Today's the Day to set a record!

Today is the day that they're trying to set a world record over at ChristmasRecord.com. Please take a moment to sign up and make a post to their blog. They've set a lofty goal for themselves and need your help to make it happen!

My Christmas Wish

Today is Christmas, and I am sitting by my Christmas tree with the lights shining in the dimness of my living room. At the moment, the only other creatures stirring in this house are my three cats. The only sounds I hear are the coffee maker and the furnace both doing their jobs to make my morning comfortable and pleasant, and the occasional car in the distance.

The hustle and bustle of the past month is over, now. All the craziness is subsided. Different forms of it are poised to come back to life, but in this moment, there is peace.

This is my Christmas wish for all of you, whether you celebrate Christmas or not: That you will feel in your heart the peace I feel in mine in this quiet moment. Take a minute or two right now to quiet yourself, to relax into your chair, to forget about whatever else may be occupying your mind. Let my peace flow over you and through you. For this one moment, just BE.

Enjoy your day! And may peace be with you.

Blog For Charity

Would you like to help me blog for charity this Christmas?
Click here for more information.... thank you!

Pay It Forward On Willard Street

See my new article "Pay It Forward" just posted on Willard Street. A new article will be going up every week, on Wednesdays. Don't miss any!

Free Hugs in Montreal on December 23

I posted back in October about Juan Mann's free hugs campaign. Recently I joined the forum at the freehugs campaign website, and saw this announcement. If you're not doing anything on Saturday and you can make it to Montreal, consider taking part in this event.

Willard Street Column

I just wanted to let everyone know about this great site, Willard Street. It's creator, Rob, asked me to write a weekly column for him, which I've been doing for 2 weeks now. Please check it out, and have a look around his site while you're there. Lots of interesting stuff there!

calm 'n ground

For my readers in the Cambridge (Ontario) area, this Thursday is the monthly "calm 'n ground" gathering at Balance on Dickson Street. I hope to see you there!

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day.

Around forty million people are living with HIV throughout the world - and that number increases in every region every day. In the UK alone, more than 60,000 people are living with HIV and more than 7,000 more are diagnosed every year. Ignorance and prejudice are fuelling the spread of a preventable disease.

World AIDS Day, 1 December is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This year, it's up to you, me and us to stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice.

For information on what you can do, click here.

A New Look

I wasn't at all happy with the template I was using, so I finally changed it. I think this one is much more restful to look at. And Blogger has made some changes to make it easier to customize blogs, although I haven't figured out how most of it works yet. I lost my book and poster links in the switch, for example. But all in all, I like it.

Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions on what you'd like to see here. Email me at peaceripples@gmail.com or post a comment below.

YMCA Peace Week

Each year, many YMCAs and YMCA-YWCAs across Canada celebrate YMCA World Peace Week by dedicating a full week in November to explore peace from a personal, community and international perspective. This year’s Peace Week is being held November 18-25, 2006 and the theme is, “the power of peace…the power of people.”

YMCA Canada link for Peace Week (scroll down about 2 pages)

http://www.ymca.ca/eng_ycdaresources.htm

This is an excerpt from an email I received this week from Rana Farhaneh of the Cambridge YMCA, regarding what’s happening in Cambridge for Peace Week.

Our activities start November 20 with the opening Ceremony at the Z beside Y and the peace mobile activities. Schools will be coming through the day and its open for public “Adult and children” from 6 -8. Peace mobile are interactive activities to explore peace and educational activities focus on the dimensions of peace from different perspectives.

Multi – faith Gathering on Nov 22 from 7:00 to 8:30 at the Islamic Center 1550 Dunbar Road beside Newfoundland club. Different faith will be represented to share with us peace and unity for the world nothing formal it is a Gathering every faith will talk about peace from the perspective of their religion.

Citizenship Court and Community Peacemaker Recognition Ceremony will be held on Nov 24 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the YMCA Gymnasium. It is open for public and their will refreshments on the side.

This link leads to a 109-page activity guide (in PDF format) from the YMCA Canada website.

http://www.ymca.ca/downloads/Peace-Week-Activity-Guide-06-Eng.pdf

What are you doing for Peace Week? Feel free to post a comment on the blog or email me at peaceripples@gmail.com to let us know.

Meditation

Do you meditate?

I keep reading about the benefits of having a regular meditation practice. For years now, I've been reading magazine articles, books, and such on it. Occasionally I'll try to start some program or other. Usually the closest I get is looking in the local Activities Guide to see what classes are available, but I've never signed up for one.

I do use visualization and breathing exercises to get through visits to the dentist. Which lately have been happening frequently enough to almost qualify as a regular meditation practice. For anyone in the Cambridge area - if you're looking for a dentist, I can't recommend Dr. Anjelica Hartwig highly enough. She almost makes me look forward to seeing her - and how many dentists have clients who say *that* about them?

