Peace Ripple...

Towards the end of Spring, my children and I planted seeds for tomatoes and lettuce and some herbs. Every morning we'd go out first thing and check to see if there was any progress. We'd talk to the seeds and give them some energy and check the soil to see if it was moist enough. We were so excited when they started to grow! We left to go away for 10 days and, as it was expected to rain, I did not ask a neighbour to drop by and water them. But it did not rain, and it was rather warm. When we got back, they were not looking very well, and as I had gotten out of the habit of tending to them every morning, I sometimes missed a day of checking on them. Then we got rain. A lot of rain. And it didn't do them any good either. Long story short...we didn't get any tomatoes or lettuce and the herbs are doing just ok. I got to thinking of how we - specifically our health (physical, mental and spiritual) - are like a garden. Often we'll get all excited about a new exercise prog...

"Think of your body as a sacred temple, and extend reverence as a form of love. Be aware of, and grateful for, every organ, every drop of blood, every appendage, and every cell that constitutes your body. Start right this minute by offering a silent prayer of gratitude for your liver, your heart, and your brain." - Dr Wayne Dyer I think when we remember to do this, when we are gentle with our minds and our bodies, we naturally gravitate towards taking better care of our physical form. We eat healthy food because we want to, not because we have to. We move because it feels good, not like a chore. And the expression of love for ourselves is radiated to those around us. Health becomes our new standard and we realise that it feels so good to feel good! What's more - you deserve it!

On this day of your life, dear friend, I believe God wants you to know... ...that as you start the first full work week of the NewYear you should do no 'work' at all. The point of your activities throughout the day is not to make a living, but to make a life; not to 'work' but to create joy. If you are doing what you are doing merely to 'pay the bills,' you will have missed the major reason for All Of Life. The purpose of life is to know and express Who You Are. If you do other than that during the days and times of your life, you will have not used those days and times in a way that profits your soul. It is soul profit we are after here, not body profit. This first week of the New Year is a good time to contemplate that, yes? Love, Your Friend.... Neale

"I know you think you should make a trip to Calcutta, but I strongly advise you to save your airfare and spend it on the poor in your own country. It's easy to love people far away. It's not always easy to love those who live right next to us. There are thousands of people dying for a bit of bread, but there are thousands more dying for a bit of love or a bit of acknowledgement. The truth is that the worst disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis; it's being unwanted, it's being left out, it's being forgotten" ~ Mother Teresa

I met a new friend recently. During the conversation, she was saying how she recognised that she often passed judgement on other people, before she had met them, based on the opinions of others. She was not sure if she should do that, but seemed to be stuck in that pattern. I wanted to explore that with her, but just could not find the words. Thinking about it now, I know why, and I also know what I would have said. Which is: "It's very nice that you want to show loyalty to your friends by siding with them, but do you always know if your friends are right? The person that appears to be mean that you are judging - do you know what made them like that? Perhaps they had something really horrible happen to them in the past and their behaviour now is a defense mechanism. Or a cry for help -'I'm in pain'. Who are we to judge another anyway? Has our own behaviour been exemplary? Imagine if we were slower to judge others and quicker to show kindness and compass...

"We are on the planet to be and express the Divine Love of God that is alive in every fiber of our being, waiting to be released through us onto our world. Living as love is a way of life that brings heaven on earth. " Michael Beckwith, Agape Ministries

We want Peace and non-violence: Two friends drawing "the largest Peace sign" on the beach: A Peace Ripple: Inspiration: http://www.theworldmarch.org