Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Peace on Earth, Let it Begin with You





I’ve always loved the song, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”, as I remember it being sung mostly around Christmas time.  This song is simply beautiful.  Aside from its religious context, the message is one of grace and love, not just for a person or for a few people, put for all people, and especially oneself.  

The part of the song I like the most is at the beginning, where it states… “Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.”  That’s the catch.  Peace among us conflicted humans has always been challenging, yet one person can Shift their thoughts in taking action to create peace, and produce a domino effect of which that peace can come in many forms, but in order to give it, one has to accept it for themselves.  It might certainly be challenging to contribute to peace if one does not first embrace peace within.

The song was written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller in 1955.  Jackson-Miller who had gone through a great personal challenge, wrote the song “after discovering an understanding of life-saving joy, peace and unconditional love”.  The song was also created for the International Children’s Choir in Long Beach, CA, which continues to represent a variety of world nations (wikipedia).  

“Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony…

…Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin, with me.


M. MacNeith

Monday, December 9, 2019

The Best Gifts



We are now in the time of the season of giving.  In my last post, I talked about giving gifts at this time of year, in December when the days are cold and the nights are colder in the Northern Hemisphere.  And that the best gifts aren’t usually something tangible, but ethereal like time and love.

Giving one’s time and especially love that has no conditions attached to it, are truly the best gifts.  I would gather that they obviously coincide with one another, being that one would need to be conscious of giving one’s love through the gift of giving their time.  Someone can say “I love you,”  and with that statement, take positive action with that love and act  upon it, giving one’s self to another in those moments.  

Simple, loving actions like a hug, volunteering, providing a seat on the bus to someone who needs it more than you especially during chilly days and nights.  Giving your change to a reputable charity, making sure the elders in your neighborhood are safe and provide assistance if they need it.

These are the best gifts of all.  Giving your time and love in simple ways, which could turn into big ones.  Share your best gifts and see what happens.



M. MacNeith

Monday, December 2, 2019

Season of Giving




For many people around the globe, we think of the season of giving to be during the holidays in December.  Retailers plan months in advance for special prices on goods and items so we can purchase them to give to our family and friends, and give to those in need.

We tend to focus this desire, this necessity to buy someone something because we are supposed to.  The buying and giving of items, which are either needed or a kind of luxury can have heartfelt value.  However, things can be bought at anytime.  The true value of giving comes in the form of time, and the most precious gift is one’s love.

The beauty of giving one’s time and love is that the value of these gifts are exceedingly high and cost nothing at all.  In fact, the true beauty is that time and love go hand in hand.  Happy giving.

M. MacNeith

Wise with Time

Time has flown by quite quickly this past year.  Have you ever experienced time, either speeding up or slowing down?  When we experience joy...