Anyhow, my "point of the day" - I just finished reading yet another meditation exercise, and I may or may not try it, but it intrigued me enough to bring it to your attention. I found it while reading the newsletter for Spirit of the Earth, The Living Centre which is a fascinating looking retreat sanctuary in London, Ontario. I highly recommend taking their virtual tour and have a great time playing around with the directional buttons. One of these days I'd love to take one or more of their workshops, too.

Do You Remember?

Today is November 11, Remembrance Day. This morning I joined a crowd down at the Cenotaph for the yearly ceremony. While I really didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, it wasn’t an option. I knew I had to be there to show my respect for our veterans, the fallen and also the soldiers who are currently serving. Watching the parade downtown brought tears to my eyes as it does every year. Appropriately, the weather was somber and wet. What would Remembrance Day be without rain? The news today reported that it even rained in Afghanistan during their ceremony.

I hate Remembrance Day. But I think I hate it for the right reasons. I hate knowing what our veterans have been through. I hate that so many young people have died fighting in wars. I hate knowing that before the year is out, more will be dead. I hate knowing that there is always a war going on somewhere. I hate knowing that there are people in the world who will make war or spread terror for their own gain. And every Remembrance Day I am asked to remember all these things. It’s very effective, that way.

Please understand - I am not anti-military. I have a great deal of respect for soldiers, particularly those who have served overseas and risked their lives for us. It is just that I wish they were unemployed. I wish there were no war zones, no dictators, no terrorists, no need to fight for a freedom we all should be guaranteed from birth. It is because I remember that I am a peace activist. I am working towards the day when humanity will learn to resolve our differences without resorting to war and violence.

I remember.

Free Hugs

I’ve had a couple of lists I belong to send me this video, and it’s so wonderfully happy-making I have to share it with you all. I’m seriously thinking that we need to get some “free hug happenings” going on in different places. Anyone else up for it? Let's make it happen!

Peace Please is a wonderful site. I just ordered and received a couple of pendants from them. Have a look around while you’re there. The Woodstock Fence Necklace is next on my “want” list.

A special thank you to Rob of Willard Street for mentioning me in his latest newsletter, and a welcome to any visitors from there. Please leave a comment or drop me a line to say hi!

Happy Eid!

Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, is coming to an end. Tomorrow is Eid, the day which marks the end of the fasting. Since I wasn't really sure what it was all about or how it was celebrated, I googled Eid and found a Wikipedia entry which included this explanation: "Eid is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. This is a time for peace for all Muslims in the world to devote to prayers and mutual well-being."

IslamiCity says:

"EID-UL-FITR is celebrated on the first day of Shaw'waal, at the completion of Ramadan. Shaw'waal is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. The Eid-al-Fitr is a very joyous day; it is a true Thanksgiving Day for the believing men and women. On this day Muslims show their real joy for the health, strength and the opportunities of life, which Allah has given to them to fulfill their obligation of fasting and other good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan."

So to all my Muslim readers: Eid Mubarak!

Why War Ends With You

Peace Is the Way: Bringing War and Violence to an End (Chopra, Deepak)

This information is taken from the Peace is the Way website. This book, by Deepak Chopra, I highly recommend. It was part of the inspiration for this blog.

Why War Ends With You

The approach of personal transformation is the idea of the future for ending war. It depends on the only advantage that people of peace have over warmakers: sheer numbers. If enough people in the world transformed themselves into peacemakers, war could end. The leading idea here is critical mass. It took a critical mass of human beings to embrace electricity and fossil fuels, to teach evolution and adopt every major religion. When the time is right and enough people participate, critical mass can change the world.

Can it end war?

There is precedent to believe that it might. The ancient Indian ideal of Ahimsa, or non-violence, gave Gandhi his guiding principle of reverence for life. In every spiritual tradition it is believed that peace must exist in one’s heart before it can exist in the outer world.

Personal transformation deserves chance.

"When a person is established in non-violence, those in his vicinity cease to feel hostility."

– Patanjali, ancient Indian sage

Thinking of Montreal

Today I stopped in at a community drum circle, hosted by Laura at Balance, here in Cambridge. An hour plus of drumming, attended by young and old, seasoned and novice. I always feel so energized whenever I go there. At the end, Laura asked us to keep those affected by Montreal's fallen overpass in our thoughts for the last drum. Having so recently returned from Montreal, it was easy to close my eyes and picture the skyline, and feel myself in a car travelling its roads. I am thankful for ground under my feet today.

Loving Energy

The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in the one word 'love'. It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life.

Lydia Maria Child

I’ve been working on bringing more love into my interactions with others. Not that I’m totally there yet, but when I am in conflict with someone, I picture them in my head and fill my heart with love, and imagine that my love is reaching out and enveloping them. I don’t know if this has any impact on the person I’m picturing, but I do know that it helps keep me calm and rational. And if I can stay calm and rational, I know that it helps whatever situation I’m in.

