Shining Light into the Darkness
Values. . . we often assume we know what we mean when we bandy about terms like American values, Christian values, Progressive values, and family values. Yet the words we use to describe our values can have different meanings for different people, even the people closest to us. When values collide, conflict arises. Since February …
Listening to ourselves, to our own inner stirrings, is an act of awakening that leads us on a journey to wholeness. This listening is not simply thinking through an issue or problem and making a decision. This kind of listening is an act of consciousness that calls us to our deepest knowings—to the key bits …
Listening with discernment rather than judgment is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other. The difference between discernment and judgment is subtle but important. When listening with discernment, we recognize and understand the differences between what the speaker is saying and what we hold to be true. We respect their right to …
Each morning we awake, we have a choice. Will we let the circumstances of our life determine the level of joy and gratitude we feel that day or will joy and gratitude flow simply from the gift of the day? Some days have more challenges than others yet how we perceive those challenges determines whether …
Did you know that we spend 60% of our time listening? Unfortunately, most of us really don’t listen very well at all and we retain only 25% of what we hear. This lack causes all sorts of problems in personal relationships, at work, and even accessing everyday services like proper health care. Since January is …
Thought for the day from writer and theologian Frederick Beuchner: The vocation for you is the one in which your deep gladness and the world’s deep need meet—something that not only makes you happy but that the world needs to have done . . . The kind of work God usually calls you to is …
Peace begins with a thought, an idea, a seed germinating in a heart that is watered with love, gratitude, forgiveness, compassion, and respect for all life. Peace isn’t simply the focus of nine days of prayer; peace is a way of life. So, water the peace seed in you. Feed your heart with the smiles of …
Thinking about the enormity of the problems that war and violence generate can mask the reality that each of us has a responsibility to be a peacemaker, to choose peace in every thought and action. The choices we make in our everyday lives reverberate through the whole of the universe; each of us matters and …
Peace In Our Hearts I have long contended that we cannot have peace in the world until we have peace in our hearts. This lesson has been taught by religious leaders across time, faiths, and belief systems. Something that universally taught must be true. If we can learn to experience inner peace, we can recognize our Oneness …
Power in the small things “If we just worry about the big picture, we are powerless. So my secret is to start right away doing whatever little work I can do. I try to give joy to one person in the morning, and remove the suffering of one person in the afternoon. If you and …