Walking on the Path of Peace

Let the creativity flow

There have been many spiritual teachers who have advocated the path of peace. In this path people walk without regard to race, religion or ethnicity.I believe that these people are very enlightened souls who carry the responsibility of lighting the path of peace for others to follow. It takes a special heart and an open, accepting soul to do all that is required for peace.

Let your light shine on the path of peace

It is not how much we do that is important; it is the love that enables us to walk on the path of peace. Peace is part of our journey if we accept it. It is one of the choices we make on our journey through this world. The smallest action done with love takes us further down the path of peace.

The beginning of the path of peace is within ourselves, in contemplation and prayer. Silent prayer within your own home where no one is watching you is the most sincere. Then what you are performing is not for the people to witness, but for yourself and God/Goddess. Many spiritual people recommend beginning and ending the day with prayer. Whereever your journey takes you, the desire for peace comes from the Divinity within.

Fear is an emotion which can destroy peace or prevent it from taking root in people. Fear of being humiliated, of being despised,  of being rebuked, of being forgotten or wronged and the fear of being ridiculed can destroy a person as they walk upon their journey.  There are curves and turns in the road, and not being able to see around the next bend can cause fear. We are all capable of good and evil. No one is all good or all evil .Divinity is always stronger than the evil in the world.

Look into a baby’s eyes if you want to see Divinity. It is all that they know. They learn to hate and hurt and to destroy only as they grow. So your heart being filled with Divinity and daily choosing paths that will allow you to walk in peace is the way to begin this journey. Once you have begun, life will carry you along until you are a shining light for others.

Be the light, be the inspiration, be the reason someone is living in a state of well-being.

Sunset over water. Photograph taken and copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2013

Terrorism

Boston Marathon
27,000 participants

My heart has been rendered in two. Two bombs went off at the Boston Marathon Finishline and at the JFK Library. Tears are slowly coursing down my face. We need to send prayers, positive energy and loving support to the deceased, the injured, the families and the viewers.

The journey is peace and we must meet every act of violence with peace and loving forgiveness

We must meet all acts of violence with an increase of peace, kindness, love, and compassion. Is it easy? No way. But if we meet violence with violence there will only be an increase in violence. We are being tested and our humanity put to the test.

” O Thou, the Cause and Effect of the whole universe, the Source from whence we have come and the Goal towards which all are bound:  receive this soul who is coming to Thee into Thy parental arms. May Thy forgiving Glance heal these people. Lift them from the denseness of the earth, surround them with the light of Thine own Spirit. Raise them up to Heaven, which is their true dwelling place. We pray Thee grant them with the blessing of Thy most exalted Presence. May their lives upon earth become as a dream to his waking soul, and let their thirsting eyes behold the glorious Vision of Thy Sunshine. Amen

Come Together in Love

” Death takes away the weariness of life; and the soul begins life anew.
Death is the night after which the day begins.
It is death which dies, not life.
The life everlasting is hidden in the heart of death.” —Hazrat Inayat Khan

A Prayer for Each of Us

“Help me to serve Thy cause.
O Spirit of Guidance, throw thy Divine LIght on my Path.
Open my heart, that thy spirit it may reflect.
My life is changing and taking a better turn on my journey.
My mind is still, Lord, with all people and with all conditions of the body.
May your Divine Inspiration fill my life, guide my thoughts and emotions.
Help my mind be your Divine Temple.”
Amen

One World, One love, One life now and always.

She Walks in Beauty

She Walks in Beauty (By George Gordon, Lord Byron)

She walks in beauty, like the
night
Of cloudless
climes and starry
skies;
And all that’s best
of dark and bright
Meet in her
aspect and her
eyes:
Thus mellow’d to
that tender light
Which heaven
to gaudy day
denies.
One shade the
more, one ray the
less,
Had half
impair‘d the
nameless grace
Which waves in
every raven trees,
Or softly
lightens o’er her
face;
Where thoughts
serenly sweet
express
How pure, how
dear their
dwelling-place.
And on that cheek,
and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm,
yet eloquent,
The smiles that
win, the tints that
glow,
But tell of days
in goodness spent,
A mind at peace
with all below,
A heart whose
love is innocent!

