Happy Hannukah!
May there be Peace upon Earth
with kindness & goodwill toward all!

Mary lost her mother and her very best friend early this December. Just the thought of Christmas brought tears to her eyes.
Glen will be alone on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He saw his kids a couple of weeks ago. Maybe, he'll clean his office or work on his motorcycle - just to keep busy.
Pat lost her husband over 14 years ago. Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but at Christmas-time, it's still hurts. It's a pain that just doesn't go away.
Fred's son and grandson lost their jobs on the very same day. How are they going to pay their bills? In this economy, how are they going to find new jobs?
Nancy, a 59 year-old Kindergarten teacher in the Chicago suburbs, was told on December 10th that she has pancreatic cancer. That is certainly not the type of Christmas present she ever wanted.
Tammy is still languishing in prison for a crime she committed 21 years ago. Her family lives many hours away and she expects to spend the holidays alone.

At Christmas-time, we can't see the pain and suffering that's all around us. We can't hear the hushed cries of the heart. We can't feel their loneliness. Bankruptcy, foreclosures, lay-offs, pay-cuts, illness, death seem dim and barely noticeable under the bright and festive holiday lights.

There really isn't much that most of us can do to ease the pain of family, friends or neighbors who are suffering at this time of the year, but perhaps, we can pick up the phone, mail a card, send an e-mail or give a big hug. We can let them know that they are not alone; that we care. In these difficult times, it helps to have the support of loved ones and friends.

Let our young people learn from their mistakes...

Kids don't learn as much from textbooks and classroom lectures
as they do from personal experience.
A major part of learning and growth is through trial and error.

Most kids and young adults, who get into trouble with the law,
are usually acting on impulse without any criminal forethought.
Perhaps, we can say they are "good kids gone stupid!"
Ofttimes, they foolishly ignored the serious nature of their actions.

Since most people learn best from their mistakes,
let's allow our young people to learn and to grow
without, whenever possible, the heavy hand of the judicial system.
Let's be tolerant of their mistakes
and let's be generous with our guidance and our mercy.

Turn down the dial of your expectations! It's a simple lesson that has had a powerful impact on my life. When I accepted friends and family just as they are, I vastly improved those relationships. I don't let politics or other view-points bother me. I don't take offense at off-color jokes. And I don't get hurt by unintentional, hurtful remarks. I recognize that God created us all different. We are all unique. And we are all wrong at one time or the other. God didn't create any of us as perfect specimens of goodness or wisdom. We all tend to err and to fail.
Jesus, the Great Teacher, admonished us to forgive 70 times 70! That's a hell-of-alot of forgiving! It's certainly not at all easy to do. But it really has its benefits. I don't harbor any resentments or hatred. Therefore, I am more at peace with every one I meet. I try to be quick to forgive others and I try to be just as quick to ask for forgiveness when I have offended someone. I feel that this compassionate understanding and tolerance of others brings me closer to the Divine Desire for "Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward men."

We live in a very cold, cruel world. It is up to each of us to warm it up. Give a little kindness where-ever you go. Be compassionate to those less fortunate. Be sympathetic to those in physical or emotional pain. Be forgiving, because if you think about it, we’ve all fouled up from time to time. We all can use a little mercy. We may have different life-styles, beliefs and politics, but we ought to try to be more understanding, more tolerant of each other. The world needs a lot more peace and cooperation. There is enough hatred and violence. There can never be enough kindness.

Remarkable forgiveness

A Lesson in Forgiveness - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Time reports: Violent crimes have dropped 25% since '87, but harsher sentencing for lesser crimes has caused overcrowding and fueled a thriving private-prisons industry.

Pew Report: 1 in 100 Adults in Prison. Click here for details:
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=35912
“For all the money spent on corrections today, there hasn’t been a clear and convincing return for public safety,” said Adam Gelb, director of the Public Safety Performance Project.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/02/one-in-100-us-adults-in-prison-pew.php

If they can get along, so can we...