I also use this technique when I hear of someone who is hurting. It’s my way of praying. I ask the universe to pass on my loving energy to the person in need, and picture myself radiating love for them.

Peace Begins at Home

I just got back from a week’s vacation in Montreal (actually in Brossard, just south of Montreal) where I visited my sister, Rebecca. We had a lot of fun times, particularly shopping, shopping, and more shopping. She took me to many of her favourite stores. She also introduced me to Irina of Salon Coiffmania who gave me a wonderfully relaxing manicure. If you’re ever in Brossard, I highly recommend her.

Rebecca and I also spent the week FLYing. FLY is an acronym for “Finally Loving Yourself” and it comes from the website www.flylady.com. On the surface, this appears to be a site about helping you with housework, but it goes so much deeper than that. If you’re wondering what this has to do with peace, read this excerpt from an email I received this morning. FlyLady (Marla Cilley) talks a lot about how to have peace at home. Her mailing list has over 300,000 members and thousands more sign up each day. I’ve barely begun her baby steps, and I feel so much better already. The people I share my home with have noticed the difference, too!

Dear Friends,

I got up in the middle of the night with the song Let There Be Peace on Earth ringing in my head. I wrote it down on my notepad that I keep in my bathroom. I got up this morning to see what I had written and I can't get those words out of my head.

Peace does begin at home! We have been tossing out our clutter for the last few days! Less clutter is the beginning to finding your peace at home. You deserve to live in a home that hugs you! Start today by clearing out a little area of your home! Take the babysteps we have been talking about. Your clutter is representive of the clutter that is going on in your head. Clear out some physical clutter and you will be releasing some of that mind clutter along with it.

Let there be peace on Earth.

FlyLady

Would you like to join our group?

I've just set up a google group for peaceripples. At the moment, it's just set up so that members will receive emails whenever something is posted to the blog, although I will probably open it up for discussions once I have a chance to work on it some more.

So - if you would like to receive emails from peaceripples, please visit this url and join our new group!

http://groups.google.com/group/peaceripples

Celtic Blessing

I found a book of peace meditations, and this blessing was at the end. It spoke to me, so I wanted to share it with you all. Peace.

Celtic Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you…

Peace between nations,
Peace between neighbours,
Peace between lovers,
In love of the God of life.

Peace between religions,
Peace between world views,
Peace between differences,
In love of the God of life.

Peace between races,
Peace between man and Earth,
Peace between man and beasts,
In love of the God of life.

Peace between person and person,
Peace between wife and husband,
Peace between parent and child,
In love of the God of life.

The peace of Heaven above all peace.
Bless O Heaven our hearts
Let our hearts incessantly bless,
Bless O Heaven our faces,
Let our faces bless one and all,
Bless O Heaven our eyes,
Let our eyes bless everything they see…

From the Carmina Gadelica, collected and edited by Alexander Carmichael
as printed in The Book of Peace: Meditations From Around the World by Claire Nahmad

Where to Begin?

Once I made Peace my goal, I had to start thinking about how to achieve that goal. It didn’t take long to feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities. There are so many levels of peace, so many obstacles in the way. World peace is a global issue, but it is also a personal, family, and community issue. I did a lot of reading, and a lot of surfing the internet. From time to time I will let you know about some of the books and websites I found helpful. For now, have a look at the links in the sidebar for a couple of my favourites.

Peace begins with each of us, from the inside out. If we are not at peace with ourselves, we will be in conflict with others as well. Then we need peace within our homes and workplaces. If we can’t get along with the people we spend our time with, how can we work for peace in the world? Our communities also need help. Hunger and poverty aren’t limited to third world countries – children everywhere go to bed hungry. Crime is part of our everyday reality. Drug and alcohol abuse continue to ruin lives.

As peacemakers, we have our work cut out for us. This is not necessarily a bad thing – it is also a blessed opportunity. Whatever our abilities, whatever problems we feel drawn to work on, there is something each of us can do to make the world a more peaceful place.

The First Ripple

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” - Walt Disney

“Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen.” – Peter Marshall

I’ve been talking to a few friends about this website that I’ve been wanting to set up to promote world peace. They’ve been excited when I described my dream to them, and encouraged me to follow through on it, but its been weeks and still nothing. Today I told someone new about it, and got into a conversation about what’s been holding me back.

“I feel like a fraud,” I confessed, “wanting to talk about peace when there’s been so much trouble in my own life lately.” So then we talked about integrity, how we work on peace by working on ourselves, and how peace begins with each of us. No one person can do alone, we all have our part to play. The pieces started to fall into place, and I resolved to go home and get to work.

Peace is my goal, for myself and anyone else who wants it. I’m not an expert and I don’t have all the answers. This is my journey, though, and I invite you to join me.

The pebble has been dropped in the pond. The first ripple has gone out. How far will it go? Stay with me and we'll find out together.