When ill or injured, I find poetry to be a soothing balm. I will be in the new walking boot for two more weeks and then I will begin PT. It could have been much worse. It could have caused more pain but I was blessed. This poem is one of my favorite ones and it was also Jacqueline Kennedy’s favorite poem. I like to read it when life challenges me. So I wanted to share it with all of you. Thank you for all of your kind wishes. I know I will have a speedy recovery. The gift of my heart is these  images I am sharing with you tonight.  Blessings, Barbara

Garden of solitude  Photograph copyrighted by Barbara Mattio  2013

Surrender yourself to peace.Photography copyrighted by Barbara Mattio  2013

Musings on Gratitude and understanding

Understanding promotes peace

We all know that we need to be grateful for our lives. It is easy when everything is going well. When life gets rough, it can be harder. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the blessings because they arrive without fanfare.

I have begun a Gratitude journal. I write down five things every day to be grateful for. I found that some days it was hard. I looked around and saw nothing to be grateful for. Then I realized that the most important things to be grateful for, are the little things. As I broadened my thinking, I realized my life was full of simple gifts and blessings. I had just simply been overlooking them.

I may not always feel loved or understood. I often have health issues and mobility issues .As I began to pull back and see the entire picture of my life, I saw many small blessings that threaded themselves throughout my life. Coming to understand this concept has enriched me and my life. No matter what is happening in life, I can now always see the blessings that fill my life.

Sometimes it is still something for me to work on. What I find though is that the Divine gives us many tiny yet huge blessings to be grateful for.

As I have gone through this experience, I have realized just how rich I am. I saw how much more understanding I can give to others.That brings more understanding from others to me. The ultimate result is peace. Peace in my heart and mind.

It is important to understand how these mental and spiritual exercises adds to the peace in my life and that peace fills me and I can pass it on to the people in my life. They can pass it on to others in their lives. Peace is a daily quest and we need to work on it every day.

Yes, we all know that peace takes action as well as understanding and gratitude. These actions must never be based on hatred and violence. Dialog between all of us and the blogs we write are ways to work toward peace.

I am grateful for all of my readers and the people who have become friends. I am very grateful for you allowing me to experience pieces of your lives. I am grateful for all I have learned from you. I wish many blessings for all my readers around the world.

” We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot force.”
—–Marion Wright Edelman

“You cannot contribute anything to the ideal condition of mind and heart known a Brotherhood (Sisterhood), however much you preach, posture, or agree, unless you live it.”
——-Faith Baldwin

Working for Peace and Harmony in Our Time

Keep on Trying for Higher Ground

Another shooting. Another school campus became a place of terror for our children. My daughter is a teacher and she is in a poor county in a Southern State. Lockdown is a frequent occurrence. My grandson is in college and they had a lockdown because a guy came on campus with a gun. There have been  four school shootings since Newton.

We can pray, love, be compassionate, however, we need to do more. We need to teach our children how to live ethically.  We need to be good positive role models for a non-violent life. We need to teach our children to forgive, love, and accept people as they are, blessed children of God. We need to  put hatred and violence aside.

Will it take armed guards at schools to keep our children safe? I am of mixed feelings about this. My heart screams no but I realize what our teachers and school employees go through every day. It isn’t good. This daily danger may very well influence our best teachers to find other, safer, occupations.  I believe we need to discuss the subject and leave the NRA out of our decisions. What is the best way to go?

I invite people to discuss how you feel about this subject. I am not talking about hunters or the person who keeps one gun for safety, but why do people need eighteen guns and 60 rounds of ammo? I don’t understand that. So please, let’s talk about this. It is a vital part of our American agenda.

