — there in front of him was the gorgeous flower! The aromatic beauty had always been present in the plant, a hidden potential awaiting the right moment of blossoming made possible by his labor of love.

The yogi should similarly keep himself busy nurturing his plant of Self-realization; if he is not impatient, he will find (one day when God in his infinite wisdom deems it proper) the amaranthine flower of eternal freedom.

— Paramahansa Yogananda (born on 5th January)

Photo by Hamed Saber

The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.

BTW, was Jesus a raw-foodist? I don’t want to pass my judgement on this, but read the arguments yourselves — here. I don’t want to speculate whether Jesus was a raw-foodist or a vegetarian or otherwise, but I do tend to believe in ‘eating always from the table of God’, at least for the sake of health. To quote from the above link,

So eat always from the table of God: the fruits of the trees, the grain and grasses of the field, the milk of beasts, and the honey of bees. For everything beyond these is of Satan, and leads by the way of sins and of diseases unto death. But the foods which you eat from the abundant table of God give strength and youth to your body, and you will never see diseases.

(source)

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!