Family!

"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

Shane Claiborne =]

"Two guys are talking to each other and the one says he has a question for God. He wants to ask God why he allows all this poverty and war and suffering to exist in the word. And his friend says 'well, why don't you ask?' The fellow shakes his head and says he is scared. When his friend asks why, he mutters,

"I'm scared God will ask me the same question."

-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

Courage

"Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all."

--Princess Diaries



Martin Luther King Jr is awesome!

Speak the truth even if your voice shakes.

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open
Say what you need to say

--John Mayer

Life’s Little Instructions

Sing in the shower.

Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

Watch a sunrise at least once a year.

Leave the toilet seat in the down position.

Never refuse homemade brownies.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Plant a tree on your birthday.

Learn three clean jokes.

Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.

Compliment three people every day.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Leave everything a little better than you found it.

Keep it simple.

Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Floss your teeth.

Ask for a raise when you feel you’ve earned it.

Be forgiving of yourself and others.

Over tip breakfast waitresses.

Say “thank you” a lot.

Say “please” a lot.

Avoid negative people.

Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.

 Wear polished shoes.

Remember other people’s birthdays.

Commit yourself to constant improvement.

Carry jumper cable in your trunk.

Have a firm handshake.

Send lots of Valentine cards. Sign them, “Someone who thinks you’re terrific.”

Look people in the eye.

Be the first to say, “Hello”

Use the good silver.

Return all things you borrow.

Make new friends but cherish the old ones.

Keep secrets.

Sing in a choir.

Plant flowers every spring.

Have a dog.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

Wave at kids on schools buses.

Be there when people need you.

Feed a stranger’s expired parking meter.

Don’t expect life to be fair.

Never underestimate the power of love.

Drink champagne for no reason at all.

Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.

Don’t be afraid to say, “I made a mistake.”

Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”

Compliment even small improvements.

Keep your promises (no matter what).

Marry only for love.

Rekindle old friendships.

Count your blessings.

Call your mother.

Love vs Hate

"This is an all-hands-on-deck kind of moment on earth. It's not OK to be stuck in the smallness of our narcissism when our greatness is so needed. It's time for each of us to face once and for all whatever demons have kept us chained to our neuroses and pain; to stand up for ourselves as a way of standing up for God; and to take our places in God's plan for the salvation of the world.

This is an exciting time and a critical one. It's not a time to be a lone ranger. It's a time, despite whatever our pain and heartbreak, to reach deep into ourselves and humbly towards each other. For there we will find God, and in God there is every answer we are looking for, every solution we so desperately seek, and every joy we might have come to think was gone and gone forever. This is the time, and we are the ones.

And why are we not already functioning at a higher level of mastery? What holds many of us back is not spiritual ignorance but spiritual laziness. We know many of the principles of higher consciousness; we're just too mentally and emotionally undisciplined to apply them universally. We apply forgiveness where it's easy, faith where it seems to make rational sense, and love where it's convenient. We're serious, but not really...

Now contrast that with the advocates of hate.

Do terrorists hate us just some of the time? Do they have a casual commitment to their cause? Do they take less than seriously the goal of full manifestation of their worldview? The only way we will triumph over hate is to become as deeply committed to love as some people are committed to hate, as deeply committed to expressing our love as some people are devoted to expressing their hate, as firm that love is our mission as some are that hate is theirs."

--The Gift of Change by Marianne Williamson 

Think Different

Community

"Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when”

What does community mean to you?

I've Been to the Moutaintop

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." --Martin Luther King Jr

United By Something Stonger

‎"We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another, that's entirely up to us. And I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us." --President Obama

Picture courtesy of Amy!

Reason #1

So, I figured it would be good to take the time to explain the reason for this blog. A year ago today a massive earthquake devastated Haiti. On Saturday there was a shooting in Arizona. On a regular basis bad things happen. But I believe despite these bad things that love is important, peace is possible and there is hope for a better world. I want to use this blog to post quotes, poems, and anything in between to promote peace, love and hope.

With  that being said, one of my Facebook friends posted this article from CNN about Haiti. The article entitled, 'Why U.S. aid worker refuse to give up' paints, in my opinion, a picture of hope. Haiti has most certainly not recovered from the earthquake but there are still people out there working hard.

"Why do I do it? Anger and frustration. If it was your kids, and you were in the same situation, you are going to do whatever you can. You are not going to stop. And for the aid workers, the Haitian people have become family and we are emotionally invested, so we will see it through."

People are still working, still doing something, no matter how frustrating it is. There is hope for a better world, even if it takes some time. And while we are all waiting for the better world, while we are all working for it, we cannot forget to be grateful for what we have.

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."