Britain has strict gun laws and have had only 51 gun related deaths in 2010, compared to 11,078 in the U.S.  This is amazing to me and I think it is something to add to the discussion. How did they do it and make it work? So I invite my British readers to give insight from your point of view also. May we be able to end this horrible violence and put our eyes on the Divinity in this life.  I am grateful for everyone who responds.

I have had the Peaceful Time of my Life

Hello everyone. I am home and feeling so relaxed and happy. It was a wonderful trip. The light, sounds, smells, and textures of the trip are filling my heart and mind. I met many wonderful people and laughed a lot.

I think if you breathe in love and exhale peace, you see the world as it “really” is. I am so grateful that I won this trip and every day was an adventure. Music, hot tubs, beaches, waters colored by the hand of heaven. My sister and I were walking down a hallway on our way to breakfast. I suddenly thought, wow, I hardly have any clothes on and it is January. It kind of became a motto,”We are doing —–and it is January.

I believe I could have stayed forever except for a few excursions to New Orleans. My favorite city is New Orleans, actually French Quarter.

Peace was woven into our lives during this trip. I heard nothing but reggae music and laughter. People went out of their way to be kind and thoughtful. I heard not one voice raised in anger or hatred. People never were inconsiderate. Neither staff or passengers.

As a person on this planet, I realized that we are capable of kindness, discussion, manners, laughter, thoughtfulness. We are able to live on the One World with love and peace.We can look out for others, care about their troubles and give smiles and laughs rather than hatred and violence.

Walking on deck in the evening .Photo by Barbara Mattio

Abstract sculpture
Photo by Barbara Mattio

The End of 2012

I picked this version of Auld Lang Syne for today because it has always been a favorite tune. My favorite lyric is “We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now.”  We are standing on the line–the line between the old and the new. The old, oft remembered song of innocence and yet one foot starting to move into now.

There are interesting centuries old traditions from the British Isles that we don’t necessarily follow here in America now. They are worth a look, however.

In England, any gifts brought into the house on New Year’s Eve should be welcomed with ceremony, as they will bring good fortune to the house. The cleaning of the house before New Year’s Eve is a way of clearing out unfinished business, of any kind; clearing out the dust and cobwebs of the old year, so you can start out fresh and new.

In Scotland, people burned Juniper branches and carried them throughout the house to clear it of negative energy. This dates back to the time when Juniper branches were burned in the fireplace to ensure the gifts of the New Year.  By 1893, toward evening the thoroughfares become thronged with the youth of the city.

Another tradition — today, championed by “pagans” — is to make a list of what you need and really want. This was also the time to give yourself one of the items on your list; traditionally, you wrapped it up and made a true gift of it to yourself, perhaps accompanied by this Blessing:

Blessing on Giving a Gift

Take, and welcome joy within you;

Showers, flowers, powers,

Hatfuls, capfuls, lapfuls,

Treasures, measures, pleasures,

All be yours to enjoy!

             —-Caitlin Matthews: A Celtic Devotional

Solitary watch

The Celtic traditions energize Gaia, Mother Earth.

The Blessings of This Year

Celebration of blessings

No matter where you live, or whatever your culture, it is a great time of year to look at your blessings. I am having my first snow this year and I am very unhappy about it. Then  I realized that it isn’t so bad after all because of what really matters in my life.

This year has gone by very quickly. Amazingly quickly. It seems like yesterday that I was visiting my best friend in North Carolina. And today is a week until New Years. This year, for me personally has brought love, tears, joy, excitement, silence, music, friends, family, health issues and some healing.

This year has brought surprises and a wedding. It has brought sadness and loss of people who carry parts of my heart. The year brought some financial blessing and the ability to share.

This year I worked on developing a side of myself I had never experienced before. I am excited to see this blossoming in my life. It is quite amazing to me to see this new side of me. And, of course, as I change the world and people around me change. I hope that I am able to add some positive and loving energy to all the people in my world and I hope it will radiate out to others.

I am grateful for the laughter as well as tears. I am grateful for days of brilliant sunshine and gentle breezes. I am grateful for the Divine within me and the reality that brings to my life! I am love, I am loving, and I am the Beloved. I am grateful for each person I have met here. Our virtual home that gives us the ability to meet, to share, and to understand this journey we are all experiencing  together. It is a privilege to have gotten to know you and and to experience this together.

I can see a web of loving, giving, sharing, and good people forming the threads of caring and positive thoughs that circles our planet and helps to counteract the bad things that happen. Our prayers, positive thoughts, and our ability to love others is helping to heal Mother Earth and we are slowly replacing suffering with peace.

Thanks to all of you for your dedication and good hearts.

Bob Marley said it so well. One World, One God, One life. Do what you can do to add positive energy to our world.

The Winter Solstice

Traditionally, the solstice is a time of quiet, dreaming, and the light and warmth of fire. The sounds all have a cold primitive purity as they ring out. The rivers are still and the land waits patiently for spring to come. Walking at night this time of year yields a pure silence which I think of as Divine. The sky is full of stars and planets which seem brighter and larger than usual.

During the season of the Solstice, try to atune yourself to Mother Earth and honor the four directions, the land you are standing upon. Allow yourself to become aware of the wind as it sweeps around you. Come into contact with the Universe inside and outside yourself.

A Litany for the Winter Solstice

For the return of the sun—blessing and praise!
For the gifts we give–and receive–blessing and praise!
For all of the gift givers—blessing and praise!
For the Children of Wonder—blessings and praise!
For children everywhere—blessing and praise!
For sunsets and starlight–blessings and praise!
For fabulous feast days—blessings and praise!
For those who cook them—blessings and praise!
For the tree in the corner—blessings and praise!
For the candles in the window—blessings and praise!
For the icicles on the trees—blessings and praise!
For light on the snowfields—blessings and praise!
For the gifts of friendship—blessings and praise!
For hand-bell ringers—blessings and praise!
For the robin and wren—blessings and praise!
For animals everywhere—blessing and praise!

Winter beach

Blessings to all as they celebrate this holy season for so many people on our planet. Committing random acts of kindness is a way to bless yourself and others in your life.

Do We Heal or do We Listen to the Dollars Spread Around by the Gun Lobby

As a nation, there is unbearable pain and shock. Babies killed purposely by a troubled child. A troubled child who shot his Mother four times in the head and killed 20 little angels. Each day, while doing normal activities of life, suddenly I remember the tragedy. I have nine grandchildren and I want to throw up.

I think it is important to honor every hero. The teachers and other staff members. Whoever turned the PA system on to warn the other teachers and children. The first responders who will carry such horror within their hearts for the rest of their lives. Each one of these is a hero/heroine. I know that there are heroes we aren’t aware of but the Divinity in the Universe knows of your kind and compassionate behavior.

The violence and anger and hatred that is filling our society will not win. Those of us who are spiritual will not let that happen. We will continue to put light and love into the world. We will pray and meditate for peace and love and acceptance. We will not judge those who are different.

Our country needs to control violent video games and guns. Assault guns and huge magazines are insane. Who needs 30 rounds to kill a deer? What mother needs six guns in the house to feel safe? Therapy is a much better choice, a very necessary choice. Don’t listen to them. Listen to the cries and weeping of the people of Newton, Conn.

If you watch the memorials taking place in Newton, you will see the raw emotion of people whose lives have been touched by violence and guns. I don’t understand how the NRA can say anything. They will though and we need to use all of our emotional strength and every ounce of love in our hearts to turn away from them and think about our country’s loss and pain.

I pray, I honor the people of Newton, the victims, angels all. I pray for the parents who can’t tuck them into bed at night anymore. I pray for the first responders who are having nightmares. I pray for the children who went back to school today. Can you imagine who frightened these babies must have felt this morning? I pray that sanity and love will fill our society and we will put children in the priority they deserve.

Rest In Peace, sweet angels. You will never be forgotten.

Grief is often solitary and always full of pain. May the loving Beloved heal all hearts that are grieving and in pain.

The rainbow is a promise to all of us.